Venture Global Celebrates Start of Commercial Operations at Calcasieu Pass LNG Project

U.S.-based liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project developer Venture Global has marked a significant milestone with the commencement of commercial operations at its LNG export project in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. The project, known as Calcasieu Pass LNG, has officially started operations, with Portugal’s oil and gas company Galp confirming its first LNG cargo from the facility.

Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass LNG project achieved commercial operation status on April 15, 2025, meeting its scheduled commercial operation date (COD) in under 68 months from the final investment decision (FID) made in August 2019. The company touts this achievement as one of the fastest greenfield LNG projects completed to date.

Mike Sabel, CEO of Venture Global, expressed his pride in the team’s efforts, stating, “I am incredibly proud of our team who have worked relentlessly and diligently to successfully construct and commission our first LNG project. We are excited to reach this milestone and are grateful for our regulators and supply chain partners who have worked with our team to reach commercial operations as efficiently and safely as possible.”

With the start of commercial operations, Venture Global has also initiated the sale of U.S. LNG to its long-term customers with multi-billion-dollar contracts, which is expected to have a positive impact on the U.S. balance of trade with European allies.

Venture Global’s innovative approach to construction, featuring mid-scale modular liquefaction trains and sequential installation of process facilities, enabled the project to overcome various challenges, including a global pandemic, hurricanes, and manufacturing issues. The project’s design incorporates redundancy features for safety and reliability.

The Calcasieu Pass LNG project has maintained an exemplary safety record, surpassing industry benchmarks for incident rates. The project’s long-term agreements offer competitive pricing for customers, with average liquefaction fees under $2/mmbtu, providing cost-effective LNG supply for the duration of the contracts.

The Calcasieu Pass LNG facility, located at the intersection of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the Gulf of Mexico, is designed to export 10 million metric tons of LNG per year, with additional production capacity planned in Louisiana.

Galp recently received the first LNG cargo from Venture Global LNG under its sales and purchase agreement, reinforcing its natural gas and LNG portfolio. Venture Global’s other projects, including Plaquemines LNG and CP2 LNG, are progressing towards commercial operation, with plans for expansion and environmental initiatives such as carbon capture and sequestration projects.

The future looks promising for Venture Global as it continues to develop LNG production capacity and sustainability initiatives, positioning itself as a key player in the global LNG market.