Expansion of LNG Export Terminal Project in Port Fourchon

A port commission in the U.S. state of Louisiana has purchased an additional area of land to support the expansion of a future liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal project in Port Fourchon.

According to the Greater Lafourche Port Commission (GLPC), the payment and acquisition of a 743-acre, or around 3 square kilometers, tract from the State of Louisiana has been approved at its monthly board meeting on July 9. This is envisaged to pave the way for the expansion of Argent LNG’s export development in Port Fourchon.

Thanks to additional acreage, the project’s total footprint will now amount to 900 acres, or roughly 3.6 square kilometers. The expanded site is expected to provide the scale and flexibility to increase logistics efficiency and make room for additional storage to support future phases of growth as global LNG demand increases.

“Location is everything when it comes to developing LNG infrastructure that can compete on cost, schedule, and reliability,” said Jonathan Bass, Chief Executive Officer of Argent LNG. “Port Fourchon offers unmatched deepwater access, proximity to offshore and onshore energy services, and a community of stakeholders who understand how to execute at scale.”

The Argent LNG facility is envisaged to have an initial capacity of 12 million tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG, with the potential expansion up to 25 mtpa as part of the project’s Phase 2. According to the developer, this would make it one of the largest LNG export terminals in the world.

GLPC Executive Director Chett Chiasson noted: “By securing this tract, our Board of Commissioners has not only positioned Argent LNG for long-term success but created the foundation for decades of investment and job creation for Lafourche Parish and our region. Port Fourchon has always been the place where big energy ideas become reality, and this project is no exception.”

The project will now continue with permitting, engineering, and early site work. As for the previous work done, an agreement to assess the use of Honeywell’s pretreatment solutions at the future plant was inked in April.

Before that, Baker Hughes was selected to provide liquefaction solutions, power generation equipment, and gas compression systems for the future facility, and a deal was signed with the Government of Bangladesh for the purchase of up to 5 mtpa of LNG from the plant.