Freeport LNG Requests More Time for Expansion Project

Ongoing repair work has caused Freeport LNG [1] to request a 40-month extension to the construction deadline of a fourth liquefaction train, the company said in a letter to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [2] (FERC) on June 18. If granted, it would be the third extension for the project. In 2020, FERC granted a deadline extension to 2026.

Two years later, Freeport LNG successfully lobbied for a deadline in 2028. The new requested deadline is Dec.

1, 2031. In the letter, submitted by law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Freeport LNG referred to an explosion at the terminal on June 8, 2022, in Freeport, Texas.

The firm began repair work, often improving the facilities at the same time, the company said. The terminal did not return to full service until May 2025.[3] The focus on the repairs took resources away from the Train 4 project, resulting in the delayed completion. Freeport LNG is in the process of financing for the project, and the current deadline is too tight for potential investors.

"The inability to meet this schedule is impeding, and will continue to impede, Freeport's efforts to commercialize the Train 4 Project and structure the complex financing associated with reaching a final investment decision," the attorneys representing Freeport said.

The letter requested a response from the FERC by July 18.

References

^ Freeport LNG (www.hartenergy.com)
^ Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (www.hartenergy.com)
^ The terminal did not return to full service until May 2025. (www.hartenergy.com)