The United States is rapidly cementing its role as the world’s leading exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Three Gulf Coast projects—Plaquemines LNG, Corpus Christi Stage 3, and Golden Pass LNG—are at the heart of this transformation. Each is at a different stage of development, but all represent billions of dollars of investment and long-term bets on global gas demand.
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Plaquemines LNG: From Startup to Expansion
Venture Global’s Plaquemines LNG, located in Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish, is the newest large-scale U.S. project to reach commissioning. Its first cargo shipped in December 2024, and the plant has quickly become a major player in U.S. LNG exports. In August 2025 alone, Plaquemines accounted for nearly 17% of total U.S. LNG exports.
The project’s design uses modular trains, allowing faster commissioning. With 27.2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) capacity across two phases, Plaquemines is on track to be one of the largest LNG terminals globally. Venture Global is not stopping there: it has announced plans to expand the facility above 45 mtpa, adding another 18 mtpa of capacity through 24 additional trains.
For global LNG buyers, this means more long-term supply options at a time when energy security is high on the agenda.
Corpus Christi LNG: Cheniere Builds on Leadership
Cheniere, already the largest U.S. LNG exporter, is extending its dominance through the Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion in South Texas. Stage 3 consists of seven midscale trains capable of producing more than 10 mtpa.
- Train 1 reached substantial completion in March 2025.
- Train 2 followed in August 2025.
- The full site will exceed 25 mtpa once all trains are operational.
Cheniere has also greenlit Trains 8 and 9, adding more than 3 mtpa, and is pursuing a debottlenecking program to squeeze even more production from existing assets. This ensures Corpus Christi remains one of the most flexible and scalable LNG platforms in North America.
Golden Pass LNG: QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil’s Big Bet
Located at Sabine Pass, Texas, the Golden Pass LNG project is a joint venture between QatarEnergy (70%) and ExxonMobil (30%). When complete, it will have three trains and roughly 18 mtpa of capacity.
The project has faced delays, including the bankruptcy of its original contractor Zachry, but construction has regained momentum under Chiyoda’s leadership. Train 1 is now targeted for late 2025 into 2026, with Trains 2 and 3 expected later in 2026.
Golden Pass is unique in that it repurposes infrastructure from an old LNG import terminal, taking advantage of existing tanks and berths. It will mark QatarEnergy’s first major operational LNG footprint in the U.S., reinforcing the Gulf Coast as the epicenter of global LNG supply growth.
Executive Perspective: Demand Growth and Market Tightness
The supply-side expansions from Plaquemines, Corpus Christi, and Golden Pass are only half the story. According to Justin B. Fowler, SVP of Natural Gas Marketing & Transportation, the demand outlook is equally striking.
Fowler emphasized that the rapid ramp of Plaquemines LNG and the startup of additional projects like Golden Pass, Corpus Christi Stage 3, and Calcasieu Pass Phase 2 will collectively add about 8 Bcf/d of LNG demand over the next 30 months.
This, combined with rising regional power demand, will likely leave the U.S. natural gas market “materially undersupplied” by 2026—creating strong support for higher prices. While he acknowledged pipeline maintenance constraints that currently pressure Gulf Coast delivery points, he noted that new capacity coming online should improve market premiums for producers and marketers.
Why These Projects Matter
Together, Plaquemines, Corpus Christi, and Golden Pass represent more than 70 mtpa of LNG capacity—a volume capable of reshaping global trade flows. With additional projects in the pipeline and executives like Fowler highlighting tightening supply-demand dynamics, the U.S. LNG story is not just about capacity growth—it’s about market power.
For the U.S., these projects strengthen the country’s role in global energy security, provide geopolitical leverage, and generate billions in economic activity along the Gulf Coast. As 2025 unfolds, the ramp-up of these mega-projects signals a new phase of U.S. LNG leadership—one built on scale, speed, and strategic demand alignment.
