Cheniere Asks to Commission Corpus Christi Train 1

Cheniere Energy, in a June 7 letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Ferc), has asked for permission to begin commissioning the first train at its 13.5mn metric tons/year (mt/yr) Corpus Christi LNG project in Texas.

All pre-commissioning conditions, Cheniere said, have been met. It requested authorisation from Ferc to “introduce fuel gas to commission Train 1” as soon as possible, but not later than June 29, 2018, “in order to remain on schedule.”

Construction of the first two trains at Corpus Christi, each with a nameplate capacity of 4.5mn mt/yr, began in the spring of 2015 under a Stage 1 EPC contract awarded to Bechtel Oil, Gas & Chemicals. Stage 1 includes the first two trains, with 7.62mn mt/yr of capacity contracted to third-party foundation customers.

Stage 3 of the project includes a third train, also rated at 4.5mn mt/yr and also under an EPC contract with Bechtel. Cheniere took a positive final investment decision on Train 3 in May.