Plaquemines LNG Phase 1 starts commercial operations, 53 months after FIDAnalysis

Venture Global has started commercial operations at Phase 1 of its Plaquemines LNG export facility in Louisiana. The commercial operations date was October 31, 2026, roughly 53 months after the final investment decision. The company says that makes Plaquemines among the fastest greenfield LNG projects ever completed.

The date matters because it is the point where long-term customer contracts begin to be served. Venture Global says it has begun selling low-cost U.S. LNG to the first phase's long-term customers.

First cargo and customers

The first post-COD cargo left Plaquemines Phase 1 at 3:26 AM CT on October 31, and Shell lifted it. Shell loaded and departed with the facility's first commercial cargo, which marks the start of long-term contract supplies for Phase 1 customers. Those customers include Shell, Orlen, Sinopec, CNOOC and EDF.

Capacity and financing

Phase 1 has a nameplate capacity of approximately 13.3 million metric tons per annum. It is backed by a $13.2 billion financing package. For scale, nameplate capacity is the volume a plant is designed to produce at full rate, so the 13.3 million figure is a design number, not a record of output.

What the company said

Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel said reaching commercial operations at the first phase of the company's second LNG project in 53 months reflects his team's dedication. He said the milestone lets the company keep delivering "reliable, affordable American LNG to the global market." Sabel also thanked regulators and supply chain partners for their collaboration, and said the project was delivered safely and on schedule.

The company framed the new volumes as a stabilizing force for a global LNG market that it described as enduring an extended period of volatility. It said it looks forward to working with long-term customers to deliver U.S. LNG supply for decades to come.

The read for buyers is straightforward. A project that reaches its commercial date on a stated schedule turns contracted volumes into deliveries, and the first lifting by Shell shows that step has now happened at Plaquemines. More on the segment is in our Midstream & LNG coverage.