DOE Approves LNG Export Permit for Argent's 25-MMtpy Louisiana Project
Argent LNG has secured a key federal approval to export up to 25 MMtpy of LNG from its proposed Louisiana terminal, marking another step forward for the Port Fourchon project.
(P&GJ) — Argent LNG has received a 20-year authorization from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to export up to 25 MMtpy of liquefied natural gas from its proposed export terminal at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, to countries with U.S. free trade agreements.
Issued under DOE Order No. 5447, the authorization allows the company to export the equivalent of 1,293.75 Bcf of natural gas annually beginning with the project's first commercial shipments. The approval marks a key federal milestone as the proposed facility continues through the permitting process.
Argent LNG plans to build the terminal on approximately 900 acres in Lafourche Parish. The project includes 12 modular liquefaction trains using Baker Hughes' NMBL technology, two 220,000-cubic-meter LNG storage tanks, a 350-MW natural gas-fired power plant and two marine loading berths designed to accommodate large LNG carriers.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2027, with first LNG production targeted for the first quarter of 2030.
The DOE authorization applies only to exports to Free Trade Agreement (FTA) countries. Argent's separate application to export LNG to non-FTA countries remains under DOE review.
The project also continues through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's pre-filing environmental review process. Argent LNG said it has submitted 11 resource reports covering environmental, engineering and socioeconomic aspects of the proposed development.
Argent LNG Chairman and CEO Jonathan Bass said the authorization advances the project toward commercialization.
"This federal authorization marks a significant regulatory milestone for the project," Bass said. "We will continue advancing development as we work toward bringing additional U.S. LNG export capacity to global markets."
The company has also signed memorandums of understanding supporting potential LNG supplies to Ukraine, Bangladesh and Türkiye, although those commercial agreements are separate from the DOE authorization.