U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright approved a liquified natural gas (LNG) export permit extension for the Golden Pass LNG Terminal off the Texas coast along the Gulf of Mexico.
The approval is part of President Trump’s commitment to increase oil and gas production throughout the U.S., as well as maintain the nation’s role as a top global exporter of LNG, according to the Department of Energy's release.
The approval will grant additional time to start LNG exports from the Golden Pass LNG Terminal, currently undergoing expansion construction in Sabine Pass, Texas. The issuance is the third LNG-related approval from DOE since President Trump took office, following an export approval to Commonwealth LNG on February 14 and an order on rehearing removing barriers for the use of LNG as bunkering fuel declared on February 28.
“Exporting U.S. LNG supports American jobs, bolsters our national security and strengthens America’s position as a world energy leader,” said Secretary Wright in a statement.
Golden Pass, owned by QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, is expected to begin exporting by the end of 2025 and will become the ninth large-scale export terminal operating in the U.S., once operational. Golden Pass is predicted to export up to 2.57 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas as LNG and will bring record levels of LNG exports from the U.S., upon completion.
The facility already was among the largest LNG terminals in the world and could handle 15.6 million metric tons of LNG annually, according to the company.
“Golden Pass was the first project approved for exports to non-free trade agreement countries by DOE during the first Trump Administration, and it is gratifying that this project is so close to being able to deliver its first LNG,” said Tala Goudarzi, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.
Natural gas production rises in the shale play era has elevated the U.S. into the top global exporter of LNG. Liquefaction terminals exported about 51 million cubic feet per month in 2017 and reached the all-time record of 422 million cubic feet in December 2023, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.
Natural gas is moved via pipelines down to the Gulf Coast, where it is chilled to below 260 degrees Fahrenheit and converted into LNG, compressing its volume from the gaseous state and making it stable for shipping. U.S. companies have made export deals with numerous nations in Europe and Asia.
