LNG

Höegh Evi and Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to jointly develop, own and operate the proposed Kuching LNG terminal, an FSRU-based import facility designed to deliver first gas by end-2029.

NextDecade has received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for its Rio Grande LNG Train 6 expansion, designed to add 6.03 mtpa of liquefaction capacity. The Army Corps approval covers work associated with the Train 6 expansion, notably construction of new liquefaction train and a third marine berth.

China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) has urged state LNG buyers – CNOOC, CNPC, Sinopec and PetroChina – to stop LNG resales through the remainder of 2026 and into early 2027, as Beijing seeks to strengthen domestic gas availability during the winter heating season.

Europe’s power sector will cross the 80% zero-carbon generation threshold by 2030 but slower offshore wind deployment will keep gas-fired generation higher than previously forecast, creating a need for LNG imports. Natural gas generation across 35 European markets is expected to average 6% above Wood Mackenzie’s previous forecast between 2026 and 2040.

Shell – and its partners PETRONAS, PetroChina, Mitsubishi and KOGAS – have taken a final investment decision (FID) on the second phase of LNG Canada, approving a C$33 billion expansion that will double the British Columbia export terminal’s production capacity to 28 mtpa.

The project will add two liquefaction trains at the Kitimat facility, raising total capacity from 14 mtpa. Commercial operations are expected to begin in the early 2030s, Shell announced today.

FID on the second phase of LNG Canada marks a major expansion of the country’s LNG industry, with the Shell-led project being the country’s first large-scale LNG export project – positioned on the Pacific coast to supply customers in Asia.

Shell owns 40% of LNG Canada and expects to receive nearly 6 mtpa of additional LNG from Phase 2. The other partners are Malaysia’s Petronas, with a 25% stake; PetroChina, with 15%; Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, with 15%; and Korea Gas Corporation, with 5%.

Project partners’ approval comes as LNG producers and buyers prepare for a period of strong growth in global liquefaction capacity. New projects in North America and elsewhere are expected to add substantial supply during the late 2020s and early 2030s.

LNG Canada’s first phase comprises two trains with combined capacity of 14 mtpa. The facility began operations in 2025 and has since shipped more than 100 cargoes. Phase 2 will use existing infrastructure and site layouts designed to accommodate the additional trains. The expansion will include an additional LNG storage tank, a condensate tank and loading berth, as well as expanded utility and process systems.

To secure a stable flow of feedgas, LNG Canada partners also agreed to work with Coastal GasLink to expand the existing 670-kilometre pipeline through the addition of five compressor stations.

Italian utility Edison has confirmed that QatarEnergy will not deliver LNG cargoes to its Adriatic regasification terminal until the beginning of December 2026. The Qatari state company extended force majeure, saying it would not be able to deliver another six cargoes.

Delivered LNG shipments to the European Union and the United Kingdom have rebounded to about 4% below pre-year levels, having increased since early August when imports were more than 30% below last year’s levels, ship-tracking data shows. LNG deliveries to Northeast Asia have fallen over the same period, highlighting a shift in Atlantic Basin cargoes toward northwest European markets.

Zodiac Maritime has entered the LNG carrier market by ordering two firm 174,000 cu m vessels, plus options for two more, from South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean in a deal valued at 680 billion won (about $500 million). Delivery of the vessels is scheduled for November 2029.

Tecnimont USA has signed a Front‑End Engineering Design (FEED) contract with Argent LNG for the developer’s 25 mtpa export facility at Port Fourchon, Louisiana. First cargo is targeted for 2030.

Jonathan Bass, chairman and CEO of Argent LNG, said the FEED award moves the project “from vision to execution,” adding that Tecnimont’s engineering depth and modular expertise would help deliver a “bankable, buildable” scheme for international buyers.

He reiterated Argent’s aim to supply Europe and other allied markets, with first cargo targeted for 2030.

The FEED agreement, signed on Monday, follows a January 2026 cooperation deal with Tecnimont, the engineering arm of Italy’s MAIRE group. The timing of the contract signing comes as US LNG developers race to secure permits, offtake and financing against a backdrop of strong Atlantic Basin demand.

The FEED phase will specify Argent LNG technical definition and improve bankability ahead of a final investment decision (FID). To that end, Tecnimont’s scope of work will cover project execution planning, schedule and cost estimation, safety and reliability studies, and integration of the facility’s core technology packages, including gas‑pressure treatment and modular design elements.

Hurricane‑resilient energy hub

Port Fourchon, situated just south of New Orleans, has become a focal point for new US LNG export capacity given its deep‑water access and existing pipeline interconnections.

The facility, which will be located in one of the United States’ “hurricane-resilient energy hubs”, will have an initial capacity of 12 mtpa from the first set of modular liquefaction trains, and an explicit option to expand to the full 25 mtpa in a second phase.

In July, the US Department of Energy authorised Argent LNG to export LNG from its proposed Port Fourchon, Louisiana, terminal to countries that have free-trade agreements with the United States.

Deliveries to Albania

Argent has agreements in place with Ukraine and Romania for the supply of LNG.

The developer also signed a memorandum with Albania's government to evaluate development of an onshore LNG storage and regasification terminal with capacity of up to 5 million tonnes per annum. The terminal is intended connect with the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, proposed Ionian Adriatic Pipeline and Fier/Vlore gas corridor.

Project financing could involve the US Trade and Development Agency, US International Development Finance Corp and US Export-Import Bank.

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has launched new options on the Japan-Korea Marker (JKM) liquefied natural gas benchmark, LNG balance-of-month freight futures and UK base electricity options.