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QatarEnergy has launched its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the Golden Pass project in Texas, marking a milestone in its largest US investment.
The cargo was loaded at the Sabine Pass facility, a joint venture with ExxonMobil, as the project moves towards full commercial operations.
The shipment was carried onboard the Al-Qaiyyah LNG carrier, which has a capacity of 174,000 cubic metres.
“This is a significant industry milestone that marks a new chapter in QatarEnergy’s global efforts to meet rising LNG demand and ensure reliable supplies to international markets,” said Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Energy Affairs and CEO of QatarEnergy.
Golden Pass LNG is a project valued at more than $10 billion (€8.5 billion), in which QatarEnergy holds a 70% stake and ExxonMobil 30%. It is expected to produce around 18 million tonnes per annum once fully operational.
The Golden Pass export facility reached a major milestone in late March 2026 by successfully producing its first LNG from Train 1 — the first of three independent processing units. This marks the start of the project’s phased rollout, with the remaining two liquefaction units scheduled to begin operations across 2026 and 2027.
It is one of the largest LNG export developments in the United States and is part of QatarEnergy’s efforts to expand its LNG portfolio beyond Qatar, alongside its North Field expansion, which aims to raise domestic production capacity to 142 million tonnes per year by 2030.
The United States is currently the world’s largest LNG exporter, and the Golden Pass project gives QatarEnergy direct access to export capacity from the US Gulf Coast, where shipments can reach both European and Asian markets.
The project also comes as global LNG demand remains strong, particularly in Europe and Asia, keeping pressure on new supply.
QatarEnergy Trading, the company’s LNG marketing arm, is expected to take around 70% of output.