As previously reported by LNG Prime, the 174,000-cbm Imsaikah delivered a cooldown cargo from Qatar to the LNG facility last month as the facility prepares to start production of the first liquefaction train.
Imsaikah’s AIS data, provided by VesselsValue, shows that the LNG carrier shifted from the Golden Pass LNG facility to Cheniere’s Sabine Pass plant over the weekend.
Golden Pass said in a recent social media post that the arrival of the cooldown cargo of LNG marks a “key milestone in preparing our facility for commissioning.”
In September, Golden Pass LNG secured approval from the US DOE to export previously imported LNG from October.
The JV requested that DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management issue an order granting GPLNG to engage in short-term exports of up to 50 Bcf of LNG, on a cumulative basis, that will have been previously imported into the US from foreign sources.
The LNG supplies will either be re-exported or regasified to be used as fuel gas at the facility.
Approvals
Besides granting approval to receive a cooldown cargo at Golden Pass LNG, the US FERC recently approved several other requests to the JV related to commissioning activities.
Most recently, on December 23, 2025, FERC authorized Golden Pass LNG to introduce hazardous fluids into the BOG compressor system.
Before that, Golden Pass LNG won FERC approval on December 11 to introduce fuel gas into the Train 1 gas turbine for the mixed refrigerant compressor solo run.
Trains 2 and 3
In November 2025, ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods said that the Golden Pass LNG export project remains on track to produce first LNG volumes from the first train by the end of the year.
State-owned QatarEnergy owns a 70 percent stake in the Golden Pass project with a capacity of more than 18 mtpa and will offtake 70 percent of the capacity, while US energy firm ExxonMobil has a 30 percent share.
A joint venture of Chiyoda, McDermott, and Zachry won the EPC contract to build the three Golden Pass trains worth about $10 billion next to the existing LNG import terminal in the vicinity of Sabine Pass, Texas.
However, Zachry Holdings said in May 2024 that it had filed for bankruptcy, initiating a structured exit from the Golden Pass LNG export project due to “financial challenges” related to the facility’s construction.
In November 2024, Japan’s Chiyoda and McDermott’s CB&I reached a deal with Golden Pass LNG to complete the construction of the first liquefaction train following the exit of Zachry.
Additionally, Chiyoda and McDermott signed a revised EPC contract with Golden Pass LNG in November 2025 to complete the construction of the second and third liquefaction units.
