Woodside breaks ground and celebrates Louisiana LNG game-changer
Woodside this month celebrated the extraordinary momentum behind Louisiana LNG, inviting elected officials, project partners and community leaders to the official groundbreaking ceremony.
Since announcing a final investment decision in April this year, the Louisiana LNG construction workforce has ramped up to almost 900 personnel, with work on the first of three LNG trains now more than 22% complete.
To acknowledge the exciting progress, CEO Meg O’Neill welcomed guests, including Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development Susan Bourgeois, Australia's Consul General and Trade and Investment Commissioner to Houston Gabrielle Hall and Deputy Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Houston Markus Hatzelmann.
The $17.5 billion project is Woodside’s biggest-ever investment in the US, with Meg highlighting its major contribution to the local economy.
“We’re spending about 85% of our construction budget right here in the United States,” Meg disclosed.
“During construction, Louisiana LNG is expected to support thousands of jobs and contribute billions of dollars in revenue for local communities over the life of the project.
“Already, Louisiana LNG has spent nearly half a billion dollars in the state with more than 130 Louisiana businesses, demonstrating Woodside’s strong commitment to local content and supplier development.”
Governor Landry kindly welcomed Woodside and the Louisiana LNG project into the Louisiana family.
“Woodside’s decision to invest in Louisiana is an unmistakable signal to the world that Louisiana is the epicentre of powering the globe,” Governor Landry said.
The project is targeting first LNG production in 2029 from a three-train foundation development with a capacity of 16.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa). It has expansion capacity for two additional LNG trains and is fully permitted for a total capacity of 27.6 Mtpa.
Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson joined the celebrations virtually to recognise the significance of the project for Louisiana, the United States and the global energy landscape.
“Some of you have travelled from across the globe to witness this groundbreaking and take part in an important moment for the advancement of American prosperity,” Speaker Johnson noted.
“Here today, less than one year since President Trump returned to the Oval Office, we are already celebrating the groundbreaking of Louisiana LNG, which represents the largest single foreign direct investment in the history of our great state.”
Following the formalities, Meg and guests gathered outside to officially turn the dirt on Louisiana LNG.
It was an exciting moment for the project and our CEO, who shared her appreciation for those who had joined the celebrations and for the ongoing support.
“We appreciate the support the project has received from the local, Louisiana State and US Federal governments which understand the contribution that Louisiana LNG can make to the economy and energy supply,” Meg enthused.
As we look ahead for Louisiana LNG, Woodside is focused on the safe execution and delivery of the project, while continuing to actively market US LNG in Europe and Asia.
We are excited to celebrate future milestones as we work towards first LNG in 2029.
Read more about Louisiana LNG’s progress and what is being said about the project here.
