The Woodside Energy Louisiana LNG Project, a massive $17.5 billion undertaking, is making rapid headway, with a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating its swift progress.
Woodside Energy celebrated a significant milestone for its Louisiana LNG Project with a groundbreaking ceremony that highlighted the project's impressive progress since the Final Investment Decision (FID) on April 29, 2025. This development, situated in southwest Louisiana, is poised to become a cornerstone of both Woodside’s global operations and the U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export market.
Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill, speaking at the event, emphasized the project's pivotal role. She called it a "game-changer" for the company, representing its biggest U.S. investment and establishing Woodside as a global LNG powerhouse. The project is designed to deliver a three-train foundation development with a capacity of 16.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) by 2029, with future expansion potential to a total of 27.6 Mtpa. O'Neill noted that this investment is expected to generate significant returns for shareholders and create tens of thousands of high-quality jobs in the United States, thereby supporting global energy security and generating billions in local and national revenue.
The project's swift progress is underpinned by a series of strategic moves, including the sell-down of a 40% interest in Louisiana LNG Infrastructure LLC to investment firm Stonepeak in June. This partnership provides a material step towards the readiness for the project's initial phase. Woodside continues to seek additional partners to acquire equity in the project, reflecting strong market interest and further de-risking the massive capital outlay. Louisiana LNG President Sarah Bairstow highlighted the project's commitment to local economic development, noting that approximately 85% of the construction spend is local, as the facility is being constructed piece by piece in the United States.
Bairstow also confirmed that the company is actively marketing U.S. LNG in Europe and Asia, with deliveries planned from 2029 onwards. This proactive commercial strategy, coupled with the project's advanced construction, demonstrates Woodside's focus on both safe execution and timely delivery. The project has also secured a 15-year LNG supply deal with Petronas and a gas supply agreement with BP, further solidifying its commercial foundation. The project is expected to be a significant contributor to the U.S.'s role as a leading energy supplier, with its location in the heart of the Gulf Coast LNG corridor providing direct access to rich natural gas resources and a deepwater port.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by a host of local, state, and federal government officials, underscoring the broad support for the project. Figures like Governor Jeff Landry, US Senator Bill Cassidy, and US Secretary for Energy Chris Wright all voiced their support.
