After numerous delays over the past several years, the Golden Pass LNG export plant developed by ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy finally looks to be on track and nearing completion. The startup of this plant will add on to already impressive growth in LNG feedgas demand, which reached new records in 2025. While Golden Pass should be starting up in the first part of 2026, as developers have guided for some time now, the exact timing could have major implications for supply-demand balances this winter and heading into Summer 2026.
Once operational, Golden Pass will consist of three 790 MMcf/d liquefaction trains, which should enter service throughout 2026, equaling about 2.4 Bcf/d in total. It has been expected that Train 1 would enter service around Q1 2026 for some time now, and this continues to be the case. However, as this approaches, more information about the exact timing has surfaced.
A cargo of LNG is currently headed to Golden Pass from Qatar, to be used to cool down plant equipment ahead of Train 1’s startup. Typically, following the importation of a cargo, feedgas flows ramp up over the following months. With the cargo set to arrive in the first week of December, this would put feedgas flows ramping up in late December and January. In addition to this, an anonymous source with knowledge of the facility was cited as saying that Golden Pass plans to export the first cargo in February 2026, implying feedgas volumes should begin ramping up prior to that.
