Golden Pass LNG Train 1 Ships First Cargo as QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil Joint Venture Adds 0.7 Bcf/d to US Export Capacity

Golden Pass LNG shipped its first liquefied natural gas export cargo on April 22, 2026, from Train 1 at its Sabine Pass, Texas facility, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The shipment departed 24 days after Train 1 achieved initial LNG production on March 30, making Golden Pass the ninth operational U.S. LNG export terminal. The terminal is a joint venture between QatarEnergy, which holds a 70 percent stake, and ExxonMobil, which holds the remaining 30 percent.

Train 1 Adds 0.7 Bcf/d to US LNG Export Capacity

Train 1 carries a nominal capacity of 0.7 billion cubic feet per day and a peak capacity of 0.8 Bcf/d, according to the EIA. Oil Authority's April coverage reported U.S. LNG exports averaging 18.9 Bcf/d in early April 2026, before Golden Pass Train 1 contributed meaningfully to feed gas intake. Train 1's 0.7 Bcf/d nominal capacity represents 3.7 percent of that April baseline, adding new supply to global LNG markets as Strait of Hormuz disruptions reduced Middle Eastern pipeline gas exports. April 2026 U.S. LNG exports averaged 17.6 Bcf/d for the full month, reflecting softer early-April demand, with Golden Pass contributing only in the final week of the month.

Trains 2 and 3 Target Full Capacity of 2.0 Bcf/d by 2027

Train 2 is scheduled to enter service in the second half of 2026 and Train 3 is targeted for the first half of 2027, according to EIA and Golden Pass LNG project timelines. When all three trains reach nameplate output, the facility will produce 2.0 Bcf/d of nominal capacity and up to 2.4 Bcf/d at peak. At full capacity, Golden Pass will rank third among U.S. LNG projects by nominal output, behind Sabine Pass at 3.6 Bcf/d and Plaquemines LNG at 2.6 Bcf/d, according to EIA terminal capacity data.

QatarEnergy Holds 70 Percent; ExxonMobil XTO Subsidiary Links to Feed Gas Supply

QatarEnergy, the world's largest LNG exporter by volume from its Qatar North Field operations, holds 70 percent of the Golden Pass JV, representing its only direct stake in a U.S. liquefaction terminal. ExxonMobil, whose XTO Energy subsidiary operates natural gas production in the Permian Basin and Haynesville shale, holds the remaining 30 percent, giving the JV access to U.S. producing regions for feed gas. ConocoPhillips originally held a 12.4 percent stake but sold that interest to QatarEnergy, concentrating U.S. LNG exposure with the Gulf state operator. QatarEnergy can therefore route either Qatari-sourced volumes or U.S. feed gas to global buyers depending on market pricing, a structural option no other U.S. terminal offers a national oil company.

Golden Pass Expands the Gulf Coast LNG Corridor

Sabine Pass LNG, operated by Cheniere Energy and located adjacent to the Golden Pass site, dispatched nine tankers in a single week during January 2026 and remains the nation's largest LNG export terminal at 3.6 Bcf/d, according to EIA weekly data. Golden Pass adds QatarEnergy-contracted volumes to the same Gulf Coast export corridor, increasing the region's share of global LNG supply. The EIA's May 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook projected U.S. LNG exports averaging 14.0 Bcf/d across 2026, a figure that will increase as Train 2 comes online later in the year. Golden Pass's three-train buildout adds 2.0 Bcf/d in total, equivalent to 14.3 percent of the May STEO export projection.