Production under way at Cheniere’s Sabine Pass terminal, first export shipment is imminent

Houston-based Cheniere Energy has begun production at its Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas terminal in Louisiana, according to Bloomberg.

Previously Cheniere had intended to start shipping LNG from the new plant before the end of 2015 but it announced in October a delay to that schedule, meaning a likely date for first export shipment would be some time this month (January).

Cheniere has invested $11bn in Sabine Pass, which is the first complex designed to liquefy and export natural gas from America’s vast inland shale formations. Its main target markets are in Europe.

The terminal has six production plants, known as trains, which are used for chilling the natural gas.