DALLAS — Energy Transfer LP (NYSE: ET) announced today that it will take over development of the Lake Charles LNG export project following Shell’s announcement that it has decided not to proceed with an equity investment in the project. Shell advised Energy Transfer that its decision was made in light of current market conditions. Energy Transfer will take over the role of lead project developer and will continue the development of the project. In this regard, Energy Transfer will evaluate various alternatives to advance the project, including the possibility of bringing in one or more equity partners and reducing the size of the project from three trains (16.45 mtpa of LNG capacity) to two trains (11.0 mtpa).
ENERGY TRANSFER ANNOUNCES RESTRUCTURING OF LAKE CHARLES LNG PROJECT
Offtake Agreements, Contracts & Equity, Participants
Lake Charles LNG signed several long-term LNG offtake agreements in 2022, each of which provide that the effectiveness of the offtake agreement is subject to the satisfaction of specified conditions precedent, including Lake Charles LNG making a positive final investment decision (FID) to construct the liquefaction facility. Each of these agreements also provide that either party has the right to terminate the agreement in the event that Lake Charles LNG has not made a positive FID by a specified date. In the case of some of these agreements, the specified date has been extended and in other cases it has not been extended. As a result, Lake Charles LNG is in discussions with these offtake counterparties to determine whether, and on what terms, these offtake agreements will be extended through the time of Lake Charles LNG making a positive FID.
In December 2024, Lake Charles LNG entered into a long-term offtake agreement with Chevron for 2.0 mtpa of LNG, and in April 2025, Lake Charles LNG entered into a non-binding heads of agreement with MidOcean Energy, a liquefied natural gas company formed and managed by EIG Global Energy Partners, a leading institutional investor in the global energy and infrastructure sectors. The HOA provides a non-binding framework of the major terms for the joint development of the Lake Charles LNG project. Pursuant to the HOA, MidOcean would commit to fund 30% of the construction costs and be entitled to receive 30% of the LNG production. (approximately 5.0 mtpa). The HOA also provides that MidOcean Energy will have the option to arrange for gas supply for its share of LNG production and that MidOcean will commit to long term gas transportation on Energy Transfer pipelines. The obligations of Energy Transfer LNG and MidOcean Energy under the HOA will be subject to both parties’ determination to take a positive FID as well as the satisfaction of other conditions precedent.
In May 2025, Lake Charles LNG announced the execution of a long-term offtake agreement with Kyushu Electric Power for 1.0 mtpa of LNG. Lake Charles has also recently entered into a long-term offtake agreement for 1.0 mtpa of LNG with an international energy company, subject to such company’s board pproval, and a non-binding heads of agreement with a German energy company for 1.0 mtpa of LNG.