Bechtel, a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction, announced it has signed four lump-sum turnkey agreements with Driftwood LNG LLC, a Tellurian company, to deliver one of the world’s lowest-cost liquefaction construction projects near Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Construction of the Driftwood LNG project is expected to begin in 2018 with the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced in 2022, subject to Tellurian making a Final Investment Decision and a permit from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The four agreements cover four phases of the construction process, as production plants are progressively brought online. At full capacity, the facility will produce up to 27.6 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG.
“Bechtel’s history is one of groundbreaking projects at the forefront of the industry,” said Alasdair Cathcart, President Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals. “Our collaboration with Tellurian on the Driftwood LNG project will deliver a low-cost LNG facility that is more flexible to changing market conditions. Our record of completing 11 LNG trains in the past three years is unmatched in the industry and we look forward to delivering Driftwood LNG by deploying our proven self-perform model with fully integrated engineering, procurement and construction activities throughout the project life-cycle.”
Bechtel has delivered 42 LNG trains on 17 projects in 10 countries. The milestone includes the delivery of three LNG trains to customers in Australia and the United States in 2017 alone, adding some 13.5 mtpa of LNG to the global energy market. Today, production on Bechtel-built facilities accounts for 30% of global LNG capacity.