Monkey Island LNG Chooses Liquefaction Technology

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Developers of a potential 26 million-ton-per-annum (MTPA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Louisiana that has been in planning for years have moved one step closer to realization by choosing the technology to be used for LNG production.

Since he took office for a second term in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has been quite supportive of the U.S. LNG sector, announcing the end of a Biden-era pause on LNG export applications to countries without a free trade agreement (non-FTA) with the U.S. The move is helping unleash a wave of new LNG development, with companies including Commonwealth LNG (Houston, Texas), Sempra Energy (San Diego, California) and Venture Global LNG (Arlington, Virginia) receiving permission to export to non-FTA countries since Trump's return, allowing them to move ahead with new projects.

With the administration's pro-LNG stance, several LNG projects that have been in the planning process for many years are being dusted off and beginning to see movement once again. Among these is the Monkey Island LNG project the Calcasieu Ship Channel in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, which is being developed by Southern California Telephone Company (Temecula, California) through its SCT&E LNG unit. Earlier this year, the Department of Energy acknowledged receipt of Monkey Island's application to ship to non-FTA countries, which is crucial for the development of the 26-MTPA project.

SCT&E has selected McDermott International (Houston, Texas) to provide engineering, procurement and construction work for the plant, and this week has settled on ConocoPhillips' (Houston) Optimized Cascade Process technology for the liquefaction process. Developers have been implementing the Optimized Cascade Process for years at various global locations, and ConocoPhillips recently introduced a new mega-module version of the technology designed to cut project costs, shrink footprints and reduce execution risks. Monkey Island developers will be using this new version, citing the technology's operational flexibility, efficiency, rapid restart capabilities and performance above nameplate capacity as reasons for its choice.

ConocoPhillips LNG Technology and Licensing head Darren Meznarich said, "ConocoPhillips is pleased to support Monkey Island LNG with our new, mega-module Optimized Cascade template, designed to reduce costs, plot size and overall project risks for our clients."

The Monkey Island facility will be built on a 246-acre parcel and will include up to five production trains, each producing slightly more than 5 MTPA for total production of around 26 MTPA. Total feed gas volumes are expected to be approximately 3.2 billion cubic feet per day, and the plant will include three 180,000-cubic-meter LNG storage tanks. The targeted startup date is 2032, although this remains contingent on export permissions, construction permits, etc. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.

ConocoPhillips' liquefaction technology is benefitting from the new surge in U.S. LNG development and last month was selected by Coastal Bend LNG (Houston) for use at a planned 22.5-MTPA plant on the Texas Gulf Coast. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the related project reports and August 7, 2025, article - Texas Company Chooses Liquefaction Technology for Lower-Carbon LNG Production.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).