Bechtel Achieves Milestone in Broad LNG Construction Portfolio

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Written by Eric Funderburk for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Bechtel has wrapped up the original plans for Cheniere Energy's Corpus Christi Stage 3 project, although two more trains are in the works for the expansion. The project is one of a number of LNG projects on which Bechtel is working.

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Substantial Completion

On August 28, engineering, construction and procurement (EPC) firm Bechtel announced the substantial completion of the initial seven trains of the Corpus Christi Stage 3 liquefied natural gas project, handing control over to owner Cheniere Energy. The project was one of multiple LNG production plants that Bechtel is constructing in the U.S. and abroad, including further planned work at the Stage 3 site.

The Stage 3 Project

The Stage 3 Project began taking shape in 2021 as Cheniere planned to incorporate up to seven mid-scale trains at its Corpus Christi site, each capable of producing around 1.49 million tons per annum (MTPA) each, adding more than 10 MTPA of combined output to Cheniere's production. The first train reached substantial completion in early 2025, and has been successfully followed by completion of other trains, including the final three this year. In late August, the seventh train was completed, allowing Bechtel to hand care and operations over to Cheniere. According to Cheniere, the Stage 3 project adds more than 20% of additional LNG production to the company's production, boosting it to around 56 MTPA total from its Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast facilities.

Readers can access details of the Stage 3 project, including construction timelines, key contact details, and equipment and service needs, by clicking here.

But Wait, There's More!

And while Bechtel and Cheniere are regarding the original plans for the Stage 3 project as substantially completed, the two companies already are in the early stages of an expansion project, adding two more mid-scale trains that will add another 3 MTPA of LNG production. Cheniere reached a positive financial decision for trains 8 and 9 in June 2025, allowing Bechtel to enter the early stages of work on them.

But that's still not it for Corpus Christi. In addition to the 10 MTPA Stage 3 expansion, Cheniere also is planning two additional full-scale trains at the original site, adding another 9 MTPA of production capacity. Bechtel is on the books to construct those trains as well.

Cheniere also has awarded Bechtel the EPC contract for the expansion of its flagship Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana, giving the company limited notice to proceed on Train 7 of that plant, which will add around 6.5 MTPA of production, with the possibility of two more similarly sized trains beginning construction in the future, bringing the plant to nine trains total.

Outside Cheniere

But Cheniere Energy isn't the only LNG producer employing Bechtel for projects. NextDecade has contracted the EPC company to build its Rio Grande LNG plant in Brownsville, Texas. Work on an initial three trains at the plant was underway by 2024, but NextDecade has gone further, coming to a financial close on a fourth train and instructing Bechtel to begin construction on that unit earlier this year, with a fifth train also in the works.

Other LNG projects under construction being led by Bechtel include four trains at Sempra Energy's Port Arthur LNG plant in Texas and three trains at Woodside Energy's plant in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, with the possibility of two future trains (trains 4 and 5) growing that plant's production toward its full permitted capacity of 27.6 MTPA.

Bechtel also is involved in another Woodside project in Australia in the construction of a second 5-MTPA train at the Pluto LNG plant in Western Australia. The facility is a joint venture of Woodside and Global Infrastructure Partners. Bechtel has been at work on Train 2 of the plant for a few years and is expected to substantially have completed its construction before this year is out.

Key Takeaways

• Bechtel has scored multiple contracts to construct LNG plants in the U.S. and abroad.
• In the U.S., the company is at work on projects for Cheniere Energy, Woodside Energy, Sempra Energy and NextDecade Corporation.
• The U.S. LNG sector has received a boost in permitting during the second Trump administration, paving the way for years of future work for Bechtel.

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