LAKE CHARLES, La. — Woodside Energy has secured one of the largest long-term customers yet for its Louisiana LNG project, signing a 20-year agreement to supply QatarEnergy with as much as 3 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas annually.
The agreement announced October 29 links one of the world’s dominant LNG producers and marketers with the $17.5 billion export terminal now under construction near Lake Charles.
Woodside says deliveries are expected to begin in 2030. Initial volumes will come from Louisiana LNG’s second production train, with the contract rising to the full 3 million tonnes per year after Train 3 begins operation.
The foundational Louisiana LNG project consists of three liquefaction trains with combined capacity of 16.5 million tonnes per year. Woodside is targeting first LNG in 2029.
The commercial agreement is significant because long-term sales contracts help underpin the economics of multibillion-dollar LNG projects. They provide developers with predictable customers while giving buyers access to contracted supply over periods that can span decades.
QatarEnergy is itself one of the world’s largest LNG suppliers. Its decision to purchase U.S. LNG from Louisiana demonstrates how global energy companies are increasingly building portfolios that combine their own production with long-term supply purchased from other exporters.
Woodside reported October 29 that Louisiana LNG was 32 percent complete at the end of the third quarter, with Train 1 at 41 percent. The company acquired the project in 2024 and approved the foundational development in April 2025.
The project represents the largest single foreign direct investment announced in Louisiana history. Woodside has said the construction effort will support thousands of jobs nationally and create a major new LNG export operation on the Calcasieu River.
Louisiana’s role in the global LNG trade has grown rapidly over the past decade. Existing export terminals in Cameron and Calcasieu parishes already send large volumes of natural gas to customers overseas, while additional projects and expansions are under construction or development.
The QatarEnergy agreement strengthens the commercial foundation for another major piece of that buildout. It also connects southwest Louisiana directly to a company traditionally associated with LNG production in the Middle East rather than purchasing American supply.
Reuters reported that the deal comes as disruptions in the Middle East have increased the strategic value of geographically diversified LNG supply. QatarEnergy said the agreement provides additional supply from outside the Gulf while expanding its position in the U.S. LNG market.
For Louisiana, the immediate impact remains construction. The terminal is still years away from full operation, and the contract does not change the project’s current construction schedule. But securing a 20-year buyer for up to 3 million tonnes annually provides another indication that the facility is moving from a development concept toward a long-lived export business.
If the project reaches its planned 2029 startup, Louisiana LNG will join a Gulf Coast export network that has made southwest Louisiana one of the most important natural-gas corridors in the world.
Sources
Woodside Energy — 20-year LNG supply agreement with QatarEnergy, Oct. 29, 2026
QatarEnergy — 3 MTPA U.S. LNG purchase from Woodside, Oct. 29, 2026
Reuters — QatarEnergy secures 20-year Louisiana LNG supply, Oct. 29, 2026
