Golden Pass shipped its first LNG in 2026 after a disrupted construction program

Golden Pass LNG began producing liquefied natural gas from its first train on March 30, 2026, and shipped its first export cargo on April 22. The milestones brought a major Texas industrial construction program into operation after years of building and a disruptive change in its contracting structure.

The development is significant nationally as well as locally. The Energy Information Administration identified Golden Pass as the ninth U.S. LNG export terminal when the first cargo departed. At the time of that April report, it was the only new U.S. terminal expected to begin shipments in 2026.

Construction completion led to an operating milestone

The owner's March 30 announcement confirmed first LNG from Train 1 at Sabine Pass, Texas. It marked the transition from constructing and starting that train to operating it. Golden Pass is owned by QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil.

In its March 31 account, McDermott said that it and Chiyoda had substantially completed Train 1 construction and commissioning, after which Golden Pass led startup. McDermott remained the lead partner in the joint venture delivering all three trains.

The April 22 cargo announcement provided the next confirmation: the plant had loaded and dispatched product. The full terminal is designed for approximately 18.1 million tonnes annually across three liquefaction trains, with five large storage tanks and two marine berths. The first cargo did not mean that every train had reached that final operating state.

For construction employers, those are meaningful boundaries. Mechanical completion, commissioning, first production and sustained operation involve different responsibilities. A large workforce can move through those stages at different times across the same site, especially when additional trains remain under delivery.

The recovery followed a contractor failure

The disruption was substantial. Zachry announced a Chapter 11 process in May 2024, saying it needed a structured exit from Golden Pass after financial challenges on the project. That was a historical event behind the 2026 startup, rather than a new bankruptcy this year.

The contracting arrangements were subsequently revised. In November 2025, McDermott and Chiyoda signed an amended completion contract for Trains 2 and 3, following the earlier amendment for Train 1. The March 2026 delivery shows that the revised organization produced a completed operating milestone.

The sequence also explains why a large project's employment outlook cannot be inferred from its initial investment approval alone. Financial strain at a contractor can interrupt the delivery organization and change the schedule even when the owners remain committed to the physical asset. Golden Pass ultimately reached first exports, but that result followed contract changes and a lengthy construction process.

A completed first train still leaves a ramp-up

EIA's September 1 update reported that U.S. LNG exports averaged 17.4 billion cubic feet per day in the first half of 2026, up 23% from a year earlier. Golden Pass contributed less than 0.2 billion cubic feet per day between April and June, illustrating the gap between initial shipments and full production capability.

That September assessment expected Train 1 exports to increase during the rest of 2026 and Train 2 to be completed late in the year. Those were dated forecasts; this review does not treat them as proof of subsequent completion.

For the electrical industry, the clearest 2026 result is delivery of a functioning first train after a troubled building program. The remaining construction, testing and startup sequence has its own milestones. Treating the entire terminal as either unfinished or fully complete would miss the actual progression of work at one of the country's major industrial sites.