Houston-based dredging services provider Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDC) has won a dredging assignment on a liquefied natural gas (LNG) development in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, which is operated by Australia’s Woodside Energy.
Great Lakes, which recently secured four dredging contract awards, has revealed that one of these is for the Louisiana LNG project, formerly known as Driftwood LNG, in the United States, which is owned by Louisiana LNG Infrastructure (InfraCo), made up of Stonepeak (40% interest) and Louisiana LNG (HoldCo), the holding company operated by Woodside.
Thanks to a notice to proceed with dredging work on the Louisiana LNG project near Lake Charles along the Calcasieu River ship channel, received from Bechtel Energy , which is tasked with the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) segment , the first phase of work, obtained in the second quarter of 2025, includes construction of a ship berthing basin for use by large LNG carriers.
According to Great Lakes, there is also the potential for award of two options to expand the scope for the construction of additional ship berths. The company underlines that all dredged materials will be placed into designated beneficial use of dredged material (BUDM) areas for marshland restoration, providing ecological benefits and storm surge protection for the surrounding area.
The dredging operations are expected to start in early 2026. This follows Woodside’s $17.5 billion final investment decision (FID) for the LNG project, which is perceived to be the largest single foreign direct investment in Louisiana’s history. The Louisiana LNG project has a total permitted capacity of 27.6 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) across five trains.
Furthermore, the approved foundation project encompasses three trains with a combined capacity of 16.5 mtpa. Woodside recently inked a deal with BP for gas to feed the Louisiana plant, while Aramco expressed its interest in a potential equity interest in an offtake from Louisiana LNG.
The Australian giant also penned a heads of agreement (HoA) to supply Petronas with 1 mtpa of LNG for 15 years , starting in 2028, with the volumes supplied from the firm’s global portfolio that could include the LNG project in Louisiana.
Aside from work on Woodside’s Louisiana LNG project, Great Lakes also got hold of assignments on Galveston Entrance Channel and Houston Ship Channel from Bolivar to Redfish in Texas, Mississippi River Hopper Dredge Contract No. 3 in Louisiana, and Charleston Entrance Channel in South Carolina.
Lasse Petterson , GLDC’s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “These projects enable Great Lakes to play a vital role in enhancing the resilience and sustainability of the nation’s environment, coastlines, and critical infrastructure. We have also strengthened our presence in the LNG and broader energy sector with our award of Woodside Louisiana LNG.
“These initiatives are essential to advancing U.S. energy infrastructure, supporting increased export capacity, and aligning with national energy security priorities. These four awards contribute to the growth of our 2025 dredging backlog, further solidifying our revenue visibility for the remainder of the year and into 2026.”