Baker Hughes’ gas tech picked for ‘vital’ LNG development project in North America

U.S.-headquartered energy technology giant Baker Hughes has won a liquefaction equipment order for a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Louisiana, United States, ahead of the project’s final investment decision (FID), which is expected next year.

Previously, the U.S. firm was in charge of providing Woodside with electric-powered integrated compressor line (ICL) packages and other turbomachinery equipment for the pipeline serving the LNG export terminal.

The company’s technology scope will support Phase 1 development of an opportunity described as a major LNG export project in North America, with a total permitted capacity of 27.6 million tons per annum.

Thanks to the new assignment from Bechtel Energy, Baker Hughes will supply gas technology equipment for two liquefaction plants with a total capacity of approximately 11 million tons per annum (mtpa) for Phase 1 of Woodside Energy’s Louisiana LNG, former Driftwood LNG, development opportunity.

Ganesh Ramaswamy, Executive Vice President of Industrial & Energy Technology at Baker Hughes, commented: “We are committed to providing our proven technology to ensure the LNG industry stands ready to meet rapidly growing energy demand.

“Building on our 40-year track record in LNG and established collaboration with both Bechtel and Woodside, we look forward to supporting this important project and contributing to sustainable energy development.”

This order for eight main refrigeration compressors driven by LM6000PF+ gas turbines and eight expander compressors is said to mark a significant milestone as the Australian energy giant, which took over the ownership and operator role at the LNG development after the completion of the acquisition of Tellurian, targets final investment decision readiness from the first quarter of 2025.

Paul Marsden, President of Bechtel Energy, highlighted: “Louisiana LNG will play a vital role in meeting the world’s increasing LNG demand. Bechtel is proud to collaborate with Baker Hughes to help deliver this critical project.”

With a valid non-free trade agreement (FTA) export paperwork, the Woodside Louisiana LNG development recently secured an extension of its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorization. The development costs are expected to be around $900-960/tonne for both phases.

Furthermore, the project’s current development plan entails five LNG trains through four stages, entailing 11 mtpa Phase 1 and 5.5 mtpa Phase 2. Bechtel has already started construction works, with pilings for Trains 1 and 2 complete.

Recently, Baker Hughes teamed up with Spain’s Repsol for new artificial intelligence (AI) processes and workflows to unlock further improvements in the oil and gas production arena.