Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Authorization lifts Corpus Christi capacity to 4.45 Bcf per day
The U.S. Department of Energy has approved a 12% expansion in exports at Cheniere Energy’s Corpus Christi LNG terminal, allowing an additional 0.47 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas to be shipped as liquefied natural gas to non Free Trade Agreement countries.
The authorization, signed by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, applies to Trains 8 and 9 under the Stage 3 Midscale Project. With the order in place, Corpus Christi LNG is now cleared to export a total of 4.45 Bcf per day, making it the second largest LNG export project in the United States.
Wright announced the approval during a visit to the Texas terminal, linking the decision to broader U.S. energy policy.
“In the last ten years, American innovation and President Trump’s leadership transformed the United States into the world’s largest exporter of LNG,” Wright said. He added that the expansion strengthens export capacity while supporting domestic economic activity.
Export volumes continue upward trend
Corpus Christi LNG has operated as an export facility since 2018. A positive final investment decision on Trains 8 and 9 was taken in June 2025.
Federal data shows LNG exports have risen from 0.5 Bcf per day in 2016 to 15.0 Bcf per day in 2025. The Energy Information Administration forecasts volumes could exceed 18.1 Bcf per day by 2027.
For shipping lines, terminal operators, and project cargo specialists, incremental capacity additions like this often translate into steady flows of cryogenic equipment, maintenance cargo, and long term vessel commitments.
