Argent LNG, LLC and CB&I announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) designating CB&I as Argent LNG’s preferred EPC contractor for the engineering, procurement and construction of three full-containment LNG storage tanks, each with a net working capacity of 200,000 cubic meters, at Argent LNG’s proposed 25 million tonne per annum (MTPA) LNG export terminal at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, 153 miles south of New Orleans.
The three tanks will provide 600,000 cubic meters of combined LNG storage capacity and are expected to serve as critical infrastructure supporting Argent LNG’s liquefaction, LNG handling, and marine loading operations.
The MOU establishes a framework for the parties to advance engineering, commercial and execution planning and to negotiate a lump-sum turnkey EPC agreement for the tank scope. The agreement also initiates Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) and early works activities, including engineering development, procurement planning and evaluation of critical-path materials and equipment.
The work is intended to support Argent LNG’s targeted December 2027 construction commencement and Q1 2030 first LNG production.
Who is CB&I
CB&I brings 68 years of LNG leadership to the project, including the design and construction of more than 260 LNG tanks worldwide, and industry firsts such as the world’s first double-wall LNG storage tank in Lake Charles, LA, the first full containment concrete LNG tank on Das Island, Abu Dhabi, and the first full containment all-steel LNG tank in the Philippines.
For Argent LNG, the LNG storage tanks represent one of the project's most significant safety-critical and schedule-critical infrastructure packages.
“CB&I has helped shape the LNG industry through decades of innovation and successful project delivery,” says Brian Sherman, Vice President Commercial, CB&I. “Being selected as the preferred EPC contractor for these three full-containment LNG storage tanks underscores the value of our proven technology, execution certainty, and commitment to safety. We look forward to working closely with Argent LNG to advance this critical LNG infrastructure.”
The partnership will enable Argent LNG and CB&I to advance the tank package from project development into detailed engineering and execution planning, with the objective of establishing the scope as construction-ready well ahead of Argent LNG's targeted December 2027 construction commencement.
Jonathan Bass, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Argent LNG, said, “The designation of CB&I as our preferred tank EPC contractor is one of the most significant construction execution milestones Argent LNG has reached. CB&I brings proven, bankable, experience across the full EPC life cycle of large-scale LNG storage tanks, together with deep knowledge of the Gulf Coast construction environment, local conditions and the specialized LNG supply chain." says Jonathan Bass, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Argent LNG,
"This MOU is more than a contractor designation, it is a construction-confidence statement to our lenders, our off-take partners and the sovereign buyers that are working with Argent LNG. We are putting world-class LNG infrastructure expertise directly into the critical path of the project and taking the necessary steps today to deliver this terminal safely, efficiently and on schedule.”
LNG tank safety
Full-containment LNG storage tanks are among the most technically complex and safety-critical components of a large-scale LNG export facility. Their design, procurement and construction are closely evaluated by project-finance lenders, technical advisors, insurers, regulators and long-term LNG customers. The engagement of CB&I as Argent LNG’s preferred tank EPC contractor provides an experienced execution platform for advancing this critical package.
Project timeline
Argent LNG is targeting final investment decision by 2027, construction commencement in December 2027, and first LNG production in Q1 2030.
The CB&I MOU represents an important step in the transition from development and permitting toward construction readiness and execution.
Louisiana first
The partnership is also aligned with Argent LNG's Louisiana First procurement and economic-development strategy.
Argent LNG and CB&I intend to identify opportunities for participation by Louisiana-based subcontractors, fabricators, suppliers, and skilled craft labor wherever commercially and technically practicable.
The 25 MTPA Argent LNG project is expected to create significant opportunities for Louisiana's industrial base and workforce while further strengthening Port Fourchon and South Louisiana's position as a center for U.S. LNG infrastructure and energy development.
About the Argent LNG project
Argent LNG is developing a 25 million tonne per annum (MTPA) LNG export terminal at Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The approximately $18 billion project is being developed under FERC Docket No. PF25-11 and is designed to utilize 12 modular Baker Hughes NMBL™ liquefaction trains to liquefy domestically produced U.S. natural gas for delivery to customers across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and other global markets.
The facility is planned with two marine loading berths providing direct deepwater access to global shipping lanes.
Argent LNG has submitted the full suite of FERC Resource Reports, received U.S. Department of Energy long-term FTA export authorization under Order No. 5447, and submitted a Waterway Suitability Assessment to the U.S. Coast Guard.
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Argent LNG is advancing regulatory, engineering, commercial, financing and construction workstreams toward final investment decision, construction commencement in December 2027 and first LNG production in Q1 2030.
The project is anchored by Argent LNG's Louisiana First procurement and economic-development strategy.
