Australia’s Woodside Energy Group has signed a contract with US Bechtel for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the Louisiana liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, with final investment decision (FID) expected by the first quarter of 2025.

The EPC contract will cover the foundation development for the project’s three production trains, with a capacity of 16.5 million tons per annum (mtpa). Notably, the project has a total permitted capacity of 27.6 mtpa.

As the owner of Louisiana LNG project, Woodside forecasted that total expenditure on the project from December to the end of the first quarter of 2025 to reach up to $1.3 billion.

The estimated cost for the project’s foundation development remains within the range of $900-$960 per ton of LNG, consistent with the figures at the time of its acquisition.

Woodside has fully acquired the Louisiana LNG project in a $1.2 billion deal from developer Tellurian Inc in October and is currently seeking to sell a 50% stake in the project.