U.S. DOE Grants Argent LNG Long-Term Authorization to Export 25 MTPA of LNG for 20 Years Under DOE Order No. 5447

American Energy. Allied Security. Not a Cargo. A Commitment. From Port Fourchon to the World!

METAIRIE, LA, UNITED STATES, July 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Argent LNG, LLC today announced that the United States Department of Energy’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO) has issued DOE/HGEO Order No. 5447, granting Argent LNG long-term authorization to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a volume equivalent to 1,293.75 billion cubic feet (Bcf) per year of natural gas, approximately 25 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) of LNG, for a term of 20 years commencing from the date of first commercial export from the project.

The Order, signed on July 23, 2026, by Amy Sweeney, Director of the Office of Global Energy Security, authorizes Argent LNG to export LNG by vessel from its proposed terminal at Port Fourchon in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, to all countries with which the United States has a Free Trade Agreement requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas, and to any nation with which the United States subsequently enters into such an agreement.

This federal authorization represents the most significant regulatory milestone in Argent LNG’s development to date, a legally binding U.S. Government determination that Argent LNG is authorized to export 25 MTPA of American natural gas to the world for two decades.

“The United States Department of Energy has authorized Argent LNG to export 25 MTPA of American natural gas to the world for 20 years. That is not a development story. That is a federal order,” said Jonathan Bass, Chairman and CEO of Argent LNG. “We started this company to give allied nations a real alternative to weaponized Russian gas. DOE Order No. 5447 confirms that the alternative is real, it is authorized, and it is coming from Port Fourchon, Louisiana. We will not slow down.”

Key Terms of DOE/HGEO Order No. 5447

The Order grants the following authorization to Argent LNG:

• Export Volume: 1,293.75 Bcf per year of domestically produced natural gas, equivalent to approximately 25 MTPA of LNG

• Authorization Term: 20 years from the date of first commercial export, with a three-year Make-Up Period following the export term

• Export Terminal: Port Fourchon, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, adjacent to Belle Pass and Bayou Lafourche

• Authorized Destinations: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Republic of Korea, and Singapore, and any nation with which the United States subsequently enters into a Free Trade Agreement requiring national treatment for trade in natural gas

• Agency Rights: Argent LNG is authorized to export LNG on its own behalf and as agent for other entities that hold title to the LNG at the time of export

• Docket No.: 26-28-LNG

Project Overview

The Argent LNG terminal will be constructed on an approximately 900-acre parcel at Port Fourchon, secured under a long-term lease agreement with the Port of Fourchon with a 30-year primary term and options for two additional 30-year renewal periods. The facility is designed to include pre-treatment facilities, 12 modular liquefaction units utilizing Baker Hughes’ NMBL™ technology, two full-containment 220,000-cubic-meter LNG storage tanks, an approximately 350-megawatt simple-cycle gas turbine power generation facility, and two LNG marine loading berths capable of accommodating LNG carriers ranging from 125,000 to 260,000 cubic meters of cargo capacity.

Argent LNG currently anticipates commencing construction in December 2027, with first LNG service anticipated in the first quarter of 2030.

A Week of Historic Momentum for Argent LNG

DOE Order No. 5447 caps an extraordinary week of regulatory and commercial milestones for Argent LNG, including:

• DOE Long-Term FTA Export Authorization — DOE/HGEO Order No. 5447, issued July 23, 2026, granting 20-year authorization to export 25 MTPA of U.S. LNG to Free Trade Agreement nations

• Naftogaz of Ukraine MOU — Memorandum of Understanding signed July 15, 2026, establishing a framework for long-term U.S. LNG offtake, transportation, and distribution cooperation serving Ukraine and Central, Eastern, and Southern European markets, covered by Reuters, Energy Intelligence, and Naftogaz’s own website

• White House National Energy Dominance Council Recognition, Public acknowledgment from Brittany Kelm, Senior Policy Advisor to the National Energy Dominance Council, recognizing the Argent LNG–Naftogaz MOU as “Delivering on America’s promise - thank you and congrats".

• Existing Commercial Portfolio — Including a Heads of Agreement with the Government of Bangladesh for up to 5 MTPA, a strategic cooperation agreement with EPİAŞ (Türkiye’s central energy trading platform) for 5 MTPA, and a Memorandum of Understanding with BOTAŞ establishing a framework for long-term U.S. LNG supply to Türkiye through the Vertical Corridor

FERC Permitting Progress
The DOE authorization is complementary to and consistent with Argent LNG’s continued systematic progression through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) pre-filing environmental review process. Argent LNG has submitted eleven Resource Reports to FERC to date, covering general project description, water use and quality, fish and wildlife, cultural resources, socioeconomics, geological resources, soils, land use, air and noise quality, alternatives, and visual resources. The DOE FTA authorization follows from the non-FTA authorization application filed in parallel, Docket No. 26-28-LNG, published in the Federal Register on March 27, 2026.

Louisiana First

Consistent with Argent LNG’s Louisiana First procurement strategy, the project is being developed with a deliberate commitment to prioritizing Louisiana companies, Louisiana workers, and Louisiana expertise at every stage of development, engineering, construction, and operations. This strategy is exemplified by the recent award of a comprehensive marine, environmental, and site engineering services contract to GIS Engineering, LLC, headquartered in Galliano, Louisiana, a firm with more than 75 years of Gulf Coast engineering heritage.

Non-FTA Authorization

The portion of Argent LNG’s application seeking authorization to export domestically produced LNG to non-Free Trade Agreement nations will be reviewed pursuant to NGA section 3(a) and addressed in a separate DOE order. The non-FTA application was published in the Federal Register on March 27, 2026.

About Argent LNG

Argent LNG is developing a 25 million tonne per annum (MTPA) LNG export terminal at Port Fourchon, Louisiana — one of the largest proposed LNG export projects in the United States, valued at approximately $18 billion. The facility will deploy 12 modular Baker Hughes NMBL™ liquefaction trains to liquefy domestically produced U.S. natural gas for delivery to long-term customers across Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and beyond, through two marine loading berths with direct deepwater access to global shipping lanes. With eleven Resource Reports submitted to FERC, DOE long-term FTA export authorization now granted under Order No. 5447, sovereign offtake commitments secured across three continents, and a unanimous 126-0 vote of support from the Louisiana Legislature, Argent LNG is executing a disciplined regulatory and commercial roadmap toward a final investment decision and construction commencement in December 2027. The project is anchored in Argent LNG’s Louisiana First procurement strategy, prioritizing Louisiana companies, workers, and expertise at every stage of development, engineering, construction, and long-term operations. For more information, visit www.argentlng.com.

jonathan bass
Argent LNG, LLC
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