Australia-based Woodside Energy has completed the sale of a 40% interest in its Louisiana LNG project to global investment firm Stonepeak.
The deal marks a strategic move to enhance the project's economics and bolster Woodside's capacity for shareholder returns.
Stonepeak senior managing director and US Private Equity head James Wyper said: “Louisiana LNG will be a timely and strategic addition to the US LNG [liquefied natural gas] export landscape as the world’s demand for cleaner, more flexible and more affordable energy continues to grow.
“We look forward to contributing our expertise and capital to the construction and future operation of Louisiana LNG and are highly energised to continue supporting the development of critical North American LNG infrastructure with global impact.”
The binding agreement, first announced on 7 April 2025, has now reached fruition with Stonepeak committing $5.7bn towards the project's capital expenditure (capex).
This investment will cover 75% of the project's costs in both 2025 and 2026, accelerating its development.
Woodside has received a closing payment of around $1.9bn, reflecting Stonepeak's share of capex since the deal's effective date of 1 January 2025.
Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said: “Our partnership with Stonepeak reflects the attractiveness of Louisiana LNG and was a key milestone towards achieving a successful final investment decision. Stonepeak is a high-quality partner, with extensive investment experience across US gas and LNG infrastructure.
“The accelerated capital contribution from Stonepeak enhances Louisiana LNG project returns and strengthens our capacity for shareholder returns ahead of first cargo from the Scarborough Energy Project in Western Australia, targeted for the second half of 2026.
“We continue to see strong interest from additional potential partners in Louisiana LNG.”
This development comes on the heels of Japan-based energy company JERA’s recent signing of a non-binding heads of agreement with Woodside Energy Trading Singapore for the LNG procurement.
Situated near Lake Charles, Louisiana LNG has a total permitted capacity of 27.6 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) across five trains. The approved foundation project features three trains with a combined capacity of 16.5mtpa.
