Venture Global says Phase 1 of Plaquemines LNG began commercial operations on October 31, 2026. Its November 1 announcement also identifies Shell as the customer that lifted the first cargo after that milestone. For readers following U.S. energy exports, the useful question is what changed: this announcement concerns service to Phase 1’s long-term customers.
Three dates describe different milestones
- December 2024: Venture Global reported first LNG production at Plaquemines, its facility in Port Sulphur, Louisiana.
- December 26, 2024: the company announced loading and departure of its first commissioning cargo, aboard Venture Global Bayou for ENBW in Germany.
- October 31, 2026: the company says Phase 1 reached its commercial operations date, or COD. Its November 1 release reports the first post-COD cargo lifted by Shell.
Read those dates as a sequence. Producing LNG establishes a production milestone. Loading a commissioning cargo establishes an export milestone. The latest release describes a later commercial milestone for a specified phase. Calling each one the plant’s “start” without an explanation makes different events sound interchangeable.
Why cargoes could leave before COD
In its December 2024 releases, Venture Global explained that its construction approach allowed production and exports while construction and commissioning continued elsewhere in the project. That account explains how an export can precede the later Phase 1 commercial milestone. The first commissioning cargo and the first post-COD cargo therefore answer different questions.
SPA means sales and purchase agreement. The new release links Phase 1’s commercial operations to sales to its long-term customers. If your question is when the facility first made LNG, use the production record. If you are tracking the start of this announced long-term customer service, use the Phase 1 COD announcement instead.
Keep the phase attached to the claim
A precise briefing can say: “Venture Global reported Phase 1 commercial operations from October 31.” Keep “Phase 1” in a chart label, presentation or headline. The announcement does not establish that every later phase or expansion has reached the same milestone. Nor does a historical commissioning cargo count, on its own, measure post-COD deliveries.
For a delivery comparison, choose the same phase, cargo category and reporting period on both sides. Check whether a source means cargo loaded, vessel departed or cargo delivered; these descriptions should remain attached to the event being counted. The November release says the first post-COD cargo departed and was lifted by Shell—it does not report arrival at its destination.
What to watch in the next update
Look for dated reporting on subsequent Phase 1 deliveries and a separately identified milestone for any other phase. A commercial start date alone cannot tell a buyer how much LNG will arrive in a given month or what it will cost. Those questions need delivery quantities, periods and applicable terms. Keep forecasts about prices or future output separate from the event now announced.
Primary sources
- Venture Global, November 1, 2026 — Phase 1 commercial operations: https://ventureglobal.com/2026/11/01/venture-global-commences-commercial-operations-of-phase-one-of-plaquemines-lng/
- Venture Global, December 14, 2024 — first LNG production: https://ventureglobal.com/2024/12/14/venture-globals-plaquemines-lng-achieves-historic-first-lng-production/
- Venture Global, December 26, 2024 — first commissioning cargo: https://ventureglobal.com/2024/12/26/venture-global-announces-departure-of-inaugural-commissioning-cargo-from-plaquemines-lng/
Match the LNG milestone
