Cheniere Sabine Pass LNG Train 7 8 Expansion Reference

DISCLAIMER: This is an industry reference article based on publicly available reporting. Hebei Haihao makes no claim of supply, EPC participation, or commercial relationship with any company or contractor named in this article. All information is sourced from public news, corporate releases, and industry publications.

1. Project Background

The Cheniere Sabine Pass LNG terminal in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, is one of the original anchors of US LNG export. Cheniere is now developing the Sabine Pass Liquefaction Expansion Project (the SPL Expansion Project) adjacent to the existing six trains. According to public Cheniere disclosures, the SPL Expansion Project is structured as a two-phase development: Phase 1 is one liquefaction train (Train 7) with peak capacity of approximately 6 mtpa, and Phase 2 includes two more liquefaction trains (Trains 8 and 9), each with a peak production capacity of approximately 6 mtpa. In June 2025, Cheniere updated its FERC application to reflect a two-phased project comprising three trains, with total expected peak capacity of up to approximately 20 mtpa, inclusive of estimated debottlenecking opportunities.

In April 2023, Cheniere executed a contract for Bechtel to conduct a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study for the expansion project. According to Cheniere's CFO commentary in public earnings calls, FID timing for the Sabine Pass Train 7 8 expansion is at the earliest late 2026, and more likely 2027.

For international procurement engineers, the Cheniere Sabine Pass Train 7 and 8 expansion is a slow-burn but very large procurement opportunity that is likely to convert into hard orders during the second half of this decade.

2. Scale by the Numbers

3. Contractor Map

Bechtel is the FEED contractor for the SPL Expansion Project and has been the EPC contractor for all six existing trains at Sabine Pass. According to Cheniere disclosures, Train 7 is essentially contracted commercially, and Cheniere has completed its second offtake agreement for Train 8. The expansion is being permitted through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Given Bechtel's role on the prior trains, US LNG industry analysts widely expect Bechtel to remain in pole position for the EPC contract once FID is taken, although that is not yet contractually announced.

4. Typical Materials & Standards Profile

For a US Gulf Coast LNG train of the SPL class, generic procurement profile includes:

• Cryogenic piping in austenitic stainless (A312 TP304L/TP316L) and 9% nickel steel (A333 Gr 8) for cold service.
• ASME B16.5 / B16.47 forged flanges in A105N, A350 LF2 / LF3 and A182 stainless grades depending on service temperature.
• ASME B16.9 butt-welding fittings in matching grades, plus MSS SP-75 high-test fittings on the feed gas inlet pipeline.
• ASME B16.49 induction bends for the inlet feed gas, BOG and refrigerant circuits.
• Compliance with ASME B31.3, FERC LNG safety regulations and rigorous Charpy V-notch impact qualification.

For benchmarking, reference product families are listed under seamless butt-welding pipe fittings, forged flanges and non-standard forgings and hot induction pipe bends.

5. Procurement Lessons for International Buyers

First, Bechtel-led FEED on Sabine Pass strongly shapes the eventual material spec; suppliers who study the documented spec on Trains 1 to 6 have a head start in qualifying for Train 7 and Train 8. Second, the Cheniere SPL Expansion Project's three-train phased FID structure means orders will not all hit the market at once, which gives qualified suppliers a more orderly capacity-planning window than the pre-2020 LNG cycle. Third, US export terminals require strict ASME-stamped material with traceability that satisfies both FERC and the European and Asian offtakers' downstream documentation needs.

Buyers planning sourcing for late-decade US LNG can engage via the inquiry portal.

6. Reference Takeaway

The Cheniere Sabine Pass Train 7 8 expansion (the SPL Expansion Project) is a well-documented public reference for how an established US LNG operator phases capacity additions on a brownfield site. With Bechtel running FEED, ~20 mtpa of total expansion capacity guided, and FID timing in the late 2026 to 2027 window, the Sabine Pass Train 7 8 expansion is a key reference point for international procurement engineers building forward-looking LNG sourcing roadmaps.

Sources

• https://www.cheniere.com/about/where-we-work/sabine-pass
• https://www.bechtel.com/projects/sabine-pass-liquefaction-project/
• https://lngprime.com/americas/cheniere-targets-sabine-pass-lng-expansion-fid-in-2026-or-2027/142493/
• https://jpt.spe.org/cheniere-energy-looks-to-expand-at-sabine-pass
• https://lngir.cheniere.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/324/cheniere-reports-second-quarter-2025-results-and-updates

Hebei Haihao does not claim involvement in this project.