January 16, 2026 [Argus Media]- US LNG producer Cheniere has begun commissioning the fifth of seven trains at its 11.45mn t/yr (1.5bn ft³/d) Corpus Christi stage 3 expansion, according to a filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Cheniere told the regulator that emissions and flaring consistent with the start-up process could begin as early as 10am ET on 14 January. The company in a separate filing sought the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) permission to begin introducing propane to part of train 5’s equipment.

Cheniere expects to complete the seven-train expansion in 2026, bringing the facility’s total capacity to 28.9mn t/yr. The first four trains entered service throughout 2025, with the fourth train completed ahead of schedule in late December.

The south Texas terminal exported an average of 430,000t/week in the 28 days that ended 11 January, equivalent to a rate of 22.4mn t/yr, Kpler data show. The four-week moving average was 300,000t/week, or a rate of 15.6mn t/yr, over the same span a year earlier.

The export rate indicates Corpus Christi LNG has taken 3.28bn-3.44bn ft³/d of feedgas, assuming liquefaction losses of 10-15pc. In the 30 days that ended 12 January, Corpus Christi received 2.27bn ft³/d of gas on its associated pipeline, which FERC requires to publicly post nominations. This implies the intrastate 1.7bn ft³/d ADCC pipeline, which is not required to post flow data, has been sending about 1bn-1.2bn ft³/d to the terminal.