February 19, 2026 [Reuters]- Golden Pass, an LNG project jointly owned by Exxon Mobil and QatarEnergy (QUATPE.UL), pulled in 300 million cubic feet of gas on Wednesday as it moves closer to making its first LNG, LSEG data shows.

When complete, the 18 million metric ton per annum project in Texas is expected to be one of the largest U.S. LNG export facilities and will help the United States maintain its position as the world’s largest exporter of the superchilled gas.

On January 30, Exxon’s CEO Darren Woods said he expected the plant to start producing LNG in March, marking an important milestone for the project.

“ExxonMobil continues to support the Golden Pass venture in its efforts to deliver this important project,” an Exxon spokesperson told Reuters on Wednesday.

Golden Pass did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The latest increase in gas usage at the plant follows the arrival and offloading of a cool-down cargo at the plant in December, one of the final testing stages before moving to LNG production.

The $10-billion project has been beset by delays and cost overruns after construction began in 2019. It had to change its lead contractor for the project, which filed for bankruptcy claiming cost overruns.

“That venture has done a really good job of recovering from the bankruptcy,” Woods said during Exxon’s fourth-quarter earnings call with analysts. “My expectation is we will see first LNG produced in very early March.”

The plant increased its demand for natural gas from 200 mcf on Tuesday to 300 mcf Wednesday.