Woodside firing on all cylinders to advance Australian gas project, Mexican oil development, and US LNG terminal

April 29, 2026, by Melisa Cavcic

Australia’s energy giant Woodside is pulling out all the stops to keep the energy development wheels turning at its projects located across multiple regions. As a result, the firm has been moving the needle to progress the construction of its energy infrastructure, which enabled it to reach 96% completion at its giant gas project offshore Australia, 56% at its oil development in Mexican waters, and 24% at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Louisiana, United States.

Woodside explained that the Scarborough energy project, which was 96% complete at the end of the first quarter of 2026, remains on budget and on track for the first LNG cargo in Q4 2026. The Scarborough floating production unit (FPU) completed hook-up of the umbilical and all subsea risers and began topside commissioning following its arrival in Australia.

The FPU was registered as a security-regulated offshore facility by the Department of Home Affairs. The construction and commissioning activities at the Pluto Train 2 site continued, with the first ignition of the additional gas turbine generator achieved. The preparation is underway for the first run of the liquefaction compressors.

The first two of three modules built for the Pluto Train 1 modifications project departed the fabrication yard in Thailand and arrived at the Pluto site. The firm claims that civil, structural, and piping works advanced at the site, with a focus on preparing for activities to be completed during the Pluto LNG Train 1 major turnaround scheduled for May 2026. The first LNG cargo is on track for Q4 2026.

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The next major project in Woodside’s portfolio is Trion in Mexico, which hit the 56% completion mark at the end of the quarter. This development is perceived to remain on budget, targeting first oil in 2028. The drilling of 24 subsea wells started in March 2026.

The operator elaborates that subsea equipment is on track for installation in Q3 2026. The FPU construction also reached new milestones, with hull structural fabrication completed and two 6,000‑metric‑ton topside modules lifted and installed.

The company underlines that floating storage and offloading structural block fabrication continued, with the disconnectable turret mooring buoy largely complete and mating tests finished. The Trion project is targeting first oil in 2028.

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Another major project in Woodside’s portfolio is Louisiana LNG, where the foundation phase is said to be on budget and on schedule, as the development, comprising three trains, was 24% complete at the end of the quarter, with Train 1 31% done. The project is targeting its first LNG in 2029.

The operator highlighted the key milestones achieved during the period, which included the progression of the LNG tanks and the beginning of dredging activities. The structural steel erection has progressed, and the first piping was installed in the Train 1 rack.

The other two trains were 22% and 14% completed, respectively, at the end of the quarter, with piling installation done for Train 2 and initiated for Train 3. The transition of Driftwood Pipeline operatorship to Williams was carried out as well.

Bechtel, which is sourcing Louisiana LNG structural steel from the United Arab Emirates, has not reported any impact from the Middle East conflict on fabrication at its facility, as sufficient steel for 2026 work programs has been delivered to the site.

However, mitigation measures are being proactively assessed to ensure the ongoing supply of steel. Louisiana LNG continues to attract interest from high-quality counterparties, supporting Woodside’s sell-down process.

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Liz Westcott, Woodside’s CEO, commented: “Construction at the Louisiana LNG project is progressing well, with structural steel erection, pipe installation, LNG tank construction and marine works underway. Louisiana LNG Train 1 is 31% complete.

“The drilling and completion of the Julimar Development Phase 3 wells was delivered, marking another milestone ahead of the asset swap with Chevron in H2 2026.”

The drilling and completion of the Julimar Development Phase 3 wells has been achieved, with start-up targeted for H2 2026. While the LNG production at Wheatstone was impacted following an unplanned outage caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle, it was partially restored, with a return to normal operation expected by the end of April.

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The decommissioning of five Julimar Brunello exploration wells is planned for H2 2026, as a condition precedent for the asset swap with Chevron, which is slated to be completed in H2 2026.

“There have been no disruptions to Woodside’s trading activities as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, with shipping operations continuing as planned,” highlighted the Australian giant, which claims that interruptions have increased the demand for crude products, resulting in higher spot market prices.

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The firm has a strategy of securing term shipping for annual average delivery commitments and therefore has limited exposure to volatile spot LNG carrier rates.

The company does not currently have any controlled shipping that traverses Iranian waters or the Strait of Hormuz; thus, its trade routes are not subject to increased security risk.