LNG sa国际传媒 will have a new CEO in April, when the project will be in advanced startup as it readies for its first exports of natural gas from sa国际传媒 to Asia.
Jason Klein, appointed as president and CEO of LNG sa国际传媒 in 2022, will be taking on a new role with Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) and will return to Houston, Texas, where he is originally from.
Chris Cooper, LNG sa国际传媒’s senior vice president for Phase 1 Pipeline and Expansion, will take over from Klein as CEO as of April 1, 2025.
“It’s been an honour to lead LNG sa国际传媒 for the past three years as we reached major construction milestones, participated in reconciliation and continued to steadily and safely advance towards delivering first cargoes of made-in-BC LNG,” Klein said in a press release. “It’s an experience I’ll always cherish.”
Shell is the lead partner in LNG sa国际传媒, with Shell sa国际传媒 Energy owning 40 per cent. Petronas owns 25 per cent, PetroChina and Mitsubishi Corp. 15 per cent each, and Korea Gas five per cent. Their combined investment in LNG sa国际传媒, including upstream natural gas assets and the Coastal GasLink pipeline, has been estimated at $40 billion.
Cooper was seconded to LNG sa国际传媒 by Shell plc in 2021 to head up the completion of the Coastal GasLink pipeline by TC Energy (TSX:TRP).
“In tandem with this role, Chris led LNG sa国际传媒’s responsibilities to advance Cedar LNG’s final investment decision (FID) in 2024, while also directing LNG sa国际传媒’s Phase 2 development.,” LNG sa国际传媒 says in a press release.
Prior to his secondment to LNG sa国际传媒, Cooper was Oman Gas and Development director for Shell’s Nigeria LNG Train 7.
The LNG sa国际传媒 project was approved for up to four trains, with a total potential production capacity of 26 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas.
The current LNG sa国际传媒 plant being completed in Kitimat is a two-train facility, with a production capacity of 13 mtpa, at a cost estimated at $18 billion. The LNG partners have not yet made a final investment decision on the Phase 2 expansion.
“I’m pleased to continue the journey with all those involved in and around the LNG sa国际传媒 investment,” Cooper said. “Together, we are setting the benchmark for economically, environmentally and socially responsible large scale LNG production in sa国际传媒 and creating a positive and lasting legacy with First Nations, the local community and for British Columbia and sa国际传媒.”
LNG sa国际传媒 is more than 95 per cent complete and now in early commissioning. The company said it is on track to ship its first cargoes by the middle of 2025.