April 2016, Vol. 243, No. 4
Features
Souki, Houston Found New LNG Export Company
Even as the first tanker to carry liquefied natural gas from the U.S. to a foreign market was departing from the Louisiana facility that he built and later transformed into an LNG export terminal, Charif Souki and Martin Houston announced the formation of Tellurian Investments, a new company offering mid-scale natural gas liquefaction and export projects along the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Both Souki and Houston are established leaders in the global gas industry known for innovative thinking and the ability to execute on unconventional ideas. Souki orchestrated the first LNG exports from the U.S. at his former company, Cheniere Energy. Houston was the key architect in building BG Group’s LNG business allowing them (now part of Royal Dutch Shell plc) to become a global LNG powerhouse.
“What differentiates us from every other LNG developer is our combination of talent. I see what can be done and Martin knows exactly how to get it done. He has developed liquefaction facilities in Trinidad, Egypt, Australia and built the world’s first portfolio LNG trading company. The combination of Martin and I together is as seasoned an LNG team as you can dream up,” Souki commented.
Houston said, “I cannot think of a better partner than Charif, who single handedly transformed the global LNG landscape with his ambitious and bold leadership of Cheniere Energy, which will be noted in LNG history as a key turning point in its evolution.”
He said Terllurian’s objective is to deliver low-cost LNG to global customers by acting upon the advantages offered by the U.S., including: low-cost natural gas, superb locations for facilities on the Gulf Coast, low-cost manufacturing, availability of labor and a regulatory environment which is well suited for and has a track record for approving these projects. Tellurian will partner with Bechtel to construct the plants and have selected Chart Industries for liquefaction technology, building on long-term relationships developed by both Souki and Houston.
Souki and Houston noted that “it is important to remember that the gas industry is not about the short-term; we are thinking about the energy needs of the world from 2020 to 2040. We are absolutely in this for the long haul. Natural gas is a tremendously important commodity for the world’s future, and we will be successful because we fully understand the opportunity and have the experience to do something about it.”
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