Cheniere Partners Issues Notice to Proceed and Commences Construction on Train 5 of the Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project
HOUSTON, June 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P. ("Cheniere Partners") (NYSE MKT: CQP) announced today that its Board of Directors has made a positive Final Investment Decision ("FID") with respect to Train 5 of the Sabine Pass liquefaction project ("Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project") in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, and has issued a notice to proceed with construction to Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals, Inc. ("Bechtel"). The Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project is being designed for up to six liquefaction trains, each with nominal production capacity of approximately 4.5 million tonnes per annum ("mtpa"). Train 5 is expected to commence operations as early as 2018.
"We now have five liquefaction trains under construction at Sabine Pass, with Train 1 expected to make first LNG later this year. We expect to reach FID on Train 6 at Sabine Pass upon completion of commercial contracts and arranging financing, as all necessary regulatory approvals have been received," said Charif Souki, Chairman and CEO of Cheniere. "We appreciate all of the time and effort that goes into these projects and would like to thank our employees, contractors, Bechtel, government officials, and our strategic partners for their continued dedication and hard work as we proceed with construction on our Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project."
In order to fund Train 5 construction, Cheniere Partners' wholly owned subsidiary, Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC, has entered into four credit facilities, which replace its existing credit facilities, for the incurrence of debt up to an aggregate amount of approximately $4.6 billion. The credit facilities include a Term Loan A Credit Facility of approximately $2.85 billion with a syndicate of 25 banks and financial institutions and an additional three credit facilities – one with The Export-Import Bank of Korea for its own account, one with Korean financial institutions supported by the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation and another with Korean financial institutions supported by The Export-Import Bank of Korea – collectively totaling $1.75 billion. These credit facilities complete the financing needed to fund the costs of developing, constructing and placing into service the first five liquefaction trains of the Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project. Additionally, Sabine Pass Liquefaction, LLC has commitments for a $1.2 billion revolving credit facility which is expected to close in due course. Société Générale acted as financial advisor.
Cheniere Partners owns 100 percent of the Sabine Pass LNG terminal located on the Sabine Pass deep-water shipping channel less than four miles from the Gulf Coast. The Sabine Pass LNG terminal includes existing infrastructure of five LNG storage tanks with capacity of approximately 16.9 billion cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), two docks that can accommodate vessels with nominal capacity of up to 266,000 cubic meters and vaporizers with regasification capacity of approximately 4.0 Bcf/d.
Cheniere Partners is developing natural gas liquefaction facilities at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal adjacent to the existing regasification facilities. Cheniere Partners plans to construct over time up to six liquefaction trains, which are in various stages of development. Each liquefaction train is expected to have a nominal production capacity of approximately 4.5 mtpa. The overall project completion percentage of Trains 1 and 2 is approximately 90.8% as of May 31, 2015. The overall project completion percentage of Trains 3 and 4 is approximately 67.7% as of May 31, 2015. Construction commenced on Train 5 in June 2015. Cheniere Partners has received all regulatory approvals to construct and operate Train 6. Cheniere Partners has entered into six third-party LNG SPAs that in the aggregate equate to 19.75 mtpa and commence with the date of first commercial delivery of Trains 1 through 5 as specified in the respective SPAs. Cheniere Partners has placed documentation pertaining to the Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project, including the applications and supporting studies, on its website located at http://www.cheniere.com.
This press release contains certain statements that may include "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included herein are "forward-looking statements." Included among "forward-looking statements" are, among other things, (i) statements regarding Cheniere Partners' business strategy, plans and objectives, including the development, construction and operation of liquefaction facilities, (ii) statements regarding expectations regarding regulatory authorizations and approvals, (iii) statements expressing beliefs and expectations regarding the development of Cheniere Partners' LNG terminal and liquefaction business, (iv) statements regarding the business operations and prospects of third parties, (v) statements regarding potential financing arrangements, and (vi) statements regarding future discussions and entry into contracts. Although Cheniere Partners believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Cheniere Partners' actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in Cheniere Partners' periodic reports that are filed with and available from the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Other than as required under the securities laws, Cheniere Partners does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.
SOURCE Cheniere Energy Partners, L.P.
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