NextDecade Extends Contractor Deals for Rio Grande LNG

US LNG developer NextDecade has extended agreements with contractor Bechtel for its 27mn metric ton/year Rio Grande LNG terminal in Texas, it said on March 8, keeping the pricing terms in place until December 31, 2021 and extending the validity of the engineering, procurement and construction contracts until July 31, 2022.

Rio Grande suffered a setback last year when Engie ended talks for supplies from the project, reportedly after the French government,a  minority shareholder, raised concerns about methane lifecycle emissions in the US. NextDecade reiterated on March 8 that it still expected to take a final investment decision on the terminal's first two trains this year, however.

"We value our strong partnership with Bechtel, the world’s leading LNG EPC contractor," NextDecade CEO Matt Schatzman said in a statement. "Our global LNG customers, feed gas suppliers, and other stakeholders can have the utmost confidence in the on-time and on-budget delivery of our Rio Grande LNG project."

NextDecade axed plans for a 16.5mn mt/yr liquefaction terminal in Galveston Bay in Texas in January, after concluding that the project site was unsuitable because of regulatory difficulties.