Former Cheniere, BG execs to form new, mid-scale LNG company in US
Charif Souki and Martin Houston on Tuesday announced the formation of Tellurian Investments, a new company offering mid-scale natural gas liquefaction and export projects along the US 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.
“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," Houston said.
Souki orchestrated the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the US at his former company, Cheniere Energy. Meanwhile, Houston was the key architect in building BG Group’s LNG business allowing them (now part of Royal Dutch Shell) to become a global LNG powerhouse.
“What differentiates us from every other LNG developer is our combination of talent," Souki said. "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."
Tellurian says its objective is to deliver low-cost LNG to global customers by acting upon the advantages offered by the US, 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 it has selected Chart Industries for liquefaction technology, building on long-term relationships developed by both Souki and Houston.
"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," Souki and Houston said in a joint statement.
"We are absolutely in this for the long haul," they added. "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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