Golden Pass Countdown

SynMax Research: 

The LNG carrier IMSAIKAH (IMO 9977256), identified & tracked via the SynMax Leviaton platform, is currently transiting with a captain's stated destination of "USPOA" (Port Arthur, Texas). The vessel is potentially carrying cooldown cargo for Golden Pass LNG's Train 1, which has experienced construction delays from its original 2025 startup schedule.

Voyage Details:

• Vessel: IMSAIKAH, chartered by QatarEnergy
• Loading: Ras Laffan LNG, Qatar – October 29, 2025
• Destination: Port Arthur, Texas (home to both Golden Pass and Sabine Pass LNG facilities)
• ETA: December 1, 2025

The Golden Pass facility is 70% owned by QatarEnergy and 30% by ExxonMobil. Train 1 was originally scheduled to begin liquefaction operations in 2025 but has faced construction delays.

Golden Pass has been receiving feed gas for commissioning activities since late July 2025, with flows progressively ramping from initial test volumes of 4,000 MMBtu/d to approximately 8,700 MMBtu/d by late October 2025. While these volumes represent ongoing pre-startup commissioning work, they remain approximately 1% of Train 1's full operational capacity. Assuming cooldown cargo delivery on December 1, 2025, full-scale feedgas commissioning could commence at the typical mid-point of the 3-week cooldown process—approximately mid-to-late December 2025. The Golden Pass Pipeline will deliver 0.87 Bcf/d of feedgas to Train 1 once fully operational, with total facility capacity reaching 2.6 Bcf/d across all three trains at peak liquefaction operations. Pipeline flow data is monitored through SynMax Hyperion's proprietary scraping model.

Following this timeline, first liquefaction and initial LNG exports from Train 1 could occur in late Q1 2026.

Satellite Intelligence Confirms Readiness

This voyage aligns with structural progress observed by SynMax Vulcan satellite imagery from October 28, 2025:

• Train 1: Confirmed as structurally completed.
• Train 2: Structures erected and construction is actively progressing.
• Train 3: Still in the structural installation phase, with completion still targeted for 2027.

The SynMax Leviaton team will maintain a constant watch on the IMSAIKAH's movements and report any deviation from the Port Arthur route. The vessel's arrival will mark a significant inflection point for both US gas demand and global LNG supply balances.

Interested in subscribing or demo to the Vulcan platform - which includes monitoring of LNG, Gas Pipelines, Power, and Data Center projects? Please reach out to our Lead Researcher, David Bellman at dbellman@synmax.com.