First LNG Cargo Ships from TotalEnergies’ Mexican Plant Energia Costa Azul

Pakistan Urgently Seeks LNG as Hormuz Flare-Up Chokes Supply Pakistan is seeking to buy liquefied natural gas for delivery this week as a string of attacks in the Strait of Hormuz disrupts flows of the super-chilled fuel. By America Hernandez PARIS, July 9 – French oil major TotalEnergies TTEF.PA has shipped the first liquefied natural gas cargo from the Energia Costa Azul plant in Mexico destined for Asia, it said on Thursday, though full commercial operation has not yet been reached. The 3.25 million tons per annum (mtpa) export facility is operated by Sempra SRE.N, though Total holds a 16.5% stake and will offtake 1.7 mtpa of LNG for 20 years once commercial operations begin in the fall. During the initial ramp-up phase, Total will be the sole offtaker of cargoes. Global energy markets have been squeezed by the months-long halt in oil and liquefied natural gas tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, with smaller Asian countries hit hard due to a relative lack of domestic LNG storage. Sempra and Total said the Mexican plant was at a competitive advantage due to its location, giving it the shortest seaborne route for U.S. LNG to Asia compared with other sites on the Atlantic Gulf Coast, which usually ship through the Panama Canal. “At a time of increased uncertainty in the global LNG trade, we are excited to begin shipping a new and reliable source of natural gas from North America’s Pacific Coast to customers around the globe,” said Justin Bird, chief executive officer of Sempra Infrastructure. Energia Costa Azul is the first LNG export plant on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. The gas is sourced from sites in Texas and New Mexico. (Reporting by America Hernandez in Paris; Editing by Jan Harvey and Thomas Derpinghaus) (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. This article contains reporting from Reuters, published under license. Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe. Sign Up