Tecnimont USA Inks FEED Deal for 25-MTPA Argent LNG Plant in Louisiana

Tecnimont USA Inks FEED Deal for 25-MTPA Argent LNG Plant in Louisiana

Tecnimont USA Inc., a subsidiary of Italy’s MAIRE S.p.A., has signed a Front-End-Engineering Design contract with Argent LNG, LLC for a proposed liquefied natural gas export facility at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, Chemical Engineering reports.

Market Impact

Under the contract, Tecnimont USA will handle FEED engineering activities and provide technical support for the project’s FERC permitting process. The scope includes project execution planning and documentation, schedule and cost estimation, safety and reliability studies, and integration of the facility’s key technology packages, according to Chemical Engineering. The facility is designed for a total capacity of 25 million tons per annum and would be located in what the companies describe as a hurricane-resilient energy hub.

The FEED signing follows a cooperation agreement between Tecnimont and Argent LNG announced January 21, 2026, which set Tecnimont’s role as engineering and technology integrated services provider. Argent LNG Chairman and CEO Jonathan Bass said the FEED contract “moves Argent LNG from vision to execution,” citing Tecnimont’s “gas pressure treatment expertise, integration and modular expertise” as factors that will give lenders, offtakers and partners confidence in a bankable project. Bass said first cargo is targeted for 2030. MAIRE CEO Alessandro Bernini called the signing “an important step forward” in the companies’ collaboration. Per the report, the project is expected to move into the EPC phase only after FERC permitting is finalized, FEED is completed, and Argent LNG makes a Final Investment Decision.

What It Means for Subcontractors

• No EPC contractor has been named and no construction subcontract packages exist yet. FEED work covers engineering, planning, and cost estimation only, with EPC contingent on FERC approval and a future FID.
• Louisiana-based civil, E&I, and mechanical contractors working the Gulf Coast LNG corridor should start building relationships with Tecnimont USA and Argent LNG now, since modular design and technology integration choices made during FEED often shape which specialty trades get pulled into later bid packages.
• Port Fourchon logistics and marine-support contractors should track FERC’s permitting timeline closely, since that approval, not the FEED contract itself, is the next major gate before any site work or bidding activity can begin.
• With first cargo targeted for 2030, subs should treat this as an early-stage opportunity to position for a large-scale project, not an imminent hiring or bid event. Confirm project milestones directly with Argent LNG or Tecnimont USA rather than assuming EPC timing.
• Firms with experience in gas pressure treatment systems or hurricane-resilient facility construction may have a specific edge once the project reaches EPC, given the technical emphasis cited in the FEED scope.