Australia’s Woodside Energy in July tossed a $1.2 billion life raft to the proposed but painfully troubled Driftwood LNG plant then in pre-FID Phase I construction on the La., Gulf Coast. Houston-based Tellurian initially announced the 27.6 mtpa project in 2017, one year after Cheniere Energy waved sail-on-sailor to its inaugural LNG export cargo. Problems, however, crept in early for Driftwood, helmed by the same leader who had originally launched Cheniere. The project continued to hit one roadblock after another to secure financing and takeaway purchase agreements that would back a FID. Seven years in, Driftwood faced an uncertain fate.

Reese Energy Consulting today is following the latest from energy giant Woodside, which has forgone a coffee break or two to start wooing domestic and international investor partners aboard the Driftwood ship. The multi-national oil, natural gas, and new energy company is way ahead of the LNG game, exporting Australia’s first cargo back in 1989. Driftwood presented an opportunity Woodside couldn’t refuse. Namely, a project stalled but with no impact from the administration’s pause on LNG export licenses. This offered a strategic jumpstart of at least one year ahead of other projects in the development queue. Deal done.

Since then, Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill has been on a fast track to build a “dream team” of partners to chip in 50% of development costs and get Driftwood back on course. She’s currently in discussions with U.S. producers to lock down gas supplies, infrastructure operators, and LNG buyers far and wide with a target to resume construction by year end when Woodside’s deal with Tellurian closes.