HOUSTON, May 30 (UPI) -- U.S. gas company Cheniere Energy said Friday its Spanish counterpart, Iberdrola, agreed to buy liquefied natural gas from a planned export terminal in Texas.
Cheniere Energy Chairman Charif Souki said Friday deliveries of as much as 400,000 tons of liquefied natural gas from the planned Corpus Christi export facility could begin by 2019.
Iberdrola, he said, "is the first foundation customer" for the export facility and more deals are on the way.
"We are in advanced discussions with other counterparts and are working towards finalizing additional agreements," he said in a statement. "We expect to complete all necessary steps to reach a final investment decision and begin construction by early 2015."
The deal is the third of its kind for Cheniere. The company signed a deal with Spanish energy company Endesa in April and with Indonesian state-owned company PT Pertamina in December.
Iberdrola in a statement said the 20-year deal will make it one of the leading energy providers in the world.
The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission needs to give consent to LNG exports to countries without a free-trade agreement with the United States. Cheniere said the Iberdrola deal depends on regulatory approval.
