Exhibit 99.1

                        CHENIERE ENERGY INC. NEWS RELEASE

                                                     CONTACT: David E. Castaneda
                                                      INVESTOR & MEDIA RELATIONS
                                                                  1-888-948-2036
                                                        E-mail: LNG@MDCGroup.com

  CHENIERE ENERGY PARTNERS WITH SHERWIN ALUMINA FOR CORPUS CHRISTI LNG FACILITY

Houston - May 15, 2003 - Cheniere Energy, Inc. (AMEX: LNG) announced today that
it has entered into a partnership with BPU LLC, an affiliate of Sherwin Alumina,
to build an LNG receiving facility on a site adjacent to the Sherwin Alumina
plant in Corpus Christi, Texas. The partnership has been named Corpus Christi
LNG, L.P. (CCLP).

CCLP will own a 210-acre tract of land and will control approximately 400
additional acres through permanent easements. BPU will contribute the land and
certain development costs associated with the project in return for a 33.33%
limited partnership interest.

Charif Souki, Chairman and CEO of Cheniere said, "We have been pursuing sites in
Corpus Christi for almost three years now and have been working with Sherwin
Alumina to explore the feasibility of this site for over a year. We have held
numerous meetings with the Navigation District, the Pilots Association, and the
Coast Guard and have concluded that this is an ideal site for building an LNG
receiving facility. We are gratified to work with our partners at Sherwin
Alumina and with the community in Corpus Christi."

Peter Bailey, CEO of Sherwin Alumina said, "We are a prime example of a large
employer in Corpus Christi for whom a steady supply of natural gas is vital. We
are excited at the prospects of enabling a long-term source of natural gas to be
available for Corpus Christi."

Cheniere Energy, Inc. is a Houston-based Gulf of Mexico E&P company and a
developer of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) receiving terminals. Cheniere conducts
exploration in the Gulf using a regional database of 7,000 square miles of PSTM
3D seismic data. Cheniere owns 9% of Gryphon Exploration Company, along with
Warburg, Pincus Equity Partners, L.P. who owns 91% after an investment of
$85,000,000. Gryphon conducts exploration in the Gulf using a regional database
of 20,000 square miles of PSTM 3D seismic data. Cheniere is developing three LNG
receiving terminals along the Gulf Coast with locations in Freeport, TX; Corpus
Christi, TX; and in Sabine Pass, LA.

Additional information on the company may be found on its website at
www.cheniere.com, by contacting the company's investor and media relations
department toll-free at (888) 948-2036 or by writing to: LNG@MDCGroup.com.

Except for the historical statements contained herein, this news release
presents forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no
assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Certain risks and
uncertainties inherent in the company's business are set forth in the company's
periodic reports that are filed with and available from the Securities and
Exchange Commission.

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