Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation

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Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Nature of Operations and Basis of Presentation NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
We operate two natural gas liquefaction and export facilities located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana at Sabine Pass and near Corpus Christi, Texas (respectively, the “Sabine Pass LNG Terminal” and “Corpus Christi LNG Terminal”).

CQP owns the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal, which has natural gas liquefaction facilities consisting of six operational Trains, for a total production capacity of approximately 30 mtpa of LNG (the “SPL Project”). The Sabine Pass LNG Terminal also has operational regasification facilities that include five LNG storage tanks, vaporizers and three marine berths. Additionally, the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal includes a 94-mile pipeline owned by CTPL, a subsidiary of CQP, that interconnects our facilities with a number of large interstate and intrastate pipelines. As of September 30, 2023, we owned 100% of the general partner interest and a 48.6% limited partner interest in CQP.

The Corpus Christi LNG Terminal currently has three operational Trains for a total production capacity of approximately 15 mtpa of LNG, three LNG storage tanks and two marine berths. Additionally, we are constructing an expansion of the Corpus Christi LNG Terminal (the “Corpus Christi Stage 3 Project”) for seven midscale Trains with an expected total production capacity of over 10 mtpa of LNG. Through our subsidiary CCP, we also own a 21.5-mile natural gas supply pipeline that interconnects the Corpus Christi LNG Terminal with several interstate and intrastate natural gas pipelines (the “Corpus Christi Pipeline” and together with the Corpus Christi LNG Terminal and the Corpus Christi Stage 3 Project, the “CCL Project”).

We have increased available liquefaction capacity at the SPL Project and the CCL Project (collectively, the “Liquefaction Projects”) as a result of debottlenecking and other optimization projects. We hold significant land positions at both the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal and the Corpus Christi LNG Terminal which provide opportunity for further liquefaction capacity expansion. In March 2023, certain of our subsidiaries submitted an application with the FERC under the Natural Gas Act for an expansion adjacent to the CCL Project consisting of two midscale Trains with an expected total production capacity of approximately 3 mtpa of LNG. In May 2023, certain subsidiaries of CQP entered the pre-filing review process with the FERC under the National Environmental Policy Act for an expansion adjacent to the SPL Project with a potential production capacity of up to 20 mtpa of LNG. The development of these sites or other projects, including infrastructure projects in support of natural gas supply and LNG demand, will require, among other things, acceptable commercial and financing arrangements before we make a positive FID.
Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements of Cheniere have been prepared in accordance with GAAP for interim financial information and in accordance with Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X and reflect all normal recurring adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair statement of the financial results for the interim periods presented. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes included in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

Results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that will be realized for the year ending December 31, 2023.
Recent Accounting Standards

ASU 2020-04

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This guidance primarily provides temporary optional expedients which simplify the accounting for contract modifications to existing contracts as a result of the market transition from LIBOR to alternative reference rates. The temporary optional expedients under the standard became effective March 12, 2020 and will be available until December 31, 2024 following a subsequent amendment to the standard.

As further detailed in Note 9—Debt, all of our existing credit facilities include a variable interest rate indexed to SOFR, incorporated through amendments or replacements of previous credit facilities subsequent to the effective date of ASU
2020-04. We elected to apply the optional expedients as applicable to certain modified or replaced facilities; however, the impact of applying the optional expedients was not material, and the transition to SOFR did not have a material impact on our cash flows.