SWLA oil and gas industry leaders optimistic under Trump Administration

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – President Trump has been in office just a month and 10 days, and already things are looking up for those in the oil and gas industry.

The Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA) is meeting in Lake Charles this week.

Those in the LNG business are pleased to bid farewell to the previous administration and welcome changes stemming from President Trump.

They were pleased to see the pause on LNG permits lifted last year by a federal judge, and now they welcome more certainty and security when it comes to decisions from the federal government industry officials feel they can rely on.

“The big uncertainty around the Commonwealth LNG project was the regulatory uncertainty that had largely been created by what’s known as the Biden LNG pause. With that removed, the Trump Administration announced that they were authorizing the Commonwealth project to move forward,” said Jason French, LNG government and public relations consultant.

French said Commonwealth plans to make a final investment decision in September 2025 and move toward full construction. He said the authorization makes it much more likely the project will become a reality.

“Commonwealth has really just been on hold while they waited for the federal government to act on that authorization. And so now the project is much more viable for the global customers, for the partners who will be moving to build that project. That regulatory approval makes the project that much more real for all those counterparties, and it makes it more likely that project will move forward in Southwest Louisiana,” French said.

French said the U.S. is the world’s largest producer of LNG and will continue to meet the market demand as long as it is there.

French was the first executive director for the LNG Center of Excellence being established at McNeese State University. He said it was always planned for someone with an academic background to take over as it moved closer to working with students.

A new director has not yet been named.

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