Cheniere Energy Inc.’s Sabine Pass Liquefaction project in Louisiana may very well have produced its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) this week from the its first train, Genscape Inc. said Friday after monitoring pipeline and flaring activity around the plant.

“Wednesday Feb. 17, 2016 had the largest [natural gas] delivery [to the plant] with over half a billion cubic feet (514 MMcf) of feed gas delivered from the Creole Trail pipeline location ‘Creole Trail-SPLIQ’ with no major flaring events observed from the infrared camera that day,” Genscape said in a note Friday.

Earlier in the week, Genscape said the terminal appeared to be nearing its first cargo (see Daily GPI, Feb. 16).

“Aside from the pilot flare (which will burn consistently during normal operations), the typical large ‘commissioning flare’ activity ceased to happen, with all six compressor stacks operational on Jan. 17,” Genscape said. “It was the same observation (no major flaring and all compressors operational) for the morning of the Feb. 18, 2016 with a nomination of 449 MMcf from ‘Creole Trail-SPLIQ,’ until 12:14 p.m. EST when all compressors shut down and large flaring events resumed.”

Initial nominations for Feb. 19 indicated that 364 MMcf was scheduled at Creole Trail-SPLIQ, according to the firm. Continuing progress was evidenced by the resumption of deliveries from the Natural Gas Pipe Line (NGPL) delivery location ‘SPLIQ/NGPL Sabine Pass Liquefaction,’ which saw its first scheduled nominations on Feb. 18 (120 MMcf) and early nominations for Feb. 19 of 241 MMcf, according to Genscape.

Cheniere Energy did not respond to an inquiry about the status of the plant or when the first cargo might be exported. Following a delay earlier this year, the company said it expected to send out its first cargo from Sabine Pass in late February or early March (see Daily GPI, Jan. 14).