The chief executive of US liquefied natural gas developer Tellurian has left the company, following a turbulent year for the sector that led to the delay of several high-profile projects.

Meg Gentle, who joined Tellurian in 2016, will be replaced as chief executive by Octavio Simoes, according to a regulatory filing. The 29 November filing noted that Gentle's resignation would be accepted effective immediately after a mutual agreement, but did not cite a reason for the departure.

However, Gentle earlier in November was appointed to the board of US shale player Ovintiv, formerly Encana, as an independent director, effective 16 December.

Simoes was already serving as Tellurian’s executive vice president of LNG marketing and business development.

He was also recently the president and chief executive of Sempra LNG & Midstream where he oversaw the Cameron LNG development, a 12 million tonnes per annum export facility in Louisiana.

“I watched Octavio put together a complex project at Cameron LNG with admiration. He and I together are responsible for 75% of the US liquefaction capacity and I am delighted now to have the opportunity to work with him on Driftwood LNG, the next big milestone in US liquefaction,” Tellurian’s executive chairman Charif Souki said in a statement.

Earlier this year, following the downturn, India’s Petronet delayed a deal that would have seen it secure some 5 million tpa from the Driftwood LNG project, along with being an equity partner in the development.

However, the deadline for the deal, which was a non-binding agreement, was extended twice and the deal is now expected to be finalised by the end of the year.

The extension came as liquefied natural gas suppliers faced a global glut and record low LNG spot prices, while at the same time needing long-term offtake agreements to secure financing to complete proposed export projects like Driftwood.

More recently, Tellurian said it would defer at least two pipelines associated with its proposed facility as it aims to shave 30% off the cost of the project's first phase.

The company expected to take a final investment decision on the development this year, but that was pushed back to 2021.

French supermajor Total was Tellurian’s first partner in the project, injecting $700 million in equity investment with $500 million relating to the purchase of up to 1 million tpa, giving Total a 3.6% stake in the project.

Total had also signed a separate sales and purchase agreement for a supply of 1.5 million tpa from Tellurian Marketing’s offtake volumes from the project.

First LNG is expected at the 27.6 million tpa Driftwood terminal in 2024, with full operations forecast in 2026 or 2027.

LNG

Meg Gentle out at Tellurian