In the decade since the first cargo of liquified natural gas (LNG) shipped from a major U.S. terminal, the country has become the world’s top exporter of the fuel.

On Feb. 24, 2016, the first tanker loaded with LNG for export departed the Sabine Pass Terminal near the Texas-Louisiana state line. Since then, the U.S. has surpassed Australia and Qatar to become the No. 1 LNG exporter in the world, with exports only projected to grow over the coming years.

The U.S. exported little natural gas prior to 2016, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Prior export efforts include a quickly abandoned attempt to trade natural gas across the Atlantic in 1959 and and a small terminal in Alaska that maintained a flow of natural gas to Japan between 1969 and 2011.

That changed with the first LNG cargo leaving the Sabine Pass terminal in 2016, bound for Brazil. The U.S. now has eight operating LNG export terminals, with plans to nearly double export capacity by 2031 compared to late 2025 levels, according to the EIA.