(Bloomberg) -- Venture Global LNG Inc. is further delaying shipments to its long-term customers, with commercial operations of its US liquefied natural gas export plant now not expected to start until the end of next year.

The company has revised the start of contract cargoes from its Calcasieu Pass LNG plant to late 2024, extending a previous delay by almost a year, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the information is private. 

That shipment date would give Calcasieu Pass the longest commissioning period for any US LNG project. The company first commissioned the plant in early 2022.

Venture Global didn’t respond to requests for comment. The company previously said that the producer remains in full compliance with its long-term contracts, including on timing. 

While the Calcasieu Pass plant in Louisiana has been steadily shipping LNG since March 2022, it has yet to enter commercial operations, citing ongoing plant issues with its steam generators. Until that work is done and commercial operations begin, Venture Global isn’t obligated to supply shipments to the fuel to long-term customers at contracted prices. The project will make 10 million tons of LNG per year. 

Instead, the company can sell the fuel at higher spot market rates. Buyers, including Shell Plc and Italian utility Edison, have lodged arbitration cases against Venture Global for failing to supply contracted shipments, the people said. Edison confirmed its case. 

Other long-term customers at Calcasieu Pass include BP Plc, Galp Energia SGPS SA, Repsol SA and Polish company PKN ORLEN.

Repsol said it’s concerned about the significant delay and is seeking more information. Shell and Galp declined to comment. BP and PKN ORLEN didn’t immediately respond to request for comment. 

--With assistance from Anna Shiryaevskaya.

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