Gato Negro Manzanillo LNG Terminal

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Gato Negro Manzanillo LNG Terminal is a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal in Mexico.

Location

The terminal would be located near Manzanillo in the state of Colima, Mexico.

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Project details

• Operator: Gato Negro Permitium Uno, S.A.P. I. de C.V.
• Owner: Gato Negro Permitium Uno, S.A.P. I. de C.V.
• Parent company:
• Location: Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico
• Coordinates: 19.015597, -104.273765 (approximate)
• Capacity: 4 mtpa to 6 mtpa
• Status: Proposed
• Type: Export
• Start year: 2030
• Cost:
• Financing:
• FID status:
• Associated infrastructure: Guadalajara-Manzanillo Gas Pipeline

Background

In May 2024, Mexico-based Gato Negro Permitium Uno, S.A.P. I. de C.V. filed an application with the US Department of Energy, requesting a 20-year authorization to transport up to 0.647 Bcf per day of fossil gas from the United States into Mexico and liquefy it for export to FTA countries from Mexico's Pacific coast. The company's proposed liquefaction facility, with an estimated capacity of up to 4 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) split between four export trains, was to be sited at an undisclosed location near the port of Manzanillo, sourcing its feed gas from TC Energy's Guadalajara-TC Manzanillo Gas Pipeline, via connections with the Roadrunner, Comanche Trail, and/or Trans-Pecos gas pipelines in the United States. The original start-up date for the project was to be as early as 2027.

In August 2025, Gato Negro filed a separate application with the US Department of Energy seeking authorization to export LNG to non-FTA countries. Civil society organizations including Public Citizen, Inc and the Center for Biological Diversity filed motions opposing Gato Negro's application, and as of September 2025 US DOE had not issued the requested non-FTA permit.

In October 2024, the developers received approval by the DOE to export 0.647 Bcf/day of gas for re-export to FTA countries. The two shareholders in the project were reportedly Carlos Camacho and Emilio Fuentes, each with a 50% stake. Construction was slated to begin in 2026.

As of September 2025, Gato Negro's website had been updated to show a total LNG capacity of 6 mtpa spread across 4 liquefaction trains, with construction expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026 and commercial operation by the third quarter of 2030.