Chris Cooper moves into role of LNG Canada President & Chief Executive Officer

We’re pleased to share that this week Chris Cooper formally started his duties as LNG Canada’s President and Chief Executive Officer, replacing Jason Klein.

“I’m pleased to be asked to lead LNG Canada as we work to safely complete our Phase 1 construction, advance our commissioning and start-up program and move into safe and responsible operations while continuing to work towards a potential Phase 2 expansion,” said Mr. Cooper. “Together with our five Joint Venture Participants and other key stakeholders, we’re set to make history by supplying lower carbon liquefied natural gas to the world while helping British Columbia and Canada diversify their export markets. We’re setting the benchmark for economically, environmentally and socially responsible large-scale LNG production in Canada and creating a positive and lasting legacy with First Nations and local communities.”

After years of careful planning, robust community engagement and safe construction that has involved more than 45,000 Canadians on the plant scope, the first phase of the LNG Canada liquefied natural gas export (LNG) facility is nearing completion in Kitimat, in the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation.

LNG Canada remains on track to ship first cargoes by the middle of 2025.

One of the largest private investments in Canadian history, LNG Canada is a long-life asset with a 40-year export license that will initially produce 14 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG for export, and with a permit which contemplates doubling the facility’s capacity to 28 mtpa through a potential Phase 2 expansion. A Phase 2 final investment decision will take into account several factors, including over-all competitiveness, affordability, pace, future GHG emissions and stakeholder needs.

Chris brings over 35 years of energy sector experience. Chris joined Shell in 1998 and has held multiple leadership roles in Upstream, Downstream and LNG businesses around the world, spanning complex challenges across projects, assets, commercial and stakeholder relationship areas. Chris was seconded to LNG Canada from Shell at the end of 2021 as Senior Vice President, to lead the commercial reset and completion of the Coastal GasLink pipeline which was completed by TC Energy in December 2023. Chris’s role expanded in 2023 to include overall leadership of LNG Canada Phase 2, and supporting Cedar LNG, which completed its historic final investment decision in June 2024. Prior to his role at LNG Canada, Chris was Venture Director for the Shell Oman Gas Venture and Development Director for Nigeria LNG Train 7 where he secured final investment decisions on both major developments.

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