An explosion along a natural gas pipeline owned by Delfin LNG occurred late Tuesday morning, 3 February 2026, in Cameron Parish, southwest Louisiana, prompting an emergency response and a temporary shelter order for a nearby school.
Louisiana State Police confirmed that one person sustained minor injuries in the incident, which happened around 11 a.m. U.S. Central time (17:00 GMT).
The affected pipeline runs approximately 45 kilometres and forms part of the infrastructure for Delfin LNG’s offshore liquefied natural gas project.
Flames from the explosion were visible to nearby residents as emergency crews moved swiftly to contain the blaze.
Authorities said the fire was allowed to burn off the remaining gas before the flow was shut off to ensure pressure was safely reduced.
State Police reported no offsite impact from the explosion and said that no evacuations were required.
However, as a precautionary measure, students and staff at Johnson Bayou school were briefly sheltered in place.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, and officials have not yet determined the origin of the incident or the amount of natural gas released.
Cameron Parish, a sparsely populated coastal region along the Gulf of Mexico, is home to several energy-related projects and pipeline networks supporting Louisiana’s natural gas export infrastructure.
Delfin LNG’s project is one of several new developments aimed at expanding U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity.
The Delfin LNG system is designed to connect to floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) production vessels located roughly 74 kilometres off the Louisiana coast.
When completed, the facility is expected to have a combined LNG production capacity of about 13.2 million tonnes per annum (mtpa).
Delfin LNG’s partners in the FLNG development include South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries, which is building the floating vessels, and U.S. engineering firm Black & Veatch, which is providing design and liquefaction technology.
The company’s parent, Delfin Midstream, announced in mid-January that it expected to make a final investment decision (FID) on the project within a month — a key milestone that would allow full construction to proceed.
At the time of Tuesday’s explosion, preliminary onshore work for the project was reportedly underway.
A Delfin LNG spokesperson did not immediately provide additional details on the incident.
The company is cooperating with state and local authorities in the ongoing investigation led by the Louisiana State Police.
Officials from the agency said they will release more information once they have determined the cause and sequence of events that led to the blast.
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and local emergency management officials are also monitoring the situation.
No disruptions to other regional energy infrastructure have been reported.
Although the fire was extinguished and the immediate area secured, investigators are expected to remain on-site through the week as they assess damage to the pipeline segment and evaluate potential impacts on the project timeline.
