SANAA (Reuters) -- The Total-led Yemen LNG project could delay the first cargo from its liquefied natural gas plant to the fourth quarter, the chief executive of one of the companies building the plant said on Thursday.

Yemen LNG was scheduled to begin operating in August but the group delayed startup to September. When asked if the project would be delayed further, Technip CEO Thierry Pilenko said: “Whatever has been communicated by our client is obviously the right start date. What was communicated was September, October or the beginning of the fourth quarter. I think this is what we have in our current plan.”
A spokesman for Total said the project was still on target for first cargo in September.
On Monday, Yemen LNG chief executive Joel Fort said the first cargo from the plant which turns gas produced in Yemen into liquid for export in pressurized tankers, was delayed to mid-September from August due to minor technical problems.