Judge orders scientific testing in lawsuit linking Venture Global dredging spill to millions of ruined oysters

By Devin Cruice

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – On Tuesday April 14 a Calcasieu Parish judge ordered Venture Global to submit to scientific testing to determine whether the LNG company’s dredging operations are responsible for ruining millions of oysters in Big Lake, a ruling that came after a contentious, hours-long hearing in which both sides fought over nearly every step of the process.

Judge Michael Canaday granted a motion to inspect filed by Pig and Rooster Oyster Farms, giving both sides 10 days to submit a detailed testing plan. The goal of the testing is to identify the chemical “fingerprint” of Venture Global’s dredge material and determine whether that same fingerprint can be found in the mud now coating the farm’s oyster cages in Big Lake.

A “before and after” display presented during Tuesday’s hearing shows the contrast between conditions at Pig and Rooster Oyster Farms before and after Venture Global’s dredging operations. The display was presented outside the official court record.(Cox Law Firm)

In the summer of 2025, Venture Global spilled hundreds of acres of dredging mud into No-Name Bayou while preparing the Calcasieu Pass ship channel for its CP2 liquefied natural gas facility. The surge of mud filled more than 260 acres of vegetated marsh, according to the Cameron Parish Port.

Commercial fishermen immediately said the mud had made its way through No-Name Weir and into Big Lake, also known as Calcasieu Lake. Venture Global denied any significant impact on the lake.

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