The Woodlands-based NextDecade is aiming to ship liquefied natural gas from Texas to Ireland.

NextDecade said it signed an agreement with the Port of Cork in Ireland to develop an LNG import terminal there using technology developed by the Norwegian company Flex LNG to restore the liquid to its gaseous state.

NextDecade is planning a major LNG export terminal near Brownsville called the Rio Grande LNG project from where shale gas produced in Texas would be sent to Ireland. The project, however, has faced community opposition, while some tax breaks sought by the company have been rejected. That hasn't stopped NextDecade from trying to move forward.

NextDecade and the Port of Cork are planning an event on Aug. 2 in Ireland to highlight the potential benefits of the project.

NextDecade is one of several companies developing LNG terminals as the so-called shale revolution transforms the U.S. into an energy exporter. NextDecade also is developing an LNG export terminal closer to Houston by Texas City, but those plans aren't as far along as the Brownsville project.

NextDecade, meanwhile, is on the verge of becoming publicly traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange through a merger with Harmony Merger Corp., a public company. Harmony Merger Corp. is a so-called blank check firm. The goal of such special purpose acquisition companies is merging with private businesses that want easier access to public markets and financing.

The all-stock deal that is billed as a $1 billion transaction will leave Delaware-based Harmony investors with a 13.4 percent stake in the combined company, while NextDecade's shareholders will control the rest. Private equity firms York Capital Management, Valinor Management and Halcyon Capital Management control a majority of NextDecade.