DALLAS (AP) - Exxon Mobil is making a big bet on the future of exporting natural gas.

Exxon and Qatar Petroleum announced Tuesday that they will go ahead with a $10 billion project to expand a liquefied natural gas export facility on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Exxon says construction will start before April and the plant in Sabine Pass, Texas, is expected to begin running in 2024.

The oil company says the project will create 9,000 jobs during the five years of construction and more than 200 permanent jobs.

Worldwide demand for liquefied natural gas is soaring, led by a steep increase in imports by China.

At the same time, U.S. gas production has set records, with much of it coming from the Permian Basin in west Texas and New Mexico.

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