Cheniere is seeking repayment of a $46 million loan to Parallax Enterprises LLC that Souki helped arrange in 2015, plus unspecified damages, according to a case filed in Texas state court on Feb. 15. Cheniere loaned money to Parallax to develop two liquefaction plants in Louisiana. In its civil lawsuit, filed in Harris County, Texas, Cheniere alleged Souki and Parallax's owner Martin Houston put a plan together in December 2015 to close Parallax, without repaying Cheniere, but continue its operations through a new company that became Tellurian. Souki and Houston did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Cheniere and Tellurian declined to comment. Cheniere's board voted to remove Souki as the company's CEO and chairman on Dec. 12, 2015 due to disagreements over his expansion plans, under pressure from activist investor Carl Icahn.