HOUSTON, May 29 (Reuters) - LNG developer Tellurian

will use most of the proceeds from the sale of its

natural gas assets to Aethon Energy to pay off long-term debt, a

company spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Closely held Aethon Energy, one of the largest gas producers

in the Haynesville shale region, on Wednesday agreed to buy

Tellurian's upstream assets for $260 million. The price was

below analysts' projections of $270 million to $500 million.

Aethon signed a preliminary deal to purchase 2 million tons

per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Tellurian's

Driftwood LNG plant when the proposed project's first phase is

completed.

The sale "puts us in a better financial position and will

encourage other LNG buyers to step up," the company spokesperson

said. The deal is expected to close this quarter.

Tellurian shares on Wednesday fell nearly 12% to under 50

cents apiece in afternoon trading following the announcement.

Tellurian has struggled to sign customers and recruit

investors for the up to 27.6 million metric ton per annum plant

in Lake Charles, Louisiana. It has financed construction to date

from stock sales and production from its Haynesville assets.

Proceeds from the Aethon deal will go toward paying off debt

that totaled about $224 million at the end of March, the

Tellurian spokesperson told Reuters. The remaining $36 million

can be used for general corporate purposes, including the

construction of Driftwood LNG.

Tellurian spent $7 million on Driftwood's construction in

the first quarter, compared with $58 million in the same period

a year ago, according to its U.S. Securities and Exchange

Commission filings.

The company's long-term liabilities were about $461 million

at the end of March, according to its latest financial report.