US Maritime Administration issues licence for Delfin LNG deepwater port application

The US Maritime Administration (MARAD) has issued a licence authorising Delfin LNG to own, construct, operate, and eventually decommission a deepwater port to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States.

The Delfin LNG deepwater port facility will transport LNG to the global market from US Federal waters, approximately 37.4 to 40.8 nautical miles off the coast of Cameron Parish, Louisiana.

MARAD and the US Coast Guard worked with approximately 15 cooperating federal agencies along with the States of Texas and Louisiana to review the Delfin LNG application. These agencies submitted recommendations for environmental and other license conditions.

The Delfin LNG deepwater port licence is being issued in accordance with the White House Executive Order titled “Unleashing American Energy,” which was signed into law on January 20, 2025.

MARAD said this deepwater port project will be the first offshore LNG export project in the United States. The brownfield deepwater port will require minimal additional infrastructure investment to support up to three floating LNG units (FLNGs) producing up to 13.2 million tonnes of LNG per annum.