Overview of Deepwater Port Applications Reviewed by the Maritime Administration

To date, twenty-nine Deepwater Port License Applications have been filed for approval. 

• Eighteen applications were filed for licenses to import liquefied natural gas (LNG);
• Three applications were filed to export LNG;
• Six applications were filed to export oil; and
• Two applications were filed for licenses to import oil. 

The following sections provide the current status of all deepwater port license applications filed with the Maritime Administration to date.

Approved Applications and Operational Facilities

Of the eleven approved applications, seven licenses have been issued to date. 

• Three licenses were issued for facilities that are currently operational [Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, Neptune, Northeast Gateway];
• Three licenses have been surrendered [Gulf Landing, Port Dolphin, Port Pelican]; and
• One license was issued for a facility that has been decommissioned [Gulf Gateway].  

Two applications have been approved and license issuance is pending for that facility [Delfin LNG and SPOT].

Further, it should be noted that two applications received a favorable Record of Decision but the project proposals were either withdrawn or cancelled before a license was issued [Bienville Offshore Energy Terminal, Main Pass Energy Hub]. 

Approved – Operational Facilities

Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (Marathon Pipe Line LLC, Shell Oil Company and Valero Terminaling and Distribution Company)

Deepwater Port Type: Oil Import/Export Facility (Throughput capacity: 1.20 million barrels per day)

On January 17, 1977, the Secretary of Transportation issued a deepwater port license to the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP).  Currently, LOOP is the only deepwater port petroleum terminal in existence within the United States.  LOOP is located 16 miles southeast of Port Fourchon, Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico.  LOOP was built by a group of major oil and pipeline companies, and has been operational since May 5, 1981.  It serves as a distribution port for supertankers importing and exporting oil to and from the Gulf region. 

For additional information regarding the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, please see the Federal Docket for the project at www.regulations.gov (Docket Number: USCG-2000-6981). 

Neptune LNG (Engie S.A.)

Deepwater Port Type: LNG Import Facility (Average throughput capacity: 500 million standard cubic feet per day; Peak throughput capacity: 750 million standard cubic feet per day)

On February 15, 2005, Neptune LNG LLC filed an application for construction and operation of an LNG facility to be located in Massachusetts Bay, 10 miles south of Gloucester, Massachusetts.  On January 31, 2007, the Maritime Administrator signed a favorable Record of Decision for the Neptune project, contingent upon the applicant's commitment to employ U.S. mariners aboard its vessels servicing the facility.  On March 26, 2007, the Maritime Administration issued a deepwater port license to Neptune LNG LLC to build, own and operate an LNG receiving and regasification facility. 

Neptune LNG LLC, by letter dated May 24, 2012, requested the Maritime Administration allow a five-year suspension of operations at the Neptune deepwater port.  On June 22, 2013, the Maritime Administration issued an amended deepwater port license to allow the five-year suspension of operations.  On June 26, 2018, the suspension of operations was extended by four years.  During the suspension period, Neptune must maintain compliance with the terms, conditions and requirements of the deepwater port license amendment. 

For additional information regarding Neptune, please see the Federal Docket for the project at www.regulations.gov (Docket Number: USCG-2005-22611). 

Northeast Gateway (Excelerate Energy)

Deepwater Port Type: LNG Import Facility (Average throughput capacity: 400 million standard cubic feet per day; Peak throughput capacity: 800 million standard cubic feet per day)

On June 13, 2005, Excelerate Energy filed an application for construction and operation of a deepwater port terminal to be located in Massachusetts Bay, approximately 13 miles south-southeast of Gloucester, Massachusetts and in Federal waters approximately 270 feet in depth.  On February 7, 2007, the Maritime Administrator signed the Record of Decision for the Northeast Gateway deepwater port project, contingent upon the applicant's commitment to employ U.S. mariners aboard its vessels servicing the facility.  On May 14, 2007, the Maritime Administrator signed the license for Excelerate to own, operate and construct the Northeast Gateway deepwater port.  The facility is currently operational.

For additional information regarding Northeast Gateway, please see the Federal Docket for the project at www.regulations.gov (Docket Number: USCG-2005-22219). 

Approved – License Issuance Pending

Delfin LNG (Delfin LNG, LLC)

Deepwater Port Type: LNG Export Facility (Average throughput capacity: 585 million standard cubic feet per day; Peak throughput capacity: 657.50 million standard cubic feet per day)

On May 8, 2015, the Maritime Administration received an application from Delfin LNG, LLC for Federal authorization required for a license to own, construct and operate a deepwater port to export natural gas to foreign markets abroad.  The application was deemed complete on June 29, 2015, and a Notice of Application acknowledging receipt of the completed application was published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2015 (80 FR 42162).  On March 13, 2017, the Maritime Administration issued its Record of Decision approving the project with certain technical, financial and environmental conditions.  A license will be issued upon completion of the conditions listed in the Record of Decision.

For additional information regarding Delfin LNG, please see the Federal Docket for the project at www.regulations.gov (Docket Number: USCG-2015-0472).

Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT) (SPOT Terminal Services LLC)

Deepwater Port Type: Oil Export Facility. Proposed capacity: 85,000 barrels per hour; 2,000,000 barrels per day

On January 31, 2019, the Maritime Administration and U.S. Coast Guard received an application from SPOT Terminal Services LLC for all Federal authorizations required for a license to own, construct, and operate a deepwater port for the export of domestically produced crude oil.  The application was deemed complete on February 22, 2019 and a Federal Register Notice of Application was issued to that effect on March 4, 2019 (84 FR 74135). The State of Texas has been deemed the Adjacent Coastal State.  The deepwater port would be located approximately 27.2 to 30.8 nautical miles off the coast of Freeport, Texas. 

The proposed facility would consist of two co-located 36-inch outside diameter, 40.8-nautical mile long crude oil pipelines, constructed from the shoreline crossing in Brazoria County, Texas, to the SPOT deepwater port for crude oil delivery. The deepwater port would connect to two (2) Single Point Mooring (SPM) buoys through pipeline laterals. The SPM buoy system would be positioned in water depths of approximately 115 feet and consist of a pipeline end manifold, catenary anchor leg mooring system, and other associated equipment. The facility will be capable of exporting 85,000 barrels of oil per hour. 

The Maritime Administration, in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard, hosted an open house and public scoping meeting on March 20, 2019 in Lake Jackson, Texas for the SPOT deepwater port license application.  The public scoping period for the SPOT deepwater port license application ended on April 8, 2019.

On May 31, 2019, the Maritime Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard suspended the regulatory timeline for the SPOT deepwater port license application.  The regulatory timeline was restarted on October 23, 2019.  On November 21, 2019, the Maritime Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard subsequently suspended the regulatory timeline for the SPOT deepwater port license application.   The regulatory timeline was restarted on February 5, 2020.  The timeline suspensions provided the applicant an opportunity to submit additional information and/or analyses that were determined to be necessary for the completion of the project's Environmental Impact Statement.

The Maritime Administration and U.S. Coast Guard held a public meeting in connection with the SPOT Draft Environmental Impact Statement in Lake Jackson, Texas, 77566 on February 26, 2020.  A Federal Register notice was published on May 1, 2020 (85 FR 25507) to notify the public of a thirty-day extension period to submit comments.  Details of the extension were provided in a Federal Register notice (85 FR 25507). The Maritime Administration and U.S. Coast Guard published a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement in connection to a virtual public meeting that was held on November 16, 2021. 

The Maritime Administration and U.S. Coast Guard also published a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) in connection to a virtual public meeting that was held on August 23, 2022. The FEIS is available for viewing at Regulations.gov under the docket number MARAD-2019-0011.

On November 21, 2022, the Maritime Administrator issued the SPOT Record of Decision (ROD), with conditions. The Maritime Administration is working with the Applicant to ensure that all conditions of the ROD are satisfied prior to the issuance of the SPOT License.

For additional information regarding this port as well as the deepwater port application review and licensing process, see the Federal Docket for the for the application at www.regulations.gov (Docket Number MARAD-2019-0011).

Approved – Surrendered Licenses

Gulf Landing (U.S. Gas & Oil, LLC)

Deepwater Port Type: LNG Import Facility (Peak throughput capacity: 1.20 billion standard cubic feet per day)

On November 3, 2003, Gulf Landing, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shell U.S. Gas & Oil, LLC, filed an application for the construction and operation of an offshore Gravity Based Structure to be located thirty-eight miles offshore of Louisiana.  On February 16, 2005, the Record of Decision was issued and on April 29, 2005, the official license was issued.  However, in March of 2007, Gulf Landing announced its intention to terminate all project and construction activities for the proposed facility.

Thereafter, on April 30, 2009, Gulf Landing LLC surrendered its deepwater port license.  The Maritime Administration accepted the license surrender and issued a license surrender notice in the Federal Register on July 1, 2009 (71 FR 31479).  This project remains closed.

For additional information regarding Gulf Landing, please see the Federal Docket for the project at www.regulations.gov (Docket Number: USCG-2004-16860). 

Port Dolphin (Port Dolphin LLC)

Deepwater Port Type: LNG Import Facility (Average throughput capacity: 800 million standard cubic feet per day; Peak throughput capacity: 1.20 billion standard cubic feet per day)

On March 29, 2007, Port Dolphin Energy LLC filed an application with the Maritime Administration to construct a deepwater port located in Federal waters approximately 28 miles offshore of Tampa, Florida.  On October 26, 2009, the Maritime Administration issued a Record of Decision approving, with conditions, the Port Dolphin Energy Deepwater Port License application and on April 19, 2010, the official license was issued.

On August 28, 2015, Port Dolphin LLC provided a letter to the Maritime Administration expressing intent to surrender its deepwater port license.  The Maritime Administration accepted the license surrender on April 25, 2016 and issued a license surrender notice in the Federal Register on May 11, 2016 (81 FR 29324).  This project remains closed.

For additional information regarding Port Dolphin, please see the Federal Docket for the project at www.regulations.gov (Docket Number: USCG-2007-28532). 

Port Pelican (Port Pelican, LLC)

Deepwater Port Type: LNG Import Facility (Peak throughput capacity: 2.00 billion standard cubic feet per day)

On November 25, 2002, Port Pelican, LLC (Port Pelican), an affiliate of ChevronTexaco Corporation, applied for a deepwater port license to construct a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) gravity based structure facility off the coast of Louisiana.  The Port Pelican deepwater port license was issued on January 20, 2004 and was the first deepwater port license to be issued for the construction and operation of an LNG facility.

On July 11, 2005, Port Pelican LLC provided a letter to the Maritime Administration and U.S. Coast Guard of its plans to place the project on an indefinite hold.  On October 4, 2005, a Notice of Cancellation was published in the Federal Register (70 FR 57885).  Later, on October 28, 2009, the Maritime Administration received notification from Port Pelican LLC of the relinquishment of its License.  In response, the Maritime Administration published a Federal Register Notice on December 9, 2009 (74 FR 65205), announcing the relinquishment of the License and cancellation of all actions related to the project.  To date, the project remains closed with the Maritime Administration.

For additional information regarding Port Pelican, please see the Federal Docket for the project at www.regulations.gov (Docket Number: USCG-2002-14134). 

Approved – Decommissioned

Gulf Gateway Energy Bridge (Excelerate Energy)  

Deepwater Port Type: LNG Import Facility (Average throughput capacity: 500 million standard cubic feet per day)

Gulf Gateway Energy Bridge, LLC (Gulf Gateway), which was formerly owned by El Paso Energy Bridge Gulf of Mexico, LLC and is now owned by Excelerate Energy Limited Partnership, filed a Deepwater Port License Application on December 20, 2002.  The Gulf Gateway site was located in the Gulf of Mexico 116 miles off the coast of Louisiana.  The Record of Decision was issued on December 31, 2003 and the license was issued on May 26, 2004. 

On February 22, 2012, Excelerate Energy notified the Maritime Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard of its intention to decommission the Gulf Gateway Energy Bridge deepwater port.  After careful review and evaluation of the proposed removal plans, the Maritime Administration approved the decommissioning and terminated the license for the Gulf Gateway deepwater port by letter dated June 28, 2013. 

For additional information regarding Gulf Gateway, please see the Federal Docket for the project at www.regulations.gov (Docket Number: USCG-2003-14294).   

Questions?

For questions about any deepwater port, license, or licensing process, contact the Office of Deepwater Port Licensing & Port Conveyance.