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MARAD said on Friday it had authorized Delfin LNG, a unit of Delfin Midstream, to own, construct, operate, and eventually decommission a deepwater port, to export LNG from the US.
The Delfin LNG deepwater port facility will transport LNG to the global market from the US Federal waters, about 37.4 to 40.8 nautical miles off the coast of Cameron Parish, Louisiana.
The Maritime Administration and the US Coast Guard worked with about 15 cooperating federal agencies along with the States of Texas and Louisiana to review the Delfin LNG application.
MARAD said these agencies submitted recommendations for environmental and other license conditions.
“The Delfin LNG, LLC deepwater port license is being issued in accordance with President Trump’s executive order titled, “Unleashing American Energy,” signed January 20, 2025. This deepwater port project will be the first offshore LNG export project in the United States,” MARAD said.
In April 2024, MARAD said that Delfin LNG needs to file an amended application for its floating LNG export project to reflect the changes to the project made since 2017.
Delfin LNG requested from MARAD to issue a license to own, construct, and operate a deepwater port off the coast of Louisiana under the record of decision (ROD) issued March 13, 2017.
“MARAD will not issue a license at this time as the ROD no longer supports the issuance of a license,” the agency said at the time.
DOE approval
This MARAD approval comes less than two weeks after Delfin Midstream secured a permit extension from the US Department of Energy, granting additional time to start exports from the FLNG project.
This order extended the start date for Delfin’s export authorization for exports of up to 1.8 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) of natural gas as LNG to non-free trade agreement countries to June 1, 2029, according to DOE.
DOE said the issuance to Delfin marks the fourth LNG-related approval from DOE since President Trump took office, following an export approval to Commonwealth LNG, an order on rehearing removing barriers for the use of LNG as bunkering fuel, and an approval providing the Golden Pass LNG terminal more time to start exports.
“Delfin, majority-owned by Fairwood Peninsula, Talisman Global Alternative Master, L.P. and Talisman Global Capital Master, L.P., is seeking to reach a final investment decision later this year and have construction begin on its offshore floating liquefied natural gas vessel (FLNGV),” the Department said.
In October 2023, Delfin LNG, a unit of Delfin Midstream, won more time from the US FERC to put into service the project’s onshore facilities in Louisiana.
In March 2024, Delfin sought a five-year extension for its LNG export authorizations from DOE. The firm said at the time it was also in talks with South Korea’s Samsung Heavy to reserve a shipbuilding slot for the first FLNG unit.
Delfin plans to install up to four self-propelled FLNG vessels that could produce up to 13.3 mtpa of LNG or 1.7 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas as part of its Delfin LNG project.
Besides this project, it also aims to install two FLNG units under the Avocet LNG project.