ST LNG approved for deepwater port license off Texas coast

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(The Center Square) - Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Wednesday the U.S. Maritime Administration has approved a deepwater port license application for ST LNG LLC, marking the quickest regulatory review period for an offshore maritime project in more than two decades.

ST LNG plans to build a deepwater port in 65 to 72 feet of water about 10.4 miles in the Gulf, off the coast of Matagorda County, Texas, with construction expected to begin in 2027.

As planned, the $8.2 billion deepwater port will include 20 liquified natural gas  production platforms, four mooring systems able to accommodate LNG floating storage units or oceangoing export vessels and 7.7 miles of pipeline, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation statement. The company expects to produce up to 8.4 million tonnes of LNG per annum at the port facility.

“By slashing red tape and modernizing our licensing processes, the Trump Administration is delivering a massive economic boom for the people of Texas,” Duffy said. “This project will unleash American energy – ensuring demand for Texas’ bountiful natural gas and the men and women who extract it continues to grow.”

In January, Duffy announced that the Maritime Administration, an agency within the Department of Transportation, would take over primary oversight of the deepwater port licensing process from the U.S. Coast Guard. Since then, the decision-making process was streamlined, duplicative administrative procedures were eliminated, and interagency coordination improved, according to USDOT.

ST LNG will support an estimated 2,000 construction jobs and up to 855 permanent workers, expand America’s LNG export capacity by 7% to 9%, and advance President Donald Trump’s energy dominance agenda, according to agency data.

Through this streamlined approach, the Maritime Administration finalized the Final Environmental Impact Statement for ST LNG in just 410 days," the agency stated. "That is nearly 3.7 years faster than the historical average – a 70% reduction in review time and the fastest deepwater port license review in more than two decades.”

Maritime Administration Administrator Stephen M. Carmel said the president and MARAD are working at record speed. “Approving the ST LNG deepwater port license—our third approval under the Trump Administration—proves we can accelerate the safe development of crucial energy infrastructure that will strengthen our supply chains and drive down energy prices.”

The two previous deepwater port projects approved under the administration's streamlined regulatory framework include the Texas GulfLink oil export terminal in 2025 and the Delfin LNG floating export facility earlier in 2026.

According to the Environmental Integrity Project's Oil & Gas Watch, the ST LNG terminal would release up to 9.03 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent  annually.