Deepwater Port (DWP) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
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I would like to welcome you to the Maritime Administration's Deepwater Port (DWP) Liquefied
Natural Gas (LNG) website. The Maritime Administration is charged with meeting the country's commercial
mobility needs while maintaining national security and protecting the environment. The LNG Deepwater Port
Program addresses all three of these goals by reducing the need for LNG tankers to enter busy seaports,
while maintaining a high level of security and providing a viable environmentally friendly fuel source.
This website is a resource for you to learn about LNG, the Deepwater Port Program, and how it goes about
fulfilling the requirements mandated in the Deepwater Port Act. Please refer to this site often to keep
up-to-date on our progress, important events and information related to the licensing process.
The Maritime Administration will continue to work with Federal, state, and local agency partners to ensure
a comprehensive and efficient deepwater port licensing process. The concerns of state regulators,
environmental organizations, and marine industry groups are given significant weight in the licensing
process. With ten active applications and more expected next year, The Maritime Administration will
continue the highly technical and intensive work of processing deepwater port applications and issuing
licensing decisions.
The application process is clearly defined, time sensitive, and designed to accelerate the construction
of LNG deepwater ports. I want to assure you that The Maritime Administration will continue to expedite
the application process, and strive to protect the nation's environment, meet our growing energy needs
and improve waterborne transportation efficiencies.
President George W. Bush and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke have called for the development
of additional LNG capacity to enable more efficient access to global natural gas resources, thereby
increasing energy alternatives and reducing costs to consumers. Offshore deepwater LNG facilities
contribute to greater energy independence by significantly increasing the nation's energy flexibility.
The use of deepwater ports also helps to reduce growing port congestion and enhance safety and security.
When finally licensed and operating, deepwater port facilities will enable the United States to receive
large amounts of natural gas in an environmentally safe and efficient manner. This is an extremely
significant development in light of the fact that overseas exploration has resulted in the discovery
of substantial new natural gas resources. Further, the demand for natural gas in the United States is
projected to increase from 22.4 trillion cubic feet annually in 2004 to 26.9 trillion cubic feet in 2030.
Imports of LNG are projected to grow from 500 billion cubic feet per year in 2003 to 6.4 trillion cubic
feet by 2025. Clearly, the offshore LNG facilities licensed by The Maritime Administration will provide
an efficient conduit through which this valuable resource can flow into the U.S.
Sean T. Connaughton,
Maritime Administrator
