Welcome to the Maritime Administration's Deepwater Port Licensing for LNG and Oil Webpage
Welcome to the Maritime Administration's Deepwater Port Licensing Program website for the licensing of offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) and oil receiving port facilities. This website describes the Deepwater Port Licensing Program and how it goes about fulfilling the requirements mandated in the Deepwater Port Act of 1974, as amended. Please refer to this site often to keep up-to-date on our progress, important events and information related to the licensing process. 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 is charged with meeting the country's maritime commercial mobility needs while supporting national security and protecting the environment. The Deepwater Port Licensing Program addresses all three of these goals by reducing the need for LNG and oil tankers to enter busy seaports, while maintaining a high level of security and providing a viable environmentally friendly fuel source.
The Maritime Administration works 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 one (1) active application and more expected in the future, the Maritime Administration continues 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 promote the construction of LNG and oil deepwater ports. The Maritime Administration is committed to expediting the application process while striving to protect the nation's environment, meeting our growing energy needs and improving waterborne transportation efficiencies.
When finally licensed and operating, deepwater port facilities enable the United States to receive large amounts of natural gas in an environmentally safe and efficient manner. This is an 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 22.59 trillion cubic feet annually in 2009 to 24.86 trillion cubic feet in 2035. Imports of LNG are projected to grow from 0.42 trillion cubic feet per year in 2009 to 0.83 trillion cubic feet by 2035. The offshore LNG and oil facilities licensed by the Maritime Administration will provide an efficient conduit through which this valuable resource can flow into the United States.
