Deepwater Port Licensing Program Banner
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Orange vessel sitting at the dock
School of fish swimming
LNG ship at the port
Processing vessel in the ocean
Processing ship lit up at night
Red vessel Excelsior in the ocean alongside smaller boats
LNG ship at the port
A whales tail sticking out of the water
Vessel processing plant on the water
Red and White vessel charging in the ocean
Yellow processing unit
underwater processing unit transferring to vessel

Welcome to the Maritime Administration’s Deepwater Port Licensing for LNG and Oil Webpage

Welcome to the Maritime Administration’s Deep-water Port Licensing Program website for the licensing of offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) and oil receiving port facilities. This website describes the Deep-water Port Licensing Program and how it goes about fulfilling the requirements mandated in the Deep-water 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.

The Maritime Administration is charged with meeting the country’s maritime commercial mobility needs while supporting national security and protecting the environment. The Deep-water 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 deep-water port licensing application process is clearly defined, time sensitive, and designed to streamline the review and construction of LNG and oil deep-water 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 efficiency.

The Maritime Administration works with Federal, state, and local agency partners to ensure a comprehensive and efficient deep-water port licensing process. The concerns of state regulators, environmental organizations, and marine industry groups are given significant weight in the licensing process. With several on-going deep-water port projects, the Maritime Administration continues its highly technical and intensive work of monitoring compliance of existing facilities, addressing licensing issues, and processing new deep-water port license applications.

When finally licensed and operating, deep-water port facilities enable the United States to promote the global trade of LNG, natural gas, and oil in an environmentally safe and efficient manner. This is a significant development in light of the fact that overseas and domestic exploration has resulted in the discovery of new natural gas resources. Further, natural gas consumption in the United States is projected to increase from 25.64 trillion cubic feet annually in 2012 to 31.63 trillion cubic feet in 2040. Offshore LNG and oil facilities licensed by the Maritime Administration can provide efficient conduits through which valuable energy resources can flow into the United States.