Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Unleashes American Energy, Awards Texas GulfLink First U.S. Deepwater Port License
Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Unleashes American Energy, Awards Texas GulfLink First U.S. Deepwater Port License
Accelerating deepwater port licensing will unleash American energy dominance, lower energy costs for families
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy today announced the Maritime Administration (MARAD) will take on oversight of deepwater port licensing from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). This change will streamline environmental reviews, accelerate license approvals, and lower domestic energy costs.
“The Deepwater Port Program is a key pillar of President Trump’s energy dominance strategy. With this change, we’ll soon accelerate project approvals so the nation can safely utilize more of its abundant natural resources, create more high paying jobs, and lower energy costs for American families,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
“MARAD is excited and proud to lead the Deepwater Port Program. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with our partners at the U.S. Coast Guard to make this process more efficient and fuel our energy economy for years to come,” said MARAD Administrator Steve M. Carmel.
While Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg sat on deepwater port approvals for years to appease Green New Scam radicals, the Trump Administration is in the process of approving multiple licenses in the Gulf of America. These projects will substantially increase our energy revenue and allow America to dominate the global energy market.
Additional Information:
In overseeing the licensing process, MARAD will assume National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and environmental compliance review duties. USCG will instead support as a Cooperating Agency and will remain responsible for overseeing safety, design, construction, and operations of deepwater port facilities. This transition advances President Trump’s Executive Order on Unleashing American Energy.
The Deepwater Port Act of 1974 (DWPA) establishes a licensing system for ownership, construction, operation, and decommissioning of deepwater port structures located beyond the U.S. territorial sea for the import and export of oil and natural gas. The DWPA sets out conditions that deepwater port license applicants must meet, including minimization of adverse impacts on the marine environment and submission of detailed plans for construction, operation, and decommissioning of deepwater ports.
Thirty (31) Deepwater Port License Applications have been filed for approval since 1975.
- Eighteen (18) applications were filed for licenses to import liquefied natural gas (LNG);
- Five (5) applications were filed to export LNG;
- Six (6) applications were filed to export oil; and
- Two (2) applications were filed for licenses to import oil.
Sentinel Midstream and Freepoint Commodities Execute Agreements on Texas GulfLink’s Deepwater Crude Oil Export Facility
Dallas, Texas – January 22, 2020 –Sentinel Midstream, LLC, through its subsidiary Texas GulfLink, LLC, today announced its alignment with Freepoint Commodities LLC (“Freepoint”) in furtherance of the construction, operation, and utilization of Texas GulfLink. Texas GulfLink is a deepwater crude oil export facility that will be located off the coast of Freeport, Texas, and will be capable of fully loading Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) vessels.
Texas GulfLink will include an onshore oil storage terminal connected by a 42” pipeline to a manned offshore platform approximately 30 miles off the Gulf Coast. From the platform, the oil will be transported to two Single Point Mooring buoys to allow for VLCCs to receive two million barrels of crude oil with loading rates up to 85,000 barrels per hour. Designed around safety, the offshore platform will have around-the-clock monitoring, which will provide shippers with a safe and reliable mooring operation for VLCCs and other crude carrier vessels.
“We are pleased with the additional level of commercial support that Freepoint’s involvement will provide to Texas GulfLink. As the project continues to move forward with the deepwater crude oil license application process, Sentinel is excited that Freepoint has chosen to align with Texas GulfLink and will utilize their substantial global and commercial resources to create value for their customers,” said Sentinel Midstream President and CEO, Jeff Ballard. “Through their Asian market focus, Freepoint will lead efforts to meet the growing demand from Asian refineries for US produced crude oil.”
“Freepoint recognizes the significant experience that the Texas GulfLink team has in deepwater port projects and the team’s ability to construct and operate to the highest standards,” said Freepoint CEO David Messer. “The Texas GulfLink project will help meet the demands our customers have to reliably source US crude oil through a neutral infrastructure export option.”
About Sentinel Midstream
Sentinel Midstream is headquartered in Richardson, Texas, offering first-class midstream solutions for crude oil transportation, storage, and terminaling. Sentinel’s management has a successful track record of unlocking value for customers by creating tailored commercial solutions. For more information, please visit: www.sentinelmidstream.com
Phone: 214.613.3493 and email: info@sentinelmidstream.com