The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration recently marked what it called a historic milestone as Delfin Midstream reached a $5 billion final investment decision to begin construction on Louisiana’s Delfin FLNG 1, set to become the nation’s first floating liquefied natural gas export facility.
The Houston-based company announced the final investment decision on June 3, clearing the way for construction of a vessel that will be moored in federal waters roughly 40.8 nautical miles off the coast of Cameron Parish. The facility will operate in the West Cameron Area of the Outer Continental Shelf, in water depths of about 72 feet.
MARAD, which issued the project’s Deepwater Port license on in May 2025, framed the milestone as part of a broader push to expand domestic energy exports. Under Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the agency said the license was issued to strengthen American energy dominance and deliver more affordable energy to households. The Delfin license is one of two deepwater port licenses the department has issued, the other going to Texas GulfLink. Duffy announced in January 2026 that MARAD would take over and streamline the federal deepwater port licensing process.
Delfin FLNG 1 is positioned to be the largest floating LNG project in the world by liquefaction capacity. The vessel will add about 4.4 million metric tons per year of LNG export capacity, with production scheduled to begin in 2030.
The company intends to build two additional floating LNG vessels, which it aims to launch over the coming year, eventually bringing total liquefaction capacity to roughly 13.2 million metric tons per year. At full capacity, the facility is expected to export approximately 1.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.
As Offshore Energy reports, the vessel will be constructed by Samsung Heavy Industries, with contracts also executed with engineering firm Black & Veatch.
The investment was led by Global Infrastructure Partners, a unit of BlackRock, alongside existing backers including Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, commodities trader Vitol, and credit manager Diameter Capital Partners. Delfin has lined up long-term offtake agreements with buyers including Centrica, SEFE, Vitol, and Gunvor.
According to S&P Global, the Delfin decision marks the third U.S. liquefaction project to advance to construction this year, underscoring continued momentum in American LNG export development.
Delfin CEO Dudley Poston called the decision a significant step for both the company and global energy markets, pointing to its role in expanding U.S. export capacity and strengthening energy security. The company says it has secured all permits and licenses needed to begin construction.
