Texas GulfLink LLC was authorized with a license to operate a deepwater port for exporting U.S. crude oil, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Feb. 3. Planned for 26.6 nautical miles off the coast of Brazoria County, Texas, it’s the first license to be authorized under President Trump’s early 2025 executive order, titled Unleashing American Energy.
According to DOT, the future deepwater port will create up to 720 jobs for construction and operations, ultimately export up to 1 million bbls. of crude oil daily, accommodate more very large crude carriers (VLCC), and “streamline export capabilities and reduce vessel congestion in nearshore waters.”
"The Texas GulfLink project is proof that when we slash unnecessary red tape and unleash our fossil fuel sector, we create jobs at home and stability abroad,” Duffy said in announcing approval for the project. “This critical deepwater port will allow the U.S. to export our abundant resources faster than ever before.”
Texas GulfLink is one of several deepwater port projects that have applied for a license to construct, own, operate, and eventually decommission an offshore oil export terminal. Its application was filed in May 2019.
On Jan. 5, the DOT announced that the Maritime Administration (Marad) would take over oversight of deepwater port licensing from the Coast Guard in an effort to streamline environmental reviews and accelerate license approvals.
"Texas GulfLink provides a critical offshore logistical asset that keeps our nearshore waterways safer and allows American energy to reach the global market with unprecedented speed and efficiency,” said Marad Administrator Stephen Carmel. "Texas GulfLink provides a critical offshore logistical. We are signaling to the global market that America is open for business. By approving projects like Texas GulfLink, we ensure that American oil producers aren’t halted by domestic bottlenecks.”
Texas GulfLink’s onshore terminal will be located near Jones Creek in Brazoria County, Texas, and will consist of above-ground geodesic dome storage tanks that will receive crude oil from the Houston market via an inbound 36" onshore pipeline.
Crude oil will be pumped from the storage tanks to the offshore terminal via a 42" outside diameter pipeline that will terminate at one of two catenary anchor leg mooring (CALM) single point mooring (SPM) buoys located offshore in federal waters. VLCCs will moor to the SPMs to load, while dedicated support vessels will aid tanker loading, vapor recovery, port security, and other tasks.
Two floating hose strings will be connected to each CALM SPM buoy, each capable of loading up to 85,000 bbls per hour, equating to approximately 24 hours per VLCC loading, according to the project’s website. With dual CALM SPM buoys, Texas GulfLink can service approximately 15 VLCCs per month, or about 183 VLCCs per year.
A fixed offshore platform designed by Abadie-Williams LLC will be installed in Outer Continental Shelf Galveston Area Lease Block GA-423, approximately 1.25 nautical miles from the SPM buoys in about 100' of water. The platform will be manned to provide port monitoring, custody transfer metering, and surge relief.
