MARAD Approves $1 Billion Offshore Crude Oil Export Port Off Louisiana

The Trump administration has approved a $1 billion offshore crude oil export project off the coast of Louisiana, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for a facility designed to load some of the world’s largest oil tankers directly in the Gulf of Mexico.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday that the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has approved the deepwater port license application for Blue Marlin Offshore Port, a project capable of exporting up to 2 million barrels of crude oil per day.

The facility will be located approximately 99 miles off Cameron Parish, Louisiana, in West Cameron Block 509. The project, developed by an affiliate of Energy Transfer, will use existing and converted offshore platform infrastructure connected to crude oil supply hubs in Texas and southwest Louisiana.

Blue Marlin is designed to accommodate Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), allowing the massive tankers to load crude directly in deep water rather than relying on more congested inland port facilities. The system will have a maximum loading rate of 80,000 barrels per hour.

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