Sentinel Midstream LLC, a Dallas-based provider of crude oil midstream solutions, announced that its Texas GulfLink deepwater crude oil export terminal has received its Record of Decision (ROD) from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration approving its deepwater port license application.
The ROD concludes a multi-year environmental and technical review of Texas GulfLink’s application during which multiple draft environmental impact statements were published and several public hearings held. The ROD considers the comments of multiple federal and state agencies and thousands more received from the public throughout the review period.
Located approximately 30 miles off Brazoria County along the Texas Gulf Coast, Texas GulfLink’s proposed deepwater crude oil export terminal will cater to Very Large Crude Carriers, setting a new standard for crude loading efficiency. The terminal will substantially reduce costs, improve vessel traffic in crowded U.S. Gulf Coast ship channels, and reduce air emissions associated with lightering operations—delivering tangible benefits to customers and coastal communities alike. Additionally, Texas GulfLink will employ state-of-the-art vapor recovery technology, further improving its environmental profile.
Texas GulfLink will also further President Trump’s “Unleashing American Energy” executive order, ensuring that the world looks to the United States for its energy supply. Commenting in a separate press release, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy called the ROD “a declaration that American energy will fuel not just our own economy, but the global market—on our terms.” The ROD “opens the floodgates for American oil exports, putting our producers in the driver’s seat and ensuring that the world looks to the United States—not foreign adversaries—for energy supply,” continued Duffy.
“This permitting milestone is a testament to the hard work, perseverance, and expertise of the Sentinel team,” remarked Jeff Ballard, President and CEO of Sentinel and its subsidiary, Texas GulfLink, LLC. “I also want to thank ABADIE LLC, Miller Strategies, and our counsel, Kean Miller LLP, for their help in achieving this great result for our company. Because of the team’s efforts, Texas GulfLink is now well positioned to capitalize on strong market interest and advance as the premier offshore crude oil export facility in the United States.”
Texas GulfLink will immediately turn its attention to satisfying the license conditions and is eager to work with the U.S. Maritime Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Trump Administration, to bring this transformative project to fruition. The approval is well timed to capitalize on President Trump’s stated goal of unleashing the full power of America’s domestic energy supply.
Sentinel is also actively engaged with customers and key stakeholders with the strong desire to promote integrated market solutions. As the only independent deepwater export terminal project, Texas GulfLink is uniquely positioned amongst its industry peers, offering shippers tailored commercial solutions with competitive market rates and terms.
