Argent LNG Submits Waterway Suitability Assessment to U.S. Coast Guard, Engagement Across Full Federal Regulatory Matrix

METAIRIE, LA, UNITED STATES, August 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Argent LNG, LLC today announced the formal submission of its Waterway Suitability Assessment (WSA) to the United States Coast Guard (USCG), marking a significant step in the company’s engagement with the full suite of federal agencies required to authorize the development, construction, and operation of its proposed 25 million tonne per annum (MTPA) LNG export terminal at Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

The WSA, submitted pursuant to 33 CFR Part 127, requests a formal USCG assessment of the suitability of the waterways serving the proposed Argent LNG terminal, including Belle Pass, Bayou Lafourche, and the Gulf of America approach channels, for LNG carrier vessel traffic. The assessment evaluates navigation safety, vessel traffic management, waterway characteristics, and the operational requirements of LNG carriers ranging from 125,000 to 260,000 cubic meters of cargo capacity that will serve the Port Fourchon terminal.

The WSA submission represents Argent LNG’s formal engagement with the U.S. Coast Guard as the third major federal agency in the company’s regulatory framework, alongside the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), with which Argent LNG has submitted eleven Resource Reports as part of its ongoing pre-filing environmental review process, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which issued DOE/HGEO Order No. 5447 on July 23, 2026, granting Argent LNG long-term authorization to export 25 MTPA of domestically produced LNG for a 20-year term.

“The Waterway Suitability Assessment submission to the U.S. Coast Guard reflects our commitment to engaging every federal agency in our regulatory matrix with the same rigor and discipline that we bring to every workstream of this project,” said Jonathan Bass, Chairman and CEO of Argent LNG. “With FERC, DOE, and now the U.S. Coast Guard all actively engaged, Argent LNG is demonstrating the kind of multi-agency regulatory execution that serious infrastructure projects at this scale require. Each agency engagement is a de-risking event. Each submission moves us closer to the complete federal approval framework that underpins our path to a final investment decision.”

Argent LNG’s Federal Regulatory Matrix

The WSA submission completes Argent LNG’s engagement across all three primary federal agencies responsible for LNG export terminal authorization in the United States:

• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) — Argent LNG has submitted eleven Resource Reports as part of its FERC pre-filing environmental review process, covering general project description, water use and quality, fish and wildlife, cultural resources, socioeconomics, geological resources, soils, land use, air and noise quality, alternatives, and visual resources. FERC’s review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is advancing toward a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the next critical regulatory milestone on the path to a FERC Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity.

• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) — DOE/HGEO Order No. 5447, issued July 23, 2026, grants Argent LNG long-term authorization to export 1,293.75 billion cubic feet per year of domestically produced LNG, equivalent to 25 MTPA, for a 20-year term to Free Trade Agreement nations. The non-FTA authorization application is pending review under NGA section 3(a) in Docket No. 26-28-LNG.

• U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) — The Waterway Suitability Assessment now submitted requests a formal USCG evaluation of the suitability of the waterways serving the Port Fourchon terminal for LNG carrier traffic, including navigation safety analysis, vessel traffic assessment, and waterway characteristics review specific to Belle Pass, Bayou Lafourche, and the Gulf of America approach channels.

Port Fourchon: A Strategically Designed LNG Gateway

Port Fourchon’s strategic characteristics make it uniquely well-suited for large-scale LNG export operations and support a favorable Waterway Suitability Assessment outcome. The port benefits from a federally authorized deepwater channel with Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) authorization for deepening to 50 feet and widening to 475 feet, specifically designed to accommodate large LNG carriers. The terminal’s location adjacent to Belle Pass and Bayou Lafourche provides direct deepwater access to the Gulf of America shipping lanes without transiting the congested inland waterway systems that constrain other Gulf Coast LNG export facilities.

Port Fourchon’s existing role as the primary support hub for U.S. Gulf of America offshore energy operations, serving approximately 95 percent of the Gulf’s deepwater production, provides an established maritime safety and vessel traffic management infrastructure that supports the USCG’s assessment of the waterway’s suitability for LNG carrier operations.

Commercial and Regulatory Momentum

The WSA submission follows an extraordinary period of regulatory and commercial advancement for Argent LNG, including:

• DOE/HGEO Order No. 5447 — Long-term federal authorization to export 25 MTPA for 20 years, signed July 23, 2026
• Eleven FERC Resource Reports — Systematically submitted as part of the FERC pre-filing environmental review process
• Naftogaz of Ukraine MOU — Framework for long-term U.S. LNG offtake, transportation, and distribution cooperation serving Ukraine and Central, Eastern, and Southern European markets
• BOTAŞ MOU — Vertical Corridor framework establishing U.S. LNG supply through Türkiye into Southeast Europe and the Balkans
• EPİAŞ Strategic Cooperation Agreement — 5 MTPA committed for distribution into Southeast and Central European markets
• Government of Bangladesh Heads of Agreement — Up to 5 MTPA of long-term U.S. LNG supply
• GIS Engineering Contract Award — Comprehensive marine, environmental, and site engineering services contract awarded to GIS Engineering, LLC of Galliano, Louisiana, consistent with Argent LNG’s Louisiana First procurement strategy

Argent LNG continues to advance its full development program in parallel, including FERC permitting, DOE non-FTA authorization, commercial offtake development, engineering, and financing preparation, and remains on track toward a final investment decision and construction commencement in December 2027, with first LNG anticipated in the first quarter of 2030.

About Argent LNG
Argent LNG is developing a 25 million tonne per annum (MTPA) LNG export terminal at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, one of the largest proposed LNG export projects in the United States, valued at approximately $18 billion. The facility will deploy 12 modular Baker Hughes NMBL™ liquefaction trains to liquefy domestically produced U.S. natural gas for delivery to long-term customers across Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and beyond, through two marine loading berths with direct deepwater access to global shipping lanes. With eleven Resource Reports submitted to FERC, DOE long-term FTA export authorization granted under Order No. 5447, a Waterway Suitability Assessment submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard, sovereign offtake commitments secured across three continents, and a unanimous 126-0 vote of support from the Louisiana Legislature, Argent LNG is executing a disciplined multi-agency regulatory and commercial roadmap toward a final investment decision and construction commencement in December 2027. The project is anchored in Argent LNG’s Louisiana First procurement strategy, prioritizing Louisiana companies, workers, and expertise at every stage of development, engineering, construction, and long-term operations. For more information, visit www.argentlng.com.

jonathan bass
Argent LNG, LLC
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