US LNG developer Delfin Midstream has awarded South Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries a contract for its first floating LNG (FLNG) vessel, marking a key step toward a final investment decision expected in November this year.
The agreement grants Delfin exclusive rights to SHI’s dock for the construction of the first FLNG vessel for the Delfin LNG project, located offshore Louisiana. Both companies will now begin early engagement work to mobilise project teams, refine engineering, and reduce schedule risks ahead of full execution, Delfin said.
The company added the award also sets the stage for future units, reserving a build slot for a second FLNG vessel once the first reaches FID, with plans for a third to follow under a broader cooperation framework.
“This agreement strengthens our construction pathway not just for the first but also the second and third FLNG vessels,” said Dudley Poston, CEO of Delfin Midstream, adding: “We are pleased with the progress toward FID and the opportunity to foster closer energy and shipbuilding collaboration between Korea and the US.”
Earlier this year, Delfin secured gas turbine manufacturing capacity from Siemens Energy, while advancing both debt and equity financing for the project. The deal with SHI marks another milestone as Delfin moves closer to developing what could become the first US deepwater LNG export facility.
The Delfin project will use low-cost floating LNG technology and the existing UTOS pipeline infrastructure to feed up to three FLNG vessels, with a combined capacity of 13.2m tonnes per year. The company holds all necessary US government approvals for LNG exports, including a deepwater port license from MARAD and long-term export authorization from the Department of Energy.
