Delfin LNG Project Moves Closer to FID as SHI Gets Extension
January 12, 2026
Delfin Midstream has extended a letter of award with Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and placed orders for critical liquefaction equipment, as the company moves toward a final investment decision on the first floating LNG vessel for its Delfin LNG project.
The U.S.-based developer said the extension of the letter of award with SHI follows early engagement work carried out in recent weeks and comes as the remaining workstreams required to reach FID are nearing completion. Delfin expects to take a final investment decision during February 2026.
Separately, Delfin has entered into a letter of award with Black & Veatch to execute a purchase order with Siemens Energy for gas turbine mechanical drive packages. The move follows a July 2025 agreement reserving Siemens Energy manufacturing capacity and a limited notice to proceed issued later that year for initial execution work.
Manufacturing of the turbine packages has now begun under contract with Black & Veatch, which will act as prime subcontractor to SHI for topsides engineering and procurement, as well as pre-commissioning and commissioning services. The Delfin LNG project will use Black & Veatch’s PRICO liquefaction technology, which is designed for floating, nearshore and onshore LNG applications.
To secure the project schedule ahead of execution, Delfin has also awarded additional equipment and reserved manufacturing slots for key hull and topsides components.
“With the last parts of the project coming together, we are very pleased to plan for the FID and immediate execution by ordering and reserving key equipment. Our project represents a significant milestone in the development of critical energy infrastructure in the United States,” said Dudley Poston, Delfin Chief Executive of Delfin Midstream.
The Delfin LNG project is planned as a floating LNG development linked to a brownfield deepwater port offshore Louisiana. The port is designed to support up to three floating LNG vessels producing up to about 13 million tonnes of LNG annually.
In March 2025, Delfin LNG, a subsidiary of Delfin Midstream, received a deepwater port license from the U.S. Maritime Administration authorizing the construction and operation of the offshore LNG export facility under the Deepwater Port Act. The approval followed a multi-agency review involving the U.S. Coast Guard and federal and state authorities.
The U.S. Department of Energy also approved an extension of Delfin’s LNG export permit in March 2025, granting additional time to begin exports from what would be the first offshore LNG export deepwater port facility in the United States.
