The Biden administration this week approved the construction of a deepwater crude oil export terminal 30 miles off the Texas coast near Freeport in Brazoria County that will be the largest of its kind in the U.S. Sea Port Oil Terminal will be capable of loading two supertankers at once with an export capacity of 2 million barrels of crude oil per day. The maritime administration in the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a license this week for the $1.8 billion project by Enterprise Products Partners.
Environmentalists criticized the license approval. Associated Press said the administration’s multiyear review and approval process included consultation with at least 20 federal, state and local agencies. The agency told the Associated Press, “The project itself is likely to have minimal effect on the current GHG emissions associated with the overall U.S. crude oil supply chain.” A. James (Jim) Teague, co-CEO and director of Houston-based Enterprise, said the terminal will provide “a more environmentally friendly, safe, efficient and cost-effective way to deliver crude oil to global markets.” And Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said the approval is “a major victory for Texas’ energy industry… I’m thrilled that we’re helping bring more jobs to Texas and greater energy security to America and our allies.”