Frequently Asked Questions
Questions and Answers about Texas GulfLink
Is Texas GulfLink Safe?
Safety for employees, the community, and the environment is our number one priority. Texas GulfLink was designed and will be constructed with safety in mind. In fact, Texas GulfLink was designed to comply with current marine safety and maneuvering guidelines. No other proposed deepwater export facility designed for VLCCs can say the same. Once constructed, Texas GulfLink will be operated by qualified personnel who are thoroughly trained in operational safety and emergency response and equipped with the latest monitoring and control technology.
Texas GulfLink commissioned and shared the findings of numerous independent studies with MARAD, USCG, and other agencies to ensure that all health, safety, and environmental impacts are considered.
How will Texas GulfLink be Funded?
Texas GulfLink will be funded by institutional investors with strong credit ratings and a history of investing in large infrastructure projects.
Is Texas GulfLink Drilling for Oil?
Texas GulfLink will not drill for crude oil or any other natural resource. Texas GulfLink will only provide the infrastructure needed to allow VLCCs and other tankers to export domestic crude oil.
How does Texas GulfLink Impact the Wetlands?
Texas GulfLink is mindful of the project’s impact on local ecology. Texas GulfLink actively worked with various state and federal agencies to complete extensive environmental and wildlife impact analyses. Texas GulfLink will employ construction and installation methods to mitigate impacts to wildlife and wetlands.
How do we know the Pipeline will be Safely Built and Operated?
Pipelines are the safest and most efficient method of transporting natural resources.* Pipelines are also more environmentally friendly than other modes of transport such as trains and tanker trucks.* There are over two million miles of active pipelines across the United States, all carefully regulated according to state and federal safety standards.
(*) Source: United States Department of Transportation, available at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/faqs/general-pipeline-faqs (last accessed May 26, 2023)
Our qualified engineering, construction, and operations personnel will meet or exceed industry and regulatory standards and employ state-of-the-art technology to ensure the pipelines will be safely built and operated.
What are the Economic Benefits of Texas GulfLink?
This project equals thousands of local and regional jobs and millions in new revenue by providing a new outlet for US-produced crude oil to be exported globally. More efficient access to international crude oil markets will help Texas GulfLink’s customers grow their revenue, benefiting both their bottom line and employees.
These economic impacts will go beyond Texas GulfLink. As with any new development of this scale, Texas GulfLink will indirectly benefit local and regional businesses in industries including construction, hospitality, food and beverage, transportation and logistics, and general consumer goods and services.
What are the Environmental Benefits of Texas GulfLink?
Texas GulfLink will reduce overall emissions by approximately 86% when compared to the cumulative effects of the existing VLCC loading process, reverse lightering. Certain emissions reductions achieved are equivalent to removing millions of vehicles from the road annually.
The reductions to carbon and other greenhouse-gas emissions are especially significant: Texas GulfLink will reduce carbon dioxide (“CO2”) and carbon dioxide equivalent (“CO2e”) emissions by approximately 83% when compared to the cumulative effects of reverse lightering. The reduction of carbon and other greenhouse-gas emissions will be a major step forward towards a low-carbon emissions future.
Texas GulfLink’s operation will also reduce the number of tankers and support vessels in already congested onshore ports. Fewer tankers and support vessels in these busy waterways mean fewer vessels sitting idle, burning fuel and emitting pollutants while waiting for ship traffic to clear.
Fewer tankers and vessels will also reduce the risk of collisions and the emission reduction will benefit local portside communities.
By performing vapor recovery, Texas GulfLink will offset additional emissions associated with VLCC loading activities. Texas GulfLink’s vapor recovery technology is designed to capture over 99% of VOCs. In practice, Texas GulfLink will offset up to 19,000 tons of VOCs per year from the facility. Aggregate emissions data is presented in the following chart:
Click to enlarge.
Data prepared by CK Associates. CK Associates is an industry-leading environmental consulting firm based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Prepared by Texas GulfLink with the assistance of Capt. Daniel Harris, Director of Marine Operations. Capt. Harris served for 18 years as the Mooring Master at a deepwater port and has an additional 20 years of experience sailing tankers worldwide. Capt. Harris has a U.S. Coast Guard Masters License Unlimited Oceans and is an Accredited OCIMF SIRE Vetting Inspector. Click to enlarge.