Sterling Shipyard delivers first LNG-support tugboat under 13-vessel orderbook contracted through 2029

Sterling Shipyard has delivered the Laguna Gulf to Gulf LNG Tugs of Brownsville, LLC—a joint venture of Bay-Houston Management, Moran Towing Corp., and Suderman & Young Towing Company. Announced this week, the delivery marks the first vessel in a 13-unit orderbook contracted through 2029 to support LNG terminal operations along the US Gulf Coast.

Delivery of the Laguna Gulf announced

The Laguna Gulf is the first vessel in an orderbook covering four separate LNG projects plus nine additional harbor tugboats—13 units total, contracted for delivery through 2029. Gulf LNG Tugs of Brownsville, LLC is a joint venture built around three well-known names in American marine services: Bay-Houston Management, LLC; Moran Towing Corp.; and Suderman & Young Towing Company.

What sets this delivery apart from a routine shipyard handover is the scope behind it. The Laguna Gulf isn’t a one-off contract win—it’s the opening move in a multi-year construction program tied directly to expanding LNG infrastructure along the Gulf Coast. Sterling Shipyard confirmed the delivery this week, with CEO Harry Murdock framing it explicitly as the beginning of something much larger.

Shipyards capable of delivering vessels that meet the stringent safety and emissions standards associated with LNG operations are well-positioned to benefit.

Why the orderbook was established

The Gulf LNG joint venture and its affiliates are contracted to provide marine services at five LNG terminals along the US Gulf Coast. That footprint creates steady, predictable demand for purpose-built support vessels—the kind of long-term workload that makes a 13-vessel construction program spread across several years worth committing to.

The three companies behind the joint venture bring serious collective weight. Together, Bay-Houston Management, Moran Towing, and Suderman & Young hold more than 400 years of combined expertise in ship assist and towage services. That depth of experience shapes exactly what the joint venture needs from its vessels: reliability, solid safety performance, and the technical capabilities required when working alongside LNG carriers at active terminals.

Demand for specialized LNG terminal support vessels has been growing along the Gulf Coast as new export infrastructure comes online. Shipyards capable of delivering vessels that meet the stringent safety and emissions standards associated with LNG operations are well-positioned to benefit. Multi-vessel orderbooks like this one reflect how much confidence operators have in locking in capacity early.

Technical specifications and safety capabilities of the Laguna Gulf

The Laguna Gulf is compact but powerful. Running 99 ft in overall length with a 43-ft beam, its twin engines produce a combined 7,000 hp, and bollard pull capacity exceeds 80 tons—more than enough muscle for ship-assist work with large LNG carriers.

Firefighting capability isn’t optional for vessels operating near LNG terminals. The Laguna Gulf holds ABS Fire Fighting Vessel 1 (FFV1) classification, a standard set by the American Bureau of Shipping that defines specific firefighting equipment and performance requirements. That certification directly improves safety during terminal support operations, where a fire incident carries serious consequences.

The vessel is the 13th completed unit in the Z-Tech® 30-80 tractor tugboat series, a design developed by naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. Being the 13th in the series matters. This isn’t a prototype—the design has been built and refined repeatedly, which means predictable performance and well-understood maintenance requirements for the crews running it day-to-day.

Background: Sterling Shipyard and the US LNG terminal support sector

Sterling Shipyard CEO Harry Murdock called the Laguna Gulf delivery “an important milestone” while making clear the milestone is defined by what comes next. His statement pointed toward delivering “safe, capable, reliable, low-emission workhorses to support operations at LNG terminals and ports across North America”—language signaling a broader strategic focus on the LNG support sector rather than a single project win.

The Z-Tech® 30-80 series, designed by Robert Allan Ltd., is a well-regarded tractor tugboat platform in the North American market. Its selection for this orderbook reflects the joint venture partners’ preference for proven designs with a real track record in demanding port and terminal environments. For Sterling Shipyard, building the 13th vessel in an established series also means working within a familiar construction framework—one that supports consistency and efficiency across a program of this scale.

The remaining 12 vessels are scheduled for delivery through 2029, giving Sterling Shipyard a clear pipeline of work tied to Gulf Coast LNG infrastructure for the next several years.

Why a sustained, multi-year vessel orderbook makes operational sense

The Laguna Gulf delivery is significant on two levels. It’s the successful completion of a technically demanding vessel—a 99-ft, 7,000-hp tractor tug with FFV1 firefighting certification, built to the proven Z-Tech® 30-80 design—and it marks the start of a 13-vessel construction program keeping Sterling Shipyard engaged with Gulf Coast LNG terminal operators through 2029.

Gulf LNG Tugs of Brownsville brings more than 400 years of combined towage and ship-assist experience through its three member companies, with affiliates contracted to serve five LNG terminals along the US Gulf Coast. That footprint explains why a sustained, multi-year vessel orderbook makes operational sense. As the remaining 12 vessels are delivered, the program will gradually build out the specialized fleet that the terminal network needs to run.

Kelly Lippke

Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.