Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ) has won a 10-year contract to provide marine services for Argentina's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project, marking a significant milestone in the company's international expansion strategy.

The contract was awarded by Southern Energy S.A. (SESA) through a global competitive bidding process. SESA is a joint venture between Golar LNG and Pan American Energy and is developing the Southern Energy Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project in Argentina.

The agreement will be executed through Meridian Transportes Marítimos S.A., a joint venture between APSEZ subsidiary Adani Harbour International FZCO and Argentina-based Meridian Group. Under the contract, the consortium will provide a comprehensive range of marine services, including tugboat operations for LNG carriers, offshore logistics support, crew transfer services and supply operations.

To support the project, the consortium will deploy four high-specification tugboats, an anchor handling tug supply vessel and a crew boat. APSEZ said the project involves an estimated investment commitment of approximately $70 million.

Located in the San Matías Gulf in Argentina's Río Negro province, the Southern Energy FLNG project is expected to become the country's first operational LNG export facility. Natural gas will be liquefied onboard the FLNG vessel Hilli Episeyo, with commercial operations expected to commence in September 2027.

During the first phase, the facility is projected to produce 2.45 million tonnes of LNG annually, equivalent to around 28 LNG cargoes per year. The project is expected to play a key role in Argentina's ambitions to emerge as a major LNG exporter. Argentina has already entered into agreements to supply up to 10 million tonnes of LNG annually to India beginning in 2027.

The contract represents a strategic expansion for APSEZ beyond its traditional port operations into specialised marine and energy logistics services. The company said the project strengthens its participation in global energy supply chains and demonstrates its capability to support large-scale energy infrastructure projects across international markets.

Commenting on the development, APSEZ Whole-time Director and CEO Ashwani Gupta said the contract reflects the company's ability to deliver complex marine operations across geographies through a combination of operational expertise and local partnerships.

The mandate further expands APSEZ's international footprint, which already includes assets and operations across India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Israel and Tanzania. The company currently handles about 27% of India's port cargo volumes and is targeting one billion tonnes of cargo throughput by 2030.