SIGTTO
SIGTTO is a 1979-founded, Bermuda-incorporated international industry association that develops consensus technical guidance and publications for 180+ member companies operating LNG/LPG carriers and liquefied gas terminals worldwide. It is funded by member dues and publication sales and holds IMO NGO consultative status.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SIGTTO does
SIGTTO (The Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators) is a Bermuda-incorporated, member-owned international industry association founded in 1979 that serves the global liquefied gas shipping and terminal industry. It operates as a horizontal standards body rather than a commercial entity, developing consensus-based technical guidance covering the safe design, operation, and maintenance of LNG and LPG carriers, ship-to-ship transfer operations, terminal siting and operations, crew competency, and emissions reduction. Its 180+ member companies include LNG/LPG shipowners and operators, terminal operators, classification societies (Lloyd's Register, DNV, Bureau Veritas, ClassNK), oil and gas majors (Shell, BP, Chevron), and port authorities, supported by 180+ industry volunteers staffing working groups under committees including the General Purposes Committee, Environmental Affairs Group, and Human Element Committee.
The Society's core outputs are a publication library of 50+ books, recommendations and guidelines produced at an average cadence of two per year, plus seasonal newsletters, annual reports, and a member-only secure portal. Publications are distributed either free via the sigtto.org website or commercially through its exclusive publishing partner Witherby Seamanship at price points between £150 and £350 per title. SIGTTO holds formal IMO NGO consultative status (granted November 1983), giving it direct influence over the IGC Code and other international maritime regulations.
Commercially, SIGTTO is funded primarily through recurring membership dues from Full and Associate member companies, supplemented by publication revenue. The organisation is led by a Board of Directors under President Lloyd Bland, with Hans Weverbergh (on secondment from Excelerate Energy) appointed General Manager from 01 July 2025. Its liaison office operates from 5th Floor, 42 New Broad Street, London EC2M 1JD, with a small secretariat of 11–50 staff. SIGTTO does not develop or sell software, APIs, or technology platforms.
SIGTTO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SIGTTO
- Legal name
- Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators
- Website
- https://sigtto.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SIGTTO is a 1979-founded, Bermuda-incorporated international industry association that develops consensus technical guidance and publications for 180+ member companies operating LNG/LPG carriers and liquefied gas terminals worldwide. It is funded by member dues and publication sales and holds IMO NGO consultative status.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SIGTTO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Industry Association - Liquefied Gas Standards Body
- NAICS
- Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Standards, Norms & Technical Regulatory Bodies (BPADAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD), Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)
Keywords
Where SIGTTO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
SIGTTO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Membership dues: SIGTTO is funded primarily through membership subscriptions from Full and Associate member companies in the liquefied gas shipping and terminal industry.
- Publication sales: SIGTTO publishes guidance documents, recommended practices, and information papers. Many are available free to members and the public; others are sold via Witherby Seamanship at prices ranging from free to approximately £350.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Joint STS Transfer Guide (SIGTTO/ICS/OCIMF/CDI) - Second Edition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Suggested Minimum Content for LNG Carriers Training Courses - Management Level |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Reduction of Gas Carrier CO2 Emissions |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Reduction of LNG Carrier Methane Emissions |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SIGTTO Information Papers (Consolidated Edition 2022) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
SIGTTO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SIGTTO is an international industry association that develops and disseminates technical guidance publications, recommended practices, information papers, and competency standards covering the safe design, operation, and maintenance of liquefied gas carriers (LNG, LPG, CO2, ammonia, hydrogen) and marine terminals. The Society operates as a member-funded standards body, supported by committees, working groups, and more than 180 member companies, and holds consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Product overview
SIGTTO is The Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators, an international industry association rather than a commercial product company. SIGTTO's offerings consist of a publications library of over 50 books, recommendations, and guidelines focused on safety and best practices in liquefied gas shipping and terminal operations. The core offerings include: the Publications Library containing guidance documents on ship-to-ship transfers, emissions reduction, CO2 carriage, floating LNG, and gas as fuel; SIGTTO Newsletters providing seasonal updates on activities, meetings, and industry news; Annual Reports covering Society operations and industry analysis; and the SIGTTO Information Papers (Consolidated Edition) compiling technical guidance on topics including ESD systems, cargo handling, and valve recommendations. Publications are available through Witherby Seamanship for purchase or as free downloads. The Society also operates a Members Area providing secure access to registration forms, meeting materials, and working group documents. SIGTTO does not offer software products, APIs, or technology platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SIGTTO Publications Library
Quantifiable outcome
- SIGTTO members maintain an excellent safety record in the liquefied gas shipping and terminal industry since the Society's founding in 1979.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use SIGTTO
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
SIGTTO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SIGTTO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ICS (International Chamber of Shipping)coreSIGTTO collaborated with ICS, OCIMF, and CDI to produce the joint Ship to Ship Transfer Guide for Petroleum, Chemicals and Liquefied Gases (Second Edition). This cross-industry publication provides guidance on planning and execution of STS operations for all bulk liquid cargoes.
- OCIMF (Oil Companies International Marine Forum)coreSIGTTO partnered with OCIMF on the Ship to Ship Transfer Guide and the Jetty Maintenance and Inspection Guide (Second Edition). OCIMF brings together oil companies to develop best practice guidelines for oil tanker and terminal operations.
- CDI (Chemical Distribution Institute)coreSIGTTO collaborated with CDI as part of the four-organisation team (alongside ICS and OCIMF) producing the joint Ship to Ship Transfer Guide for Petroleum, Chemicals and Liquefied Gases.
- Witherby SeamanshipcoreWitherby Seamanship is SIGTTO's official publishing partner, distributing paid SIGTTO publications including the STS Transfer Guide, LNG/LPG Competency Standards, Information Papers, and other titles.
- GIIGNL (International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers)coreSIGTTO and GIIGNL produced a joint publication 'LNG Shipping at 50' in 2014 to celebrate 50 years of commercial LNG carrier and terminal operations.
- SGMF (Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel)minorSIGTTO played a leading role in establishing SGMF as a new NGO in May 2013. SIGTTO's accumulated knowledge of liquefied gas handling proved invaluable to the LNG bunkering sector. SGMF focuses on the safe use of LNG as a marine fuel, which lies outside SIGTTO's own terms of reference. SIGTTO General Manager Chris Clucas was elected Founder President of SGMF.
- IMO (International Maritime Organization)coreSIGTTO has held consultative status at the IMO as a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) since November 1983. This status enables SIGTTO to represent its members' interests and contribute to the development of international maritime regulations, including the IGC Code and greenhouse gas strategy.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SIGTTO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OCIMF (Oil Companies International Marine Forum): OCIMF is an industry association publishing best-practice guidance for oil tanker and terminal operations, and is SIGTTO's joint author on the STS Transfer Guide and Jetty Maintenance and Inspection Guide. Comparable membership-funded, consensus-based, IMO-engaged association model.
- Intertanko: Intertanko is the international association of independent tanker owners, providing IMO representation, technical guidance and industry statistics. Comparable membership-funded, standards-influencing trade association model in adjacent tanker segments.
- SGMF (Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel): SGMF was spun out of SIGTTO in 2013 to address LNG bunkering. It is a direct peer: an NGO dedicated to safe use of gas as a marine fuel, with overlapping member base and parallel IMO engagement strategy.
- ICS (International Chamber of Shipping): ICS is the principal international trade association for the merchant shipping industry and co-developer of the joint STS Transfer Guide with SIGTTO. Closely comparable as a shipowner-led, London-based, IMO-recognised association.
- GIIGNL (International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers): GIIGNL is the international association of LNG importers, jointly producing 'LNG Shipping at 50' with SIGTTO. Highly comparable industry-body model targeting overlapping members across the LNG value chain.
- CDI (Chemical Distribution Institute): CDI is a marine chemical distribution industry body and co-author with SIGTTO, ICS and OCIMF of the Joint STS Transfer Guide. Comparable association structure, membership-funded model and IMO engagement focus on chemical and gas carrier operations.
Broad incumbents
- IACS (International Association of Classification Societies): IACS is the umbrella body for major classification societies (including Lloyd's Register, DNV, Bureau Veritas, ClassNK — all SIGTTO members). Comparable consensus-based, technical-standards body in the maritime sector with overlapping topics on gas carrier rules.
- Lloyd's Register: Lloyd's Register is one of the world's longest-established classification societies and a SIGTTO member. Overlaps with SIGTTO on gas carrier rules, terminal design guidance and IMO technical input, though LR operates as a commercial classification business.
- DNV: DNV is a major classification society and SIGTTO member that publishes its own gas-carrier rules and advisory services. Comparable in subject matter (gas carrier safety and design) though structured as a commercial classification/certification business rather than an industry association.
Others
- Witherby Seamanship: Witherby Seamanship is SIGTTO's official publishing and distribution partner for paid publications. It is a thematic peer — a specialist maritime publisher competing for the same technical-publication wallet of shipping companies and training establishments.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SIGTTO social profiles
Digital presenceSIGTTO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SIGTTO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
SIGTTO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SIGTTO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SIGTTO
What does SIGTTO do?
SIGTTO is an international industry association that develops and disseminates technical guidance publications, recommended practices, information papers, and competency standards covering the safe design, operation, and maintenance of liquefied gas carriers (LNG, LPG, CO2, ammonia, hydrogen) and marine terminals. The Society operates as a member-funded standards body, supported by committees, working groups, and more than 180 member companies, and holds consultative status at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Is SIGTTO a public or private company?
SIGTTO is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SIGTTO founded?
SIGTTO was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SIGTTO based?
SIGTTO is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SIGTTO make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership dues are the primary driver. The others are publication sales.
Who are SIGTTO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OCIMF (Oil Companies International Marine Forum), Intertanko, SGMF (Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel), ICS (International Chamber of Shipping), GIIGNL (International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers) and CDI (Chemical Distribution Institute). Broad incumbents are IACS (International Association of Classification Societies), Lloyd's Register and DNV. Witherby Seamanship is listed as an others.
Does SIGTTO have an API?
No public API is recorded for SIGTTO.
What industry is SIGTTO in?
SIGTTO's product category is Maritime Industry Association - Liquefied Gas Standards Body. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAAAJ, International Standards, Norms & Technical Regulatory Bodies, with a secondary code of BPADANAD, Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation. Its NAICS code is 926150 and its SIC code is 8600.