SIGTTO

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.

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

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 industry

PRIMARYBPADAAAJ

International Standards, Norms & Technical Regulatory Bodies

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Multilateral & Intergovernmental Organizations

SECONDARYBPADANAD

Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Standards, Policy & Regulatory Cooperation

SECONDARYBPAHAIAL

Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Engineering & Technical Consulting

Keywords

• Liquefied gas shipping
• Gas terminal operations
• LNG safety standards
• Maritime technical publications
• Industry association

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: SIGTTO is funded primarily through membership subscriptions from Full and Associate member companies in the liquefied gas shipping and terminal industry.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ICS (International Chamber of Shipping)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SIGTTO 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SIGTTO 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SIGTTO 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 SeamanshipcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Witherby 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021SIGTTO 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)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013SIGTTO 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)coreOthers · 1 January 1983SIGTTO 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/sigtto
• LinkedInbit.ly/sigttolinkedin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SIGTTO