BARGE TRANSPORT

Columbia Coastal Container Super-Barge

Pictured is Columbia Coastal Transport’s newest barge, Columbia Boston, just after its launching at VT Halter Marine’s facility in Pascagoula, Miss. Columbia Coastal Transport, LLC, a container feeder barge operator, announced the arrival of its newest container super-barge, Columbia Boston, into service this month. The 912-TEU barge is sister to Columbia Elizabeth, which was put into service four years ago and is one of the largest container barges ever built. Columbia Boston, named for one of 11 ports that the company serves on a regular basis, will be available to transport empties, full container and project cargoes moving between ports on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. “This is the second super-barge we’ve built for the new millennium,” said Columbia Coastal president, Bruce Fenimore. "With the government’s focus on short sea shipping, our all-water transportation alternative for cargo and empties moving between ports can help alleviate port and highway congestion moving forward.” Built by VT Halter Marine Inc., based in Pascagoula, Miss., Columbia Boston is a 343 x 94 x 21-ft. deck cargo barge specially fitted to carry 20-, 40- and 45-ft. ISO containers, including reefers. Built to ABS Maltese Cross A1 Barge standards, the barge capacity is 912 TEUs with a deadweight of 9,453 long tons. VT Halter Marine designs, builds and repairs a wide variety of ocean-going vessels and is a subsidiary of Vision Technologies Systems Inc.

Jumbo Shipping Completes Pearl GTL Project

Jumbo Shipping has completed a two-year project for the Pearl GTL project of Qatar Shell GTL Ltd. From 2007 to November 2009, 24 reactors of 1,200 tonnes each have been transported to the Port of Ras Laffan. With 28,800 tonnes of heavy metal, Jumbo Logistics and Jumbo Shipping made a solid contribution to the Pearl GTL project. Jumbo’s HLV Fairpartner transported 12, German-built, reactors from Rotterdam. Jumbo Logistics was contracted to execute a barging operation for 12 of the

Backlog of New Ethanol Barge Orders

According to reports, the logistics problems in the U.S. ethanol industry are expected to spread to waterborne transportation in the near future, industry sources said. The industry is already facing a transport crunch due to limited rail time and dedicated pipeline capacity, and a lack of trucks and drivers as the country switched to ethanol, a gasoline additive recently adopted by the U.S. oil industry for use in anti-smog blends, from MTBE in early May.

Barge Hits Rail Bridge

The Coast Guard, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company responded after a tug and barge struck a railroad bridge in Beverly, MA, on December 21, 2007. The 35-foot tug Edna, owned by Jay Cashman Inc., with barge Weeks #70, was transporting dredge material outbound on the Danvers River to Beverly Harbor when the barge struck the Beverly Railroad Bridge at approximately 4:45 a.m.

Dutch Barge Owners Order Nearly 200 Vessels

Dutch private barge owners have ordered about 200 new vessels, which will require a total investment of about $638 million, the Dutch inland shipping office said. The ships will be delivered between this year and 2002. The parts are mainly being built in eastern Europe and Asia and will be put together on Dutch shipyards. Currently, about 54 percent of container transport to and from Rotterdam is done by barges. That share is expected to rise to 60 percent, the inland shipping bureau said

Dockwise Completes Two Tranports for Kristin

Heavy transport shipping specialist Dockwise Shipping in Breda, The Netherlands just completed two shipments of Statoil's Floating Production Platform for the Kristin gas and condensate field in the Norwegian Sea. Dockwise was awarded two contracts for the transportation of a Riser Balcony, a Flare Tower and the FPU hull of Statoil's Kristin platform to be delivered at the Aker Stord yard for completion. First the heavy transport vessel Tern transported the Kristin Riser Balcony and Flare

Fairmount Heavy Transport Awarded Amenam Contract

Rotterdam based Fairmount Heavy Transport NV has been awarded the contract by Saibos Akogep SNC to transport and install the AMP2 Topside for Total. The scope of the work for Fairmount Heavy Transport includes the engineering of the transport and installation project, the load out of the AMP2 Topside (about 11,000 tons ) on the barge Fairmount Fjell in the tidal port of Pasir Gudang, Malaysia, the transportation of this module from Malaysia to the float-over location offshore in

Kirby Enters Tank Barge Deal With Dow

Kirby Corp. entered into a long-term lease with a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Co. for 94 inland tank barges. The lease agreement is expected to be marginally additive to Kirby's earnings, the company said. On Jan 31, Kirby projected earnings for 2001 in a range of $1.45 to $1.55. "At the present time, we feel an adjustment to that range is not in order," said Joe Pyne, president and CEO. The barges were acquired by Dow as part of the recent merger between Union Carbide Corp. and Dow

Columbia Group Announces Two New Companies

The ownership of Columbia Coastal Transport, a container barge operator on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, announced the addition of two new companies to its Columbia Group of Companies. Palmer Industries, Inc., a logistics company in Port Newark, has been acquired and will be named Columbia Container Services at a grand opening ceremony to take place on July 1, 2003. Also added to the Columbia Group of companies is Columbia Intermodal, a full container trucking company based in Port Newark

Tulsa Port of Catoosa Reports Record July

“Shipping tonnage at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa increased in July, making it the best July in 22 years and the second best July in the history of the Port,” said Jerry Goodwin, chairman of the City of Tulsa - Rogers County Port Authority. “Shipments of inbound steel, pipe, and dry fertilizer increased along with outbound wheat and liquid fertilizer. Shipments of inbound oats and caustic soda were down slightly along with miscellaneous grains and asphalt,” said Goodwin.