Bouchard Coastwise Management Corp News

Bollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company, has delivered B. No. 262, a double hull 60,000 BBL oil tank barge built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90) to Bouchard Ocean Services, Inc., Melville, NY. Barge B. No. 262 is a manned ocean, clean oil tank barge measuring 350 ft long, with a 70 ft beam and a depth of 25 ft. The barge is built to, and certified by American Bureau of Shipping and United States Coast Guard to meet the requirements of OPA’90 with ten cargo compartments and two separate pumping systems.

Lockport, La.-based Bollinger Shipyards Inc. announced it has completed the new construction of the second of two 80,000 barrel tank barges and the conversion of a tug for Melville, NY-based Bouchard Coastwise Management Corp. The tank barge is a 399-ft. manned ocean, clean oil barge built to meet the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 standards. The barge has 12 cargo compartments and three separate pumping stations. The 112-foot Ellen S. Bouchard tug was also retrofitted with an Intercon C coupler system, generator upgrades and regulatory re-certification. Bollinger is also working on a 35,000-barrel and 60,000-barrel tank barge for Bouchard. Bouchard is a total-service oil barging company with 28 barges ranging from 25,000 barrels to 252,000 barrel-capacities.

Bollinger delivers the ATB unit, B. No. 282 and tug Ellen S. Bouchard, the second of two 80,000 BBL OPA’90 tank barges and retrofitted tug to Bouchard. Bollinger Gretna, LLC, Harvey, La., and Bollinger Algiers, L.L.C, two Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., facilities, have completed the new construction of the second of two 80,000 barrel (BBL) OPA’90 compliant tank barges, as well as the retrofit and conversion of a Bouchard tug, respectfully, to Bouchard Coastwise Management Corp., Melville, N.Y. The 80,000 BBL tank barge, B. No. 282, is a manned ocean, clean oil barge measuring 399-ft.

The movement of petroleum products on the nation's rivers, lakes, bays and oceans is soon to be regulated of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Called OPA 90, this regulation requires many bulk carriers of petroleum products to use double-hulled barges to haul their cargo by 2005 and all to be doubled hulled by 2015. Looking first at the large product tankers and crude oil carriers, 23 product carriers and 17 crude oil carriers must be double hulled by 2005, another 20 product carriers and 17 crude oil tankers need to be double hulled by 2010 and another 13 product and 9 crude oil ships need to meet OPA 90 by 2015. These conversions (or ship retirements) are a major issue impacting the ability of the U.S. to transport crude oil and its refined products.

Bouchard’s B.No. 225, sister hull to the announced newbuilds, B. No. 280 and B.No. 205, travels down the Mississippi River on her maiden voyage following delivery from Bollinger. Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. of Lockport, Louisiana and Bouchard Coastwise Management, Corp., Hicksville, N.Y., one of the largest operators of double hull articulated tug/barge (ATB) units in the United States, signed a contract for Bollinger to build two double-hull, ocean-going barges that meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90). These two additions will give Bouchard fourteen OPA’90 barges in their fleet. This addition to the Bollinger yards portfolio, will bring the delivered OPA’90 barge count to thirty-three when both units are delivered.

Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. of Lockport, La., and Bouchard Coastwise Management, Corp., Hicksville, N.Y., one of the largest operators of double hull articulated tug/barge (ATB) units in the United States, signed a contract for Bollinger to build two double-hull, ocean-going barges that meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA'90). These two additions will give Bouchard 14 OPA'90 barges in its fleet. This addition to the Bollinger yards portfolio, will bring the delivered OPA'90 barge count to 33 when both units are delivered. Following on the success of the recent Bollinger delivered ATB's, 110,000 barrel B. No.225 with tug Jane A. Bouchard and delivery of the 145,000 barrel B. No.242 with the tug Morton S.

Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. of Lockport, Louisiana and Bollinger Gretna L.L.C., Harvey, La., have delivered the articulated tug/barge (ATB) unit, tug Linda Lee Bouchard and barge B. No. 205 to Bouchard Coastwise Management Corp., Melville, N.Y. The double hull, ocean going asphalt, residual fuel oil Barge B. No. 205, built at Bollinger Gretna meets the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90) and is rated for 110,000 BBLs of product in sixteen cargo tanks. B. No. 205 measures 430-ft. long, with a 79-ft. beam and a depth of 34 ft., and is constructed with a flat deck, as are all, of Bouchard double hull vessels. The barge is certified ABS +1 Oil Tank Barge, USCG Manned Ocean Service, US flagged for grade A and lower petroleum products.

Following the delivery of Bouchard’s B. No. 280 from Bollinger Gretna and the delivery of the tug Rhea Bouchard from Bollinger Algiers, the ATB set sail for Texas and its first load of cargo bound for the U.S. West Coast. A Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company, has delivered, B. No. 280, a double hull, 80,000 BBL oil tank barge built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90), to Bouchard Coastwise Management, Corp., Hicksville, N.Y. Following the delivery of the B. No. 280, Bollinger announced the signing of the sister ship, B. No. 282. The B. No. 282 will also be built at Bollinger Gretna, along with the previously announced 110,000 BBL, B. No. 205, a black oil barge measuring 430-feet long, with a 79-foot beam and a depth of 34-feet.

All of the growth markets in the commercial marine marketplace have something to do with petroleum. Supply and crew/supply boats directly support drilling activity and Articulated Tug Barges (ATB) distributes crude, refined or an oil byproduct to refiners or distributors. The ATB represents a big advance in transporting these oil products over a pushboat pushing a tow of petroleum barges. Typically an ATB is one large barge with capacity from 80,000 to 160,000 barrels being pushed by a tug that fits into a notch in the barge. An advanced coupling system permits easy coupling and uncoupling of the two units. With typical barge and pushboat units, the coupling system uses winches and wire ropes to lash the barges together and also secure the barge tow to the pushboat.

Construction of Articulated Tug Barge units (ATB) continues to occupy a prominent place in the order books of several shipyards. However the pace of current building and back ordered units is not as high as the 2000-2002 period. "It looks like we are in for a little 'breather' for a while," said Allen Craft, senior vice president of Intercontinental Engineering-Manufacturing Corporation, Kansas City, Mo. The company manufactures Intercon, one of the most popular couplers between the tug and the barge, which makes the ATB concept workable. "Vessel Management Services, a division of Crowley Maritime was a major driving force in this market when they had two different yards each built two ATBs with 9,280 hp tugs and 155,000 barrel barges using our couplers," Craft said.