Bayport Channel News

The Houston Ship Channel reopened on Wednesday to two-way traffic after salvage crews removed two gasoline barges damaged in a weekend collision with a deep-draft vessel, officials said.About 11,280 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, after a 755-foot (230-metre) tanker collided over the weekend with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel.The removal of the Kirby Corp-operated barges was completed by midday on Wednesday and two-way traffic resumed, according to Bayport Channel Collision Response, a group overseeing cleanup and salvage operations.Officials decided on Wednesday to tow away a capsized barge instead of draining its tanks of fuel, speeding up the reopening by at least two days.A U.S.

Salvage crews on Wednesday began removing two gasoline barges damaged in a weekend collision with a deep-draft vessel that restricted traffic in the Houston Ship Channel, officials said.The removal of the Kirby Corp-operated barges could be completed by midday Wednesday, according to the Bayport Channel Collision Response, a group overseeing cleanup and salvage operations. (Reporting by Collin Eaton; Editing by Bernadette Baum)

A bottleneck of inbound traffic on the Houston Ship Channel eased on Tuesday though one-way travel restrictions remained following a weekend collision between a deep-draft ship and a barge, officials said on Tuesday.About 9,000 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, when a 755-foot (230-meter) tanker collided over the weekend with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel.West Texas Intermediate crude at the Magellan East Houston (MEH) terminal on the ship channel traded at an $8.10 a barrel premium to U.S.

The Houston Ship Channel could remain under one-way travel restrictions all week following a collision between a deep-draft ship and a barge that spilled petrochemicals into the waterway, according to an official.About 9,000 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, when a 755-foot (230-m) tanker collided with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel. One barge ruptured and the other capsized.The U.S. Coast Guard limited travel to one-way traffic because barges blocked part of the channel.

The Port of Houston Authority is expecting 2014 to close as a banner year for the port, with 34 million tons of cargo handled through November, Executive Director Roger Guenther reported to the port commission of the Port of Houston Authority at its monthly meeting Tuesday. "Container volumes are on pace for a record year, and steel imports are set to surpass the previous tonnage highs set in 2008," Guenther said, adding that cargo operations for November reflect a 15 percent increase in container TEUs and an 82 percent growth in steel imports, year over year.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has furnished the Port Authority its draft permit for the Bayport Channel Improvement project, Executive Director Roger Guenther reported to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority today. The draft permit for Barbours Cut channel dredging will follow soon, he said. The projects at the Port Authority’s two container terminals, which will deepen the channels from 40 feet to 45 feet to match the depth of the Houston Ship Channel, are expected to begin shortly. Reporting on a recent Audit Committee meeting, Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria said the financial statement audit of the Port Authority for the fiscal year ended December 31…

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a Press Release updating the status of waterways affected by Hurricane Rita. The port of Freeport is open for all vessel traffic. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is open to tug and barge traffic between the Colorado Locks and the Calcasieu Locks. The port of Galveston and the Galveston Channel are restricted to vessels with drafts of 35 feet or less and daylight transits only. The port of Texas City and the Texas City Channel are restricted to vessels with drafts of 35 feet or less and daylight transits only. Barbours Cut is restricted to vessels with drafts of 35 feet or less and daylight transits only. Bayport and the Bayport Channel are restricted to vessels with drafts of 35 feet or less and daylight transits only.