Coastal Louisiana News

On January 18, 2022, federal, state, and local officials gathered to mark the signing of a Project Partnering Agreement for the Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico project that was executed on December 28, 2021 to kick-off federal-led construction for the project.The Morganza to the Gulf of Mexico project aims to provide risk reduction for people and property as well as the remaining fragile marsh from hurricane storm surge in the vicinity of Houma, Louisiana. It received $12.46 million funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to develop and execute a Project Partnership Agreement…

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and General Product Support Manager Troy Matherne of Louisiana Machinery Company announced the company will add 60 jobs and expand its New Iberia operations. Known as Louisiana Cat, the company rebuilds and services engines and related equipment for marine, oil and gas, industrial and utility companies at the Port of Iberia. Louisiana Cat’s expansion calls for the addition of 60 new direct jobs over the next five years, with the jobs carrying an average annual salary of $60,000, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project also will result in 28 new indirect jobs, for a total of 88 new jobs in Iberia Parish, Acadiana and the surrounding regions. A total of 130 existing jobs at the Iberia Parish company will be retained.

Arlen “Benny” Cenac Jr. is a third-generation owner of Cenac Towing Company. The firm, originally founded in 1927 by his grandfather, now does business as Cenac Marine Services. Benny has led the company since 1981 through several industry downturns by focusing on customer service, efficiency, quality and safety in its marine transportation services. Cenac Towing has clients across the country and maintains a focus on transporting liquid petroleum barges. Cenac is guided by the values and principles established by Benny’s grandfather over 85 years ago: a commitment to employee satisfaction and great company morale. As a leader in the community…

A record dolphin die-off in the northern Gulf of Mexico was caused by the largest oil spill in U.S. history, researchers said on Wednesday, citing a new study that found many of the dolphins died with rare lesions linked to petroleum exposure. Scientists said the study of dead dolphins tissue rounded out the research into a spike of dolphin deaths in the region affected by BP Plc's oil spill that was caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion. Millions of barrels of crude oil spewed into Gulf waters…

Cvitanovic towing of Belle Chasse, Louisiana has taken delivery of a fourth vessel for its fleet of highly efficient Lugger-style tugs. Built at the Rodriguez yard in Bayou LaBatre, Alabama, the 65 by 26-foot, Andrew C, is slightly smaller than the 67.5 by 26-foot Pere C (2011) and George C (2012). Cummins QSK19-M mains power the two larger vessels. The smaller size permitted the Andrew C to take advantage of a pair of Cummins 355 HP QSM11-M main engines for a total of 710 HP.

Employers are hiring in coastal Louisiana, especially as offshore drilling picks up in the Gulf of Mexico. Companies are concerned about finding enough skilled workers in a locally tight labor market. For mariners, a variety of training programs at different levels and costs are offered in south Louisiana. For those businesses without the significant wherewithal and training resources of a Kirby Corporation, for example, there are other viable options for training. Fletcher Technical Community College: The college’s Louisiana Marine and Petroleum Institute or LaMPI was founded in the late 1970s to provide local maritime training. The institute provides Coast Guard-approved courses to about 2,200 mariners a year now. Fletcher and LaMPI are located in Houma on the Louisiana Gulf.

Lockport, La.-based Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. is humming with work from oil and gas companies and government agencies. Family-owned and operated, Bollinger has 10 shipyards -- nine in south Louisiana and one in Texas -- along with 28 drydocks and 3,000 employees in four administrative locations. Last month, we caught up with Ben Bordelon, Bollinger’s Executive Vice President of Repair, for his outlook on the firm and the Gulf of Mexico. Bordelon is the nephew of Boysie Bollinger, who has been at the helm as CEO since 1985.

Channel and water management will become increasingly important for freshwater supplies and trade in the years to come. The work and our vigilance must continue. The present conditions on the Lower Mississippi River find the deep-draft channel from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico in good shape with no channel deficiencies or related transit restrictions. On the other hand, the Middle Mississippi from St. Louis to Cairo and especially around the areas with rock pinnacles at Thebes and Grand Tower both in Illinois have been areas of concern for much of the last two months.

Caveats and some doubts remain. Marine companies along the Gulf of Mexico will be busy in 2013 producing offshore vessels to meet expected growth in the region’s deepwater drilling sector over the next several years. Vessel repairs will be active too. Worker training will be stepped up to address a skilled labor shortage. And nearly three years after BP’s spill off coastal Louisiana, safety will remain a priority. But with the nation teetering on a fiscal cliff – which may spur tax increases and government spending cuts – demand for official and military vessels could be affected…

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) has awarded four Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) grants totaling $1,309,365.91 to Louisiana coastal communities for projects that prevent coastal erosion, develop conservation education opportunities and improve coastal transportation infrastructure. Created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, CIAP provides funding to the six Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas producing states to conserve and protect the coastal environment. CIAP is an ongoing program with grant funding that is allocated based on the offshore energy revenues collected by the United States. “CIAP is a valuable program that continues to provide assistance to states and coastal communities,” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich.

As oil from BP's sub-sea well laps coastal Louisiana, most ships in the Gulf have avoided contact with the spill but owners fear that regulations will be tightened after the disaster, raising their costs. “We've seen no delays from the spill, and it hasn't affected the operations of any of our ships,” said Dean Taylor, president of Tidewater Inc. in late May. Four vessels owned by Tidewater, which is headquartered in New Orleans, have been involved in recovery efforts. The company's work boat Damon B.

Representatives of public seaports in the United States applauded efforts in Congress to enact long overdue water resources legislation after action in the Senate yesterday and the House last month on separate bills. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007 addresses a seven-year backlog of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs, including navigation projects, policies and procedures necessary to keep pace with today’s burgeoning trade. The Senate passed its version of the WRDA (H.R. 1495 Amended) by a vote of 91-4. The U.S. House of Representatives approved its version of the bill on April 19 (H.R. 1495) by a vote of 394-25. Next, a House-Senate conference committee will review both versions and negotiate the final bill before sending it to the President.

The Coast Guard’s air and sea units are at various locations throughout coastal Louisiana and Texas ready to respond to any damaged areas affected by Hurricane Lili. Coast Guard personnel and resources have been pre-positioned outside of the affected areas to facilitate a quick response. After the storm passes, Coast Guard aircraft will be patrolling the storm’s course to locate any mariners in distress. They will be on the lookout for people stranded by coastal flooding or storm damage in urban areas. Overflights of oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico for initial damage assessment are also planned. The Captains of the Port of Morgan City, La., and Port Arthur, Texas, have closed the ports and waterways from Houma, La., to Port Arthur.