Video: New Channel Established on Atchafalaya River
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) helped establish Crewboat Cut as a new federal channel in the Atchafalaya River near Morgan City, Wednesday. The new waterway is intended to be safer for mariners, will shorten travel time and save millions of dollars in annual dredging costs. Coast Guardsmen with Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Morgan City and Coast Guard Cutter Axe constructed new channel markers in the waterway. A video discussing the new channel is available here: http://www.dvidshub.net/video/367318/coast-guard-helps-establish-new-waterway#.VEEsF2f1bgZ.
Coast Guard Responds to Allision, Pipeline Fire South of New Orleans
Responders continued to monitor and prepare salvage, firefighting and pollution contingencies for a tug and barge that allided with a pipeline near Bayou Perot 30 miles south of New Orleans Wednesday. All crew members were able to exit the tug; the captain reportedly suffered second to third-degree degree burns. ES & H, the oil spill response organization, is on scene and has mobilized 7,218 feet of containment boom and 6,000 feet of 18-inch containment boom, one cabin boat, five responder class boats, one Marco skimmer and two 24-foot express hull vessels in response to the incident.
Pipeline Fire, Bayou Perot, News Update
Responders prepare salvage, firefighting & pollution contingencies for a tug and barge that allided with a pipeline near Bayou Pero, south of New Orleans. The fire reportedly has reduced in size by approximately 30 percent, and there are no reports of oil in the water. Visual imagery intially indicated potential pockets of crude oil; however, those areas have been determined to be particulate ash from the liquefied natural gas burn off. Approximately 2,200 barrels of crude oil remain on board the barge and has not been compromised. • Two oil spill response trailers.
Fincantieri Marine Systems Completes Testing of Axe Engine
Fincantieri Marine Systems North America, Inc. has completed final sea trials and propulsion engine testing at the homeport of Morgan City, La. of the United States Coast Guard’s cutter Axe. Sea trails consisted of a full-power run and various maneuvering to test the new Isotta Fraschini Motori model V1312 KC MHL engines. The IFM engine is a high-speed diesel engine with maximum operating limit of 2100 RPM. Upon completion of the sea trials, Coast Guard engineers and crew noted that the additional Hp available allowed for around 2+ knots from the other propulsion engines. Fincantieri Marine Systems was awarded the Coast Guard contract in November 2004.
