Barge Operations Cleared to Resume on the Lower Mississippi
The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday lifted its marine traffic restrictions on a section of the lower Mississippi River that has been closed since Tuesday, clearing towboats and barges to resume operations on one of America's busiest and most vital trade arteries.All river traffic came to a halt near Memphis, Tenn. on Tuesday when a large crack was discovered on a structural beam supporting the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, which carries I-40 vehicle traffic over the river from Memphis, Tenn., to West Memphis, Ark.The waterway, which had been closed off at mile markers 736 to 737, is now reopened to all vessel traffic without restriction, the Coast Guard said on Friday morning as 62 vessels and 1,058 barges are in queue.
More Than 1,000 Barges Backed Up on Lower Mississippi River
More than 1,000 barges were backed up on the lower Mississippi River on Friday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, while traders anxiously awaited an update on the shutdown of a portion of the waterway that is critical to U.S. crop exports.The Coast Guard on Tuesday stopped all traffic on the river near Memphis, Tennessee, after a fracture was discovered in the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, which carries vehicular traffic on Interstate 40 over the river. The closure is disrupting shipments of goods including oil and corn toward export terminals at the Gulf of Mexico.As of Friday morning, 62 vessels with a total of 1,058 barges were waiting in the queue for the river to reopen, the Coast Guard said on Twitter.
AIWA's 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting
AIWA's Executive Director Brad Pickel, reaches out to stakeholders in advance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association's annual meeting:Dear Supporters and Friends of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association,Greetings and I hope this email finds everyone well. I am writing today to announce the opening of online registration for the AIWA’s 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Savannah, GA on November 21-22, 2019. We will be meeting at The DeSoto Hotel and are thrilled to be celebrating 20 years as the Unified Voice for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW).
Oil Companies Make Few Bids in US Offshore Lease Auction
Oil companies bid on less than 1 percent of the parcels offered in a sweeping U.S. auction of Gulf of Mexico exploration leases on Wednesday, showing tepid interest in the region for the second time this year.Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp was awarded 25 blocks, the largest of any company, followed by BP Plc with 19 high bids and Hess Corp and Equinor, which each had 16.Smaller companies, including Talos Energy Offshore, Houston Energy and W&T Offshore were among the top ten high bidders. In total, 23 companies bid in the U.S.
US Military Seeks Rules for Drilling in Gulf of Mexico
An expansion of oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico would interfere with U.S. military testing unless the Pentagon and another agency develop rules to govern the work, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a report this week.The Defense Department concluded in a report it sent on Wednesday to U.S. lawmakers that drilling east of the Military Mission Line in the Gulf of Mexico, a demarcation more than 200 miles (320 km) west of Florida, would harm military testing operations…
Tidewater Continues to Build Diesel-Electric
After building five diesel-electric platform supply vessels (PSVs) at Singapore’s Yantai Raffles Shipyard, Tidewater is having additional vessels built in China. Currently the firm has 12 Cummins-powered diesel-electric vessels on order at the Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding yard. An additional four-boat order is being completed at the Shejiang Shipbuilding Company yard near Ningbo China. The first of the vessels, the Desoto Tide, was delivered in January ‘09 with the second, the Gubert Tide, receiving extra outfitting at Tidewater’s Hong Kong facility in late April.
Frontier Acquisitions in Gulf of Mexico
StatoilHydro has acquired a 40% stake in 50 blocks from BHP Billiton in the frontier DeSoto Canyon area of the US Gulf of Mexico. “DeSoto Canyon is a mostly unexplored region in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Obtaining early access to new plays is regarded by the company as key to our success,” said StatoilHydro vice president of exploration for North America, Tony Dore. “We did a similar early access deal with ExxonMobil in 2005 in the Walker Ridge Area of Central GOM. We believe that through a close cooperation with BHP Billiton we can mature high quality prospects,” he said.
Coast Guard Rescues Three
A U.S. Coast Guard crew from Memphis, Tenn., rescued three men whose vessel sank on the Mississippi River, near Tunica, Miss., Thursday at about 10:15 a.m. Ron Nigg, Rick Howell and Tony Lippman were rescued after their 22-foot skiff sank as they were returing from an oil spill cleanup in Tunica. At the time of the accident, there were high winds and choppy conditions reported on the river. A Coast Guard inspection crew from Marine Safety Office Memphis was also at the Tunica oil spill site monitoring cleanup efforts when they were informed that the three men were in the water. The crew, Lt. Ted Lampton, Petty Officer 3rd Class Wyatt Ingram and Petty Officer 3rd Class Jacob Taylor…
Port Facility Hopes to Capitalize on Eastern Gulf Activity
The Venice Port Complex. The offshore oil and gas industry is no stranger to the southernmost point of Louisiana. For more than a half-century, offshore personnel drove to the community of Venice to board offshore supply vessels or helicopters to make the trip to their jobs atop drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Now, officials hope to redefine the area’s role in the offshore industry and capitalize on a planned boon in oil and gas drilling and production in the eastern Gulf. The effort consists of a re-branding of the facility and a healthy influx of investment capital for improved infrastructure. Welcome to the Venice Port Complex, much better sounding then the Louisiana Fruit Company site, its previous name relating to the facility’s development and proprietary company.
