Halter Marine Group News

In 1993, Bouchard Transportation Co. christened the B. No. 230, which was the first double-hulled barge to enter service in the United States. Joined together for this milestone celebration was (pictured left to right): Mr. John Dane III, former President/CEO, Halter Marine Group Inc.; Mr. Gerhard Kurz, former President, Mobil Shipping and Transportation Company (MOSAT), a Mobil Oil-affiliated company; and Mr. Morton S. Bouchard Jr., former Chairman, BTC. The July 2018 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News will feature a special “Bouchard Transportation Co.

Marine power generation and climate control products manufacturer Northern Lights has opened its fifth branch office, in Kenner, La, to enhance service to Gulf and inland waterways boat builders and vessel operators. The new Northern Lights Gulf branch, which will employ a full-time sales, parts and service staff, will warehouse marine, industrial and commercial series products. The new branch will service customers in the Gulf of Mexico and navigable inland waterways in the Midwest and Eastern regions of the U.S., including the region’s key ports: New Orleans, Houston, Pensacola and Paducah.

Isemann Brings a Unique Blend of Shipyard and Administrative Experience to the Team. Jensen Maritime, Crowley Maritime Corporation’s naval architecture and marine engineering firm, recently hired Ray Isemann to serve as senior sales account executive in its Seattle office. In his new role, Isemann will be responsible for growing Jensen’s business in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. East Coast and along the Mississippi River. Isemann will be responsible for increasing sales and maintaining customer relationships in each area.

In the more than two years since its founding, Mississippi-based TY Offshore, the former Trinity Offshore, has invested in a new yard in Gulfport and repaired its storm-damaged New Orleans holdings. The company has doubled its capacity and racked up new orders, president and CEO John Dane III said. TY Offshore designs and builds offshore barges, tugs, oilfield-support vessels and spill-response and patrol vessels. The company's new name, adopted in late June, should make business simpler. “We decided to rebrand for two reasons,” Dane said.

“The 2008 financial crash slowed  the luxury business, and the new class warfare coming out of Washington has made owning a large yacht out of favor. In the more than two years since its founding, Mississippi-based TY Offshore, the former Trinity Offshore, has invested in a new yard in Gulfport and repaired its storm-damaged New Orleans holdings. The company has doubled its capacity and racked up new orders, president and CEO John Dane III said. TY Offshore designs and builds offshore barges, tugs, oilfield-support vessels and spill-response and patrol vessels. The company's new name, adopted in late June, should make business simpler. “We decided to rebrand for two reasons,” Dane said.

Halter Marine Group Inc. launched a 329 ft. oceanographic survey ship for the U.S. Navy. The first ever in the Navy's history to be named through a contest, USNS Bruce C. Hezeen will collect data and physical samples from the world's oceans to provide the U.S. Navy with an understanding of its operating environment. Scheduled for delivery in December 2001, the vessel is the fifth of the T-AGS 60 class built at the Halter Moss Point.

Halter Marine Group, Inc. announced the company's net income for the quarter ended March 31, 1999 was $1.5 million on revenue of $238.3 million. This compares to net income of $539,000 on revenue of $189.4 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 1998. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999, the company reported net income of $13.3 million on revenue of $998.1 million. For fiscal 1998, Halter Marine Group reported net income of $22.5 million on revenue of $670.2 million. Gross profit margins for the company's vessels, rigs and engineered products segments were 8.1 percent, 0.6 percent, and 20.3 percent, respectively, for the fourth quarter.

Shipbuilder Halter Marine Group Inc. confirmed it is in talks with an oilfield service company about a possible stock-for-stock merger. The company, which in January announced a sweeping restructuring to cut costs, said it cannot assure the talks will lead to a transaction. It also said it cannot guarantee a deal, if any, would represent a premium over current market prices. Halter Marine, which also builds offshore drilling rigs and engineered products serving the offshore energy industry, said it will not issue further comment until the talks are completed or are called off.

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.

Gulfport, Miss.-based TDI-Halter, a Halter Marine Group company completed its conversions and upgrades of Pride of Texas and Pride of Kansas from mat slot to mat cantilevered jackup drilling rigs. Designed to handle a 1,400 kip hook load at 45 ft. cantilevered position, Texas is able to move up to 12 ft. off centerline to port to starboard - in depths of as much as 300 ft. To accommodate the new cantilever system, as well as being enabling the rig to work against fixed platforms in deepwater, the mat was increased in size and modified. Texas is the second of the conversions to be performed by Halter, the first being Kansas, which underwent its alterations in January 1999.

While Z-Drive can still be considered a "revolutionary" design trait of today's tugboats, engineers aren't resting on their laurels. New technical standards being introduced are testimony to designers' creativity and imagination; and the functionality is improved, as well. The use of tugs with either Z-drive or VSP propulsion have led to much faster, safer and more efficient ship-assist operations, without fail, says Robert Allan, of the marine engineering firm, Robert Allan Ltd. In fact, he adds, some tug companies with Z-drive tugs have had insurance premiums lowered because of the reduced risk of them damaging an attended ship with better tugs. But in no way have tugs evolved to their highest achievable level. The birth of such innovative designs was not unexpected, says Allan.

Bruce G. Heezen, a 329-ft. U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ship, is one of the largest vessels constructed by Halter Marine Group. The name for the T-AGS 60 class vessel was determined in a contest initiated by Oceanographer of the Navy, Rear Admiral Paul Tobin. The Navy invited students from across the nation to study the work of oceanographers and submit names of those scientists whose work they admired. The winning entry was submitted by students from Oak Lawn Elementary in Cranston, R.I. Several of the students from the class attended the christening, held at the Halter Moss Point Shipyard, with one addressing the audience on what the experience has meant to them. Heezen discovered turbidity currents and aided the understanding of plate tectonics.

A $10.7 million contract was awarded to Halter Marine Group for construction of two passenger ferries for North Carolina's Department of Transportation. The 180 ft. ferries, being built at Halter's shipyard in Moss Point Marine are scheduled for delivery to Havelock, N.C. in March 2000 and Southport, N.C. in July 2000. Two Caterpillar 3412 diesel engines will power the ferries with a minimum of 475 hp at 1,200 rpm. The all-steel, three-deck ferries can hold up to 300 passengers and 40 cars and trucks complete with a full range of communications and navigational equipment that will assist with steering and mooring. Known as a provider of design, construction and repair for offshore vessels and drilling rigs, Halter has built ferries for shipyards both in the U.S. and abroad.

TDI-Halter, a Halter Marine Group, Inc. company, delivered Prisa 103, the last of three 180 x 75 x 15 ft. barges, to Sedco Forex, the drilling division of Schlumberger Limited. Prisa 101, 102 and 103 are part of an overall conceptual design approach, in which Sedco Forex permanently integrated the well intervention structure, equipment and systems to facilitate conventional light drilling and well re-entry with coiled tubing and other well intervention operations. This concept provides operators a cost-effective tool by utilizing specially-adapted multi-function service equipment, which is built-in to ensure flexibility, reduce overall non-productive time and optimize deployment of services by improving the logistics and reducing the running costs.

Halter Marine Group, Inc. announced the company's financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 1998 were a loss of one million dollars, on revenue of $279.2 million. This compares to net income of $8.8 million, on revenue of $180.6 million in the third quarter of fiscal 1998. For the nine months ended December 31, 1998, the company reported net income of $11.8 million, on revenue of $759.8 million. For the comparable 1997 period, Halter Marine Group reported net income of $22 million, on revenue of $480.8 million. The net loss for the quarter is primarily attributable to cost overruns on two drill barge contracts comprising a total of six barges. Results for the quarter also reflect the positive impact of $6.9 million in income tax benefit that was recorded during the period.

Halter Marine Group, Inc., Gulfport, Miss. has signed a contract with Great Lakes Marine Leasing, LLC, to build a 740 ft. self-unloading dry bulk cargo barge for service on the Great Lakes. The barge, which will be named Great Lakes Trader, will be operated by Van Enkevort Tug and Barge out of Escanaba, Mich. The barge will be built and launched in two halves at Halter's Gulf Coast Fabrication, Inc. in Pearlington, Miss. and towed to New Orleans where the two halves will be joined in Halter Gulf Repair's large floating drydock. Final outfitting will be completed at Halter Gulf Repair by the owner. At 740 ft. overall length with a 78 ft. beam and 45 ft. depth, it will be the largest vessel ever constructed by Halter. It will be the maximum size permitted through the St.

Halter Marine, Inc., a subsidiary of Halter Marine Group, Inc., and Empresa Nacional Bazan de C.N.M., S.A., of Madrid, Spain, have formed Halter-Bazan, a joint venture to build Bazan-designed aluminum passenger/vehicle fast ferries at a Halter facility in the U.S. of an "Alhambra" Class fast ferry. Construction for an undisclosed customer is expected to begin in February 1999 on a 410 ft., 1,250 passenger/240 vehicle, diesel/waterjet, 40-knot monohull ferry. Completion is planned by year-end 2000. Halter-Bazan is negotiating an option for a second similar ferry for the same European operator. Bazan-built "Mestral" and "Alhambra" Class ferries are now operating on routes in Europe and South America.

Halter Marine Inc. of Halter Marine Group, Inc. Gulfport, Miss. has been awarded a $53.6 million contract from the U. S. Navy to build a T-AGS 60 class oceanographic research ship. The vessel will be the sixth of its class, all designed, built or under construction at Halter. The contract also includes spare parts and technical services. Construction will begin in approximately 60 days at Halter's Moss Point, Miss. shipyard and delivery is planned for Dec. 2001. In making the announcement, John Dane III, chairman, president and CEO of Halter Marine Group, Inc. said, "This contract is the result of the Navy exercising an option from a previous contract.

Halter Marine Group and Friede Goldman International have agreed to amend the terms of their proposed merger due to developments related to a contract dispute with a significant customer, as previously disclosed by Friede Goldman. Under the revised merger agreement, each Halter share will be converted into 0.57 of a share of Friede Goldman. The closing under the revised merger agreement will also be subject to the arrangement o bank financing for the combined company on terms mutually agreeable to Halter and Friede Goldman. Announced on June 1, the merger proposal originally provided for the exchange of 0.4614 of a Friede Goldman share for each Halter share.

Halter Marine Group, Inc. announced the company's net income for the first quarter ended June 30, 1999 was $1.9 million on revenue of $192.1 million. This compares to net income of $6.1 million on revenue of $209.8 million in first quarter of fiscal 1999. The company's fiscal year ends March 31. "The company's first-quarter earnings represent continued improvement in Halter's operating results compared to our two most recent quarters," said John Dane III, chairman, president and CEO. "Gross margins in the company's vessels segment exceeded those of both the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter as the impact of our Project ABC business process improvement program continues to be realized.

Kennicott, the first U.S.-flagged, ocean-going passenger ferry built in decades was delivered to the state of Alaska by Halter Marine Group. The $80 million, 381 x 85 ft., 17.5 ft. draft ferry, can carry 748 passengers on day cruises, or 500 overnight cruise passengers. It is the first vessel in the Alaska Marine Highway System fleet of nine ships capable of operating on all routes between Bellingham, Wash. And Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. The 12,635 gt ferry, which displaces 6,000 tons, has more than 100 staterooms providing at least 314 berths with three classes of cabins: first class, tourist class and roomettes. The ferry features a RoRo design with a vehicle deck capable of carrying 120 cars or a mix of 39 cars and 20 45-ft. highway trailers.

TDI-Halter, a Halter Marine Group, Inc. company, Gulfport, Miss., delivered Prisa 103, the last of the trio of newly-built drilling barges to Sedco Forex, the drilling division of Schlumberger Limited. Measuring 180 x 75 x 15 ft. (54.8 x 22.8 x 4.5 m), Prisa 101, 102 and 103 are part of an overall conceptual design approach - an approach in which Sedco Forex has permanently integrated the Well intervention structure, equipment and systems to facilitate conventional light drilling and well re-entry with coiled tubing and other well intervention operations. Joining the first two member of the trio, Prisa 103, which began the tow to Venezuela this past March, is currently deployed in the country's Lake Maracaibo for a 10-year contract with PDVSA.

Friede Goldman International stated that its activities related to its pending merger with Halter Marine Group were progressing on schedule. The company has received commitments from a group of banks led by Wells Fargo and Bank One for a credit facility that will meet the financing needs of the combined company. Response from shareholders of both companies to the proposed merger has been positive based on proxies received through October 25. Transition teams have been meeting in an effort to assure an organized integration of the operations and management of the two companies.