Dredge Construction Booming in Competitive US Market
A dredge building boom that has been underway in the United States for several years is still going strong as the market remains highly completive for solid project workloads in both the public and private sectors.According The Mike Hooks Report, an analysis of the FY22 U.S. federal dredging market compiled in September 2023 by Michael Gerhardt, senior director of government affairs at Mike Hooks, LLC, 52 Jones Act dredging companies were awarded federal dredging contracts in FY2022.
Oil Exports Could Push US Gasoline Prices Lower
The price of U.S. gasoline could fall if Washington were to allow crude oil exports, an independent government report on Tuesday concluded, adding political firepower for those who want to change the law to expand such trade. Exports would put more crude on global markets and push down prices for international Brent oil "which in turn results in lower petroleum product prices for U.S. consumers," according to the report by the Energy Information Administration, entitled "Effects of Removing Restrictions on U.S. Crude Oil Exports. The United States has severely limited oil exports since the early 1970s in the wake of the Arab oil embargo. The Obama administration has taken steps to increase exports of minimally-processed light oil called condensate and allow crude swaps with Mexico.
AMP Opposes Amendment to Eliminate US Shipbuilding
American Maritime Partnership (AMP) issued a statement opposing Senator John McCain’s recent measure to eliminate the U.S. shipbuilding industry. AMP said U.S. shipbuilding is critical to supporting America’s military power and defense needs employs hundreds of thousands of Americans and pumps tens of billions of dollars into the U.S. economy. “The McCain amendment would gut the nation’s shipbuilding capacity, outsource our U.S. Naval shipbuilding to foreign builders and cost hundreds of thousands of family-wage jobs across this country," said AMP Chairman Tom Allegretti.
Alaska Class Ferries to Be Built in Ketchikan
Announced by Governor Sean Parnell Saturday, September 20, the State of Alaska and Vigor Industrial have reached a final agreement to construct two Alaska Class Ferries at Vigor Alaska in Ketchikan. The vessels will be the first Alaska Marine Highway System ferries to be built in Alaska. “Here we are today to launch this shipyard to a new level, a new level of good jobs, a new level of growth for Ketchikan businesses that are going to supply the shipyard and its workers,” Governor…
LR Energy Wins New Nuclear Deal in Middle East
Lloyd’s Register Energy together with Lightbridge Corporation has won a contract to support the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) internal inspection team to provide construction oversight and related technical services for a new generation of nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Lloyd’s Register Energy will be supporting FANR for several years on a series of work packages designed around project management, construction inspection and oversight services. These include design verification, inspection plans, quality assurance, and vendor inspection during site construction, installation and commissioning. FANR is the independent government body charged with regulating and licensing nuclear activities in the UAE.
AMPR Releases Study on Jones Act
Crowley is a member of The Puerto Rico Maritime Alliance, which consists of representatives of U.S. flag carriers and labor unions constituting the US Merchant Marine. The Maritime Alliance of Puerto Rico (AMPR) has announced that the GAO Study released yesterday determined the Jones Act does not increase rates or prices for the Puerto Rican consumer. The economic study was requested in 2012 by the resident commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi, and the delegate of the Northern Marianas Island, Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan. GAO (General Accountability Office) is the independent non-partisan agency that works for the U.S Congress and its audit, evaluation, and investigative arm.
Jones Act Seems Beneficial to Puerto Ricans Finds GAO
American Maritime Partnership (AMP) member, Crowley Maritime Corp. The long-awaited General Accountability Office (GAO) study on the Jones Act in Puerto Rico shows that the U.S. domestic container shipping fleet has provided regular, reliable service while offering significant rate reductions, according to the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), an industry trade group. "GAO disproved charges that the Jones Act raises prices for consumers in Puerto Rico," AMP said in a statement shortly after the release of the report today. "As such, GAO's report confirmed that previous estimates of the so-called 'cost' of the Jones Act are not verifiable and cannot be proven.
