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Kirby Inland News

04 Dec 2023

Marine News' Top Vessels of 2023

Empire State (Photo: MARAD)

The November edition of Marine News magazine highlighted a selection of the most notable American newbuilds delivered of 2023—from a first-of-its-kind green towboat, to the lead vessel in a series of game-changing ships to train U.S. mariners.Empire StateAs the lead vessel in a series of five new training ships being constructed to serve America's state maritime academies, Empire State is easily one of the most important U.S.-built vessels delivered in recent memory.Built by Philly Shipyard for the U.S.

25 Aug 2023

Kirby Christens the US' First Plug-in Hybrid Electric Inland Towboat

Kirby Inland Marine's Green Diamond—the United States' first plug-in hybrid electric inland towboat—was christened on August 25, 2023 in Houston. (Photo: Corvus Energy)

The United States' first plug-in hybrid electric inland towing vessel was christened at a ceremony in Houston on Friday as the commercial marine industry continues to implement new technologies to reduce its environmental footprint.Kirby Inland Marine's Green Diamond will be time chartered by Shell Trading (US) Company, which will use the vessel to push barges throughout the Houston port region. According to Kirby, the vessel can achieve an estimated 80% reduction in fuel use and related emissions.“We are excited to be the first to market with a plug-in hybrid inland towing vessel…

02 Dec 2021

Kirby Inland Marine to Pay $15.3M in Damages Over 2014 Oil Spill

 (U.S Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Manda M. Emery)

Houston, Texas-based Kirby Inland Marine agreed to pay $15.3 million in damages and assessment costs to resolve federal and state claims for harm to natural resources resulting from a 2014 oil spill from a Kirby barge in the Houston Ship Channel, the U.S. Justice Department said.In a related enforcement action in 2016, the United States secured a settlement with Kirby for $4.9 million in civil penalties and injunctive relief measures to improve the company's operations to help…

22 Nov 2021

Marine News' Top Boats of 2021

Sea Change (Photo: All America Marine)

Sea Change - America’s first hydrogen powered ferrySWITCH Maritime’s new 70-foot passenger ferry Sea Change is navigating uncharted waters as the United States’ first zero-emissions, hydrogen fuel cell-powered, electric-drive ferry.The pioneering aluminum newbuild, constructed by Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine, Inc. (AAM), has been completed and was launched this summer, though permitting of hydrogen fuel systems for maritime vessels is still being worked out with the U.S. Coast Guard.“Legislation and laws for passenger safety did not exist yet for this type of vessel.

12 Jul 2021

C&C Delivers New Towboat to Kirby

(Photo: C&C Marine and Repair)

Belle Chasse, La. shipbuilder C&C Marine and Repair has delivered the new towboat Bowling Green to Kirby Inland Marine, L.P.The newbuild—the second in a three-boat series for Kirby, delivered six months after the first vessel—will operate it under a long-term lease from Hines Furlong Line.The triple-screw 6,600-horsepower towboat measures 170’ x 50’ with the pilot house eyeline measuring at 39’-3”. The Bowling Green was designed by CT Marine, LLC, based in Portland, Maine. The vessel’s design includes three Cummins QSK60-M main engines…

15 May 2019

Houston Ship Channel Reopens to Two-Way Traffic

The Houston Ship Channel reopened on Wednesday to two-way traffic after salvage crews removed two gasoline barges damaged in a weekend collision with a deep-draft vessel, officials said.About 11,280 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, after a 755-foot (230-metre) tanker collided over the weekend with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel.The removal of the Kirby Corp-operated barges was completed by midday on Wednesday and two-way traffic resumed, according to Bayport Channel Collision Response, a group overseeing cleanup and salvage operations.Officials decided on Wednesday to tow away a capsized barge instead of draining its tanks of fuel, speeding up the reopening by at least two days.A U.S.

14 May 2019

Houston Ship Channel Bottleneck Finally Eases

AdobeStock / © Irina K

A bottleneck of inbound traffic on the Houston Ship Channel eased on Tuesday though one-way travel restrictions remained following a weekend collision between a deep-draft ship and a barge, officials said on Tuesday.About 9,000 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, when a 755-foot (230-meter) tanker collided over the weekend with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel.West Texas Intermediate crude at the Magellan East Houston (MEH) terminal on the ship channel traded at an $8.10 a barrel premium to U.S.

14 May 2019

Houston Port Restrictions Could Last All Week

A file image of a typical Kirby pushboat and barge. CREDIT: Kirby Corporation

The Houston Ship Channel could remain under one-way travel restrictions all week following a collision between a deep-draft ship and a barge that spilled petrochemicals into the waterway, according to an official.About 9,000 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, when a 755-foot (230-m) tanker collided with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel. One barge ruptured and the other capsized.The U.S. Coast Guard limited travel to one-way traffic because barges blocked part of the channel.

13 May 2019

USCG: Houston Ship Channel Moving Inbound Only

An aerial image of the houston Ship Channel and adjacent refining complex (AdobeStock / ©  Irina K

Shipping along the Houston Ship Channel was limited to one-way traffic on Monday after a barge collided with a deep-draft ship that spilled petrochemicals into the waterway over the weekend, officials said.About 9,000 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, when a 755-foot (230-m) tanker collided with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel. One barge ruptured and the other capsized. The one-way traffic limitation is due to the barges blocking part of the channel.

19 Mar 2019

Kirby Selects Furuno for Towboat Newbuilds

Photo courtesy of Furuno

Kirby Inland Marine selected Furuno as the electronics of choice for its new generation of Subchapter M towboats. The first of three new vessels, MV Bailey, will soon enter service into the Kirby fleet of over 300 towboats and nearly 1,000 inland barges operating in U.S. waters. The bridge features Furuno electronics including Radar, GPS, AIS, depth sensors and more. This 88-ft.towboat was built at the Main Iron Works facility in Houma, LA, and has been designed from the keel…

31 Jan 2019

Kirby Inland Marine to Acquire Cenac Fleet

Photo: Cenac Marine Services

Cenac Marine Services LLC has announced the signing of an agreement with Kirby Inland Marine, LP to acquire Cenac’s fleet.This relationship will continue to enhance Cenac’s marine construction operations, by focusing on its best in class shipyard at Main Iron Works while providing continued security for its loyal maritime employees., even amid continued sluggishness in the local oil and gas industry.Kirby Corporation transports bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River system…

24 Apr 2018

Kirby Executive Chairman Pyne to Retire

Houston based tank barge operator Kirby Corporation announced that Joseph H. Pyne will retire as Executive Chairman of the Board, effective April 30, 2018. Pyne will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board in a nonexecutive role.The firm also announced that Kirby will incur a charge for compensation related to retirement in the second quarter of 2018.Pyne began his career with Kirby in 1978, and has held numerous executive positions including Chairman of the Board since April 2014, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer from January 2014 to April 2014, as Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer from April 2013 to January 2014 and from April 2010 to April 2011…

03 Apr 2018

Main Iron Works Building New Towboats for Kirby

(Photo: Main Iron Works)

Houma, La. shipbuilder Main Iron Works has secured contracts to build four inland push boats for Kirby Inland Marine. The four 2680 BHP twin propeller conventional towboats will measure 88’x35’x12’2” and will join Kirby’s inland towboat fleet for the transportation of a variety of petrochemicals, refined products, oils and liquid fertilizers. Work on the new vessels is already underway, with completion dates scheduled between August and December 2018.

12 Oct 2016

Tug Allision Causes Diesel Spill in Texas

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi and the Texas General Land Office are responding to an oil spill at mile marker 667 on the Intracoastal Waterway near Port Isabel, Wednesday. Watchstanders at Sector Corpus Christi received a report that the uninspected towing vessel Capt. Jim Green allided with a dock at the Subsea 7 facility, releasing approximately 20,000 gallons of low sulfur diesel fuel into the waterway at 11:24 p.m., Tuesday. A Unified Command consisting of the Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office and Kirby Inland Marine has been established in response to the allision and diesel spill. Miller Environmental, an oil spill response organization, is currently on scene conducting air monitoring and oil recovery operations. The source of the spill has been secured.

03 Oct 2016

Inland Marine Service Appoints New Leadership

Kristina Luna (Photo: IMS)

Four corporate professionals have recently joined Inland Marine Service (IMS), announced Dave Hammond, President of Inland Marine Service. The new hires are Kristina Luna, HR Manager; Moses Garza, Tankerman Supervisor; Caleb King, Manager SHEQ/Compliance Director; and Brian Howell, Assistant Port Engineer. Reporting to Jason Adams, Luna will be based out of the Hebron office and will be responsible for all of the company’s human relations needs. Luna has 20 years of experience in employee management, human resources, event planning, marketing, and sales.

27 Sep 2016

Kirby to Pay $4.9 Mln Penalty over Oil Spill

(USCG photo by Andrew Kendrick)

Kirby Inland Marine LP has agreed to pay $4.9 million in civil penalties to settle claims stemming from a 4,000-barrel oil spill in the Houston Ship Channel in March 2014, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.   The company, a subsidiary of Kirby Corp, also agreed to implement operating improvements across its hundreds of vessels operating in U.S. inland waters, the department said in a statement. (Reporting by Tim Ahmann; Writing by Eric Walsh; Editing by Susan Heavey)

17 Aug 2016

MN100: Kirby Inland Marine

Photo: Kirby Inland Marine

Kirby Corporation is a premier tank barge operator in the United States, transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, along all three U.S. Coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii. Kirby’s service includes the transporting of petrochemicals, black oil products, refined petroleum products and agricultural chemical products by tank barge. Kirby’s diesel engine services segment is a leading after-market service provider for medium-speed and high-speed diesel engines…

19 Apr 2016

Man Missing after Tug Capsizes in Houston

The U.S. Coast Guard and Harris County Sheriff Department responders are searching for a missing man after he and four others were sent into the water when their tug flipped over in the San Jacinto river about a half mile south of Interstate 10 in Houston. The missing man was described as being about 5-foot-10-inches tall, 325 pounds, wearing a red shirt, khaki pants and a buoyant work vest. Kirby Inland Marine personnel notified the Coast Guard at 8:11 a.m., just after the tug, Ricky J Leboeuf, capsized at 7:44 a.m. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders launched an Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, a Station Houston response boat, coordinated a Harris County Sheriff Department boat and requested a dive team to assist in the search.

30 Oct 2015

Cargo Ship Collides with Barge in Corpus Christi Harbor

The Ocean Freedom, a 480-foot cargo ship, is connected to a moored Kirby Inland Marine barge after a collision in the Corpus Christi Inner Harbor Thursday. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Gordon Bellinger)

An allision between a 480-foot cargo ship and barge occurred Thursday night in the Corpus Christi Inner Harbor. The U.S. Coast Guard and state and local partners are responding. The Coast Guard launched a Station Port Aransas 45-foot response boat and crew after receiving a call reporting the allision between the U.S.-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Freedom owned by Intermarine and a moored barge owned by Kirby Inland Marine at 10:30 p.m. Thursday. A man from the scene went to Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Shoreline due to possible knee injury, the Coast guard said.

01 Sep 2015

Joe Pyne Joins DHT Holdings’ Board of Directors

Joe Pyne (Photo: Greg Trauthwein)

Crude oil shipper DHT Holdings, Inc. announced today that it has appointed Joseph H. Pyne to its board of directors, expanding the board from three to four independent directors. Erik Lind, Chairman of DHT said, “We are very pleased to have Joe join the DHT board of directors. His commercial and operational experience and longstanding insight into the U.S. Pyne is the Executive Chairman of Kirby Corporation, a U.S. tank barge operator, and served as the Chief Executive Officer of the company from 1995 to April 29, 2014.

11 Jun 2015

Shelter-in-place lifted, Houston Ship Channel reopened

A shelter-in-place was lifted and the Houston Ship Channel was reopened at 2:08 p.m. Wednesday, after an incident in the upper ship channel that caused the release of as much as 23,000 gallons of naphtha (PTN). The Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other agencies and responders are working together to ensure the safety of people in the area, responders and to minimize any impact to the environment if possible. "Upon consultation with the NOAA support coordinator, their models showed that most of the product would evaporate in approximately three hours," said Cmdr. Eric Carrero, the federal on-scene coordinator for the Coast Guard.

21 Jul 2015

Intracoastal Waterway Reopened After Barge Collision

The Coast Guard assisted in response to a collision and fire early Monday morning in the Intracoastal Waterway near Bolivar Peninsula in Texas, July 20, 2015. (USCG photo)

The U.S. Coast Guard has fully reopened the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) near Bolivar Peninsula, Texas Monday at 9:15 p.m. Monday, after closing it for a barge collision earlier in the day. At approximately 1:20 a.m. Monday, a collision occurred at ICW mile marker 349 involving two eastbound Kirby Inland Marine barges being pushed by the tug Capt. Shorty C and two westbound Enterprise Marine Services barges being pushed by the tug Jackie. The collision occurred when one tug pulling the barges reportedly lost power.

21 Aug 2015

MoU Ensures Dialog Between US Rivers Leaders

Photo: U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers

Leadership from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Coast Guard and the inland towing industry signed a memorandum of understanding today, designed to ensure consistent communications and support efficient and safe movement of commerce on the western rivers of the United States. The memorandum, signed by Jim Guidry (Kirby Inland Marine LP and RIETF co-chairman), Rear Admiral June E. Ryan (commander of the 9th Coast Guard District), Rear Admiral David R. Callahan (commander of the 8th Coast Guard District), Major General Michael C.