Manufacturing Complex News

The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority has decided to accelerate widening of the Houston Ship Channel, the nation’s busiest waterway.The Port Authority is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and other representatives of the federal government, as well as Port of Houston and Houston Ship Channel stakeholders, to obtain authorization and accelerated funding and completion, of a deepened and widened ship channel.“The Houston Ship Channel is open for business for all and will continue to be,” said Port of Houston Authority Chairman, Ric Campo.This project will be the eleventh significant widening and deepening of the channel since its conception…

A Dutch flagged product tanker has reportedly discharged 2,600 gallons of heavy fuel oil into the Mississippi River near Norco, La., Monday. The cause of the spill is under investigation.The U.S. Coast Guard said it is responding to the incident after its watchstanders in New Orleans received a report of the oil discharge from the vessel Iver Exporter at approximately 1 a.m.The source of the discharge near mile marker 126 on the Lower Mississippi River is reported to be secured, and the 183-meter vessel is currently moored at the Shell Norco Manufacturing Complex.There are no waterway closures or restrictions due to the incident, and there are no reported injuries or impacts to wildlife.

The Port of Corpus Christi lives up to its moniker ‘Energy Port of the Americas,’ as the movement of energy in and out dominates the port’s history and future. John P. LaRue, Executive Director, Port Corpus Christi recently visited Maritime Reporter’s headquarters in New York to discuss the nearly $50 billion in investment projects driving the port forward. “Let’s just start with what we are and what we are not,” said LaRue. “We are not a container port. Up until a few years ago we were an oil import port (serving) three refineries: Citgo, Valero and Flint Hills Resources.

Enterprise Products Partners will build an ethane export facility on the Houston Ship Channel, signing a long-term agreement with the Port of Houston Authority for use of its facilities adjacent to Enterprise's existing terminal at Morgan's Point. "The agreement is exciting for the port and the entire region in terms of creating jobs and fostering positive economic impact," noted Janiece Longoria, Chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. The 30-year agreement is a significant transaction for the Port Authority that will enhance the value of the existing lease with Enterprise. The facility is expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2016.

PPG Industries announced it has started manufacturing protective and marine coatings (PMC) at the company’s facility in Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland. The facility, which previously produced architectural coatings and was part of PPG’s January 2012 acquisition of Dyrup A/S, now produces PMC products for the construction, petrochemical, shipbuilding and energy industries. “The Ostrów manufacturing plant is a key part of our strategy to grow and expand in this region," said Tim Knavish, PPG vice president, protective and marine coatings.

At a briefing held Wednesday at the Port of Houston Authority, U.S. McCaul chose the port as the site to host the briefing on security and emergency preparedness to illustrate the importance of the Port of Houston to the nation's economy and energy security. The Port of Houston is home to the largest petrochemical manufacturing complex in the United States and second largest in the world. McCaul met with Port of Houston Authority officials as well as Houston, Harris County and…

Managed Ford Amazon Marine Terminal in Bahia, Brazil for construction of a new marine terminal dedicated to the Ford Amazon manufacturing complex in Bahia, Brazil. Crowley Logistics, Inc. will manage all of the operational activities at the new facility, which Ford’s only private port facility in the world. The terminal will primarily handle Ford’s inbound vehicles to Brazil and outbound vehicles assembled at Ford’s Amazon plant. Crowley will also assist Ford in overseeing the port development during the construction phase to ensure that the facility meets both Crowley and Ford’s high quality standards. Crowley’s scope of services will include operations design, planning and implementation, as well as terminal operations management.

Burger Boat Company announced the signing of the contract to build a 150-ft. (46 meter) Tri-Deck, motor yacht dubbed. Time for Us. This is the largest, most comprehensive yacht design and construction project in the Company's 141-year history. John Munford of the UK., is the interior designer. Patton Marine has developed the comprehensive specifications and will provide project management. Vripack of the Netherlands is co-engineering the yacht along with the Burger Design Team who has developed the interior layout as well as the exterior styling. Time for Us will be ABS certified, fully MCA compliant and will be available to charter in various unique cruising areas of the world. Time for Us will have handicap accessibility featuring a four-level elevator.

The Coast Guard opened the Intracoastal Waterway at Calcasieu River to all commercial traffic. The ICW remains closed to recreational traffic from the Calcasieu Lock to mile marker 242. A temporary Vessel Traffic Service, staffed by Coast Guard personnel and industry stakeholders, is coordinating commercial vessel traffic transiting the ICW. Approximately 20 miles of the Calcasieu Ship Channel remain closed due to the spread of oil from a spill at the CITGO Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex Tuesday. The Coast Guard has established a safety zone in this area and is enforcing it with patrol boats. The safety zone stretches from light 116, north of the Interstate 210 bridge, to light 56, south of Calcasieu "Big" Lake. Prien Lake and Moss Lake also remain closed.

An oil spill is contained June 21, near a crude oil tanker at the Clifton Ridge terminal along the Calcasieu River. The cause of the spill is under investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard and CITGO Petroleum Corporation. The CITGO Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex, the Coast Guard and the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office have established a Unified Command to manage the clean up and recovery of the oil spill in the Calcasieu Ship Channel near Lake Charles. Recovery efforts began Tuesday night after receiving reports of oil in the Calcasieu channel near CITGO's Clifton Ridge Terminal. The recovery operations represent an expansion of activity that began in response to heavy rainfall and partial flooding, which overwhelmed the CITGO's waste water storage tank area and dikes.

One full year has passed since the Grand Opening of Burger Boat Company – Monaco. To celebrate the occasion, Burger hosted a reception for Monaco Captains in its belle époque office in the heart of Monaco. Information was shared on the current six projects currently underway at the shipyard in Manitowoc, Wis., including the 43m Tri-deck, Andrew Winch interior Sea Owl; the 47m Tri-deck, Vripack Interior Time For Us and the 44m traditionally-styled Fantail Cruiser, Ken Freivokh interior Sycara. Further discussion was given to the transformation at the renowned Burger Shipyard. In addition to the new 48,000 sq. ft. manufacturing complex that was completed in 2004, there is a new 43,000 sq. ft.

In the strictest sense, a liftboat is a self-propelled crane barge that can elevate itself above the water line. It is the cranes that make a liftboat such a valuable tool for building and/or renovating offshore oil and gas structures. A recent example of the working ability of these liftboats is the L/B Myrtle, a 137.5-ft. by 92-ft. vessel with a trio of 245-ft. legs, enabling the vessel to work in water depths of 180 ft. with a 15-ft. air gap. The vessel was built by Bollinger Shipyards in their Lockport facility and sent to Bollinger's Amelia, La. shipyard for the outfitting of the three legs. Montco Offshore, Inc., Galliano, La., owns the vessel. Montco owns six liftboats capable of operating in water depths from 75 to 180 ft.

It is testament to the Finnish spirit that diesel engineering force Wärtsilä NSD, having suffered bruising financial results in 1998, has staged an effective fightback based in part on tactical change and in part on increased control of every theater of its operations. As the latest expression of the corporation's growing influence on the industry in Europe, the famous Grandi Motori Trieste name and its vast engine manufacturing complex on Italy's northeastern border with Slovenia, have been subsumed into the Finnish-controlled group and retitled Wärtsilä NSD Italia. Occupying a total area of 550,000-sq.-m., including 150,000-sq.-m. under cover, the Trieste plant is one of the most extensive in the world.