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Minimal Infrastructure News

14 Dec 2023

Getting Started with Propane: Port-Side Refueling & Storage

(Photo: PERC)

Emissions regulations continue to become more stringent for ports, pushing more port authorities and terminal operators away from diesel and gasoline and toward alternative energy sources like propane. Capable of powering essential port applications like yard tractors, forklifts, and other cargo handling equipment (CHE), propane is available now to support ports in achieving emissions reduction goals.The Propane Education & Research Council often gets questions about what refueling infrastructure looks like and what to expect when transitioning to propane-powered terminal equipment.

27 Jul 2015

FERC Approves Excelerate’s Offshore GasPort

Rendering of the proposed facility, the Aguirre Offshore GasPort (Photo: Excelerate Energy)

On July 24, 2015, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its order granting authorization to Excelerate Energy, in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), to site, construct and operate the proposed Aguirre Offshore GasPort Project located offshore Puerto Rico. The order confirms the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that resulted in a finding of no significant environmental impact. As part of the order, the project will comply with all the environmental conditions outlined by FERC.

17 Mar 2014

Arctic Taskings for the Coast Guard

DNV GL

On January 30, 2014, the White House released the Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for the Arctic Region. The purpose of the Implementation Plan is to put flesh on the bones of the May 10, 2013 National Strategy for the Arctic Region. The National Strategy had identified three lines of effort to address challenges posed by the changing Arctic environment. The Implementation Plan sets forth the methodology, process, and approach for executing the Strategy. Most importantly…

13 Jun 2013

Orbita Enters Quay Crane OCR Market

Photo: Orbita

Process control and artificial vision technology specialist Orbita Ingenieria launched a new optical character recognition (OCR) system to automate freight container identification and damage inspection during vessel loading and unloading at port terminals. The Orbita CraneOCR system provides real-time ISO code recognition for 20ft, 40ft, 45ft and twin-20ft containers as they are moved to and from multiple lanes under and behind ship-to-shore (STS) gantry cranes. The company says…

16 Jul 2012

Arctic Shield 2012: USCG Mounts Historic Arctic Effort

While it seems that half the world is monitoring the oil and gas exploration activities of Royal Dutch Shell (Shell Oil) on the United States outer continental shelf (OCS) in waters of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off the north coast of Alaska, another historic event is occurring in those same waters: Arctic Shield 2012. The US Coast Guard is assembling its largest ever effort in the Arctic during the period July through October 2012. The Coast Guard has been gradually expanding its presence in the Arctic over the past four years.

15 Sep 2008

MMS Monitoring Two Adrift Rigs

The Minerals Management Service has two confirmed reports of drilling rigs adrift in the central . The MMS, industry, and the U.S. Coast Guard are working together to monitor the paths of the two rigs. MMS has determined through a pre-hurricane season risk analysis that there is minimal infrastructure in the areas surrounding these two rigs. The MMS conducts risk assessments of every mobile drilling rig location plan prior to hurricane season before granting approval of each plan. The assessments consider the proposed location’s proximity to critical oil and gas infrastructure, condition of seafloor, and station–keeping (mooring) capabilities of each specific rig. Once the weather in the clears, over flights by MMS staff, the U.S.

04 Mar 2005

U.S. Requires Nontank Vessel Response Plans

The U.S. Coast Guard recently issued interim guidance for the development and review of oil spill response plans for nontank vessels. Since 1993, tank vessels have carried oil spill response plans. A recent legislative change will soon mandate similar response plans for most other ships. The problem is that the legislation requires nontank vessels to have the response plans sooner than the Coast Guard can promulgate regulations in accordance with standard procedures. Thus, the agency is unofficially advising stakeholders on how to comply with the legislation. Stakeholders will ignore the unofficial advice at their peril. The legislation has real teeth.