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Port Of Houston News

16 Oct 2023

Future Fuels: Methanol

(Image: Glosten)

Any commentator on the maritime business decarbonization voyage will offer something along the lines of "There will be multiple fuels…" With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings of its Maritime Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) set for early July, it is likely that targets for emissions will be tightened. Whatever mileposts that the IMO actually establishes, there will be no prescriptions handed down on how to get there. By mid-2023, nearly two years after the late 2021 alternative fuels crescendo in the aftermath of the COP26 meetings in Glasgow…

21 Jul 2023

Iran Denies Oil on Tanker Seized by Indonesia Belongs to Tehran

Iran said the oil cargo of an Iranian-flagged supertanker seized by Indonesia last week does not belong to Tehran, Iranian state media reported on Friday. A statement from Iran's oil ministry did not identify the owner of the cargo of MT Arman 114, an Iranian-flagged supertanker suspected of involvement in the illegal transshipment of crude oil, which Indonesia's coast guard said on July 11 it had seized. "Published news linking the cargo of this ship to... Iran has no validity, and this is done with the aim of creating a negative atmosphere against our country," Iran's oil ministry statement said, without elaborating. On Thursday the…

21 Jul 2023

Iran Loses Bid to Host Shipping Event after Vote at UN Agency Meeting

Iran's offer to host a maritime event in October has been rejected after a proposal led by the U.S. to rescind the bid was approved in a vote at the UN shipping agency's Council, an agency spokesperson said on Thursday.The move is likely to further raise tensions between Washington and Iran after Tehran tried to seize the Richmond Voyager tanker, which was managed by U.S. oil major Chevron, earlier in July in international Gulf waters.Iran had proposed to host a shipping event in Tehran in late October this year in conjunction with an annual maritime day hosted by the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO), which was accepted in 2015 by the IMO's executive Council.The U.S.…

28 Apr 2023

US Calls on Iran to Release Tanker Seized in Gulf of Oman

Advantage Sweet (Photo: Advantage Tankers)

Iran seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman in international waters on Thursday, the U.S. Navy said, the latest in a series of seizures or attacks on commercial vessels in sensitive Gulf waters since 2019.Iran's army said it had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after it collided with an Iranian boat, injuring several crewmen, Iranian state media reported."Two members of the boat's crew are missing and several were injured due to the collision of the ship with the boat," an army statement said.The U.S.

01 May 2023

US Gulf Coast’s First Barge-to-ship Methanol Bunkering Completed

Stena Prosperous (Photo: Proman Stena Bulk)

Proman Stena Bulk, the joint venture between tanker company Stena Bulk and methanol producer Proman, announced the successful completion of the first ever barge-to-ship methanol bunkering on the U.S. Gulf Coast.The JV tankers Stena Pro Marine and Stena Prosperous were refueled with methanol via barge while discharging clean petroleum products at a terminal in the Port of Houston in the first week of April.Stena Pro Marine was bunkered with 1,408MT of methanol, and Stena Prosperous was refueled with 1,203MT during the operation.

16 Feb 2023

Shipbuilding: ACBL Inks Deal to Build Tier 4 Towboat

(Image: American Commercial Barge Line)

Jeffersonville, Ind. based American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) announced it has signed a contract with Bayou La Batre, Ala. shipbuilder Steiner Construction Company for the design and construction of a new EPA Tier 4 retractable towboat.“Investing in our future is a key part of ACBL’s strategy. We are proud to introduce the first Tier 4 Mitsubishi engines to the marine industry,” said Mike Ellis, CEO,  ACBL. “The addition of this new Tier 4 retractable towboat represents our…

22 Jun 2022

Port Houston Awards $450 Million in Contracts for Channel Expansion

(Photo: Port Houston)

The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority met in a special session and awarded two of the largest contracts in the organization’s history. The Commission approved the staff’s recommendation to award Weeks Marine and Curtin Maritime Corporation contracts totaling $430 million to complete the remaining Galveston Bay segments of the Houston Ship Channel expansion project.“It’s an exciting day for Port Houston and the entire region and the millions of people who rely on the Houston Ship Channel for their livelihood and to bring them essential goods,” Chairman Ric Campo said.

06 Jun 2022

Port Houston Begins $1 Billion Ship Channel Expansion Project

On display at the event were some of the many vessels keeping the channel safe and efficient, including Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company’s eco-friendly dredge Carolina, which soon joins the channel work. (Photo: Port Houston)

A $1 billion project to expand the Houston Ship Channel kicked off with an official ceremony last week, leading the way for greater safely, efficiency and economic growth in one of America’s busiest waterways.Known locally as Project 11 because it is the eleventh major construction project of the waterway in its more than 100-year history, the Houston Ship Channel expansion will widen the channel by 170 feet along its Galveston Bay reach, from 530 feet to 700 feet. It will also deepen some upstream segments to 46.5 feet…

20 Dec 2021

New Marine Terminal Commissioned in Houston

(Photo: Vopak)

Vopak Moda Houston, LLC announced that its marine terminal in the Port of Houston is fully operational. Formed in 2016, Vopak Moda Houston is a joint venture between Royal Vopak and Moda Midstream. Located in Houston’s refining and petrochemical corridor and in close proximity to multiple ammonia, hydrogen and nitrogen pipelines, Vopak Moda Houston is the first greenfield terminal development in the Port of Houston in more than a decade.Designed to handle very large gas carriers (VLGC)…

22 Nov 2021

GLDD Wins Contract for Houston Ship Channel Widening

© Oleksii Fadieiev / Adobe Stock

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation announced it has signed a $92.5 million dredging contract for the Houston Ship Channel Widening and Improvement Project 11. This is the first phase of the extensive, multi-phase Houston Ship Channel billion-dollar expansion and deepening program. Dredging is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2022 with estimated completion in the fourth quarter of 2022.Project 11 is a plan to widen the 52- mile Houston Ship Channel which winds from the Gulf of Mexico through shallow Galveston Bay and up through the port.

09 Nov 2021

Greenpeace Settles Charges After Blocking Port of Houston in 2019

(Photo: Greenpeace)

Environmental activists who shut the largest U.S. energy export port for a day to protest climate change agreed to pay police, fire and court costs to settle state criminal charges, officials said on Friday.Greenpeace members halted shipping in September 2019 by dangling on ropes from a bridge over the Houston Ship Channel to bring attention to climate change concerns during a presidential debate in the city.Felony charges of disrupting critical energy infrastructure were later dismissed by a Houston grand jury.

20 Oct 2021

Port Houston's Container Surge Continues

(Photo: Port Houston)

Port Houston recorded its seventh consecutive month of double-digit container volume growth as increased consumer spending continues in the U.S.Container activity for September 2021 was 281,500 TEUs, up 11% compared to the same month last year, the port said. Year-to-date, TEUs are up 16% compared to 2020.Port Houston said its steel imports are also up, increasing 161% this month compared to September 2020 and are up 28% year-to-date. This growth reflects increased activity in the energy industry.

13 Oct 2021

Great Lakes Wins $95 Million Contract for Port of Houston Dredging

The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority holds Special Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 12 and awards a $95 million contract for the first major dredge construction work to start on the billion-dollar Houston Ship Channel expansion and deepening program, Project 11.

The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority met Tuesday in a special meeting to consider the first dredge contract for Project 11, the Houston Ship Channel billion-dollar expansion and deepening program.Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, LLC was awarded up to $95,375,349 to dredge 11½-miles of the 52-mile channel, widening a major portion of the Galveston Bay reach from 530 to 700 feet. The work includes the construction of a new bird island and oyster mitigation.Port Houston negotiated multiple options and selected the approach with the most reduction in overall NOx emissions…

15 Sep 2021

Texas Ports Reopen for Vessel Traffic After Nicholas

© Stephanie / Adobe Stock

The ports of Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City in Texas on Wednesday lifted the "yankee" status they had set ahead of Hurricane Nicholas, which made landfall on Monday, allowing the resumption of inbound vessel traffic, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Nicholas passed through the Texas coast on Tuesday on its way to Louisiana, causing minor floods and leaving over 400,000 customers without power.

14 Sep 2021

Oil Output, Vessel Traffic Halted as Nicholas Lashes Texas

© JACoulter / Adobe Stock

Hurricane Nicholas on Tuesday took another swipe at U.S. Gulf Coast energy facilities, cutting offshore oil and gas output gradually recovering from the last storm and disrupting power to onshore pipeline, gas and chemical plants.Royal Dutch Shell halted production its Perdido offshore oil platform due to heavy winds, and U.S. liquefied natural gas producer Freeport LNG said processing at its Texas coast facility was halted, likely due to a power outage.Power losses briefly cut Colonial Pipeline's main gasoline and diesel lines out of Houston…

14 Sep 2021

Power Outages Hit Texas Ports Following Hurricane Nicholas

© gokturk_06 / Adobe Stock

The Port of Houston on Tuesday said all terminals would remain closed due to the effects of Hurricane Nicholas and widespread power outages, and the Freeport Harbor Channel in Texas also suspended vessel movements due to unsafe conditions and power outages, according to notices from both ports.The Port of Houston anticipates resuming vessel movements on Tuesday evening and normal operations on Wednesday, then notice said.(Reporting by Liz Hampton in Denver)

20 Aug 2021

Port Houston Moving Ahead on Billion Dollar Dredging Project

Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther; USACE Galveston District Col. Timothy Vail; Port Houston Commissioner Clyde Fitzgerald; Congressman Brian Babin; USACE Galv. District Deputy District Engineer Byron Williams (green shirt); Congressman Jodey Arrington (back row green tie); Congressman Kevin Brady; Congressman Al Green (wearing mask); Port Houston Commissioner Roy Mease (Photo: Port Houston)

A Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Port of Houston Authority (Port Houston) was formally presented for the Houston Ship Channel's billion-dollar widening and deepening program, Project 11.The PPA is the official document committing Port Houston to the responsibilities of the project as the local non-federal sponsor. It details the terms of the channel infrastructure expansion, and most significantly, permits the start of dredging the federal waterway.

24 Mar 2021

Transpacific Trade Imbalance Increasing Even as Port Jams Ease - BIMCO

© Julien / Adobe Stock

The year 2021 has started in much the same way as 2020 ended for U.S. container imports; import volumes are still surging. As per usual seasonality, volumes came down a little in January and February, though this year the drop wasn’t as steep as usual, says shipping organization BIMCO. Imports by the two San Pedro Bay ports in California rose 27.8% in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2020. Although last year’s comparison is low due to the COVID-19 impact…

04 Nov 2020

World's First LPG-fueled Gas Carrier Completes Sea Trials

BW Gemini is the world's first VLGC to run on LPG fuel. (Photo: BW LPG)

The world's first very large gas carrier (VLGC) to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dual-fuel propulsion technology has completed sea trials, shipowner BW LPG announced Wednesday.BW Gemini and its newly retrofitted LPG propulsion technology were tested to their safe limits by an expert team from engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions, BW LPG’s Newbuilding & Projects and Technical departments, and classification society DNV-GL, who awarded the required classification certificate to following satisfactory performance.

28 Aug 2020

Oil Dips as U.S. Rigs, Refiners Appear to Have Avoided Worst of Storm

For illustration; A BP Platfrom in the U.S. Gulf of Mexicp

Oil prices fell in early trade on Friday as a massive hurricane raced inland past the heart of the U.S. oil industry in Louisiana and Texas, with a storm surge weaker than predicted.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 16 cents, or 0.4%, to $42.85 a barrel as of 0014 GMT, adding to overnight losses.Brent crude futures for October, set to expire on Friday, fell 9 cents, or 0.2%, to $45.00 a barrel, while the more active November contract slipped 7 cents to $45.53.Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana early Thursday with 150 mile-per-hour (240 kph) winds…

27 Aug 2020

US Energy Exports Severely Disrupted by Hurricane Laura

File photo (Credit: Andrew Kendrick, U.S. Coast Guard)

Oil and gas exports from the United States have been severely disrupted by Hurricane Laura, with nearly a million barrels per day (bpd) of crude exports likely reduced this week by closures of U.S. Gulf Coast terminals and disruptions at ports.The hurricane also temporarily suspended operations at several liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in the world’s third largest exporter of the super-cooled gas, with shipments on track to fall to their lowest in 18 months.Laura made landfall early Thursday near the Texas-Louisiana border…

27 Aug 2020

Port of Houston Reopens as Hurricane Closure Lifted

(File photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)

The Port of Houston, the United States' largest energy export port, began reopening to commercial shipping on Thursday after a day-long closure due to Hurricane Laura, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Ports along the Texas and Louisiana coasts were closed as the Category 4 hurricane churned up the Gulf of Mexico and went ashore in Cameron, Louisiana, early Thursday. The storm brought hurricane winds and high seas to the region.The Port of Houston, a major import and export hub for fuel, chemicals and consumer goods, closed on Wednesday.

28 May 2020

ExxonMobil Debuts New Multi-fuel Marine Cylinder Oil

© Alex Stemmer / Adobe Stock

ExxonMobil is introducing the latest addition to its MobilGard cylinder oil range, Mobilgard 540 X, specifically formulated for use with both 0.10% and 0.50% sulphur fuels and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Mobilgard 540 X is designed to meet the advanced cleanliness and protection needs of newer engine designs and meets WinGD’s requirements for all three fuel types.According to the manufacturer, Mobilgard 540 X has passed extensive fit-for-use testing on the most recent engine…