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Texas General Land Office News

07 Feb 2023

US Coast Guard Calls Off Search for Missing Tug Crewman

(File photo: Paul Cook / U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday said it has suspended its search for a missing tugboat crew member near Sabine, Texas.Emergency response crews had been searching for the mariner since watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center received a notification at 6:10 a.m. Monday stating that a 35-year-old male had gone missing from the tugboat Smith Invader.The crew member was last seen at 10 p.m. Sunday and was noticed missing after a crew boat was supposed to…

06 Feb 2023

Tugboat Crew Member Missing Near Sabine, Texas

Emergency response crews are searching for a tugboat crew member that has gone missing near Sabine, Texas, Monday.U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center watchstanders received a notification at 6:10 a.m. from the tugboat Smith Invader stating a crew member was last seen at 10 p.m. Sunday and was noticed missing after a crew boat was supposed to transfer him off the vessel at 6 a.m. Monday. The missing mariner is a 35-year-old white male last seen wearing a white shirt and black pants.Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station Sabine 29-foot Response Boat…

24 May 2022

Chevron Enters U.S. Gulf of Mexico CCS JV

Credit: Scott Bufkin/AdobeStock

Oil major Chevron has closed the transaction to enter a U.S. Gulf of Mexico carbon capture and storage joint venture with Talos Energy and Carbonvert.The companies on Tuesday announced the execution of definitive documentation and closing of the expanded joint venture to develop the Bayou Bend CCS offshore carbon capture and sequestration hub, effective May 1, 2022.Under the terms of the transaction, Chevron has acquired a 50 percent stake in the expanded Bayou Bend CCS joint venture for a gross consideration of $50 million to Talos and Carbonvert…

03 May 2021

Tidal Channel Into Bahia Grande Closed Until Fall

This Google Maps aerial photo shows the Carl “Joe” Gayman channel connecting the Bahia Grande with the Brownsville Ship Channel. This channel will be widened from its existing 34-foot width to 250 feet, providing much more natural tidal exchange and ecological growth in the Bahia Grande. (Photo: Port of Brownsville)

The pilot channel connecting the Bahia Grande tidal basin and the Brownsville Ship Channel will be closed until the Fall for major enhancements to increase tidal exchange and restore the Bahia Grande as a major fish, wildlife and waterfowl nursery, the Port of Brownsville announced.Access to the narrow waterway, also known as the Carl “Joe” Gayman channel, will be closed to the public beginning May 1, 2021 through early November when the project is expected to be completed.The Bahia Grande is a 10…

23 Aug 2020

Two Dead, Two Missing in Corpus Christi Dredge Fire

A Coast Guard pollution responder observes the Port of Corpus Christi Ship Channel for possible pollution impacts after the dredging vessel Waymon L Boyd sank in Corpus Chrisiti, Texas. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The bodies of two of four workers missing after a dredging vessel caught fire and sank in Corpus Christi, Texas, were recovered on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Four personnel working on the dredger Waymon L Boyd went missing and six were sent to the hospital on Friday after the vessel caught fire in the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. The search for the other two missing workers was suspended on Saturday night, Coast Guard officials said.Local authorities had said initially…

15 Nov 2019

OSV Collides With Tug Near Port Arthur

An estimate of 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel has been spilled as the result of a collision between an offshore supply vessel (OSV) and a tug near Port Arthur Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Friday.The Coast Guard said it is responding to the incidenct after its watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston received a report of a collision involving the OSV Cheramie Botruc 22 and tug vessel Mariya Moran near the entrance to Sabine Pass, Texas, Thursday morning.Personnel from Coast Guard Station Sabine, Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, Texas General Land Office, Oil Spill Removal Organization, OMI Environmental Solutions and…

31 Aug 2018

Vessel Accident Causes Oil Spill near Port Arthur

Clean up efforts are underway after a vessel collision caused an oil spill near Port Arthur, Texas.The U.S. Coast Guard said an estimated 13,272 gallons of marine diesel fuel was discharged after an accident involving the towing vessel Savage Pathfinder and the motor vessel Endurance on Wednesday evening. No injuries were reported.Containment boom was placed around the vessel, and the source of the leak has been secured, the Coast Guard said.Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur and Texas General Land Office personnel are involved in the investigation and response efforts."We are working with TGLO, the responsible party and all maritime stakeholders to minimize impact as quickly as possible," said Capt.

23 Oct 2017

Response to Barge Casualty continues Offshore Texas

The Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office, and Bouchard Transportation representatives continue to respond Sunday to an oil discharge from a barge that caught fire and was extinguished on Friday three miles off the jetties of Port Aransas, Texas. Response efforts continue to minimize impact to the environment and the maritime community, which has enabled the Coast Guard to reopen the impacted ship channels. Discharge from the barge cargo tanks appears to have stopped following the removal of 2,500 barrels of oil-water mix from the barge through lightering operations. Lightering is currently suspended due to weather, but will resume with improvement in sea conditions. Containment boom remains in place around the vessel, though sheening from the barge and containment boom is present.

06 Feb 2017

Video: Retired Ship Sunk to Form Artificial Reef

Photo: Matrix New World Engineering

Sinking a 6,000-ton, 371-foot former cargo vessel to help create an artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico is a herculean feat, one only accomplished with strict adherence to rigorous federal and state environmental regulations. When the cargo ship Kraken was recently sunk 67 miles off the Galveston coast, Matrix New World Engineering helped the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Artificial Reef Program ensure that the vessel was free of environmental hazards and safe to support coral, fish, sea turtles and other aquatic life.

27 Jan 2017

NextDecade Takes Aim at Texas City for LNG Export

NextDecade LLC has signed lease agreements with the State of Texas and City of Texas City for a close to 1,000-acre site at Shoal Point for the potential development of a multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility. Texas City owns almost 376 acres at Shoal Point, while the Texas General Land Office manages the adjoining 618 acres of state land. The agreement comes as the State of Texas continues to draw international attention following significant new natural gas finds totaling over 90 trillion cubic feet (tcf) in 2016 and as global buyers increasingly seek new, long-term competitive natural gas supplies to support their energy needs. “Now more than ever, the U.S.

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.

12 Jul 2016

Neches River Traffic Restricted due to Sunken Boat

Vessel traffic on the Neches River is restricted as a result of a shrimp boat that sank Monday morning. At approximately 3 a.m., the Captain Kevin sank in the Neches River, causing oil sheen and one minor injury. The vessel is currently located approximately 1500 feet from the end of the channel and 100 feet from the west side of the jetty. The Coast Guard has established a safety zone one-quarter mile north and one-quarter mile south of the sunken boat, spanning from jetty to jetty. Some deep draft vessels have been authorized to transit the area to determine what, if any, impacts vessel movement may have on the sunken boat. The Coast Guard is working with the Texas General Land Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, and vessel owners to recover the vessel and fuel.

01 Jun 2016

Neches River Reopened Following Oil Spill

The U.S. Coast Guard has lifted its safety zone on the Neches River Tuesday as oil spill cleanup activities near their conclusion. The response began after a pipeline at the Jefferson Energy Terminal released an estimated 880 gallons of Eagle Ford crude oil into the river Saturday afternoon, leading to the river’s closure from the Kansas City Southern Railroad Bridge to the north end of the Standolind Anchorage, near light151. With the safety zone lifted, all vessel traffic may now transit without restriction, but the Coast Guard has requested that mariners observe a minimal wake zone through the affected area. The Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office…

20 Jul 2015

Barge Collision Spill Impacts Houston Ship Channel

A section of a key Gulf Coast waterway was shut after two barges collided Monday, setting one afire and possibly spilling a gasoline additive near the entrance to the Houston Ship Channel, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), which runs between barrier islands and the coast of the U.S. mainland in the Gulf of Mexico, was shut from where it intersects the Houston Ship Channel to Mile Market 350 on the ICW. The Houston Ship Channel itself, which supplies the nation's busiest petrochemical port, remained open after the collision shortly after 1 a.m. local time (0600 GMT). Early media reports erroneously said a channel section had been closed, but it was unaffected.

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.

27 May 2015

Sulfur-Laden Bulk Carrier Grounds off Port Arthur, TX

The U.S. Coast Guard is working with state and local partners in response to a bulk carrier loaded with sulfur that ran aground in the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday, while transiting outbound from Neches Industrial Park. At approximately 1:30 p.m., watchstanders at the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Control Port Arthur received a call from the pilot aboard the 615-ft.Panamanian flagged vessel Jian Qiang, stating they ran hard aground approximately 1 mile from the westernmost jetty, outside buoys 33 and 34, in the Gulf of Mexico. There were no reports of significant damage, injury or pollution discharge. The Coast Guard is investigating the incident.

02 Apr 2014

Texas City Y Oil Spill Information Session

Representatives of the Unified Command responding to a March 22 oil spill will join community leaders in an informational session on Thursday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m. The event will take place at Port O’Connor Elementary School, 508 Monroe Avenue. Officials from the United States Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office, Kirby Inland Marine, Texas Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, NOAA, and Texas Department of Health Services will join representatives from Calhoun County government and the Chamber of Commerce in updating the community. “We are pleased to be invited to meet with local residents and business owners and appreciate the opportunity to answer any questions or concerns they may have,” said Incident Commander Randal S. Ogryzdiak. texascityyresponse.com

27 Mar 2014

Texas City "Y" Spill Response Update

Oil spill responders established a Matagorda Bay Forward Branch in Port O’Connor, Texas, to coordinate protection of the environment of the Matagorda Bay area, as a portion of the oil spilled on Saturday in a ship-barge collision near Texas City, Texas, moves south along the Texas Coast. A Unified Command including the U.S Coast Guard, Texas General Land Office and Kirby Inland Marine, the owner of the vessel from which the oil was spilled, began their response efforts today implementing aggressive plans intended to protect environmentally sensitive areas against impact from the oil, based on priorities already established in the Area Contingency Plan.

25 Mar 2014

Dredging Permits for Bayport & Barbours Cut Expected Soon

Port of Houston logo

Following the recent meeting of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority, the following news items  of note were released. The Port Commission approved a $68 million construction contract with Orion Construction L.P. for Bayport and Barbours Cut channel improvements. These significant dredging projects will begin, following issuance of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits and approval of its assumption of maintenance of the channels, Executive Director Roger Guenther reported.

25 Mar 2014

Limited Traffic Authorized at Port of Houston

USCG photo

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has authorized limited marine traffic in the safety zone in the Port of Houston/Galveston for commercial ship traffic, Tuesday. Cleanup operations are still ongoing; however ships are being prioritized for transit by the Port Coordination Team. The USCG said barges are allowed to transit through the Houston Ship Channel and on the Intracoastal Waterway, after assessment teams deemed the channel clear. "The cleanup operations progress is to the point…

23 Oct 2013

Students Protect Inlets from Oil Contamination

NSCS Students Setting Up Oil Boom

A new Texas Tidal Inlet Protection Strategies (TIPS) program, being developed by researchers at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, will soon be in place to protect our state’s sensitive bays and estuaries from the potential harm of offshore oil spills. The bays and estuaries of the Texas coast serve as nurseries for several species of marine organisms including sport fish. These estuaries are connected to the Gulf of Mexico through various inlets. An oil spill in any of these sensitive habitats has the potential to kill fish and even shut down popular tourist areas.

23 Mar 2014

Ship, Kirby Tug/Barge Collide in Houston Ship Channel

A barge loaded with marine fuel oil sits partially submerged in the Houston Ship Channel, March 22, 2014.

The Coast Guard along with state and local partners are responding to a collision near Texas City, in the Houston Ship Channel, Saturday, March 22, 2014. At approximately 12:35 p.m., watch standers at Coast Guard Sector Houston/Galveston received a call from the captain of the 585-ft. bulk carrier Summer Wind, reporting a collision between the Summer Wind and a barge, containing 924,000 gallons of fuel oil, towed by the motor vessel Miss Susan. The motor vessel Miss Susan was transiting from Texas City to Bolivar at the time of the collision.

23 Mar 2014

Houston Ship Channel Tankbarge: Incident Update

The partially submerged barge: Photo credit USCG

The Coast Guard informs that response efforts by the Unified Command to contain oil leaking from the partially submerged Kirby Marine tank barge continue Saturday overnight. Four skimming vessels remain on-scene to continue recovering spilled bunker fuel oil. Officials with the unified command, who are overseeing the spill containment and recovery efforts, anticipate the ability to fully reactivate their efforts beginning at first light Sunday. An additional 20 response vessels are staged and are prepared to resume operations early on Sunday.