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Us Barge News

28 Aug 2023

Arcosa Eyes Barge Market Recovery

© Danita Delimont / Adobe Stock

Infrastructure-related products and solutions provider Arcosa said it is seeing signs of improvement in the U.S. barge building business following several years of low order levels.The Dallas-based company said in its second quarter earnings report that it received approximately $81 million in new barge orders, including mostly hopper barges scheduled for delivery in 2024.Arcosa's barge backlog at the end of the quarter was $287.1 million, up from $131.8 million at the end of the second quarter of 2022.

04 Oct 2022

US Barge Backlog Swells on Parched Mississippi River

© Bill Perry / Adobe Stock

Commercial barge traffic on southern stretches of the Mississippi River was at a standstill on Tuesday as low water levels halted shipments of grain, fertilizer and other commodities on the critical waterway, shipping sources said.The supply chain snarl comes just as harvesting of corn and soybeans, the largest U.S. cash crops, is ramping up and as tight global supplies and strong demand for food and fuel have sent inflation soaring.Around 100 tow boats hauling some 1,600 barges were lined up for miles waiting to pass through one trouble spot near Lake Providence…

17 Sep 2021

US Barge Costs Spike Weeks After Hurricane Ida

© kiravolkov / Adobe Stock

Barge freight costs for moving grains in the Midwestern United States spiked on Thursday due to ongoing logistical problems more than two weeks after Hurricane Ida, while CHS Inc said the timeline to reopen its terminal remains uncertain.CHS Inc, a farmer cooperative and grain trader, said it expected its Myrtle Grove, Louisiana, grain export terminal to be operational by the height of the U.S. corn and soy harvest but could not be more specific.The terminal, which unloads grain barges and loads ocean-going vessels for export…

19 Mar 2020

Barge Lines Boost Crew Safety as Virus Threatens Crucial Cargo

© Ronald / Adobe Stock

The world has radically changed since towboat captain Terry Hall boarded his vessel late last month in Wood River, Illinois, for his four-week shift hauling bargeloads of crude oil, chemicals, scrap metal and other goods up and down the Mississippi River.His employer, Canal Barge Co, has beefed up pre-board health screenings for all crew to include a temperature check and disclosures about recent travel and personal interactions in response to the coronavirus pandemic.Any disruption…

02 Oct 2017

Locks Failure Highlights US Infrastructure Woes

© G / Adobe Stock

The Ohio River was closed to commercial navigation on Monday near Brookport, Illinois, after a hydraulic system used to open and close lock gates at lock and dam 53 failed, the Waterways Council said. A queue of more than 65 towboats was waiting to pass through the area on Monday morning, the group said in a news release. The closure was the latest headache for shippers scrambling to haul newly harvested soybeans from Midwest farms to export terminals along the Gulf Coast. U.S.

31 Dec 2015

U.S. Grain Prices Soar as Floods Shut Waterways

U.S. grain farmers scrambled to find shelter for their crops and handlers hunted for alternative transportation routes, as widespread floods shut waterways from Illinois to Missouri and spurred a surge in physical prices of corn and soybeans. The sudden jump in prices could complicate a months-long stand-off between farmers who are unwilling to sell their bumper crop at low prices and buyers who have refused to budge on their cash offers amid plentiful supplies. It could also further curb export demand, with U.S. traders struggling to compete with their cheaper Latin American rivals. Cash premiums for soybeans in the U.S. barge market…

14 Nov 2014

JK Fabrication Wins Emergency Tow Reel Order

Photo courtesy of JK Fabrication

Olympic Tug and Barge, a Harley Marine Services Company, has selected four JK Fabrication emergency tow storage reels for new barges being built at Zidell Shipyard in Portland (the first two) and Vigor Shipyard there also (the last two units). Given earlier success at U.S. Coast Guard testing in southern California, earlier orders from Olympic, Smith Maritime, U.S. barge and HME Construction, and acclaim from ABS and marine surveyors, JK has applied for U.S. patent on the unit.

25 Jul 2012

Vigor Industrial: A Rising Star in Shipbuilding in the Pacific Northwest & Alaska Arctic

Vigor Industrial’s CEO, Frank Foti (Photo courtesy Vigor Industrial)

“There is a resurgence of the marine industry in the Pacific Northwest we haven’t seen for 20 to 30 years now,” said Vince Piscitello, Vice President of Business Development for Vigor Industrial LLC. “The oil and gas industry is really new to our area,” he said, although he expects to see it grow significantly with Shell’s exploration of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska’s northern coast. State run ferry operations in Washington and Alaska are at a point where they must renew fleets built in the 50s and 60s.

29 Apr 2011

U.S. Barge Delivers Combination Deck/Tank Barge

Photo courtesy Elliott Bay Design Group

U.S. Barge LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vigor Industrial LLC, this week will deliver a combination Deck and Tank Barge to NorthStar Gas LLC, an Alaskan Petroleum Distributor. The CAUNEQ was christened on April 15, 2011 and will start making deliveries in May to the Yukon, Kuskokwim and Western Alaska Costal Regions. NorthStar Gas and its operating partner, Delta Western, will use this barge to service customers in Western Alaska, stabilizing the transportation costs of fuel in the region.

21 Oct 2010

U.S. Barge Delivers Another Double-Hull

 Image courtesy Harley Marine Services

U.S. Barge recently delivered another petroleum barge to Harley Marine Services. The Barge Anne Elizabeth, designed by Elliott Bay Design Group, was christened on October 4, 2010 by her namesake, Anne Elizabeth Hall. Barge Anne Elizabeth measures 241 ft x 64.5 ft, with a depth of 23.5 ft. The barge has a carrying capacity of 31,500 barrels. The double-hulled barge is OPA 90-compliant, with vapor collection piping. The barge has two isolated cargo systems. The main cargo is intended to be fuel oil, and the auxiliary system will handle marine gas oil (MGO).

21 Oct 2010

U.S. Barge Delivers for Harley Marine

U.S. Barge delivered another petroleum barge to Harley Marine Services. The Barge Anne Elizabeth was christened on October 4, 2010 by her namesake, Anne Elizabeth Hall. Barge Anne Elizabeth measures 241’ x 64’ 6”, with a depth of 23’ 6”. The barge has a carrying capacity of 31,500 barrels. The double-hulled barge is OPA 90-compliant, with vapor collection piping. The barge has two isolated cargo systems. The main cargo is intended to be fuel oil, and the auxiliary system will handle marine gas oil (MGO). “Working closely with Harley Marine’s technical and operations group, U.S. Barge continues to construct and outfit high quality vessels that meet our expectations. We are very happy with the production and craftsmanship of U.S.

07 Jul 2010

U.S. Barge Delivers for Harley Marine

U.S. Barge recently delivered another high capacity petroleum barge to Harley Marine Services. Barge Sixty-Five Roses is a unique design from Elliott Bay Design Group. With new efficiency and voluntary environmental features incorporated into the design, the barge continues Harley’s pattern of continuous improvement. Barge Sixty-Five Roses is a 422 x 76-ft. tank barge with capacity of 83,600 barrels. Outfitting requirements include two vertical turbine cargo pump systems, a cargo heating system, a vapor recovery system, two hose cranes, and five hydraulic mooring winches. There are provisions for the future addition of a self-contained vapor processing unit. All outfitting was completed in house by U.S. Barge. U.S. Barge’s facility is ideally arranged for construction of very large barges.

20 May 2010

EBDG-Designed Sixty Five Roses Enters Service

Photo courtesy EBDG

Elliott Bay Design Group LLC (EBDG) recently announced the launch of the flagship vessel in its series of oil barge designs for Harley Marine Services (HMS). With a length of 422 ft and a beam of 76 ft, the Sixty Five Roses has a capacity of 83,600 barrels. The vessel features a cargo heating system; two hose handling cranes, one of which is a jumbo crane for lifting offshore submarine hose connections and five hydraulic mooring winches designed for offshore mooring systems. The…

20 Mar 2009

Parker Drilling Report on Barge Rig Fleet

Parker Drilling Company (NYSE: PKD) has posted a report on the company's Gulf of Mexico barge rig fleet updating rig status and contract information as of February, 2009. The company expects to update this report monthly. The report is intended to provide analysts and investors with information about activity in Parker's U.S. Barge Drilling segment. The report "Gulf of Mexico Barge Rig Fleet" is available through the company's Web site at www.parkerdrilling.com. The report can be accessed by selecting the "Rig Fleet Status Report" link under the Investor Relations section of the site. To be notified of rig fleet status report updates, subscribe to the "Rig Fleet Status Report Alert" in the Information Request link at the Investor Relations section of the site.

24 Nov 2008

EBDG Designs Oil Barges for Harley

Elliott Bay Design Group LLC (EBDG) recently announced that it has been awarded multiple contracts to design oil barges ranging in size from 31,500 to 83,000-barrel capacity for Harley Marine Services (HMS) of Seattle, WA. The series of projects began in January 2007 with the contract to design a 38,500-barrel oil tank barge. EBDG completed the design and it was released for bid in May. In June, HMS signed a long-term operating contract with its customer for four 31,500-barrel barges…

25 May 2004

10 Stowaways Found on U.S. Barge

A U.S. Coast Guard port security team, assisted by DHS partner agencies Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), apprehended 10 stowaways from the Dominican Republic aboard the barge Sea Islander in San Juan yesterday (May 24). Crewmembers on board the barge were complying with a Coast Guard requirement to check the vessel for stowaways prior to entering U.S. waters when they found evidence that some stowaways may be on board. The Master of the vessel notified the vessels agent (a local representative who assists with logistics and scheduling) who alerted the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in San Juan. The Sea Islander departed from Rio Haina, Dominican Republic on Thursday.

08 Mar 2005

Bush Budget Highlights Marine Transport

Released on February 7, President Bush's FY 2006 proposed budget requests the highest funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works program in many years. It demonstrates the Bush Administration's increasing understanding of the myriad benefits of the nation's inland waterways system and the need to nurture, not neglect, this critically important transportation system. The budget request underscores the President's goal to keep the Nation economically strong and competitive. This budget request of $4.513 billion proposes FY '06 spending of $184 million from the dedicated Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) for the modernization of priority, Congressionally-approved locks and dams on the inland system.

19 Jun 2007

Lackey Joins U.S. Barge Team

The U.S. Barge team has hired Kenneth Lackey as vice president and general manager. In his new role, Lackey will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of all phases of barge construction at U.S. Barge. A primary focus will be continuing the company's industry-changing drive towards streamlined production processes that emphasize worker safety while maximizing quality and minimizing turnaround time.

09 Sep 2005

Army Corps of Engineers Receives Emergency Funds

WASHINGTON, DC - Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) today expressed its gratitude to the U.S. House of Representatives for passage of the emergency spending measure that appropriates $400 million for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This action by the House demonstrates recognition of the critical importance of the work of the Army Corps of Engineers in helping to restore navigation to the Gulf Coast, and to help return normalcy to a region ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. "Waterways Council, Inc., commends the House for their quick action today to appropriate funds to continue the important work of the Corps to help pump water out of the city of New Orleans, and to improve navigation conditions throughout the Gulf Coast region," said R. Barry Palmer, WCI President.

03 May 2001

Barging Ahead

Barge operators are often accused of giving the marine fuels industry a bad name. While it is true that there are barging companies with a debatable approach to the business, they are very much in the minority. Worldwide, barge operators are working hard to improve their services and operations. In many respects, they are leading not only the bunker industry — but shipping as a whole. Nowhere is this demonstrated clearer than during barge-to-ship transfers of oil; nowhere is this expertise better demonstrated that in the U.S. Operating bunker barges in the U.S. is a fraught business. To say the very least, U.S. authorities do not like oil in their harbors, and culprits can find themselves on the sharp end of some harsh penalties if negligence is proved.

07 Feb 2006

President’s Budget Requests Record Level of Funding for IWTF

President Bush’s FY 2007 proposed budget requests a record level of new federal funding for 11 Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF)-financed projects. The budget request proposes FY ’07 spending of $394 million for Inland Waterways Trust Fund financed projects, of which $197 million will come from the dedicated Inland Waterways Trust Fund. The remainder would come from general treasury funds, as required under current law. The President’s FY ‘07 budget request is the highest funding recommendation for IWTF funded projects since cost-sharing legislation was enacted into law in 1986. The proposed FY 2007 budget also requests record level federal funding for the entire U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works program of $4.733 billion.

13 Sep 2006

U.S. Barge Inks First Deal

U.S. Barge LLC, a company co-owned by Oregon Iron Works, Inc. (OIW) and Vigor Industrial LLC, has signed a contract for its first order. The company has agreed to build and deliver multiple bluewater, or ocean-going, barges to Young Brothers, Ltd. in Hawaii, with the first barge to be delivered in late September of 2007. U.S. Barge will invest approximately $8m in new equipment on Swan Island and in Clackamas, OR in order to build barges and other watercraft.