Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Cook Inlet News

21 Sep 2023

US' MARAD Announces Grants to Boost Supply Chain Efficiency

File photo: U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (Photo: Harvey A. Duze – Office of Command Communications)

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) awarded nearly $12 million in grants to eight marine highway projects across the nation under the United States Marine Highway Program (USMHP). The funding will improve the movement of goods along our navigable waterways and expand existing waterborne freight services in Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin, which will strengthen supply chains and ultimately cut costs for consumers.“Our country has always relied on American waterways to get vital goods where they need to go,” said U.S.

03 Jan 2023

US Lease Sale off Alaska Coast Draws One Bid

© Paul / Adobe Stock

The U.S. government on Friday received just a single bid, from Hilcorp Alaska, for oil and gas drilling rights off the coast of Alaska the first federal auction in the region in more than five years.The offer of nearly 1 million acres in the Cook Inlet was among the concessions to the oil and gas sector included in President Joe Biden's signature climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).Under the law, the Interior Department is required to hold the sale by Dec. 31.

05 Dec 2022

Foss Charters Vessel from Tug Construction

Earl W Redd (Photo: Tug Construction, LLC)

Foss Maritime has reached a deal to bareboat charter the tug Earl W Redd from Tug Construction, LLC for use in the U.S. offshore wind industry.The Earl W Redd will sail from Portland, Ore. to Massachusetts later this month to begin work on Foss 's offshore wind projects, including Vineyard Wind, the first large-scale offshore wind installation in the U.S. "The Earl W Redd is a great addition to the Foss fleet and will allow our skilled mariners to safely accomplish complex projects," said Joel Whitman, President of Business Development Foss Offshore Wind.

21 Sep 2022

US Plans to Hold Cook Inlet Drilling Auction in December

© Photos by E Benz / Adobe Stock

The Biden administration on Wednesday revealed plans to hold an auction of oil and gas drilling rights for up to 1 million acres in the Cook Inlet off the coast of Alaska in December.The sale is among the concessions to the oil and gas sector included in U.S. President Joe Biden's new climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).Biden paused drilling auctions on federal lands and waters shortly after taking office as part of an agenda to fight climate change. But Senator Joe Manchin…

04 Jul 2022

Five-year Plan: U.S. to Hold Between Zero and 11 Offshore Drilling Lease Sales

Credit:  flyingrussian/AdobeStock

President Joe Biden's administration on Friday unveiled a five-year proposal for offshore oil and gas development in areas of existing production, and said the final plan may have anywhere from zero to 11 lease sales.The range of options, between two auctions a year and none at all, sought to balance the administration's efforts to fight climate change with its calls to increase oil and gas supplies in the face of soaring fuel prices.The proposed plan includes no more than 10 possible sales in the Gulf of Mexico and one in the Cook Inlet off the coast of Alaska…

28 Jun 2022

Cook Inlet Tug & Barge Adds Harbor Tug in Alaska

Dr Hank Kaplan (Photo: Cook Inlet Tug & Barge)

Alaska-based marine services frim Cook Inlet Tug & Barge said it has added another harbor tug to its fleet. The Dr Hank Kaplan is now homeported in Anchorage, where it entered service earlier this month.Built in 2017 by Diversified Marine Incorporated of Portland, Ore., the vessel is a RAmparts-2400 series tugboat designed by Robert Allan Ltd. The 5,350-hp tug is the first RAmparts-2400 built in North America with Caterpillar integrated propulsion systems featuring CAT engines and z-drives.

13 May 2022

NOIA: U.S. Gov't Move Against Offshore Oil & Gas Lease Sales 'Devastating to Americans'

An oil platform in Cook Inlet, Alaska/Image by Paul/AdobeStock

Erik Milito, president of the U.S. National Ocean Industries Association, said this week that the U.S. government's decision not to hold offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Cook Inlet was expected, but also "devastating to Americans.""This decision is not surprising at all. As early as March 2020, then-candidate Biden made it clear that he would stop federal oil and gas development if elected. This was followed by additional formal campaign declarations…

13 May 2022

U.S. Scraps Three Offshore Oil and Gas Lease Sales

©Troy V Smith/AdobeStock

The Biden administration on Wednesday said it would scrap three planned sales of offshore oil and gas leases in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico.In a statement, the Department of Interior said it was not moving forward with an auction for drilling rights in the Cook Inlet off the coast of Alaska "due to lack of industry interest in leasing in the area."It also said two sales in the Gulf of Mexico would be canceled due to "conflicting court rulings."The three sales were the last to be held under a 5-year plan for leasing in federal waters on the outer continental shelf.

06 Apr 2022

Dredging Commences in Port of Alaska

(Photo: USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District announced dredging in the Port of Alaska commenced on April 1.Seasonal dredging of the waterway aims to address heavy shoaling at the fuel docks and Terminal 3, the Corps said.Since the 1960s, the district has operated a dredge at the Port of Alaska to keep Cook Inlet safe for navigation by clearing built-up sediments on the seafloor that prevent large ships from coming through.This year’s vessel, the Westport, a 2,000-cubic-yard hopper dredge operated by Manson Construction…

22 Oct 2021

US Takes Step Toward Oil and Gas Auction Off Alaska Coast Next Year

© Paul / Adobe Stock

The Biden administration on Friday took a procedural step towards holding an auction for oil and gas drilling rights in the Cook Inlet off the coast of Alaska next year.The move is the latest effort by the U.S. Department of Interior to comply with a court order to resume oil and gas lease sales that President Joe Biden paused shortly after taking office in January.The Department of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said it would kick off a 45-day public comment period for the proposed sale's draft environmental analysis.

01 Apr 2021

Ready Your Salad Fork for Biden’s Offshore Energy Plans

© shaunwilkinson / Adobe Stock

In Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare coined the phrase “salad days” to mean a youthful time filled with unbridled enthusiasm and idealism. Indeed, youth, much like salad, is often raw, flavorful and most of all… green. Therefore, it is fitting to think of our present time as the salad days of offshore energy in the United States. Let’s dig in.Executive Order appetizersOn January 27, President Biden took early steps to implement his campaign promise to transition the United States away from fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy…

08 Jul 2020

Corps Continues Legacy of Dredging at Port of Alaska

The Westport, a red and white hopper dredge operated by Manson Construction, dredges near the Port of Alaska on April 3, 2019. From May 1 to Nov. 1 each year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes built-up sediment from the seafloor near the Port of Alaska to maintain shipping channels and dock access. An estimated 50 percent of all goods entering Alaska come through this port. (Photo: U.S. Army)

All summer long, a crimson and white boat moves back and forth through the waters near the Port of Alaska collecting silt, sand and gravel off the seafloor to allow vessels to navigate the harbor in Anchorage. The boat is a dredging vessel called the Westport, operated by Manson Construction of Seattle, Wash., which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District contracted to maintain the mooring areas for the past three years.An estimated 2,400 to 2,600 cargo containers arrive…

12 Mar 2020

CITB Adds Shallow-draft Tug in Alaska

(Image: CITB)

Cook Inlet Tug and Barge (CITB) is adding a versatile shallow draft tugboat, the Bristol Wind, to its fleet in mid-April. The uniquely designed tug will join her sister vessel, the Capt. Frank Moody, in support of the construction, and oil and gas industries' remote cargo transportation needs along the Arctic coastline."Drawing just 3.2 feet, the Bristol Wind is uniquely designed to operate efficiently as a coastal tug. She has the unique ability to lighten the draft when water…

17 Jul 2019

CITB Expands North Slope Operations

image credit: CITB

Cook Inlet Tug & Barge (CITB), an independently managed subsidiary of Foss Maritime Company, has announced that operations on Alaska’s North Slope are officially underway for the 2019 ice-free season. Three newly acquired tugs, along with barges and shore equipment, will be operating out of Prudhoe Bay for approximately the next three months.“It is great to see these vessels on the water and ready to work,” said Jeff Johnson, President of CITB. “These shallow-draft tugs and barges…

17 Jan 2019

Cook Inlet Tug & Barge Acquiring Assets on Alaska’s North Slope

John Parrott (Photo: Foss Maritime)

Cook Inlet Tug & Barge (CITB), an independently managed subsidiary of Foss Maritime Company, entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Crowley Vessel Sales Group and completed the purchase of all of Crowley’s Prudhoe Bay, Alaska assets – including tugs, barges, heavy machinery and other vehicles and equipment.“These assets are already positioned on the North Slope,” said John Parrott, President and CEO of Foss. “They are operationally ready to perform shallow draft tug and…

04 Jan 2019

Cook Inlet Tug & Barge Announces Interim Manager

Amber Thomas, interim Business Operations Manager for Anchorage. (Image: Foss)

Project Manager to Temporarily Lead Alaska Operations. Cook Inlet Tug & Barge (CITB), an independently managed subsidiary of Foss Maritime Company, announced that Foss project manager Amber Thomas has been selected as interim Business Operations Manager for Anchorage. Beginning January 2, Thomas will serve as the central point person for administrative and commercial operations, leading all shoreside activities in Anchorage and Seward. Thomas will take on the temporary position while the search continues for a new president to replace former CITB head Ben Stevens.

29 Oct 2018

Foss Redeploys Hybrid Harbor Tug to Anchorage

5,000 HP workhorse to enter Alaska service this month.The Bering Wind, a powerful Dolphin Class tugboat, is being transferred from the Foss fleet in Long Beach, California to Cook Inlet Tug & Barge in Anchorage. The tug, formerly known as the Campbell Foss, is scheduled to begin service in Anchorage this month.The vessel was renamed in October of this year and is scheduled to enter service in Alaska in approximately November 15, 2018. “The addition of the Bering Wind to our Anchorage based fleet of tugs will improve our current level of service in the Port,” said Ben Stevens, president of Cook Inlet Tug and Barge. “It will also ensure…

23 May 2018

Tim Bush Promoted to Crowley VP, Deputy General Counsel

Crowley Maritime Corp. has announced that Tim Bush has been promoted to vice president and deputy general counsel. In his new position, Bush will help support the company’s growth as a provider of solutions for the U.S. government and various public-sector agencies. He will be based in Houston and report to Michael Roberts, senior vice president and general counsel. “Tim is an outstanding lawyer, and adds a great deal of value to the Crowley team,” Roberts said. Bush will continue to serve as Crowley’s lead attorney on several large projects for the U.S government, including the Defense Freight Transportation Services (DFTS) contract for the U.S.

30 Jan 2018

Alaska Requests Limits on US Offshore Drilling

© eqroy / Adobe Stock

Alaska Governor Bill Walker said on Tuesday he has asked U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to pare back a Trump administration plan for oil and gas leasing off the state's coast. While Walker supports offshore oil development, he said the Interior Department should focus on the most prospective areas off Alaska – the Beaufort and Chukchi seas in the Arctic and Cook Inlet in southern Alaska – and drop all others from the leasing plan. In asking for proposed lease sales to be dropped…

19 May 2017

BOEM Offers Cook Inlet Blocks Offshore Alaska

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced it will offer approximately 1.09 million acres off Alaska’s southcentral coast in a lease sale scheduled for June 21. Cook Inlet Oil & Gas Lease Sale 244 will offer 224 blocks toward the northern part of the federal Cook Inlet Planning Area for leasing. The blocks stretch roughly from Kalgin Island in the north to Augustine Island in the south. “We conducted a robust environmental analysis and look forward to holding Alaska’s first OCS lease sale since 2008,” said Dr. Walter Cruickshank, BOEM’s acting director. Livestreaming a lease sale enables BOEM to deliver pertinent bid information immediately to a broad national and international audiences, making it unnecessary to attend the lease sale in person.

26 Feb 2017

BOEM : Potential Cook Inlet Lease Sale

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced it plans to offer approximately 1.09 million acres in Cook Inlet off Alaska’s southcentral coast in a proposed lease sale this year. Cook Inlet Oil & Gas Lease Sale 244, scheduled to take place in June 2017, would offer 224 blocks toward the northern part of the Cook Inlet Planning Area for leasing. The blocks stretch roughly from Kalgin Island in the north to Augustine Island in the south. “Following a robust environmental analysis, we are moving forward with the Lease Sale 244 process,” said Walter Cruickshank, BOEM’s acting director. The Proposed Notice of Sale is available now at www.boem.gov/ak244. A Notice of Availability will be published Monday, Feb. 27 in the Federal Register Reading Room, and on Tuesday, Feb.

05 Apr 2017

Oil Firm Penalized by DOJ for Jones Act Violation

Alaska Oil Company Agrees to Pay $10 Million in Penalties to Settle Federal Claims for Violating the Jones Act. Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced today that Furie Operating Alaska LLC (“Furie”), a company whose focus is exploration and production of natural gas and oil in Cook Inlet, has agreed to pay $10 million to satisfy a civil penalty originally assessed against it by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) for violating the Jones Act. Furie was penalized when it transported the Spartan 151 jack-up drill rig from the Gulf of Mexico to Alaska in 2011 using a foreign flagged vessel without acquiring a waiver of the Jones Act from the Secretary of Homeland Security. This resolves a civil lawsuit filed by Furie in 2012 challenging the assessment of the civil penalty.

18 Nov 2016

Obama Administration Bars New Oil, Gas Exploration off Alaska

A drilling ship Polar Pioneer in the Chukchi Sea, August 2015 (Photo: Mark Fink / Shell)

The Obama administration on Friday blocked new exploration for oil and gas in Arctic waters, in a win for environmental groups that had fought development of the ecologically fragile region. The Department of the Interior released a 2017 to 2022 leasing plan that blocked drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off northern Alaska. It also limited petroleum development in the Cook Inlet off south-central Alaska. Environmental activists have battled drilling in Alaska to protect whales, walruses and seals, and as part of a broader movement to keep remaining fossil fuels in the ground.