Oil Tank Barge News

Canada's Island Tug and Barge (ITB) christened the second of two new ATB tugs, the Island Regent, at its headquarters in Burnaby.The Island Regent was designed by acclaimed Robert Allan Ltd. naval architects and marine engineers of Vancouver, B.C. to be paired with ITB’s double-hulled oil tank barge, the ITB Reliant, as an articulated tug and barge (ATB), said a press release from the subsidiary of Tidewater Canada.Bob Curcio, Tidewater President and CEO said: “The first ATB, the Island Raider and ITB Resolution, has performed exceptionally well in its first year of service. We are excited to have the Island Regent and ITB Reliant joining it soon.

Island Raider, the newest articulating tug in Island Tug and Barge’s (ITB) fleet, was christened September 28, during an afternoon ceremony at ITB’s headquarters in Burnaby, B.C.The new vessel is first of two in a series built by on-site at ITB’s Annacis Island facility along the Fraser River. The Island Raider, along with its sister the Island Regent (delivery February, 2019), was designed by renown Robert Allan Limited naval architects and marine engineers of Vancouver, B.C. to be paired with ITB’s double-hulled oil tank barge, the ITB Resolution, as an articulated tug and barge (ATB).

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) informs it is currently completing the detail design phase of a 399’ x 74’ x 30’ 80,000 BBL double hull oil tank barge and a 120’ x 40’ x 18’- 6” twin screw ocean service tug. Both vessels are currently being built under ABS survey at Conrad Shipyard, L.L.C. in Amelia, La. with a 2015/2016 delivery date. The new ATB Gulf Venture and Gulf Carrier will be operated domestically and internationally by John W. Stone Oil Distributor to support the continually expanding shore bases as well as offshore operations.

Bollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., Amelia, La., a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company, has delivered Bollinger hull # 561, B. No. 264, a double hull 60,000 BBL oil tank barge built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90) to Bouchard Ocean Services, Inc., Melville, N.Y. Barge B. No. 264 is a manned ocean, clean oil tank barge measuring 350-ft long, with a 70-ft beam and a depth of 25-ft. The barge is built to, and certified by American Bureau of Shipping…

Lockport, La., Bollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company, has delivered the M 6000, a 55,000 barrel (bbl) Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90) compliant tank barge, to Midstream Fuel Service, L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of Martin Resource Management Corporation. Contract terms and conditions were not disclosed. The 55,000 bbl tank barge, M 6000, was built at Bollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., in Amelia, La. and is a Bollinger design. The M 6000 is a clean oil barge that is classed and certified ABS + A1 Oil Tank Barge, Manned Ocean Services.

Statia Victory, a 35,000 BBL, 290-ft Double Hull Tank Barge designed by Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) has recently been completed and delivered by Orange Shipbuilding Co., Inc. (OSB) in Orange, Texas, a division of Conrad Industries, Inc. The barge, OSB hull #403, is similar to several previous BHGI designs and a close sister vessel to OSB hull numbers 395, 396, 397, and 400. The Statia Victory incorporates numerous modifications to piping systems, deck layout, mooring and fendering arrangements to suit owner-specific needs for bunkering and lightering processes.

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI), has been contracted by Metal Trades, Inc. of Hollywood, South Carolina to design two 14,000 BBL Double Hull Oil Tank Barges to carry ‘D’ and ‘E’ grade fuels for the U.S. Navy. Metal Trades is building the new barges as a sub-contractor to Maybank Industries, LLC based in Charleston, SC. The 200.f ft x 52 ft x 16.5 ft sister vessels are fully compliant with the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and are classed ABS Maltese Cross A1 Oil Tank Barge Unmanned Ocean Service. The first hull, YON 330, has been built and delivered to begin service at the U.S. Naval Fuel Depot.

Lockport, La., Bollinger Gretna, L.L.C. of Harvey, La., a Bollinger shipyard, has delivered B. No. 284, a double hull 80,000 bbl oil tank barge built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90) to Bouchard Ocean Services, Melville, N.Y. Barge B. No. 284 is a manned ocean, clean oil tank barge measuring 399-ft, 11-inches long, with a 74-ft beam and a depth of 28-ft, 6-inches. The barge is built to, and certified by, American Bureau of Shipping and United States Coast Guard to meet the requirements of OPA’90 with 12 cargo compartments and three separate pumping systems.

Bollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company, has delivered B. No. 262, a double hull 60,000 BBL oil tank barge built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90) to Bouchard Ocean Services, Inc., Melville, NY. Barge B. No. 262 is a manned ocean, clean oil tank barge measuring 350 ft long, with a 70 ft beam and a depth of 25 ft. The barge is built to, and certified by American Bureau of Shipping and United States Coast Guard to meet the requirements of OPA’90 with ten cargo compartments and two separate pumping systems.

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…

Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) was recently awarded two design jobs for two separate repeat clients from Puerto Rico. Harbor Bunkering Corporation has commissioned BHGI to design another double hull oil tank barge. BHGI has designed two barges for the San Juan bunkering business in the past. In 2004, BHGI designed the 30,000 BBLS double hull oil barge Enterprise for Harbor Bunkering Corporation, and in 2005 they designed a 60,000 BBLS barge that is still to be built. The new barge for Harbor Bunkering is to be another 30…

Bollinger Marine Fabricators (BMF), a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company, has delivered B. No. 233, the second of two double hull, 35,000 barrel (BBL) oil tank barge units built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90), to Bouchard Ocean Services, Melville, N.Y. The B. No. 233 is a manned, clean oil, oceans tank barge measuring 300-feet long, with a 64-foot beam and a depth of 21-feet. The barge has ten cargo tanks, with Byron Jackson cargo pumps, driven by John Deere engines.

The term short-sea shipping comes up aplenty these days, as the powers-that-be rediscover the practicalities and the economies of waterborne transport. The thinking is renewed and the interest revitalized, but for a lot of harbors nationwide it's deja vu. Take the island city of New York, and the multitudes of communities near and far that are joined to it by inland waters—the rivers, sounds, creeks, streams—all the way up to Albany, to Waterford and the Canal system, and to everything beyond that. There's nothing new about the short-sea shipping principle around here.

Bollinger Marine Fabricators has delivered the Energy 6508, double hull, oil tank barge built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90), to Hornbeck Offshore Transportation. The delivery of the Energy 6508 was preceded by the delivery of the Energy 6506 and Energy 6507 earlier in 2007. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.The 60,000 BBL capacity Energy 6508 measures 362 x 60 x 29 ft. The series of barges are OPA’90 compliant, classed by ABS to the requirements of the Maltese Cross A1, unmanned oceans, and manned special service.

Bollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company, has signed a contract for the design and new construction of a 55,000 barrel (BBL) Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90) compliant tank barge, with Martin Midstream Partners, LP. Contract terms and conditions were not disclosed. The announcement was made by Bollinger executive vice president of new construction, Chris Bollinger. The 55,000 BBL tank barge, M 6000, will be built at Bollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., in Amelia, Louisiana.

Moody's Investors Service said it has affirmed K-Sea Transportation Partners LP's non-investment grade debt ratings, which were under review for possible downgrade after a $205 million acquisition, according to a report on http://money.cnn.com. K-Sea shares jumped $2.10, or 5.9 percent, to $37.58 in afternoon trading. The stock has traded between $33.90 and $48.50 during the past 52 weeks. The ratings service began its review of the oil tank barge operator's ratings on June 27, after the company announced it had agreed to acquire transportation operators Smith Maritime Ltd. and Sirius Maritime LLC for $205 million.

Halter Marine, Inc. the vessel segment of Friede Goldman Halter, Inc. announced that it has signed a contract with an undisclosed customer to build a 332' x 74' x 25', double-skin, clean oil tank barge with an estimated 80,000 BBL capacity. This vessel meets the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). This barge is similar in design to one currently under construction at the Halter Gulfport, Miss. facility. Construction will begin at Halter's Gulfport, Miss. facility and take approximately 12 months. Although no new jobs will be created, the project is expected to sustain the facility's current workforce. In recent years, Halter has built 88 similar barges, and currently holds contracts and options for an additional 8 vessels.

The Manitowoc Company, Inc. through its subsidiary, Bay Shipbuilding Co., part of Manitowoc's Marine Group, has been awarded a contract from Moran Towing Corporation to build two ocean-class, double-hull, hot oil tank barges. The first barge is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2004, and the second in the second quarter of 2005. Other contract terms were not disclosed. Each of the 110,000-barrel capacity barges will measure 425 feet in length by 78 feet in width and will be configured with 10 cargo compartments serviced by three diesel-driven, deep-well cargo pumps. The barges will also feature a stern notch and an Intercon coupling system, which will link the units to customer-supplied tugs.

Halter Marine has launched the Capella (the brightest star in the constellation Auriga) an 80,000-barrel tank barge for J&L, Inc. The barge, the first project Halter has undertaken for J&L, was built at Halter’s Gulfport, Miss. Yard. Delivery is planned for August 30. The barge is 332 ft. long, with a beam of 74 ft. and a depth of 25 ft. The barge is built to U.S. Coast Guard standards under Sub-chapter D, as a tank barge certified to carry Grade A or lower bulk petroleum products. The barge also qualifies to be certified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) under the +A1 Oil Tank Barge designation. The facility, technical, managerial and manpower assets of the Halter business unit are in the process of being transferred to VT Kinetics.

Bollinger Gulf Repair L.L.C., a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., shipyard, has completed the retrofit of a Bouchard Coastwise Management Co., tug and barge to an articulated (ATB) unit utilizing the Intercon Coupler System. The 446-foot, 125,000 BBL (barrel) black oil Barge B. No.175 which was renamed Barge B. No.275, was transformed from a single hull to double hull vessel to meet the requirements of OPA ‘90. Her stern was modified with the matching Intercon ladder to accept the bow of the 127-foot tug CAPT. FRED BOUCHARD, which was retrofitted with ram assemblies of the Intercon system.

The Bollinger built 35,000 BBL tank barge B. Bollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C. delivered B. No. 231, the first of two double hull, 35,000 barrel (BBL) oil tank barge units built to meet OPA’90 requirements to Bouchard Coastwise Management. Morton S. Bouchard III, president and CEO of Bouchard Affiliates, said “The delivery of the B. No. 231 is another step forward for Bouchard, and our commitment to our customers to provide the highest quality equipment that meets their changing needs. The B. No. 231 is a manned, clean oil, oceans tank barge measuring 300-ft. long, with a 64-ft. beam and a depth of 21-ft.. The barge has ten cargo tanks, with Byron Jackson cargo pumps, driven by John Deere engines.

The Bollinger built 35,000 BBL tank barge B. No 231 sails past the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge entering New York Harbor as the latest addition to the growing OPA’90 compliant fleet of Bouchard TransportationBollinger Marine Fabricators, L.L.C., Amelia, La., a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company, has delivered B. No. 231, the first of two double hull, 35,000 barrel (BBL) oil tank barge units built to meet the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90), to Bouchard Ocean Services, Melville, N.Y. The B. No. 231 is a manned, clean oil, oceans tank barge measuring 300-ft. long, with a 64-ft. beam and a depth of 21-feet. The barge has ten cargo tanks, with Byron Jackson cargo pumps, driven by John Deere engines.

Pictured is Bouchard’s B. No. 295 and Bouchard Girls, converted and retrofitted by Bollinger Gulf Repair and Bollinger Algiers, as an OPA’90 compliant ATB unit. Bollinger Gulf Repair, L.L.C. and Bollinger Algiers, L.L.C, two Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., shipyards, have completed the retrofit and conversion of a Bouchard Coastwise Management Co., barge and tug, respectfully, to an articulated tug and barge (ATB) unit utilizing the Intercon Coupler System. At Bollinger Gulf Repair, the 446-foot, black oil Barge B. No.195 which has been renamed Barge B. No.295, was transformed from a single hull to double hull vessel to meet the requirements of OPA'90. The B. No. 295 measures 468-foot x 85.5-foot x 38.1-foot, with sixteen (16) cargo tanks.