Matagorda Ship Channel News

These titles and headlines reference new contract opportunities listed on the SAM.gov contracting website which needs to be accessed directly to check for full details and instructions regarding follow up.•Locks 27 Miter Gate Anchorages Replacement on the Chain of Rocks Canal located in Granite City, Ill.•Olmsted Crane Barge Maintenance: Drydocking and Dockside Services.•FY22 USACE Environmental Services for Evaluation of Dredged Material, Galveston.•Excavator Barge Invitation for Bid…

A dredge barge that was taking on water has been intentionally grounded in the Matagorda Ship Channel near Port Lavaca, Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi were notified on Monday evening that the dredge barge Everett Fisher began taking on water. The towing vessel Dana Robyn pushed the bareg aground and recovered the four crewmembers aboard.No injuries or pollution have been reported.Coast Guard air and boat crews are on scene.

The United States Coast Guard said it responded to a natural gas pipeline fire near Port O'Connor, Texas, on Tuesday evening.The agency was notified of the incident by vessel Jonathon King Boyd, which was on fire after hitting a gas pipeline while conducting dredging operations.The Intracoastal Waterway is closed to traffic from mile marker 468 to 474 to include the Matagorda Ship Channel from the jetties to 7 nautical miles (13 km) inside the bay.The impacted pipeline has been secured and the remaining gas is residual, the Coast Guard said.Reporting by Apeksha Nair

This being the “Yearbook” edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, it would be remiss to not have coverage of LNG, one of the hottest fueling trends in maritime circles, particularly in North America. For a unique insight on a rapidly evolving market, MR caught up with Edward Scott, COO, Excelerate Energy, which is making big strides in the LNG Regasification sector, and recently received on the of the world’s largest and most capable units, the FSRU Experience which he touts as the world’s largest and most capable FSRU.

Oil spill responders from the Matagorda Incident Command Post in Port O’Connor, Texas, continue to implement their aggressive plans, Friday, intended to protect environmentally sensitive areas of the Matagorda Bay area against any impact from a portion of the oil spilled in Saturday’s ship-barge collision near Texas City, Texas. Effective at 10 a.m. today, the U.S. Coast Guard has lifted the safety zone, which had been in effect for the Matagorda Ship Channel from the sea buoy to the intersection of the ship channel with the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway…

The 32-ft. tow boat Iron Ox sank April 4 during a storm in the Matagorda Ship Channel. The storm's winds averaged 40 to 50 knots with gusts up to 60. No one was hurt and pollution is minimal, but the wreckage is blocking the ship channel. The Matagorda Ship Channel is the only access for large ships to the port of Point Comfort, Texas. Presently there are four ships awaiting transit. Investigators from U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Satellite Office Port Lavaca, Texas, are overseeing salvage operations and investigating the cause of the sinking. The Iron Ox sank while still attached by cable to the dredge it was tending, between channel markers 43 and 44, near Magnolia, Texas. The tow cable and heavy seas from the storm are slowing salvage operations.

The US Army Corps of Engineers has extended, until September 4, the comment period on the draft environmental impact statement for the Matagorda Ship Channel improvement project. A meeting to receive public comment on the plan will be held in Port Lavaca on August 9. Source: HK Law

The US Army Corps of Engineers will host a meeting in Port Lavaca, Texas on June 5 to receive public comment on the Matagorda Ship Channel Improvement Project. Written comments should be submitted by July 2. 72 Fed. Reg. 28032 Source: HK Law

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi will assess safety and security issues associated with liquefied natural gas tankers traveling in the Matagorda Ship Channel in order to make a recommendation to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding Calhoun LNG, L.P.'s proposal to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Calhoun County. The Coast Guard received official notification of Calhoun LNG, L.P.'s plans on March 14, 2005. "We plan to work very closely with local officials, members of our Harbor Safety Committee and the Area Maritime Security Committee in evaluating this proposal," said Captain Jake Korn, Coast Guard Captain of the Port at Sector Corpus Christi. FERC is responsible for authorizing the siting, construction, and operation of onshore LNG facilities.

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi will assess safety and security issues associated with liquefied natural gas tankers traveling in the Matagorda Ship Channel in order to make a recommendation to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding Calhoun LNG, L.P.'s proposal to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Calhoun County. The Coast Guard received official notification of Calhoun LNG, L.P.'s plans on March 14, 2005. "We plan to work very closely with local officials, members of our Harbor Safety Committee and the Area Maritime Security Committee in evaluating this proposal," said Captain Jake Korn, Coast Guard Captain of the Port at Sector Corpus Christi. FERC is responsible for authorizing the siting, construction, and operation of onshore LNG facilities.