First Tow Through Lock 2 Kicks Off Navigation Season on the Mississippi
The first towboat of 2024 passed through Lock and Dam 2, in Hastings, Minn. on Sunday, signaling the start of this year's navigation season on the Mississippi River.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' St. Paul District said it considers the first tow to arrive at Lock and Dam 2 as the unofficial start of the Mississippi River navigation season, because it means all of its locks are accessible to commercial and recreational vessels.On Sunday, Marquette Transportation Company's Joseph Patrick Eckstein traveled through the lock with 12 barges en route to St.
Texas A&M to Reduce Tuition For Merchant Mariner License Students
Texas A&M University at Galveston said it will reduce fees for current and future out-of-state students seeking a merchant mariner license from the Texas A&M Maritime Academy, in an effort that aims to help the maritime industry fill worsening labor gaps.Texas A&M Maritime Academy students earn their U.S. Coast Guard license while completing one of several license-option four-year bachelor’s degree programs at Texas A&M at Galveston.Effective September 1, under a new three-tiered fee structure approved by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents…
Herculaneum Port Site Cleared for Redevelopment as Intermodal Hub
A 300-acre property along the Mississippi River in Herculaneum, Missouri recently received Port District zoning making way for redevelopment as an intermodal transportation hub and industrial park.Located on the shipping lanes of the Mississippi River, the site has been utilized since the 1700s as a port. With its easy access for barge loading and offloading and the site’s proximity to early lead mines in adjacent Washington County, under early French ownership the port was utilized to ship lead cannonballs and shot to Europe to support Napolean’s army.
Pilot Miscue Caused Barging Collision on the Mississippi River -NTSB
A towing vessel pilot incorrectly recalling the agreed-upon passing arrangement led to tows colliding last year in the Mississippi River, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.According to the Inland Navigation Rules, when two vessels are meeting or crossing, each vessel shall signal its maneuvering intentions by using the vessel’s whistle or VHF radio. About 20 minutes before the 19-barge Big D tow and 42-barge Carol McManus tow met at the bend near Fort Adams…
Insights: Blake Powell, JMS Naval Architects
Blake Powell, president at JMS Naval Architects, discusses his career, company and latest trends in naval architecture and marine engineering.Please give a brief professional bio, including education, experience and overview of current duties as president of JMS Naval Architects.I earned my degree in Naval Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley where I attended on a Navy ROTC scholarship and was commissioned as a Diving and Salvage Officer after I graduated.
Bisso's New Tractor Tug to Enter Service This Spring
A new tugboat is slated to enter service for Bisso Towboat this Spring.The Luling, La. based marine towage provider has been working with Main Iron Works to update its fleet, replacing a conventional tug with a tractor tug about every 18 months. In late 2022, the Houma, La. shipbuilder began building a new tractor tug Mr. Brian—the sixth azimuth stern drive (ASD) tractor tug built by Main Iron Works for Bisso in the past eight years.Named after Bisso’s vice president of operations Brian Cyprowski…
APM Terminals to Develop Container Terminal at Plaquemines Port
Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District announced it signed a letter of intent (LOI) with APM Terminals (APMT) to build a container terminal on the West Bank of Plaquemines Parish, La.Plaquemines Port will lease the land to APM under a 30-year agreement with extension options. APMT, one of the largest terminal operators in the world and is a subsidiary of shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, estimates the initial investment in terminal infrastructure will be approximately $500 million…
Hunt Valve to Equip USCG Polar Security Cutter
Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management (Arcline), announced it has been awarded a purchase order to provide motor-operated valves (MOVs) through Hunt Valve for the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) Polar Sentinel (WMSP-21). The cutter is the first of three multi-mission vessels that will comprise the Polar Security Cutter program, which is intended to supplement the USCG’s missions in the Arctic as well as Operation Deep Freeze in the Antarctic.“Every ship has a crucial role to play in advancing American interests at sea…
Jonathan Daniels to Lead Port of Baltimore
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld has announced Jonathan Daniels as the new executive director of the Maryland Department of Transportation’s Maryland Port Administration. Daniels comes to Maryland after serving as chief executive officer and director at Port Everglades in Broward County, Fla., and has more than 30 years of port and economic development experience.Daniels will begin in his new position February 5, taking over from Brian Miller, who has been serving…
US Gulf of Mexico oil Auction is Largest Since 2015
A Biden administration auction of Gulf of Mexico drilling rights raised $382 million on Wednesday as oil companies claimed offshore acreage for what is set to be the last time until 2025.The auction total was the highest of any federal offshore oil and gas lease sale since 2015, according to a Reuters tally.Shell, Hess, Anadarko, BP, Chevron, Repsol and Equinor were among the 26 companies that participated in the sale.Anadarko had the auction's highest bid of more than $25 million for a block in the deepwater Mississippi Canyon area, according to an online broadcast of the sale by the U.S.
$73.77 Million Grant a Boost for Port NOLA & Inland Waterway Shipping
The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) will receive $73.77 million from the federal government to assist in building the Louisiana International Terminal (LIT) project, which will provide a gateway for cargo movement on U.S. inland waterways including the Mississippi River.The U.S. Department of Transportation has alerted Congress that it intends to award this funding through its MEGA Grant Program, which will support the first phase of the overall $1.8 billion project’s construction and is in addition to significant funding commitments from private industry partners and Port NOLA.
Upper Miss Navigation Season Draws to a Close
The 2023 navigation season has drawn to a close on the Upper Mississippi River.A 15-barge tow pushed by the towboat Thomas Erickson, the last of the season, departed Lock and Dam 10, near Guttenberg, Iowa, December 3, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District said.The 2023 season commence March 12, when the towboat Phillip M Pfeffer broke its way through the ice of Lake Pepin to travel to St. Paul, Minnesota.With the 2023 navigation season in the rearview, St. Paul District staff will remain busy this coming winter with maintenance projects at Lock and Dam 2…
US Coast Guard Responds to Another GoM Oil Spill
The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it was responding to an oil discharge near the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) Co's pipeline system in the Gulf of Mexico, while the main pipeline and several surrounding ones remained shut in."The reported sheen is being investigated and has not been confirmed to be associated with the November 16 observed initial discharge," the Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard had not yet identified any damage or indication of a leak after surveying the entire length of the pipeline along with 22.16 miles (36 km) of surrounding pipelines.
Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Shuts in Around 3% of Daily Output
Around 61,165 barrels of daily oil output from at least six producers, making up about 3% of crude oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, has been shut in by Third Coast Infrastructure's underwater pipeline leak, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday.The oil producers whose facilities are impacted include W&T Energy, Occidental Petroleum, Walter Oil and Gas, Cantium, Arena Offshore and Talos Energy Ventures, the Coast Guard said, citing the U.S. Interior Department's Bureau of…
1 Million+ Gallons: Pipeline Leaking Oil in the Gulf of Mexico
The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday said it was still looking for the source of a leak from an underwater pipeline off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico that it estimated had released more than a million gallons of crude oil.The 67-mile long pipeline was closed by Main Pass Oil Gathering Co (MPOG) on Thursday morning, after crude oil was spotted around 19 miles offshore of the Mississippi River Delta, near Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans."Overflight teams observed visible oil Friday moving southwest away from the Louisiana shore…
US Awards More than $653 Million for Port Projects
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced over $653 million to fund 41 port improvement projects across the nation under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).The investments—part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history, nearly $17 billion through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—are intended to help grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports and inland…
SEACOR Sells Its Inland River Business to Ingram
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. based SEACOR Holdings Inc. announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its inland river transportation and logistics business to Ingram Barge Company LLC, a division of Nashville-based Ingram Marine Group.Part of the SEACOR family of businesses for over two decades, Inland River Transport Holdings LLC (SCF) includes more than 1,000 covered dry cargo hopper barges, eight 6,000-plus horsepower towboats and a network of terminal and fleeting infrastructure along the Mississippi River.“I am extremely pleased to enter this transaction with Ingram…
Schneider Named Engineering Director at Bollinger Mississippi Shipyard
Bollinger Shipyards announced it has hired Nathan Schneider as Director of Engineering for its Bollinger Mississippi Shipyard (BMS). As Director of Engineering, Schneider will be responsible for leading the BMS Engineering Department in support of various Department of Defense and commercial new construction programs.“As we continue to grow and expand to meet the changing needs of our customers, it’s important that the leadership team and broader organization evolve to meet those demands and provide the highest levels of quality…
Mississippi River Lowered Near Minneapolis for Dam Maintenance
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, have lowered the Mississippi River water elevations between Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam 1, both in Minneapolis, from October 13.Corps officials plan to maintain the lower river elevations through October 30, to allow Twin Cities Hydro, LLC, to inspect and repair the rubber dam atop the spillway at Lock and Dam 1, also known as the Ford Dam.To access the rubber dam, the water levels need to be lowered approximately one foot below the spillway crest for approximately two weeks.
Markey Wins Deal to Refurbish Winches for NOAA Research Vessel
Seattle-based deck machinery company Markey Machine said it has recently secured a contract from Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding for winch refurbishment aboard NOAA research vessel Ronald H. Brown. The three Markey oceanographic winches that have been aboard for 27 years will receive varied upgrades.“NOAA is working to maximize the service life of each of its vessels, in part by investing in mid-life repairs,” said Jamie LeCompte, NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown project manager.
C&C Reports Record Demand for Barge Repair
Belle Chasse, La. shipyard C&C Marine and Repair said it is seeing record demand for barge repair work as high steel prices place a damper on newbuild activity.The yard, having recently signed a contract to reside over 200 hopper barges for an unnamed customer, said it is currently delivering refurbished hopper barges at a pace of one per week.“With current steel prices, operators are choosing to repair their existing fleet of barges rather than building new,” said C&C Marine and Repair’s owner Tony Cibilich.
USS Jack H Lucas (DDG 125) Commissioned
DDG 125 is named for Pfc. Jack Lucas, who served in the U.S. Marines during World War II, earning the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Iwo Jima, when he was just 17 years old. He is the youngest Marine, and the youngest service member in World War II, to be awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor. In 1961, he returned to military service as a captain in the U.S. Army and trained younger troops headed for Vietnam. Lucas passed away on June 5, 2008, in Hattiesburg…
Mississippi River Near Historic Lows, Grain Exports at Risk
A key stretch of the lower Mississippi River dropped this week to within inches of its lowest-ever level and is expected to remain near historic lows just as the busiest U.S. grain export season gets underway, according to the National Weather Service.Low water has slowed hauling of export-bound corn and soybean barges over recent weeks as shippers lightened loads to prevent vessels from running aground and reduced the number of barges they haul at one time to navigate a narrower shipping channel.The water woes come at the worst possible time for U.S.