Pelican Island News

As oil exploration and production goes, so goes the market for Offshore Service Vessels (OSVs) and Platform Supply Vessels (PSVs). Throughout 2025, the prices of oil- which drives exploration and production (E & P), have softened, moving down towards $60/barrel amidst economic uncertainty and a wider than anticipated opening of the taps by major oil producers. In the past year, the Baker Hughes overall count of U.S. rigs working has declined. September 2025’s U.S. Rig count of…

An oil spill from a runaway barge that struck a bridge near Galveston has been contained, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday.At approximately 10 a.m. Wednesday, Martin Marine's barge MMLP 321 broke loose due to a break in the coupling and allided with the Pelican Island Causeway bridge, which connects Galveston Island and Pelican Island in Texas.There were no reports of injuries or any people in the water, officials said.One of the barge's cargo tanks became compromised as a result of the allision, causing an unknown quantity of vacuum gas oil to spill into the water.

A section of the busy Gulf Intercoastal Waterway has been closed to vessel traffic after a barge allided with a bridge that connects Galveston to Pelican Island, officials said on Wednesday.The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston were notified of the allision at 9:50 a.m. and that the cause of the incident is under investigation. The barge, owned by Martin Petroleum, is believed to be a runaway that broke loose from a tow.There were no known injuries…

Authorities in Galveston, Texas say they have found what is believed to be the remains of a Texas A&M Maritime Academy cadet who has been missing since Wednesday.Texas A&M-Galveston officials said they were notified by the Galveston Police Department Friday afternoon that a body found on Pelican Island near the Galveston Campus is believed to be missing cadet Brandon Lee Perlowski, though the identification has not been confirmed.The news comes less than 24 hours after another student was found deceased in his residence hall room Thursday night.

When maritime stakeholders think about dredging, they typically first conjure up visions of harbor deepening projects to accommodate those giant, post-Panamax boxships. Conversely, inland players hope for maintenance dredging in the heartland to keep the nation’s 31,000 cargo barges afloat as they head for the coast. But, there is much more to it than that. In Louisiana, dredging, of course, keeps Louisiana's waterways open for navigation, provides material for coastal restoration and helps industrial plants with drainage. The biggest projects are sponsored by the U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard is ramping up efforts to clean oil in the Ports of Texas City and Galveston Wednesday, as expected afternoon weather will likely hinder or cease operations due to safety concerns for responders. Storms may keep responders from being able to safely collect oil on the water and along the shoreline. Response efforts will focus heavily on cleaning Pelican Island and north to the Texas City Dike until weather makes operations too hazardous for responders. The weather is also expected to flush out pockets of oil that were unreachable to responders over the past few days. Once weather abates, responders will be re-assessing the area to update cleanup plans for immediate action.

The Coast Guard informs that it continues clean up operations in the Port of Houston/Galveston after having authorized limited marine traffic in the safety zone for commercial ship traffic, Tuesday. The Port Coordination Team is prioritizing ships for transit through the channel. Barges are being allowed to transit through the Houston Ship Channel and on the Intracoastal Waterway, after assessment teams deemed the channel clear. Cleanup efforts focused heavily on the environmentally sensitive lagoon area of East Beach Tuesday.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has authorized limited marine traffic in the safety zone in the Port of Houston/Galveston for commercial ship traffic, Tuesday. Cleanup operations are still ongoing; however ships are being prioritized for transit by the Port Coordination Team. The USCG said barges are allowed to transit through the Houston Ship Channel and on the Intracoastal Waterway, after assessment teams deemed the channel clear. "The cleanup operations progress is to the point…

The Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced that it awarded $67m in grants to Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas and their political subdivisions in 2009 through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP). Created by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the CIAP provides funding to the six Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas producing states to mitigate the impacts of energy development on marine and coastal areas. MMS awarded funds to the eligible states in 2009 for 86 projects - Alabama, three; Alaska, 14; Louisiana, 29, Mississippi, 20; and Texas, 20. California’s first grant award is expected in the coming weeks. The majority of the projects focus on conservation…

OMNI Energy Service Corp. announced that Ronald D. Mogel has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company and is expected to begin in the middle of January, 2008. Mogel joins OMNI from Horizon Offshore Inc., a Nasdaq listed company that was acquired by Cal Dive International, Inc. in December 2007 for $628 million. Mr. Mogel most recently served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Horizon. He also acted as the company's Director and Vice President of International Accounting and Tax from 1999 to 2005. Previously, Mr. Mogel served as the Vice President of Finance at Newpark Shipbuilding- Pelican Island, Inc., and from 1995 to 1998 he occupied the role of CFO at John E. Chance & Associates.

Global Marine Drilling Company has awarded a contract to Newpark Shipbuilding for the fabrication and outfitting of two electrical equipment houses for the drillship Glomar Jack Ryan. The buildings, which are being assembled at Newpark's West Pelican Island Facility, will then be barged to Houston for transport to Ireland where the vessel is currently undergoing construction.

Providing ship repair, conversion, new construction and related services for barges and other vessels, FirstWave/Newpark Shipbuilding has garnered three new contracts. Pleiades Shipping Agents awarded the company for collision damage repair of 55,000-dwt vessel, MT Nestos. The ship, which sustained damage on its port side near the bow and just above the waterline, underwent repairs at the company's East Pelican Island facility. FirstWave has also been granted a contract by East Boston-based Sterling Equipment for the construction of two 140 x 40 ft. offshore deck barges scheduled for delivery in 1999. In addition, the company will also repair the mat on the Phoenix VI rig for Rio Grande Supply Company. The jack-up rig was loaded on heavy lift barge Boa 16, to make the repairs.

The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) has disbursed $65 million to six coastal states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. This is the fourteenth installment in a series of annual payments based on 1985 settlement legislation regarding the allocation of royalties, rents and bonuses from certain federal offshore oil and gas leases. The 1978 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act Amendments provided for certain coastal states and the federal government to share revenues earned from OCS leases, generally, three to six miles beyond a state's coastal boundary. This area, known as the 8(g) zone, is named after the enabling paragraph of that legislation.

FirstWave/Newpark Shipbuilding was granted two contracts from Marine Drilling Company. The Marine Rig 202 arrived from Singapore on June 26 for skirt repairs and replacement to the rig mat. The Marine Rig 201 - also from Singapore arrived at Newpark's East Pelican Island Facility June 28 for minor repairs and loadout.

Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, La., has signed a contract to build two, 250-ft., double hull, jumbo coastwise service, single rake hopper barges for Tide Leasing, LLC, Birmingham, Ala. Construction has begun on the first barge and building of the second vessel will begin in August. Both are scheduled for delivery in November 2000. Overall, each barge will be 250 ft. in length, with a 52.5-ft. beam and 14-ft. depth and 11.5 ft. maximum draft. They will be built with .75-in. steel at the hopper bottoms and .625-in. steel at the hopper sides plus .5-in. T-1 liner plates on the bottom and upper sides of the hopper. Each will be able to carry up to 3,000 metric tons of coal and will operate out of Santa Marta, Colombia. Shearer and Associates, Inc., Metairie, La.

FirstWave/Newpark Shipbuilding has been awarded a contract from Global Marine Drilling Company of Houston, Texas for final commissioning of drilling equipment and other miscellaneous completion work on the newbuild drillship Glomar Jack Ryan. The vessel left builder Harland & Wolff Shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on August 20 and is scheduled to arrive at FirstWave's East Pelican Island Facility in Galveston early September.

First Wave/Newpark Shipbuilding has won a contract from Sasaran Perdana Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Crest Petroleum Bhd, for the drydocking, repair and refurbishment of the semi-submersible tender assisted platform drilling rig to be renamed the Teknik Hidayat. The refurbishment will be performed at First Wave's Pelican Island Facility in Galveston, Texas and is expected to continue into the fourth quarter 2002. The rig is expected to arrive in Galveston in mid-June 2002.

First Wave/Newpark Shipbuilding has entered into agreements with Pride International for refurbishments of four offshore rigs including the addition of a twenty-eight man quarters module to one of the rigs. Refurbishments to the Pride South Carolina, Pride Mississippi, Pride Oklahoma and Pride Wisconsin will be performed at First Wave's Pelican Island Facility in Galveston, Texas; all rigs are expected to depart the shipyard by mid-August.

Conrad Industries, Inc. the appointment of Terry T. Frickey as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. Company’s four shipyards. Conrad’s President and Chief Executive Officer. and Chief Executive Officer. Bollinger Houston shipyard and Manager of Repair Operations for the LEEVAC Industries Repair Group. From 1991 to 1994 he was President of Service Marine Industries, Inc. Louisiana. Cecil A. Financial Officer will become Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. Additionally, Richard D. Allen has joined the Company as Assistant Operations Manager. to have Richard join our team,” said Mr. various capacities starting at welder/fitter, foreman, superintendent, Yard Manager, General Manager, V.P. of Operations and President.

Attorneys in a dispute between the Port of Galveston and a Louisiana offshore industry company will meet Feb. 22 to set the stage for trial. In February 2005, the port filed a $91 million breach of contract lawsuit against Edison Chouest. The port claimed Edison Chouest reneged on a proposal signed in 2000 to construct an offshore energy industry service terminal on Pelican Island. Edison Chouest, which did not begin work on the proposed CPort Galveston terminal, asked the Galveston Wharves Board of Trustees, which oversees the port, in 2004 to get out of its agreement. The trial is set for July 10 before Judge David Garner in the 10th State District Court. At the Feb. 22 jurisdictional hearing, attorneys will present arguments, and Garner will rule on a key technical issue.

First Wave/Newpark Shipbuilding announced today that it has terminated its contract with Crest Hidayat Limited, a Malaysian company, due solely to the failure of Crest Hidayat Limited to meet its payment obligations under the contract and the failure of its parent corporation, Crest Petroleum Bhd, to fulfill its obligations as guarantor under the contract. Crest Petroleum has publicly reported the difficulty to be the result of the suspension of its credit sources. Crest has further advised the company that it is seeking to establish new funding for the project. The contract, announced by the company in June 2002, involved the repair and conversion of a semi-submersible drilling rig Teknik Hidayat, formerly known as Pan Producer, to a self-erecting tender-assist rig.

Newpark Shipbuilding has increased its portfolio of businesses from one to six in the past 18 months, but don't expect this Houston-Galveston region company to rest on its laurels. More growth is expected and planned. Newpark Shipbuilding was formed in the early 1990s by Sam and Frank Eakin. The Eakins, with an investment banking background, saw opportunity in the Houston-Galveston area for consolidation amidst the fragmented shipbuilding industry. The Eakin's goal was a strong shipyard network. Less than a decade later, Newpark Shipbuilding has acquired enough yards to constitute what the company refers to as a "shipbuilding network." Altogether, six facilities have been acquired in the Houston-Galveston area, employing more than 1,200 people.

Schlumberger/Sedco Forex has contracted FirstWave/Newpark Shipbuilding for upgrades and maintenance work on the offshore semi-submersible drilling rig Bill Shoemaker. The rig was brought into Newpark Shipbuilding's East Pelican Island yard in Galveston, Texas in December 1998. The company provides repair, conversion, new construction and related services for barges, boats, ships, offshore rigs, and other vessels in the offshore and inland marine industries.