Posted on February 3, 2025
The Cabinet has ordered a new geological survey for dredging works at two major ports, even as officials indicate government does not plan to penalize Blue Ocean Marine despite years of delays and shifting timelines.
During yesterday’s post-Cabinet press briefing, Chief of Staff Lionel Hurst said unexpected hard rock formations continue to impede progress at both St John’s Harbour and Parham Harbour.
“The survey that was provided seemingly did not take into account that hard rock would be encountered,” Hurst explained. “It was determined that only soft material would be removed. Turns out that the hard rock is what is delaying the production of a suitable channel in the Parham Harbour area, Crabb’s, and also in the St John’s Harbour.”
The government has now demanded more precise data on both the quantity and density of rock requiring removal before proceeding further.
“If it’s sedimentary rock, then it’s easier to remove than, say, igneous rocks, which are the stuff that comes out of the volcano,” Hurst noted, adding that rock in Parham Harbour area is expected to be softer than those near “the ancient volcanoes” in St John’s Harbour.
When questioned about potential sanctions over the delayed timeline, Hurst cited the government’s 40 percent ownership stake in Blue Ocean Marine as a complicating factor.
“We are part owners of Blue Ocean and therefore any sanction imposed upon Blue Ocean would be a sanction imposed upon the owners as well,” he stated. “What we want to do is to correct what has happened.”
This was a shift from the Chief of Staff’s response to the media last week when he stated: “We are giving deadlines to Blue Ocean as well as Dutch Dredging and we are also ensuring that the surveys are more accurate so that they know precisely what it is they have to do in order to get the job done, and if they can’t do it, we are not spending any more money with them. We will spend it with those who can achieve the objective.”
When pressed about this and the possibility of engaging different contractors, Hurst said “the difficulty with moving on to someone else is that they have to move equipment from long distances in order to get here, to Antigua and Barbuda. … that is a very expensive undertaking.
The negotiated agreement between the company and the government, he added, “does not allow for those kinds of ultimatums”.
But, he defended the government’s position, noting that Blue Ocean and Dutch Dredging have already “moved the equipment here” and have “significant amounts of piping” and specialized excavation equipment in place.
“It’s kind of hard to tell them that we’re going to use somebody else if they don’t get it done within a certain time period,” Hurst added. “What we are doing is ensuring that every penny we spend is well spent and we want it done within a short time period given the length of time that it has taken thus far.”
The delays have had significant economic implications, with the work at the St John’s Harbour meant to accommodate Oasis-class cruise vessels, while the Parham Harbour/Crabb’s Peninsula dredging would facilitate increased cement and LNG imports.
The pattern of delays and new contracts have spanned several years.
In December 2021, Blue Ocean Marine—majority owned by Conley Browne and Percy Rhoden—claimed they needed special cutting equipment to handle unexpected hard rock formations.
By August 2022, the situation worsened when the company reported that the rocks had disabled both the drill and engine of one of its dredging machines. The repair costs were, according to the government, covered by taxpayers to “reach the established deadline”.
Just months later, in November 2022, Information Minister Melford Nicholas painted a different picture, reporting that the St John’s Harbour project was “90 percent complete” and encountering “softer material”.
Despite these ongoing issues and delays at the St John’s Harbour, in July 2023, Blue Ocean secured a US$4.2 million contract to undertake dredging at Crabb’s Peninsula.
This contract was awarded by the Antigua and Barbuda Port Authority, using funds from the Antigua Power Company Ltd and its American-based partner, Eagle LNG.
By September 2023, Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez commented on the remaining work, suggesting only “one little spot” remained to be completed.
However, the project received another 120-day extension shortly after.
Most recently, Cabinet announced plans for Blue Ocean to undertake additional dredging work at Rat Island’s northern side for yacht and small cruise ship facilities, though neither cost estimates nor Environmental Impact Assessment requirements were specified at the time.
Despite these ongoing challenges, Blue Ocean – has now subcontracted Dutch Dredging—to assist with dredging at both Crabb’s and St John’s harbours.
