Posted on September 4, 2017
The US Army Corps of Engineers has eight survey vessels underway in an effort to lift daylight-only restrictions in the Houston Ship Channel and allow vessels with a greater draft, like Aframax and Suezmax tankers, to navigate the waterway, an agency said Friday.
At present, the channel is allowing vessels that require water depths of 33 feet to 37 feet to use the channel. But work is underway to lift that restriction, the Greater Houston Port Bureau said in a statement, adding an update will be available later Friday.
“An additional three vessels are joining the [Corps’] efforts tomorrow,” it said.
The bureau coordinates the movement of all vessels in the Houston-Galveston marine complex, which includes Port of Houston, Port of Texas City, Port of Galveston and Port of Freeport.
The US Coast Guard continues to verify waterway navigation aids, repairing or replacing damaged or off station aids and the navigation team at Galveston will be moving down Friday to work at the Port of Freeport, it said.
“Dry conditions will continue into early next week, then we should see a return to typical summer precipitation patterns,” the bureau said.
The Coast Guard opened the Port of Corpus Christi Thursday for the first time since Hurricane Harvey landed a direct hit August 25, but kept some restrictions in place because it has not finished surveying all channels and inlets in the harbor.
The Coast Guard said the port would be open with restrictions that no vessels with a draft greater than 43 feet will be allowed in and only one way transit is allowed for foreign vessels and tankers, which must carry two pilots and travel during daylight hours only.
Data from Platts’ cFlow trade flow software show several vessels carrying crude entering the Port of Corpus Christi via Port Aransas over the past day. The Telleviken, Paramount Hanover and Galway Spirit were at Ingleside Friday, having spent several days offshore. Likewise, vessels were seen entering the Port of Lake Charles over the past day, cFlow data show.
Source: Platts
