December 2012 Port Bueau News

1Port Bureau News / December 2012

Po r t B u re a uGreater Houston

Annual Report Membershipp.6 p8What has the Port Bureau done for you in 2012?

Spotlight p.16on Bulk & Break-Bulk Terminals along the Houston Ship Channel

Immunity p.26District Court finds Immunity for Deepwater Horizon Spill Responder

Read about member-ship benefits and op-tions for 2013

M E M B E R D R I V E N - M A R I T I M E B A S E D - V A L U E A D D E D S E R V I C E S

December2012

2 Port Bureau News / December 2012

As 2013 approaches, the Port Bureau staff and our Board of Directors are evaluating our products and col-lective accomplishments. In doing so, we’re looking at ev-erything we’re doing and figuring out what makes money for our members and what may need a tweak or a pro-cess improvement. Whether you’ve been a Port Bureau member for years or maybe you just opened up the newsletter for the first time, we want you to know that we’re here to help you and be a reliable source of informa-tion on maritime commerce.

So how does the Port Bureau help you? We have three major business lines: we’re a source of vessel movement information, port business information, and business as-sistance. Revenue from our business lines allows us to advocate for our industry as well as bring the maritime value message to a wider community.

When it comes to vessel movement in-formation, we’re the Maritime Exchange of

Texas, the best place for primary data about ships going into and out of every Texas port with our daily reporting and our real-time HarborLights network. I’m excited to say that you’ll start to see Freeport added to the network in the coming year. Much thanks goes to our partners

and member companies the Houston Pilots and Galveston-Texas City Pilots for their continued support of HarborLights - a very real efficiency that our ports enjoy.

For port business information, we’re going strong with our monthly commerce club luncheons, our annual golf tourna-ment and our record-size annual dinner. Without giving too much away, look for an exciting change in venue for our dinner in 2013 which should allow many of you who may have been on the wait-list this year to come out and enjoy the industry fellowship and honor a worthy person of the year. We are also focused on improving our port-cen-tric products like this magazine, our annual membership directory, and a Houston Ship

Captain’s CornerAs we end the year, I find myself asking the question: Were our members more successful this year because of something we brought to the table?

Member Functions

From seven commerce club luncheons to a record-size

annual dinner to a successful golf tournament and lunches for the GHCA and HSCSD, Port

Bureau members got out in the community in 2012.

CAPT Bill Diehl, USCG (Ret.), P.E.


HarborLightsHarborLights took a tremendous step forward this year with the in-tegration of the Galveston-Texas City Pilots dispatch information. What can you expect in 2013? For your answer, look south to

Port Freeport.

Channel facility guide which should make its debut later this year after a long sabbatical.

Finally, looking at our port business assistance, we’re going to continue to offer quality service and support to organizations like the Houston Ship Channel Security District, the Houston Customhouse Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association, and the Greater Houston Cof-fee Association, but we’re also going to take our work a few steps further. In 2012, we supported several mem-bers with specific research projects to address maritime questions so that they could hone their business plans, and we’re going to expand our work with economic and statistical analysis. We’re also going to take our success-ful grant writing experience and start looking for projects that can help our members. Last year, we wrote a grant that got the Houston Ship Channel Security District one million dollars to update the port-wide risk assessment plan, and we’re going to continue looking for ways to help

our members update their facilities, infrastruc-ture and equipment with grant dollars. This is a

service that will not cost members a dime for research and grant-writing, and will only incur administration costs once we’ve gotten you a grant. At the Port Bureau, we pride ourselves on knowing our members and we’re going to prove it by making a positive impact on your bottom line.

Finally, I want to reach out to anyone who hasn’t had a chance to stop by the office recently, we’re located in the Port of Houston Authority’s executive office building and you have an open invitation to drop by, have a cup of cof-fee, and see what we’re doing for our members and our region. We’re here for you and in 2013, I look forward to meeting that responsibility with action and results.

A world of experience right here at home.

From the Gulf Coast to ports across the globe, it’s smooth sailing with Whitney Bank. Wherever your business may take you, our experienced maritime bankers can provide the financial tools and expert knowledge you need to successfully navigate today’s complex global shipping environment. Call us today.

Member FDIC

Lee MediaMoLLe Senior Vice President & Manager: 713-951-7107

Mark MccuLLough Senior Vice President: 713-951-7158

Forrest tayLor Vice President: 713-951-7130

BATON ROUGE

JACKSON

HATTIESBURG

ALEXANDRIA

MOBILE

PENSACOLA

TALLAHASSEE

ORLANDO

JACKSONVILLE

NEW ORLEANSGULFPORT PANAMA CITYHOUSTON

TAMPA

MONTGOMERY

LAKE CHARLES

LAFAYETTE

WhitNey BaNk LocatioNs

haNcock BaNk LocatioNs

We’re ready to serve your maritime financial needs at more than 250 Whitney and Hancock Bank locations across the Gulf South.

4 Port Bureau News / December 2012ANNUAL REPORT 2018 | 17

“Over the years, the Greater Houston Port Bureau has afforded Buffalo Marine with an effec-tive network platform to develop and foster business relationships in the marine community.

It is a genuinely superior stakeholder advocate.”

Patrick J. Studdert, President/CEO, Buffalo Marine Service, Inc.

“Of all the industry associations I am involved with, the GHPB membership represents the most diverse cross section of the transportation industry professionals including affliated

members working together to promote our industry and resolve issues for the benefit of all”.

Steve Stewart, President, Gulf Winds International


Dennis HansellChairmanSuderman & Young Towing

Steve Stewart1st Vice ChairmanGulf Winds International

Bill Hennessey2nd Vice ChairmanExxonMobil Baytown Refinery

John TaylorSecretary-TreasurerHouston Mooring Company

David EllisOdfjell USA

Charles H. FlournoyJohn L. Wortham & Son, LLP

Tom MarianImmediate Past ChairmanBuffalo Marine Service

Capt. John G. Peterlin IIIPort of Galveston

Vinny PileggeManchester Terminal Co.

Nolan RichardsonRichardson Stevedoring & Logistics

Capt. Richard RussellAET

Capt. Robert ThompsonHouston Pilots

COL Len WaterworthPort of Houston Authority

Nathan WeselyWest Gulf Maritime Assn.

April BaileyAmegy Bank

Jim BlackMoran Gulf Shipping

Robert H. BladesBlades International

Ken BurnettWatco CompaniesGreens Port Industrial Park

Mike DrieuWild Well Control, Inc.

Robert G. GarciaR.W. Smith & Company

Celeste HarrisSt. Joseph Medical Center

Jason HayleyPort of Texas City

Mehdi HejaziNorton Lilly

Kevin HickeyTarga Resources

Guy W. HittFrost Bank

Charlie JenkinsPHA

Mike ManganHouston Fuel Oil Terminal Co.

Brad MaxceyDanner’s Inc.

Jerry NagelRickmers-Linie

Bernt NetlandIntercontinental Terminals Co.

Colin ScottVopak

Capt. Christos SotirelisGalveston-Texas City Pilots

Tim StuddertShamrock Marine

The Greater Houston Port Bureau Board of Directors


On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank you for your participation and support of the Greater Houston Port Bureau this year. Part of the mission of the Port Bureau is to facilitate maritime commerce and coop-eration in our region, and I know the Board of Directors is very dedicated to promoting this spirit of partnership from tugs to warehouses, and ships to skyscrapers. We know that we all rise and fall with the ebb and flow of commerce. Successful commerce begins and ends with strong relationships, and your Board of Directors is work-ing to develop, maintain and enhance those relationships across our community.

In this issue of the Port Bureau News, you will read about the three core business lines of the Port Bureau: Vessel Movement Information, Business Assistance, and Port Business Information. While the staff is focused on realizing a good return on your investment by contribut-ing to your operations and industry profile, I want to point out some of the things we’re doing behind the scenes. At the Port Bureau, we’re working to advance the causes of the Port from addressing dredging issues with legislators by talking about the WAVE-4 and RAMP initiatives, to getting out in front of the wider community and talking about our industry. We’re working on industry priorities like the TSU transportation program, local maritime high schools, the Greater Houston Partnership’s Port Task Force and the safety, security and environmental groups keeping watchful eyes on the port. Finally, and never for-getting the responsibility we owe to our neighborhoods and communities, we maintain our engagement with

legislators, regulators and in-terested groups outside the maritime industry.

I have great faith in our Ports’ and region’s economy — and that demonstrable suc-cess starts with the people of our industry. When I see how hard our waterfront works, I know that Texas is heading in the right direction, and the 25% market share of Ameri-can cargo tonnage that Texas handles is a terrific indicator of our strength. By keeping dialogue open, I’m confident that we can increase that tonnage, and market share, in the years to come. One of our greatest strengths is our community cooperation and our ability to pick up a phone and talk to one another when things go sideways.

I’d like to close by extending a personal invitation on behalf of all the Board: if you’re on the fence about the Port Bureau, let’s talk. Come visit the offices and see what Captain Diehl and the staff are doing for us, or give me a call and I’ll be happy to tell you why we’ve been Port Bureau members and staunch supporters for decades and are looking ahead only to more productive, prosper-ous years to come.

ANNUAL REPORT 2012 | 02

A Letter from Chairman Dennis HansellExecutive Vice President - Suderman & Young Towing


Talking about Port IssuesPatrick Seeba talks to PBS (Channel 8) about Port issues such as the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and industry’s role in the wider community.

In the NewsCAPT Diehl talks to ABC-13 (KTRK) about the im-pact of the Panama Canal and why Houston needs to look to the Port as an economic engine.

Advising Regulators & LegislatorsCAPT Diehl talks to the TXDOT Panama Canal Working Group to advise on traffic flows and infra-structure needs of the Houston Ship Channel

The Port Bureau’s Steady Growth Fuels Industry Partnerships

As an industry conduit and highly visible source of mar-itime expertise, the Port Bu-reau is often called upon to explain maritime issues to the public, regulatory bodies, government stakeholders,

and commercial interests


Getting Ready for 2013

Port BureauMembershipJust got your annual invoice?

Getting ready to join?

Haven’t visited the office recently?

Look at what you get with your Port

Bureau membership:

Included in Basic Membership:

It starts with your logo and contact informa-tion on our webpage, but it doesn’t end there. Port Bureau members are featured in the Port Bureau News, in special expositions, and you even have the ability to increase your expo-sure with advertising and event sponsorship.

The Public Face of the Port BureauBusiness Exposure & Referrals

If you need something in the port, it’s our business to know every-thing. If you’re a member, we make sure that when people call looking for maritime services, we know you.

This full-color, 175 page directory in-cludes a full page on each Port Bureau member plus valuable maps and port region contact information to keep you connected when you’re on-the-go. The 2013 Directory is scheduled for a late-1Q release.

2012 GHPB Directory

Port Bureau DirectoryThe over 150 members of the Port Bureau are showcased in a direc-tory that gives your people the knowledge they need to make quick calls and talk to the right people in a position to deliver ex-actly the capabilities you need.

Using the HarborLights system and the GHPB database structure, we distribute to members a monthly report with arrival comparisons for all Texas ports and Terminal & Agent usage statistics for the ports of Houston, Galveston, Texas City and Corpus Christi.

Monthly Texas Vessel Movement Statistical Report

Monthly Statistical ReportThe Port Bureau’s monthly sta-tistical report keeps your person-nel informed about exactly which terminals are moving cargo in the Houston area - and how Houston compares to other Texas ports.


Subscription Services

Routed to user inboxes at 0400 each morning, the GHPB Houston Daily Movement Report includes all vessel ar-rival/sailing/shifting information for the previous calendar day including move-ment times, terminal and agent usage.

GHPB Daily Movement Reports

Daily Vessel Movement ReportsThe Port Bureau produces reports for movements in and out of Hous-ton as well as the other 9 Texas port complexes. In addition, we of-fer an ETA report that lets you keep an eye on what’s scheduled later in the week.

Developed by the Houston Pilots for dispatch, the HarborLights Vessel Traffic Management System lets port users know not only precei-sely where ships are in the Houston region at any time, but keeps operators informed about where the Pilots will move ships next.

The HarborLights Vessel Traffic Management System

HarborLightsThe Port Bureau offers access to the HarborLights Vessel Traffic Management System - with a win-dow into the Houston & Gal-Tex Pi-lots’ dispatch offices and real-time movement information, you will know exactly what’s coming up next on the Houston Ship Channel.


Port Bureau Member CompaniesABS Consulting ABS Americas

AET Inc. Limited Alphamar

Amegy BankAmerican Shipping & Chartering

AMI Staffing Inc.Bay Houston Towing

BBVA Compass Bell, Ryniker & Letourneau

Bertling Logistics Best Bet Marine Services

Biehl & Company, L.P. Blades International Briggs & Veselka Co.

Brown & Gay Engineers, Inc. Buffalo Marine

Caldwell CompaniesCargill

CargowaysCentral Healthcare Services

Ceres Gulf Inc.Chalos & Co

Chaparral Stevedoring Co.Chem Coast

Chipolbrok America Inc. Clark Freight

CLM Towing LLC Coastal Cargo

Colliers International Comerica

Consolidated Bonded WarehousesDAMCO

Dannenbaum Engineering Danner’s Incorporated

Dave Miller & Assoc. DNV

D’Onofrio Management Works Dowley Security Systems Inc.

East End Chamber of CommerceEconomic Alliance Houston Port

Empire Truck Lines Enviro-Tech

Excargo Services Inc. Executive Shipping

ExxonMobil Baytown Fire ProtectionFMS Logistics

Force Corp.Foss Maritime Company

Frank Mohn Hou. Inc.Frost National Bank

G&H Towing

GAC Shipping Gal-TX City Pilots

Gardere Wynne Sewell Global Diving & Salvage

Greater Houston PartnershipWatco Co-Greens Port Industrial Park

Gulf Gas Utilities Co.Gulf Marine Industrial & Supply

Gulf Marine SupplyGulf Stream Marine, Inc.Gulf Winds International

HANSA Heavy Lift Americas, Inc. Harley Marine Services

HazelimpexHDR Engineering Inc.

HillsDay Public Relations Inc. Hiller Systems, Inc.

Houston Business Ins. Agency Houston Fuel Oil Terminal CompanyHouston International Seafarer’s Ctr.

Houston Mooring Co. Inc.Houston Pilots

Houston Ship Repair IBC Bank

ICIS IGSI

Inbesa America, Inc.Inchcape

Industrial Terminals Industrial Turnaround & Construction

Intercontinental Terminals Intergulf Coporation

Iv INFRA USA J.A.M. Distributing

J. Peter & Assoc.Jacintoport (Seaboard Marine)

Jo Tankers Inc.John L. Wortham & Son

KinderMorgan Kirby

LBC Petro UnitedLENSEC

Lloyd EngineeringMalin International

Manchester TerminalMare Liberum

Marine Healthcare ServicesMcCarthy Building Companies

Mediterranean ShippingMidPoint Partners

Moran Gulf ShippingMorris Export ServicesNew Energy Transport

Nordic Tankers (TX) Inc. Norton Lilly International

Nustar Energy LP Ocean Shipholdings, Inc.

OdfjellOil Tanking Houston, Inc.

Port Freeport Port Isabel/San Benito

Port of BrownsvillePort of GalvestonPort of Harlingen

Port of Houston AuthorityPort of TX City

Port of Umatilla Port Mansfield (Willacy Cty. Nav. District)

Port Terminal Railroad Assoc. Ports America Texas, Inc.

R.W. Smith & Co.Richardson Stevedoring & Logistics

Rickmers LinieRoyston Rayzor

SAVAGESC Line

Schroder Marine ServicesSHAMROCK Shell Trading

Shippers Stevedoring Co. Shrader Engineering

South Atlantic & Gulf Coast District ILA Southern Export Services, Inc.

Southport AgenciesSt. Joseph Medical Center

Suderman & Young TowingT. Parker Host (formerly NSA)

TARGA ResourcesTASC

Texas Marine AgenciesTexas Mooring

Texas Terminals, LPThe Action Group Companies Transmarine Navigation Corp

Trustmark National Bank UTC Overseas, Inc. Vopak (Deer Park)Wells Fargo Bank

West Gulf Maritime AssociationWet Tech Energy

Whitney National BankWild Well Control

Wilhelmsen Ship Service Wm Morris EnterprisesWorld Chandlering Intl.

WRIST/World Ship


The Houston Ship Channel Security DistrictProviding administrative services for the Houston Ship Channel Security Dis-trict, the Port Bureau works to assist and provide the District and its Board of Directors with:

Port Business AssistanceServing the interests of the maritime community, the Port Bureau also manages the administration for the Hou-ston Customhouse Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association, the Greater Houston Coffee Association and the Houston Ship Channel Security District. These diverse organizations add over 400 local freight, cargo, and terminal handling companies to the Port Bureau’s portfolio, allowing GHPB to assist members with a wider and more diverse body of knowledge about the commercial interests, issues, and priorities affecting our regional maritime environment.

Greater Houston Coffee Association

The Port Bureau provides adminis-trative management services to the GHCA including:

• Advocacy • Budgeting• Industry Liaison• Invoicing• Member Relations• Meeting Space• Quarterly/Annual Meeting Planning• Website Maintenance

Houston Customhouse Brokersand Freight Forwarders Association

The Port Bureau provides administra-tive management services to HCBFFA including:

• Accounting Services• Coordination of State Delegation for

National Conferences• Election Planning & Support• Invoicing• Membership Administration• Member Function Planning • Monthly/Annual Meeting Planning• State Conference Coordination

• Accounting Services• Communications & Outreach• Contract Analysis• Election Planning & Support• Governmental Liaison• Grantwriting Services• Graphics Design• Investment Officer Certification

• Invoicing• Mapping Services• Meeting Venue Preparation• Office Space & Secretarial Service• Project Oversight• State Recordskeeper Certification• Website Maintenance


JanuaryCAPT James Whitehead

Capt. Robert Thompson

Ron Hyden

In January, CAPT James Whitehead, Com-mander, USCG Sector Houston-Galveston spoke to the sold-out Commerce Club about regulatory developments affecting the ship-ping industry as 2012 began.

In March, Ron Hyden, Technology Director for the Production Enhancement Division of Halliburton informed the maritime com-munity about what natural gas plays of East and North Texas meant for cargo move-ment, traffic patterns, and the commercial environment of the Houston region.

In February, Captain Robert Thompson, Presiding Officer of the Houston Pilots

Association talked to industry about the Pilots’ role in the maritime com-

munity and issues affecting ship traffic from the Sea Bouy to the Turning Basin.

March

February

Throughout the year, the Port Bureau brings together between 100-200 executives and industry profession-als for Commerce Club luncheons as well as an annual golf tournament and Gala. The visible presence of Port Bureau Member companies and increased participation pay dividends for attendees as they grow their

business networks and interact with the expanded community.

April Gary SeraIn April, Gary Sera, Director of the

Texas Engineering Extension Services spoke to the Commerce Club about

training services offered by state insti-tutions and how educational facilities like Texas A&M University are gearing up to assist the maritime community.


Capt. Robert Thompson CAPT Mike Mierzwa

In July, new Port of Galveston Director CAPT Mike Mierzwa spoke to the Commerce Club about how the Port was looking to act on community issues, environmental concerns, and the multi-faceted role the Port plays in the region to increase traffic, commerce, and the cruise business.

July

In February, Captain Robert Thompson, Presiding Officer of the Houston Pilots

Association talked to industry about the Pilots’ role in the maritime com-

munity and issues affecting ship traffic from the Sea Bouy to the Turning Basin.

In May, COL Len Waterworth, new Ex-ecutive Director for the Port of Houston

Authority spoke to a sold-out crowd about the role of PHA in the community. COL Waterworth’s remarks ranged from

the rich history of the port community to issues facing PHA in the 21st Century.

September

In August the 83rd Annual Maritime Dinner brought more than 500 executives and professionals to the Houstonian Hotel for a black-tie dinner and silent auction to honor the Maritime Person of the Year Jerry Nagel, Chairman of Rick-

mers-Linie for his lifetime of work in the maritime community.

May COL Len Waterworth

A-SAC Michael AndersonIn September, Assistant Special Agent in

Charge Michael Anderson came to the Commerce Club to talk about how his

team of agents prosecuted Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling for their part in the Enron

case which reshaped the legal landscape for large corporations in the US.

Captain’s Cup

Gary SeraIn April, Gary Sera, Director of the

Texas Engineering Extension Services spoke to the Commerce Club about

training services offered by state insti-tutions and how educational facilities like Texas A&M University are gearing up to assist the maritime community.

The November Captain’s Cup Golf Tourna-ment brought dozens of member companies together for an afternoon of fellowship and sport followed by a steak dinner and net-working. The tournament featured numer-ous special events including a $10,000 hole-in-one challenge, forecaddie service, and member-sponsored beverage carts.


• Senator John Cornyn

• Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison

• Senator Mary Landrieu

• Congressman Joe Barton

• Congressman Charles Boustany

• Congressman Francisco Canseco

• Congressman Michael Conaway

• Congressman Rick Crawford

• Congressman Henry Cuellar

• Congressman Bill Flores

• Congressman Al Green

• Congressman Gene Green

• Congressman Louis Gohmert

• Congresswoman Kay Granger

• Congresswoman Eddie B. Johnson

• Congressman Sam Johnson

• Congressman Kenny Marchant

• Congressman Mike McCaul

• Congressman Randy Neugebauer

• Congressman Pete Olsen

• Congressman Silvestre Reyes

• Congressman John Sullivan

GHPB Congressional Outreach and Advocacy

(above) - GHPB President Bill Diehl with Congress-

man Pete Sessions (R-TX), minutes before Congress-

man Sessions attached Harbor Maintenance legis-lation to the 2012 Surface

Transportation Bill

In 2012, the Port Bureau arranged and held meetings with the offices of over two dozen Congressmen and women advocating for Port of Houston priorities such as Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund reform and regional infrastructure issues such as the deepening and widening of the Bayport Channel.


The Greater Houston Port Bureau has been supporting the Port of Houston Authority’s mission since its inception in 1929. Spe-cialising in the distillation of commercial information with a focus on increasing trade and traffic to the Houston port region, the Port Bureau works with its over 150 member companies to develop solid business relationships, address regional matters of concern, and

Community Outreach for Port Initiatives• Conservative Citizens Club• East End Chamber of Commerce• Economic Alliance for the Houston Port Region• Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce• Houston Intercontinental Chamber of Commerce• Houston Maritime Arbitrators Association• Houston Maritime Association• Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce• Houston Regional Economic Development Alliance• International Longshoremen’s Association/USMX

Leadership Panel• International Propeller Club of the United States• Leadership Houston• North Shore Rotary Club• Petrochemical Maritime Outlook Conference• Port of Houston Authority Press Conferences• Port of Houston Authority Deepening & Widening

Public Meetings• Phillips 66 Industry Notification• San Jacinto College North• Tomball Rotary Club


GHPB Member Terminals

24/7/365(Opposite)

Early in the morning a vessel gets ready to leave member company

Kinder-Morgan’s Deepwater terminal; ter-minals on the Houston Ship Channel are ready

for piloted ships and critical cargo 24/7/365.

Break Bulk LeaderSteel pipe is unloaded at GHPB member Man-

chester Terminal Company - more steel moves across the docks in the Port of Houston than

anywhere else in the USA

Diverse CargoMember company Gulf Winds

International moves a supersack of coffee at GHPB

member terminal Greens Port

Spotlight On:

Storage CapacitySupporting the largest petrochemical complex in North America, GHPB members like Odfjell store massive amounts of chemicals and liquid bulk products all along the Houston Ship Channel

Private Facilities on the Ship Channel Driving Houston’s Economic Growth


RefineriesThe ExxonMobil Baytown refinery and Shell Deer Park facility have nearly 1,000,000,000 barrels per day of capacity and fuel the gulf coast economy

Liquid Bulk StoragePort Bureau members like Oiltanking and others feed the manufacturing base of Houston’s petro-chemical industry with feedstock and storage.

Functional ExpansionHouston’s ready availability of land and business-friendly climate are contributing to the nearly $22 billion of expansion planned for 2013-2015

The tank farms of Houston Fuel Oil Terminal Company stand ready to re-ceive cargo. HFOTC is one of a dozen storage facilities on the Houston Ship Channel that keep ships filled with pet-rochemicals headed

to Houston.

Liquid Bulk Terminal Members

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Liquid Bulk Vessel Arrivals

Targa

Odjfell

Shell

LBC

Kinder Morgan

Houston Fuel Oil

ExxonMobil

Vopak

InterconPnental

Oiltanking


LIQUID BULK

0 100 200 300 400 500 600

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Liquid Bulk Vessel Arrivals

Targa

Odjfell

Shell

LBC

Kinder Morgan

Houston Fuel Oil

ExxonMobil

Vopak

InterconPnental

Oiltanking


Coastal Cargo of Texas

Coastal Cargo of Texas provides terminal and ste-vedoring services at the Care Terminal complex - a 25 acre multipurpose facility located near the intersection of I-10 and Beltway 8. With over 65,000 square feet of covered warehouse space, 15 acres of paved open storage and 1,120 linear feet of vessel berthing, Coastal Cargo specializes in the high-and-heavy cargo that is the hallmark of the Houston break-bulk market.

With a large fleet of roll-ing stock including shore-side cranes, top-loaders, lift ma-chines and direct access to on-site rail siding, the Care ter-minal’s experienced non-union labor force is able to offer flex-ibility to meet whatever the customer requires.

Inbesa America

With a focus on steel from start to finish, Inbesa Ameri-ca’s 62 acre facility is located in the protected Jacintoport Slip off the main deep water ship channel and offers easy access to road, rail and barge facilities allowing for the quick transfer of customer cargo.

In addition to three rail spurs, overhead cranes, shore cranes and 180,000 square feet of warehouse space, Inbesa’s

real-time views of customer material allow companies to easily track the move-ment of their m a t e r i a l s i n c l u d i n g inventory reporting,

signed delivery receipts and computerized up-dates.

Industrial Terminals

Industrial Terminals, LP provides 2,055 linear feet of deep water berths, a 1,500-foot barge terminal, covered warehousing, a roll-on/roll-off area, ample rail and truck ac-

cess, and extensive cargo mar-shalling areas.

Completed and operat-ing is the new Kavanagh dock designed to the heaviest load standards of any facility in the region. The dock is capa-ble of working ves-sels 550 feet long and drafts up to 32 feet with two gantry mounted cranes, each rated at a maximum capacity of 200 tons, and provides direct shipside rail access.

In addition, con-struction was recently completed on a 325-feet extension of Dock 1 which increased the available berth space at Industrial Terminals to 2,055 feet - enough to dock two of Intermarine’s largest vessels.

Break-BulkPo r t B u re a u M e m b e r s

The Port of Houston is the largest break-bulk port in the United States. Who are the biggest private terminals in the high-and-heavy business? Look no farther than the GHPB member directory to find out:


Jacintoport International

The Jacintoport terminal has 550,000 square feet of ul-tra-modern, automatic pow-er ventilated, heavily insulat-ed warehouse, which virtually eliminates condensation. In addition to 1,830 linear feet of lighted berth space and 8 acres of concrete apron, the warehousing facilities also possess a dry fire-fighting protection system, 25-foot ceiling heights; and an adja-cent covered rail shed hold-ing 80 railcars for all-weather care unloading. As a C-TPAT validated operator, Jacin-toport International has 24-hour manned security with

a sophisticated digital cam-era and gate entry system to protect customer cargo.

Jacintoport also boasts the only automated cargo handling system in North America capable of handling import/export cargoes of bagged goods and unitzed boxes. This Spiralveyor con-veyor system handles cargoes quickly and efficiently to mini-mize costs through quick ves-sel turnaround.

Manchester Terminal Co.

Manchester Terminal is a private marine terminal offer-ing a unique combination of warehousing, breakbulk and container facilities with space in the extremely large, well lit, and asphalt-paved industrial park to accommodate light manufacturing and assembly operations.

Located at the inter-section of the Houston Ship Channel and Sims Bayou, Manchester has two large

Petrochemicals & Break-Bulk

Bagged polyethylene pellets from a Houston Ship Channel chemical plant are bagged for stuffing and

export at Jacintoport Terminal


docks with over 3,200 feet of wa-terside length, easy access to all modes of transportation, and over 1,000,000 square feet of ware-house space on a 72.4 acre facil-ity designated as a foreign trade zone.

Manchester’s major capital improvements include concrete and asphalt roads, container yard and lay-down areas, built-to-suit office and warehouse space, and a state of the art fire supression system. In addition, Manchester offers value-added services such as 24/7 shuttle service for crews between gate and gangway, two truck scales on-site to facilitate rapid cargo processing, and direct rail access to both warehouse space and 1,500 feet of of dock for easy direct-discharge to rail.

Texas Terminals

Offering discharge and load-out serviecs for a wide variety of vessels and cargo, Texas Termi-

BARGING AHEADever so politely.

B Buffalo Marine Service, Inc. www.BuffaloMarine.com


nals’ 65 acre facility is staffed with per-sonnel experienced in moving project cargo all over the world. With on-dock rail, a terminal-owned locomotive, and over 100,000 square feet of warehousing space, Texas Terminals is able to provide value-added services such as container stuffing, stripping, and repair while offer-ing the competitive rates of a private fa-cility. Texas Terminals’ 1,320 feet of dock space is complemented by a full-stern Ro-Ro ramp and office space for custom-ers to take care of business.

Watco CompaniesGreens Port Terminal

Watco’s Greens Port Terminal is located on 655 acres in the heart of the Houston Ship Channel and is the largest private multi-tenanted in-dustrial park in the Gulf Coast market. Greens Port’s 4,000 linear feet of deep water and barge docks compliment approximately 3 million square feet of indoor facilities in 20 buildings that fea-ture large bay widths, numerous cranes,

the ability to clear

heights ranging from 20 to 45 feet, and heavy floor loading capacity. Direct rail served buildings and rail storage yards that attach to the over 20 miles of on-site rail are available, and the docks include large adjacent concrete staging areas with roll on roll off capacity.

Greens Port buildings can easily be subdivided, offering users flexibility in their leasing requirements, and stabi-lized or concrete outside storage areas are available with additional acreage for future expansion. Approximately 14 acres are designated Foreign Trade Zone Status and in addition to contracted stevedoring and warehousing services, Greens Port offers door to door logistical solutions and a variety of transloading options. Greens Port handles commodi-ties such as bulk liquids (fuels, crude oil, and condensate), steel (coils, pipe, beams, and slabs), building materials, bulk solids and dimensional shipments.

Houston’s miles of tank terminals? One major advantage of being the largest break-bulk port in

the country is your choice of site to receive the plate and structural steel for major construction projects

like these.

Providing marine services to vessels along the Gulf Coast for over 20 years. We own and operate USCG approved liquid vacuum trucks, a 10,000 bbl Tank barge for marine pollution (Marpol) waste, a 10,000 bbl tank barge for carrying industrial wastewater, a 10,500 bbl tank barge for carrying clean chemicals and a 1800 horsepower Tug for removal and transportation of various material.

“Cost and Convenience Are Not Considerations When Addressing Safety”(281) 474-4210 www.intergulfcorp.com • [email protected]

Intergulf can accept the following materials• MARPOL Annex I and II Wastes • Category X Tank Washings • Engine Room Sludge • Tank Washings / Cargo Washings • Hazardous Products using preapproved disposal facilities • Used Oil • Oily Bilge Water / Oily Ballast Water • De-Bunkering • Off-Specifi cation Products and Fuels • Gray and Black Water • Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste


Kinder Morgan Petcoke L.P. is responsible for handling over 10 million tons of petroleum coke through

several termi-nals located on the Texas Gulf Coast. In addition

to petroleum coke, it also unloads aggregates from ocean go-ing vessels and loads soda ash and potash to export vessels. It owns General Stevedores, who provide labor and equipment to load and unload vessels at several Texas ports. It also owns Kinder Morgan Engineering and Conveying, a division that designs, fabricates, and erects dry bulk conveying systems.

Bulk Handling FacilitiesThe Cargill Grain Elevator on the Houston Ship Channel offers

loading capacity for deep draft vessels and coastwise barges.

At its terminal, Cargill handles

various grains including wheat,

corn, sorghum, and soybeans.

Loading is accomplished by six

gravity fed grain spouts with a

delivery rate of 70,000 bush-

els for each spout. In addi-

tion to its deep-draft loading

capabilities, the terminal is

able to load out to trucks, hop-

per cars, and barges. For

ocean delivery, there are two

berths parallel to the ship

channel capable of handling

vessels up to 750x106x40.


District Court Finds Immunity for

Deepwater Horizon Spill Responder

Brought to you by Chalos & Company, P.C., International Law Firm - New York | Houston | Miami | Athens | Cyprus

In a thirty-six (36) page deci-

sion issued in late November, District Judge Barbier (i.e. –

the District Judge presiding over the Multidistrict Litigation

pending in the Eastern District of Louisiana surrounding the

Deepwater Horizon incident) granted summary judgment in

favor of Nalco, the manufacturer of a chemical oil spill dis-

persant used during the spill response efforts, holding that

the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) and the National Contingency

Plan (“NCP”) pre-empted the state and general maritime

law claims asserted against Nalco.

The Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (the “PSC”), on be-

half of various plaintiffs including, inter alia, vessel captains

and crew participating in clean-up activities, workers that

decontaminated vessels soiled by oil and/or dispersants,

workers that participated in onshore clean-up, and coast-

al residents and vacationers, had filed a complaint against

Nalco (among others), asserting claims under both the gen-

eral maritime law and state law for injuries relating to ex-

posure to oil, chemical dispersants, or a mixture of both. In

September 2011, the Defendants collectively moved to dis-

miss the complaint, contending that they were entitled to

derivative governmental immunity and/or that the claims

were preempted by the CWA and the NCP. The Court denied

the motion at that stage of the proceedings, but expressly

permitted Nalco and the other Defendants to reassert such

defenses following limited discovery. In early 2012, Nalco

filed a renewed motion to dismiss, which was converted to

a motion for summary judgment by Judge Barbier in April

2012.

Judge Barbier considered the history of the CWA, not-

ing that the CWA has always authorized the President to

take actions to remove or arrange for the removal of dis-

charged oil. The Court also noted that the Oil Pollution Act

of 1990 amended the CWA to, inter alia, expand federal

authority and responsibility for oil spill responses, requir-

ing the President to “ensure effective and immediate re-

moval” of a discharge of oil. 33 U.S.C. § 1321(c)(1)(A). In

a case where a “substantial spill” has occurred (i.e. – one

that creates a substantial threat of a pollution hazard to

the public health or welfare of the United States), the CWA

requires that the President “direct all Federal, State, and

private actions” to remove the oil and directs all federal

agencies, States, or private parties participating in an oil

spill response under the CWA to act in accordance with the

NCP, and explicitly immunizes parties rendering care, assis-

tance, or advice consistent with the NCP or as directed by

the President from removal costs or damages that result

from their actions or omissions. The two (2) dispersants

manufacturered by Nalco and at issue were both listed on

the NCP Product Schedule, and were also preauthorized for

use in the Regional Response Plans for the U.S. Gulf regions

affected by the Deepwater Horizon spill. On April 21, 2010,

the Federal On-Scene Coordinator (“FOSC”) authorized the

first aerial application of the Nalco dispersants, and ap-

proved surface and subsea applications of the dispersants

on a daily basis between April 2 and July 19.


District Court Finds Immunity for

Deepwater Horizon Spill Responder

Brought to you by Chalos & Company, P.C., International Law Firm - New York | Houston | Miami | Athens | Cyprus

The PSC’s Complaint

alleged that Nalco’s dispersants were defective, unreason-

ably dangerous, and toxic under state tort law and general

maritime law. In moving to dismiss the Complaint, Nalco ar-

gued that the claims were preempted because they conflict-

ed with the FOSC’s decisions to use the dispersants and/

or presented an obstacle to the objectives of the CWA and

NCP. In response, the PSC argued that the claims were for

products liability and that the dispersants were “unreason-

ably dangerous” at the time that they were applied to the

spill in 2010.

In ruling that the PSC’s claims were preempted by the

CWA and NCP, the Court first noted the CWA’s funda-

mental objective to “ensure effective and immediate re-

moval of a discharge . . . of oil . . . .” and the NCP’s goal to

“provide for efficient, coordinated, and effective action to

minimize damage from oil. . . .” The Court then highlight-

ed Congress’s determination that these goals are best

achieved if the President directs all levels of the response

– federal, state, and private. While acknowledging that

there has long been controversy over the use of chemi-

cal dispersants due to their toxicity, the Court nonethe-

less found that the CWA and NCP intended for the FOSC

to weigh the pros and cons and determine whether it is

appropriate to use a particular dispersant – a decision

that should not be “second guessed” by the Court, a

State or a private person during a response. In rejecting

the PSC’s products liability claims, the Court concluded

that the effect of allowing such claims would be to cre-

ate an obstacle to federal law by impeding the FOSC’s ability

to “ensure effective and immediate removal” of oil and the

“efficient, coordinated, and effective” response intended by

the NCP. The Court declined to address whether the disper-

sants were, in fact, toxic, defective, or unreasonably danger-

ous, finding that such considerations were irrelevant to the

issue of preemption. The Court further declined to address

Nalco’s derivative immunity arguments, as resolution of the

preemption issue was dispositive of Nalco’s motion.

Motions of other defendants against whom the PSC

also asserted claims relating to post-explosion clean-up ef-

forts remain pending.


The Transportation Worker Iden-tification Credential (TWIC) program is currently dealing with a high volume of TWIC Extended Expiration Date (EED) requests. The average EED request is approximately 277 days prior to the TWIC expiration date. As a result, TWIC holders may be ex-periencing significant delays when attempting to contact the various Transportation Security Administra-tion (TSA) call centers. TSA is actively working to address this issue by add-

ing more phone lines and hiring more call center rep-resentatives to support the increase in EED requests. TSA notes that these initiatives may take upward of one month to implement. In the mean-time, TSA asks that TWIC holders re-frain from ordering an EED TWIC until the holder’s existing credential falls within four months of the expiration date. TWIC holders whose cards ex-pire within the four month window, or who have lost a card and need an

immediate replacement, should call the TWIC Help Desk at 1-866-DHS-TWIC or 1-866-347-8942. Those seeking additional infor-mation on the TWIC EED status, and other related matters, are encouraged to visit the TSA website at:

www.tsa.gov/twic.

For those TWIC holders whose card has expired there is no “grace” period or circumstance during which the expired credential alone will be honored. An individual possessing an expired TWIC shall be treated as if they were a non-TWIC holder. If access to a facility or vessel is nec-essary, then the security screening and escorted access procedures of

ExPIRING TWIC?A Service Message from USCG Sector Houston-Galveston

Port Security Information Bulletin 02-12


that facility or vessel are applicable. Additionally, if an individual presents an expired card, facility and vessel security officers (FSO/VSO) should direct their security personnel to cir-cle the expiration date with an indel-ible marker to highlight the date for subsequent security personnel and prompt the card and prompt the card holder to seek a replacement.

Alternatively, FSOs/VSOs may authorize an individual who has re-

ported their TWIC to TSA as lost, dam-aged, or stolen or has yet to receive a replacement TWIC thirty (30) calendar days of unescorted access pending receipt of a replacement TWIC provid-ed that all requirements under 33 CFR 104.265(c)(2)(i),(ii), and (iii), 105.255(c)(2)(i),(ii), and (iii), or 106.260(c)(2)(i)(ii), and (iii) are met and the following:

(1) The individual provides proof that a replacement TWIC has

been ordered (a payment receipt is acceptable as proof); and

(2) The individual provides the FSO/VSO their first and last name and application I.D. (if known). This information can then be used by the facility/vessel to confirm that the individual has previously held a valid TWIC and has ordered a re-placement by using the card status check feature on TSA’s website lo-cated at: http://twicinformation.tsa.d hs.gov/twicinfo.

Finally, FSO/VSOs are not re-quired to report individuals who do nothing else but present an expired TWIC card for entry nor should they seize the card which is the property of the TSA. As outlined above, security personnel are to deny unescorted ac-cess and encourage the individual to initiate an application for a new TWIC card. Should, however, an individual repeatedly attempt to access a fa-cility or vessel using an expired TWIC card, security personnel are urged to record the details of the attempted access and report the incident to the Coast Guard Sector Houston-Gal-veston Facility Inspection Division at (713) 671-5105 or, after hours and on weekends/holidays, to the Sector Command Center at (713) 671-5113.

If you have any questions or con-cerns regarding this matter, please contact the Facility Inspection Divi-sion, at the aforementioned num-ber. Additionally, another specific resource designed to help individuals keep current on the latest facility se-curity news may be found at the Area Maritime Security Committee’s Facil-ity Security Working Group website at www.fswg.org.

PORTS

MARINE

HEAVY INDUSTRIAL

COASTAL

PERMITTING

www.hdrinc.com

Maritime Solutions for Moving Forward

DIRECTION

Scot

t Dob

ry


A Time to Mourn - If You Built It! Port Watch - Tom Marian, Buffalo Marine Service

Just as the full extent of Super-storm Sandy was permeating the nation’s conscious as one of our na-tion’s most costly natural disasters, the free enterprise system was dealt what I personally consider anoth-er body blow with the reelection of President Obama. It will certainly be interesting to see what impact the election will have on the final quar-ter of the year. That being said, the first month of the year’s “clean up” quarter was flat when compared to September but it was the best first month of any quarter of the year. Granted, that is typically the case as October is usually the “center of gravity” for the holiday season ramp-up. The good news is that 2012 continues to modestly outper-form 2011 on a year-to-date basis.

The monthly changes for Tex-as ports were a mixed bag ranging from Brownsville’s decrease of 24% to Texas City’s robust increase of 17.5%. Brownsville’s performance remains up nearly 18% for the year and Texas City’s annualized running total is up almost 1% - no doubt October’s performance played a significant role in pushing the port

into positive territory. To the north of Brownsville, Corpus Christi tied its second-best-month vessel arriv-al tally; however, since the previous month saw the same number of ar-rivals, there was no monthly change. This certainly contributed to the port being 9% above 2011’s vessel arrival figures. Freeport also matched its second-best month resulting in a 9% improvement over September. Yet, it remains nearly 10% off for the year.

The final major port that had posi-tive monthly numbers was Sabine at 7.5%. This was with its best monthly showing and undoubtedly nudged the port into the plus side by .4% for 2012. The port of Galveston was off nearly 16% for the month and re-mains 5.6% below last year’s totals.

Vessel arrivals in Houston from September to Octo-


ber were off by 3.5% but the nation’s largest export port still outpaced its 2011 numbers by 2.6%. The break-down of the 694 vessels that called upon Houston in October ran the gamut with bulkers remaining flat for both the month and the year as compared to general cargo’s month-ly and annual increases of 8.5% and 7.4% respectively. Chemical tankers racked up a negative monthly change of 16.6% but still dominates all cate-gories on a year-to-date basis with a 81.5% increase. Container vessels continued its slid from September by another 7% and is now almost 2% be-low 2011’s count. Four additional car carriers arrived in Houston resulting in a 9.5% uptick for the month and a very impressive 36% for the year. Ro/Ro vessel activity mirrored last year’s performance as 2 fewer vessels steamed into Houston. Energy-wise, as the crude flow into Houston con-tinues to lag against 2011’s figures – down more than 3% for the month and almost 20% for the year – LPG continues to enjoy a stellar year with 15% more transits than 2011 and over 16% in the last month.

Overall, general commerce has been solid for the year as further typified by tow movements on both the inland waterways and offshore. Specifically, the former chalked up a monthly increase of 3.8% and the latter – in Houston at least – 9.5%. On the year-to-date front, inland tows are 4.4% higher and the off-shore tows requiring pilotage have increased by 19.5%. Nevertheless, there are potential problems on the horizon which could drive 2013 into a negative trade environment; par-ticularly with a second dose of the current administration. These issues

range from an oppressive regulato-ry environment which hamstrings fracking; weak global demand for ex-ports precipitated by a zero-growth setting in Europe and infirm growth in China; and lack of water in the middle Mississippi River due to wa-ter flow restrictions imposed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Hopefully,

the aforementioned factors and an obstinate administration under the impression that it possesses a man-date to lurch the country further to the left will not gut a fragile economy and jettison the principles that un-dergird the world’s largest economy. -T. Marian, Buffalo Marine Service

CHALOS & Co, P.C.INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM

New York | Houston | Miami | Athens | Cyprus

Our proven ability to resolve problems in a realistic, cost effective and result-oriented way is our trademark.

New York+1-516-714-4300

Miami+1-305-377-3700

Houston+1-713-574-9454

[email protected]

CHALOS & Co, P.C.INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM


Greater Houston Port Bureau

www.txgulf.org

111 East Loop North Houston, TX 77029

T. +713-678-4300F. +713-678-4839

Advertise in the Port Bureau News

Advertising in the Port Bureau News is open to GHPB Members Only

Reach 6,500+ Maritime executives & professionals every month for as low

as $2,000/year. Quarter, Half and Full Pages Available!

Place Your Order:[email protected]

(713) 678-4300

December 2012 Port Bueau News

Documents

Transcript of December 2012 Port Bueau News