Mexico News

U.S. Crude Oil Exports: When 'Less is More'

Longer sailing distances cushion fall in US crude oil exportsTon mile demand generated by US crude oil exports has fallen by 9.7% in the first two months of 2021 compared with the start of 2020. The fall could however have been much worse; In volume terms, seaborne crude oil exports have fallen by 18.8%, to 20.9m tonnes, a 4.8m tonnes decline compared with last year, according to data from the US Census Bureau.While seaborne crude oil exports to all regions have fallen, those to Asia are among the least affected, down just 1.0%, or equivalent to one Aframax load (101,088 tonnes).

Port of Gulfport Names Nass CEO

The Mississippi State Port Authority (MSPA) Board of Commissioners has named Jon Nass the new CEO and executive director of the Port of Gulfport, following a national search led by Tim McNamara, head of Odgers Berndtson’s Transportation and Infrastructure Practice in Washington, D.C. His tentative start date is June 1.“After nearly an eight-month process, the MSPA Commission is very pleased to announce we have selected a new executive director to lead the Port of Gulfport team,” said MSPA President E.J. Roberts.

Crowley’s Skoglund to Lead Mergers and Acquisitions Team

Crowley Maritime Corp. has appointed Trish Skoglund as corporate director of mergers and acquisitions, guiding strategic investments that create sustainable growth and accelerate the company’s competitive advantages.In her newly created role, Skoglund will contribute to all aspects of strategic acquisitions, and she will collaborate with Crowley’s business units to identify growth opportunities that best maximize the company’s diverse capabilities and offerings, the company said.

Transpacific Trade Imbalance Increasing Even as Port Jams Ease - BIMCO

The year 2021 has started in much the same way as 2020 ended for U.S. container imports; import volumes are still surging. As per usual seasonality, volumes came down a little in January and February, though this year the drop wasn’t as steep as usual, says shipping organization BIMCO. Imports by the two San Pedro Bay ports in California rose 27.8% in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2020. Although last year’s comparison is low due to the COVID-19 impact…

Katherine Tai Confirmed by Senate as US Trade Chief

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted unanimously to confirm veteran government trade lawyer Katherine Tai as the first woman of color to serve as U.S. Trade Representative, putting her to work enforcing trade deals, confronting China’s trade practices and patching up ties with U.S. allies.The rare 98-0 vote for Tai, a Yale and Harvard-educated daughter of immigrants from Taiwan, reflects support from pro-labor Democrats, traditional free-trade Republicans and China hawks from both parties.Tai…

Houston Ship Channel Operations Closed Due to Fog

Operations at the Houston ship channel were suspended early on Monday morning due to dense fog in the region, a Galveston Texas Pilots dispatcher said.The ship channel is a 53-mile (85 km) waterway connecting the busiest U.S. petrochemical port with the Gulf of Mexico.(Reporting by Anjishnu Mondal and Arpan Varghese; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

Strong Offshore Wind Lifts U.S. Maritime, Port, and Logistics Companies

After several false starts, 2021 is the year when the U.S. offshore wind industry begins to realize its potential. This is according to Philip Lewis, Director of Research, World Energy Reports (WER).In an interview with Maritime Reporter TV's Greg Trauthwein, Lewis, whose WER is set to release an intelligence pack that presents a roadmap to the opportunities in the U.S. offshore wind space, says that at least 30 major offshore wind projects are forecast to be developed within this decade.

Brazil's Slow Soybean Harvest Widens US Export Window

Harvesting delays in Brazil, the world’s top soybean producer, are prompting buyers led by China to rely on rival exporter the United States for longer than usual in 2021, according to government data and traders.Sustained demand for U.S. soybeans is accelerating an historic drawdown of U.S. supplies of the oilseed and could further drive up soybean prices at a time of rising food inflation as countries hoard staples during the pandemic.Concerns over tight global soybean supplies after China dramatically increased purchases in recent months ignited a 4.5% U.S.

Groundbreaking Tech Unlocks Optimal Routing and Usability

End-users trialing the VoyOpt voyage optimization service say it beats the competition in terms of the number of data sources it aggregates, ease of use and bottom-line benefits.Fuel consumption is the leading cost driver in shipping and remains the top fiscal concern of shipowners amid uncertainty surrounding bunker costs and availability. “Managing fuel consumption effectively means owners need increasingly to adopt new performance tools that leverage cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence.

Tso to Lead HDR’s West Region Transportation Program in the US

HDR has promoted Sam Tso, P.E., to serve as West Region transportation director. As director, Tso will be responsible for a region that spans the western United States from Montana, Utah and New Mexico to the Pacific coast, as well as Alaska and Hawaii.Backed by more than 40 years of experience, Tso will provide strategic leadership for the continued diversification of HDR's aviation, highways and bridges, transit, freight rail and maritime practice areas and the expansion of the firm’s multidisciplinary technical capabilities throughout the region.

China Set to Become World's Top Corn Importer

China’s government is discussing permits for millions of tonnes of additional corn imports over the next year, three industry sources told Reuters, amid a surge in animal feed demand and after storms and drought damage tightened domestic supplies.A round of new import orders from China would make it the world’s top importer of corn for the first time and likely drive up global prices of corn and other grains. That would amplify food inflation caused by disruptions to global supply chains due to the coronavirus pandemic.Food security has emerged as a global theme during the pandemic…

Digitizing Risk-based Integrity Management of FPSOs

Industries are adapting to an increasingly digitalized landscape. The floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) industry is no different. As concerted efforts are made to improve project economics Matt Tremblay, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Offshore, discusses how digitalization can increase safety, reduce costs, and build robust technical and operational capabilities.No one could have predicted what a challenging year 2020 would become. Offshore production activity fluctuated dramatically with changing market economics and a global pandemic…

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Moving Its HQ to Houston

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. announced Thursday it is moving its corporate headquarters to Houston, positioning the nation’s largest dredging services provider nearer to major regional projects and opportunities. The firm will also open regional offices in Jacksonville, Fla., and Staten Island, N.Y.The move to Houston from from Oak Brook, Ill., which stems in part from changing industry dynamics, places the company closer to key regional customers and new markets, especially along the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River…

US Army Corps Clearing Debris from Louisiana Calcasieu Ship Channel After Delta

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said on Wednesday that it may be able to clear enough debris from Hurricane Delta to open the Calcasieu Ship Channel in Louisiana to vessels drafting up to 30 feet (9.14 m) with restrictions by the end of the week.The Army Corps, however, said it does not have a timeline for restoration to full deep draft (40 feet) traffic.Analysts said a fully laden liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker has a draft of around 40 feet.

Army Corps Assessing Louisiana Calcasieu Ship Channel After Delta

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said on Tuesday it has identified three obstructions from Hurricane Delta that have to be removed before it can reopen the Calcasieu Ship Channel in Louisiana to deep draft vessels.The Army Corps, however, said it needs more data before it can estimate how long it will take to dredge the channel.That channel allows tankers to access the Cameron liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant, the Lake Charles refineries owned by Citgo Petroleum Corp and…

Mexico Closes Oil Ports Ahead of Hurricane Delta

Mexico's naval authorities on Tuesday ordered the closure of oil, cargo and passenger ports in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean ahead of Hurricane Delta, expected to sweep the Yucatan peninsula overnight.Ports shuttered to large ships included Dos Bocas in Tabasco and oil installations in Campeche.(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; editing by Drazen Jorgic)

Offshore Oil Wells, Ports Shut as Hurricane Sally Advances on U.S. Gulf

Energy companies, ports and refiners raced on Monday to shut down as Hurricane Sally grew stronger while lumbering toward the central U.S. Gulf Coast, the second significant hurricane to shutter oil and gas activity over the last month.The hurricane is disrupting oil imports and exports as the nation's sole offshore terminal, the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), stopped loading tanker ships on Sunday, while the port of New Orleans closed on Monday.The U.S. government said 21%…

Port of Houston Reopens as Hurricane Closure Lifted

The Port of Houston, the United States' largest energy export port, began reopening to commercial shipping on Thursday after a day-long closure due to Hurricane Laura, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Ports along the Texas and Louisiana coasts were closed as the Category 4 hurricane churned up the Gulf of Mexico and went ashore in Cameron, Louisiana, early Thursday. The storm brought hurricane winds and high seas to the region.The Port of Houston, a major import and export hub for fuel, chemicals and consumer goods, closed on Wednesday.

US LNG Loading Delays Expected as Hurricane Slams Gulf Coast

Loadings of liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes from the United States likely will be delayed as a powerful storm strikes the heart of the U.S. oil and gas industry on the Gulf Coast, forcing several LNG plants to shut.Hurricane Laura made landfall early on Thursday in southwestern Louisiana as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the state, with forecasters warning it could push a wall of water 40 miles (64 km) inland from the sea. Landfall came near Louisiana's border…

Plaquemines Port to Build Mississippi River Container Terminal

Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District (PPHTD) said it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with several potential partners to development a multi-modal container terminal on the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, La.The signing of the LOI kicks off a six-month due diligence period during which the parties will conduct multiple studies prior to making a final investment decision (FID).The proposed container terminal would encompass up to 1,000 acres and 8,200 feet of Mississippi River frontage just 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

Lower Mississippi River to be Deepened to 50 Feet

The ports at Baton Rouge, New Orleans, South Louisiana, St. Bernard and Plaquemines are slated to have deep draft access after Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and other state officials signed a formal agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Friday to begin construction on the deepening of the Lower Mississippi River to 50 feet from 45 feet. The overall project will provide a draft of 50-feet from the Port of Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico over 256 miles of the Mississippi River.

Total Shipping Losses Are Declining, But Challenges Persist -Report

The record low 41 large shipping losses worldwide in 2019 represents a 20% improvement year-on-year and almost 70% over a decade, but the coronavirus crisis could endanger the long-term safety improvements in the shipping industry for 2020 and beyond, as difficult operating conditions and a sharp economic downturn present a unique set of challenges, according to recent report from marine insurer Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS).Consequences of coronavirus and a sustained…

SENER Group Appoints New Leadership

SENER Group announced it has appointed a new president and new CEO to usher in a new leadership phase at the Spanish-based engineering company. Andrés Sendagorta has been named President of the SENER Group, and Jorge Sendagorta Cudós its new CEO.Sendagorta, hitherto Vice President of SENER, takes over from Jorge Sendagorta, who will continue to be linked to the SENER Group as its Honorary President.Andrés Sendagorta holds a diploma in General Management from the Institute for Higher Business Studies IESE (Universidad de Navarra, Spain).

Tankers Carrying Venezuelan Oil Stuck at Sea

Tankers carrying nearly two months worth of Venezuelan oil output are stuck at sea as global refiners shun the nation’s crude to avoid falling foul of U.S. sanctions, according to industry sources, PDVSA documents and shipping data.Washington is tightening sanctions to cut Venezuela’s oil exports and deprive the government of socialist President Nicolas Maduro of its main source of revenue.The OPEC member’s exports are hovering near their lowest levels in more than 70 years and the economy has collapsed, but Maduro has held on - to the frustration of the administration of U.S.

US Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Trump's Steel Tariffs

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned away a challenge to President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported steel brought by an industry group that had argued that a key part of the law under which he imposed the duties violates the U.S. Constitution.The justices declined to hear the American Institute for International Steel's appeal of a February ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in favor of the administration. The institute is a pro-free trade group that…

Port of Indiana-Mt. Vernon Makes ‘Next Generation’ Terminal Upgrades

A  recently completed a $2 million capital improvement project aims to attract more cargo to one of the nation’s largest inland ports.Situated 153 miles from the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon connects the Ohio River Valley region’s agriculture, coal and manufacturing industries to the rest of the world via year-round access to the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes through the inland waterways system.Each year, more than 3,600 barges…