Mexico News

Houston Ship Channel Reopens to Two-Way Traffic

The Houston Ship Channel reopened on Wednesday to two-way traffic after salvage crews removed two gasoline barges damaged in a weekend collision with a deep-draft vessel, officials said.About 11,280 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, after a 755-foot (230-metre) tanker collided over the weekend with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel.The removal of the Kirby Corp-operated barges was completed by midday on Wednesday and two-way traffic resumed…

Houston Ship Channel Bottleneck Finally Eases

A bottleneck of inbound traffic on the Houston Ship Channel eased on Tuesday though one-way travel restrictions remained following a weekend collision between a deep-draft ship and a barge, officials said on Tuesday.About 9,000 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, when a 755-foot (230-meter) tanker collided over the weekend with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel.West Texas Intermediate crude at the Magellan East Houston (MEH) terminal on the ship channel traded at an $8.10 a barrel premium to U.S.

Houston Port Restrictions Could Last All Week

The Houston Ship Channel could remain under one-way travel restrictions all week following a collision between a deep-draft ship and a barge that spilled petrochemicals into the waterway, according to an official.About 9,000 barrels of gasoline spilled into the channel near Bayport, Texas, when a 755-foot (230-m) tanker collided with a Kirby Inland Marine tugboat towing two barges containing the fuel. One barge ruptured and the other capsized.The U.S. Coast Guard limited travel to one-way traffic because barges blocked part of the channel.

Compliant & Efficient Solutions for Telford Offshore

In July 2015, Worldwide Recruitment Solutions (WRS) was awarded the contract as a provider of managed services for Telford Offshore (previously Sea Trucks Group). As a rostered managed services provider tasked with providing all contract manpower requirements and associated mobilization and HR services, WRS undertook responsibility for two DP3 accommodation vessels and one DP2 multipurpose support vessels (MPSV), working in the offshore oil and gas industry in Brazil, Mexico and Nigeria.A combination of factors created challenges to the success of these projects…

Hamburg Süd Christens “Polar Mexico”

Hamburg Süd christened the “Polar Mexico” container ship in the Mexican port of Veracruz on the weekend.The sponsor of the “Polar Mexico” is Claudia Dávila, wife of Carlos Ayala, Logistics and Distribution Director of Alpek Polyester, which is a subsidiary of the Alfa Group, one of the largest corporate groups in Mexico.The Mexican economy is strong in the fruit sector as well as in other industries with high import and export volumes, such as automobile manufacturing, chemicals and brewing.

Latin American Ports Cargo Throughput Rose 7.7%

Container throughput in ports of Latin America and the Caribbean increased by 7.7% in 2018 in comparison with the previous year.According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), this analysis is based on the performance of a sampling of 31 countries and 118 ports and port areas in the region.According to the annual report unveiled by the United Nations organization – which was called  “port ranking” in prior years – the data largely maintained the heterogeneity seen in throughput behavior in previous periods, both in reference to ports and countries.

Port Manatee Shatters H1 Cargo Records

Port Manatee has enjoyed the busiest first fiscal half in its nearly 50-year history, shattering several key cargo records for the six-month period ended March 31.The Central-Southwest Florida Gulf Coast port has achieved new first-half highs for total tonnage throughput and containerized and bulk cargo activity, according to figures released on Thursday, April 18, at the regular monthly meeting of the Manatee County Port Authority.Record accomplishments of Port Manatee in its first fiscal half…

CLIA: 28.5 Million Cruised in 2018

The global cruise passenger continues at a paced growth around the world with an almost seven percent increase from 2017 to 2018, totaling 28.5 million passengers.According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)'s latest global cruise passenger statistics, the average age for a cruise passenger is 47 years.Research also shows North American travelers continue to embrace cruising with an annual passenger increase of nine percent (14.2 million passengers) in 2018.While the cruise sector represents two percent of the overall global travel industry…

Dachser Reports Year of Growth

German-headquartered logistics provider Dachser posted 5.5 percent growth in 2018 on record shipment and tonnage figures, driven primarily by its European export business.The company reported increased consolidated net revenue of EUR 5.57 billion (USD 6.58 bn), with shipment numbers lifted 2.5 percent to 83.7 million and tonnage up 3 percent to 41.3 million metric tons.While the global logistics provider’s growth was boosted by economic conditions, it said certain challenges became increasingly apparent: the shortage of professional drivers and logistics operatives…

Kalmar to Help Bimbo's Ops at Mexico

Kalmar has concluded a deal to supply a total of three Kalmar Ottawa Electric Terminal Tractors T2E to the Mexican bakery product manufacturer Bimbo.Kalmar, part of Cargotec, said in a press release that the order was booked in Cargotec's 2019 Q1 order intake, with delivery of the machines scheduled to take place during Q3 of 2019.Bimbo is the largest baking company in the world, with 199 plants and more than 1,800 sales centres across 32 countries throughout the Americas, Europe…

Tanker Bottleneck Eases for Port of Houston

Four tankers on Thursday were preparing to offload or pick up cargoes in the busiest U.S. oil port, the first signs of an easing of the bottleneck that cut 1 million barrels per day of shipments, according to vessel tracking data.The Houston Ship Channel reopened this week with operating restrictions following a fire at Mitsui & Co Inc's Intercontinental Terminals Co (ITC) in Deer Park, Texas. That blaze sent fuel and chemicals into the waterway, which connects Houston to the…

Trafigura Sends More Asian Gasoline to Americas

Commodity trader Trafigura is shipping this month a second newly built crude tanker with Asian gasoline onboard to South America amid strong demand in the West, four industry sources who closely monitor petrol trade flows said on Thursday.Although it is not uncommon for traders to use a brand new crude tanker of 150,000 deadweight tonnage (dwt) to ship clean fuels such as diesel, it is rare to use them for gasoline because of the sheer size."South America likely needs gasoline more than gasoil now.

One-on-One with Martin McDonald, SVP, ROV Division, Oceaneering

Martin McDonald, an industry veteran with more than 35 years under his belt, is responsible for Oceaneering’s global ROV business. With a broad based of ROV experience – from operation to repair to maintenance to management – McDonald shares with MTR his insights on the historical development and future prospects of this high-profile subsea sector.How and when did you know that your career would be in the maritime/subsea industry?I grew up in Fraserburgh, Scotland, a small town 40 miles north of the oilfield city of Aberdeen. Fraserburgh is best known for commercial fishing.

TX Refineries Cut Output as Spill Curbs Shipping

Royal Dutch Shell Plc and LyondellBasell Industries cut production on Monday at their Houston-area oil refineries because of shipping disruptions along a waterway affected by a petrochemical fire and spill, according to people familiar with the matter.A fire and fuel leak at Mitsui & Co Inc's Intercontinental Terminals Co (ITC) storage facility in Deer Park, Texas, last week sent gasoline, water and fire suppressant foam into the Houston Ship Channel, which connects Houston to the Gulf of Mexico, and is home to nine oil refineries.The U.S.

Houston Ship Channel Reopened

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday reopened portions of the Houston Ship Channel with restrictions on waterways affected by the petrochemical leak outside Houston that has disrupted ship traffic.The busiest U.S. oil port, shut last Friday after a chemical leak into the water, led Royal Dutch Shell Plc and LyondellBasell Industries to cut production on Monday, according to people familiar with their operations.In a midday announcement, the Coast Guard said it is allowing daytime transits only through the ship channel…

Air Quality Monitored as TX Tank Blaze Rages

Houston officials and environmental groups raced to expand air monitoring on Tuesday after a raging fire at a Mitsui & Co petrochemical storage site produced billowing acrid smoke that could be seen and smelled miles away.The blaze at Mitsui unit Intercontinental Terminals Co in Deer Park, Texas, burned for a third day after firefighting water pumps broke down for six hours on Monday evening, the company said.The fire began on Sunday when a leaking tank containing volatile naphtha ignited and flames quickly spread to nearby tanks…

Houston Tank Fire Spreads to More Tanks

A storage tank fire on the Houston Ship Channel on Sunday has spread to seven petrochemical storage tanks, forcing residents in the suburb of Deer Park, Texas, to stay indoors on Monday, but no evacuations or injuries were reported.The fire, which sent a plume of black smoke across the city's eastern half and was visible from 10 miles (16 km) away , began in a giant storage tank containing naphtha, a volatile component of gasoline, at about 10:30 a.m. (1530 GMT) on Sunday.By evening…

ICTSI Net Income Up 22% in 2018

Manila-head quartered port and terminal operator International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) has released solid results for 2018. ICTSI’s box volumes were higher, revenues increased and the group generated higher profit.The port operator said in a stock exchange annoucement that its consolidated volume higher by six percent to 9,736,621 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) (FY2017: 9,153,458 TEUs) and revenue from port operations increased 11 percent to US$1.4 billion (FY2017…

U.S. Democrats Initially Cool to New NAFTA

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives gave a cool reception to the replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement on Wednesday as the top U.S. trade negotiator opened a campaign to win broad support for the accord in Congress.Several Democrats said a closed-door meeting between United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and their caucus failed to ease their concerns about the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement's (USMCA) provisions on labor, biologic drugs and some other issues.A USTR spokeswoman declined to comment on the meeting.The support of Democrats…

Blackstone Invests in Terminal Operator Carrix

U.S. investment firm Blackstone Group LP said on Sunday that funds affiliated with Blackstone Infrastructure Partners invested in Carrix Inc, the largest marine terminal operator in the United States and the Americas.The company did not disclose the terms of the transaction.Carrix is the parent of SSA Marine and its related affiliates with operations at over 250 port and rail locations worldwide, including 16 container terminals in Long Beach and Oakland in California, Seattle and Tacoma in Washington…

Proposed Deepwater Port in Gulf of Mexico

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) issued a notice stating that a public scoping meeting will be held on 20 March in Lake Jackson, Texas to receive comments on the proposed deepwater port (DWP) in the Gulf of Mexico to be constructed and operated by SPOT Terminal Services LLC. Written comments must be received by 5 April. 84 Fed. Reg. 8401 (3/7/19) https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-03-07/pdf/2019-04101.pdf(Bryant's Maritime Newsletter)

Inland Port Development: Take the train

The intermodal equation for any deep draft port is incomplete without its inland component.It’s definitely a work in progress.There are inland ports in the truest sense: major lakefront and riverfront cities such as Chicago and St. Louis, including even Duluth and Tulsa, with vast distribution areas, wildly varying cargo, roads, trains and waterways to serve them.And, then, there are inland ports, dry ports that have vast distribution areas, containerized cargo delivered from true oceanfront ports…

Cruise Building: Growing, Cleaner and Not Always Bigger

2019 will be the biggest year ever for new ship introductions.The ships are coming. Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) suggests that in the coming year 18 new ships are on order for CLIA cruise lines. The next few years will see the arrival of new cruise giants at PortMiami and Port Canaveral. But first they will need giant terminals.The Global Impact of Cruise LinesCLIA estimates 30 million travelers will cruise next year, up six percent from 28.2 million in 2018;…

TFI Buys Toronto Tank Lines

North American transportation and logistics player TFI International has announced the acquisition of Toronto Tank Lines (TTIL).Acquisition strengthens TFI’s logistics and specialized tank capabilities throughout North America, said a press note.Founded in 1993 and based in Hamilton, Ontario, TTL specializes in the transportation and storage of food grade liquids, industrial chemicals, specialty oils and waxes throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico.TTL operates storage facilities and a fleet of approximately 75 tank trailers and 45 power units…

Burns Harbor Extends Key Partnership

The Port of Indiana Burns-Harbor has extended its partnership with its longtime stevedore and marine terminal operating company, Federal Marine Terminals.A press note from the Ports of Indiana, a statewide port authority operating three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan, said that the deal will run through at least 2023."FMT has been a vital collaborator with the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor since 1999," said Port Director Ian Hirt, "and this consolidated operating agreement…

Boskalis Sells Stake in SAAM SMIT Towage

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has signed an agreement with SAAM S.A. (SAAM) relating to the sale and purchase of the equity stake held by Boskalis in SAAM SMIT Towage. Under the terms of the agreement, the total (100%) enterprise value of SAAM SMIT Towage is valued at $560 million. Boskalis expects to receive $201 million in cash for its equity stake in the joint venture.The towage joint venture between Boskalis and SAAM was formed in 2014 which at the time covered the respective towage activities in Brazil, Panama, Mexico and Canada.