Bollinger delivers third Hornbeck tank barge

Bollinger Marine Fabricators LLC recently delivered Energy 6508, a double-hull, Oil Pollution Act of 1990-compliant tank barge, to Hornbeck Offshore Transportation. Its sister barges, Energy 6506 and Energy 6507, were delivered to Hornbeck last year.

The terms of the three-barge deal were not disclosed; however, the shipyard’s CEO Donald “Boysie” Bollinger had high praise for workers who helped deliver the project on time.

“Our BMF team did a great job on the Energy 6508 and her earlier sister ships,” Bollinger said in a release. “In signing a contract of this size following a locally-concentrated natural disaster, Bollinger worked hard to insure that these units maintained the [company] seal of being the best in the industry.”

With a 60,000 barrel capacity, the Energy 6508 measures 362 feet long and 29 feet deep with a 60-foot beam. All three barges in the Energy series are classed by the American Bureau of Shipping to the Maltese Cross A1, unmanned and manned special service.

Each vessel has six main cargo tank pairs, “Guard Level” Ian Conrad Bergan cargo tank gauging and overfill protection, vapor recovery and, for increased maneuverability, a Brunvoll tunnel thruster. The barges are also outfitted with accommodations and living quarters for four people.

“We thank all of the men and women at Bollinger Shipyard for their perseverance in completing this three-barge serial construction program despite the many business difficulties faced by the industry in the months following Hurricane Katrina,” said Carl Annessa, Hornbeck Offshore’s vice president and chief operating officer. “Hornbeck Offshore, its crews and its customers are very pleased with the performance of the barges in service, and we are happy that these unique double-hull barges carry the Bollinger pedigree.”

Energy 6508, a tank barge built by Bollinger Marine Fabricators LLC in Amelia, delivers its first load of cargo on the east coast of the United States. * Photo courtesy of BOLLINGER SHIPYARDS