Bollinger delivers two double-hull barges

Bollinger Shipyards delivered two barges in recent weeks, the first of two to K-Sea Transportation LLC and Bouchard Ocean Services.

Bollinger Marine Fabricators LLC in Amelia delivered an ocean service, double-hull oil tank barge to K-Sea earlier this summer. K-Sea provides marine transportation, distribution and logistics services in the petroleum industry in the northeastern U.S. and Gulf of Mexico.

Built to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requirements, the 80,000-BBL capacity vessel measures 336 feet, 11 inches long with a 74-foot beam and a 25-foot depth. It is the first in a series of two near-sister vessels the site will build for K-Sea, according to Robert A. Socha, Bollinger’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. The second tank barge in the series is slated to be delivered later this year.

The first vessel, DLB 77, is outfitted with two 6,000 BTU thermal liquid heaters and cargo heating coils as well as a vapor recovery system, enabling it to carry either clean or residual cargoes, Socha said.

“The DBL 77 is a state-of-the-art tank vessel built to the highest regulatory and performance standards and well suited to meet our customers’ requirements,” said Timothy J. Casey, president and CEO of K-Sea. “Our long-standing relationship with Bollinger has yielded another high-quality addition to the K-Sea fleet, on schedule and within budget.”

Bouchard received a double-hull, 60,000-BBL capacity oil tank barge, also built to OPA ’90 standards.

The manned ocean, black oil barge measures 350 feet long, with a 70-foot beam and a 25-foot depth. It is a near-sister vessel to two other vessels currently in production at Bollinger Gretna LLC in Harvey. The barge has 10 cargo compartments and two separate pumping system. It too has a vapor thermal oil heater, as well as two cargo pumps. It is also outfitted with two electric-hydraulic cranes.

Following the delivery from Bollinger Gretna, the vessel went directly into service supporting black oil transportation service primarily in the northeast U.S.

“Bouchard is pleased to have taken delivery of our second double hull barge from Bollinger within four months,” said Morton S. Bouchard III, president and CEO of Bouchard Affiliates. “With the delivery of the B. No.260, Bouchard affiliates moves closer to completing our long term business plan that was established in 1992, which is to have our fleet, as it existed in 1990, totally double hulled prior to 2010, with new builds and retrofits.”

Bollinger delivered the second of two 35,000-BBL units to Bouchard in May. It will deliver an 80,000-BBL clean oil unit in the coming months. According to Socha, three 60,000-BBL clean oil barges are scheduled for delivery in March and June 2009 and March 2010.

With the delivery of these barges Bouchard’s fleet will be 100 percent double-hulled and the most modern and flexible fleet in the Jones Act Trade, he said.