TEXAS CITY - The first crude oil ships docked in the Port of Texas City on Saturday, a sign that oil production is beginning to recover following Hurricane Ike.
Jason Hayley, head of security and water operations for the Port of Texas City, said two crude ships docked at the port on Saturday and a third was due in to port on Sunday afternoon.
Those ships are the first to make deliveries since the port and the petrochemical plants in Texas City were forced to shut before Hurricane Ike made landfall Sept 13.
Hayley said power was restored at the port on Thursday, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed an initial assessment of the Texas City Harbor, clearing it to accept ships.
Using sonar technology, Army engineers found the ship channel and harbor were clear of debris and approved shipping at a ˇ°full project depthˇ± of 40 feet, which is the standard for the Port of Texas City's operation.
Ships are still under a U.S. Coast Guard daylight-only restriction for entering or leaving the port, said Hayley.
The three ships bringing in crude oil were for Valero's refinery, company spokesman Fred Newhouse confirmed.
Newhouse said with the shipments of crude, Valero expected its Texas City refinery would be producing fuel as early as Monday.
BP spokesman Scott Dean said the Texas City refinery, which is the third largest in the nation, was undergoing its restart process after power and steam were restored.
Marathon Oil spokesman Paul Weeditz said refinery was still assessing damage and working to get power restored. Process units do not appear to have been damaged, said Weeditz.
As part of the process of resuming operations, each facility's docks were inspected, Hayley said. Only those docks that passed a Coast Guard inspection could accept ships.
That inspection process includes side sonar sweeps to make sure no debris or shoaling occurred at docks. Shoaling is the buildup of silt and other natural impediments that could make the dock area shallower.
The National Hurricane Center estimates the port facilities in Texas City took a storm surge of 14 feet.
That surge caused significant damage to port facilities, Hayley said.
One of the sweeps on Sunday found an object in the water near one of the dock facilities, Hayley said. Dive teams were in the water to identify and remove the object.
The Port of Texas City is the eighth largest port in the nation and provides dock facilities for more than a dozen petrochemical facilities. Ike was not the first hurricane the port, which was founded in 1893, has weathered. It has recovered from the 1900 Storm, Carla and Alicia. |
