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Gulf contracted Trinity Offshore, LLC, in Gulfport, Miss. to build four LNG-fueled OSVs. Those ecological- ly-friendly boats will meet AmericanBureau of Shipping ENVIRO+ stan- dards. They will have dual-fuel capa- bilities and when running in gas mode, will produce no sulphur oxide emissions since gas doesn't containsulphur. Nitrogen oxides will be slashed compared with diesel opera- tions, and CO2 emissions will belowered. Natural gas produces almost no particulates. In January, President Obama said that his administration is openinganother 38 million acres of the cen- tral Gulf of Mexico to exploration and development with June 20 oil & gas lease sales in New Orleans. Those sales, however, were sched- uled in the 2007-2012 Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Program, planned in 2007. Thankfully, they weren't canceled, industry members said. Today, increased drilling activity has allowed measured optimism in a recovering, GOM maritime econo- my. More drilling in an environment of heightened government oversight and increased safety points to a better year for OSV operators and their clients. www.marinelink.com MN37Port activity is 90% of what it was prior to the moratorium and that number is rising. You can feel the change in activity at the port. Things are looking up for our tenants. Companies have announced plans to build offshore vessels, and some are agreeing to build for the deep end as more rigs come on line. Chett Chiasson, Executive Director, Port Fourchon, LA