Page 9: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 1999)

Inland Report

Bollinger's Barge Business Is Booming

Well-known in the vessel building industry as a quality builder of various vessels and as a specialist in ship and barge repair, conversions and barge flar- ing, Lockport, La.-based Bollinger

Shipyards has made a name for itself as a major builder of barges used on inland waterways and ocean-going uses. Stem- ming from the shipyard's growth are five contracts for 17 specialized large barges ranging in sizes from 240 to 365 ft. (73.1 x 111.2 m) Some were recently delivered, while others will be sent off before year-end 2000.

According to Lynn Falgout, vice president and general manager of

Bollinger Marine Fabricators, "Until

April 1997, we had had a limited barge program in eight shipyards. We upgrad- ed our capacity that year when we acquired the former McDermott ship- yard in Amelia, La., which is a 67-acre dedicated barge building facility with large, covered construction buildings. It is now known as Bollinger Marine Fab- ricators, LLC. It, along with $2 million capital improvement program, has given us the capacity to launch as many as three hopper barges per week as demon- strated with our recently completed

MEMCO contract." "At the time of purchase," Falgout added, "McDermott had a contract for, but had not yet begun construction of 250, 200 x 35 x 13 ft. (60 x 10.6 x 3.9 m) and 14 box and rake hopper barges for MEMCO located in St. Louis, Mo.

We began building those barges in April 1996, and completed that contract ahead of schedule in March 1999."

The largest of the contracts amounts to six barges designed by Shearer & Asso- ciates, Metairie, La. Measuring 260 x 60 x 14 ft. (79.2 x 18.2 x 42.6 m), the ves- sels were built for the PCS Phosphate

Company located in Raleigh, N.C. Two of the barges will be covered hopper barges built to carry phosphate rock or fertilizer between PCS Phosphate's

Aurora, N.C. mine and plant and the port at Morehead City, N.C. Each will be equipped to transport 3,000 metric tons of products and will house fiber- glass, telescoping rolling covers.

Designed to carry sulfuric or phos- phoric acid, two are 12,000 BBL double skin tank barges with two integral stain- less steel cargo tanks equipped with two electric-driven deep well turbine pumps.

Cargo systems valves will be flanged gate valves specifically designed and manufactured for acid service, while all cargo tanks will have a remote read-out level sensor, and sight glass and fittings

December, 1999 for future installation of a vapor control system.

The final two of the six-part barge contract calls for double skin barges built to carry molten sulfur. The same size as the bulk cargo and sulfuric acid barges, this pair will have two integral mild steel cargo tanks of 12,000 BBL

Bollinger Marine Fabricators tank barge awaits delivery following completion at the Morgan City,

La. barge building facility.

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