Page 41: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 2001)

Inland Report

U.S. Tank Barge Market Report

Since January 2000 there has been a decrease in the total number of inland tank barges listed for sale. Prices for inland tank barges have increased an average of 10 percent over last year for barges under 10,000 bbl capacity.

Barges over 10,000 bbl have increased about 14 percent. Asking prices for inland barges in general are ranging around $14-24 per barrels for working units with most sales ranging from $10 - $15/ bbl depending on condition and age. Most of the inland barges for sale are single skin units averaging about 37 years in age with the oldest being built in 1941.

Prices for ocean tank barges under 20,000 bbl have increased an average of 13.3 percent over the year 2000, while prices for larger size units have remained relatively stable. Most of these are single skin. Although there are few U.S. flag ocean tank barges current- ly listed, values seem to be ranging about $30 - $40/bbl for good tonnage with life remaining before their OPA 90 retirement dates. Most of the newer barges for sale, with one exception, are foreign-flagged, single skin and located in the Far East.

New Contracts

Halter Marine, Inc., has signed a con- tract with Vessel Management Services,

Inc., of Seattle, Wash., for the construc- tion of a 150,000-bbl, oceangoing, dou- ble-hulled articulated tug-barge (ATB), with options for up to five additional units. The barges will be built at Halter's

Port Bienville shipyard in Pearlington,

Miss., and the tugs at its Moss Point

Marine shipyard, in Escatawpa, Miss.

Maritrans Operating Partners has obtained a patent on its process for rebuilding single hull tank vessels with internal double hulls. Together with the

Houston-based naval architecture firm

Schuller & Allan, Maritrans developed a double-hull manufacturing process to rebuild single-hulled tank vessels with the double hulls required by OPA 90.

The process uses computer-assisted design for fabricating modular internal hull sections. In 1998, Maritrans com- pleted the rebuilding of the 10,549-gt tank barge Maritrans 192 (formerly

Ocean 192), which was the first large single hull tank vessel rebuilt with a double hull to meet OPA's standards. In 2000, Maritrans completed rebuilding 16,021 GRT tank barge Maritrans 244 (formerly Ocean 244). Both vessels, now in compliance with OPA 90, are in service transporting petroleum products in the Gulf of Mexico. Maritrans' patent now grants Maritrans the right to exclude others from practicing its pro- tected process. Stephen A. Van Dyck, chairman and CEO commented, "Mari- trans' reputation as an industry leader is confirmed by our substantial financial investment into the initial rebuild process design and in the Maritrans 192 pilot project. By obtaining patent protec- tion for our internal rebuilding process,

YOUiCANT Please consider my request for free cable charts. Name Company Street Address (no P.O. Box #s)

City

Zip

Phone

Vessel Name

Type of Business • 12200 Cape May to Cape Hatteras • 12300 Approaches to New York • 12318 Little Egg Inlet to Hereford Inlet • 12323 Sea Girt to Little Egg Inlet • 12353 Shinnecock Light to Fire Island Light

D 13205 Block Island Sound and Approaches • 13218 Martha's Vineyard to Block Island • 18007 San Francisco to Cape Flattery

D 18480 Approaches to Straits of Juan de Fuca • 18580 Cape Blanco to Yaquina Head • 18620 Point Arena to Trinidad Head n 18640 San Francisco to Point Arena • 18700 Point Conception to Point Sur • 26320 Florida and the Bahama Islands • 11460 Cape Canaveral to Key West

What you can't see could be bad for your business. And for ours. There may be new submarine cables in the area where you are working. Concert would like you to have free cable charts showing where they are located. And take the mystery out of avoiding them.

Mail coupon to: Concert

Submarine Cable Protection 340 ML Kemble Ave., Room S-200

Morristown, NJ 07960, USA

Or call us toll-free: 1-800-235-CHAKTS • Chart requests subject to availability and are considered on a case-by-case basis. coBlcert

Let our experts assist you with solving today's

Safety, Quality and Environmental

Management problems.

ISM CODE • ISO 14001 • ISO 9000:2000 • AWO RCP

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION, ADMINISTRATION AND STREAMLINING

Contact Us, the Marine Professionals at 1-800-876-8969 or www.ismcode.com

Circle 360 on Reader Service Card

March, 2001 www.maritimetoday.com 41