June 1983 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News

Major Coal Export Terminal Opens

The most modern and efficient coal export terminal in the world was officially opened recently at a site 40 miles south of New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish.

The d e d i c a t i o n c e r e m o n i es marked completion of the $63- million expansion of International Marine Terminals, which equipped the facility with the most advanced application of coal terminal technology. IMT, a joint venture of Florida Progress Corp., Houston Natural Gas Corp., and Occidental Corp., began operations in 1978 and announced major expansion plans in 1980.

The terminal's handling capacity has been increased from 3.5 to 15 million tons of coal per year and coal storage has been increased to one million tons.

Highly sophisticated coal sampling and weighing equipment, a traveling ship loader, two stacker/ reclaimers and new ship dock were added to IMT's facilities to make it the most efficient operation of its kind.

Coal from inland waterways barges is either stockpiled or loaded at IMT directly on oceangoing ships or barges for transport to coastal users in the U.S.

and for export to ports around the world. A total of 7,182,107 tons of coal had been handled by IMT as of February 1983. Last year, that accounted for almost 5 percent of the steam coal exported from the United States to overseas customers.

This year, IMT expects to handle approximately four million tons of coal. Of that, nearly half will be shipped to domestic ports and the balance for export to foreign customers.

Officiating at the opening ceremonies of the project were: M.D. Matthews, president, chairman and chief executive officer of Houston Natural Gas Corp; Stonie Barker, president of Island Creek Coal Corp.; Ernst Upmeyer III, vice president, Electric Fuels Corp.; Michael E. Kirby, president, Plaquemines Parish Commission Council; and Louis H.

Meece, president of International Marine Terminals.

The joint venture partners of the IMT project are: Electric Fuels, Inc., a subsidiary of Florida Progress Corp., which is a holding company for Florida Power Corp.; Marine Terminals, Inc., a subsidiary of Houston Natural Gas Corp., administered by Pott Industries; and Kentucky- Ohio Transportation Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation.

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