Page 70: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2016)

WORKBOAT ANNUAL

The mantra at Crowley is “safety” and “people,” but it’s not simply words, rather embedded practice starting from the top. Robert Grune,

SVP & GM, Crowley Petroleum Services talks to Maritime Reporter regarding this ubiquitous company’s historic success and promising future in the petroleum transport sector.

By Greg Trauthwein obert Grune leads one of Crow- Philadelphia (the last of which was de- ley’s six business units, respon- livered only a few months ago, and since sible for U.S. ? ag Jones Act oil delivery of the ? rst two of the ships were

R transportation business. The sold to Kinder Morgan).

current ? eet consists of 17 Articulated Crowley is a long-tenured player in the

Tug Barges (ATBs) ranging in size from maritime market, and while Grune’s Pe- 150,000 to 330,000 barrels capacity, as troleum unit currently has no new vessels well as four U.S. ? ag MR oil tankers. In under construction, he explains that the addition Crowley managers an addition- Crowley philosophy always has been – al 16 U.S. ? ag MR oil tankers on behalf and always will be – to not build vessels of a third party, and there is also its LNG on spec. Rather tonnage is added to the transportation and supply business in the ? eet in close consultation with clients.

Caribbean that comes under Grune’s re- “We’ve been in the oil transportation sponsibility. business since the 1930s, starting in San

In looking at the Crowley ? eet under Francisco using small towed barges on

Grune’s guise today, the overarching the west coast moving oil,” said Grune. thought is “young.” “Over time we’ve increased the ? eet.

While ATBs are a regular site on to- Going into the ATB newbuild program day’s waterways, the concept – relative (for example) we already had a sub- to the maritime industry as a whole – is stantial towed ? eet of offshore barges still fresh, as Crowley was a leader in the – about 150,000 barrels, our “450 Se- adoption of ATB transportation technol- ries” barges – and they were getting a ogy in the U.S., starting with a series of little long in the tooth, and we knew we four 550 series units in 2002, followed needed a ? eet replacement.” by an order for 10 larger (185,000 barrel) Hence the dramatic investment move units a few years later, and including a into the ATB business, and as Grune series of three 750 series units – 330,000 proudly points out, many of the original barrel units purpose built for a customer ATBs (550s) continue to be charted to about six years ago. Taking into account the original charterers, which is a testa- the six tankers that Crowley had built in ment to the vessels. 70 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • NOVEMBER 2016

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