Houston Ship Channel traffic clearing: Update
Updates inbound and outbound ship traffic status.
Two-way ship traffic resumed today on the Houston Ship Channel following a fuel spill which had closed the waterway.
Outbound ship traffic resumed yesterday and inbound ship traffic resumed today, the US Coast Guard said.
But only one ship at a time can pass the area near the spill in either direction, so the Houston-Galveston Vessel Traffic Service is guiding the movements.
Earlier today, most outbound vessels had cleared the channel. Only two outbound vessels were waiting to pass the spill area as of 9:30am ET. Meanwhile, 56 inbound vessels were still waiting at that time.
Two-way tow traffic also resumed yesterday after a collision between a tanker and a barge on 10 May led to the fuel spill.
The VLGC Genesis River collided with and punctured one of two barges being pushed by a tug boat, sending an estimated 9,000 bl of reformate into the channel. The second barge was overturned and remained near the channel, according to an update yesterday. Each barge carried 25,000 bl.
Clean up operations include the deployment of 20,550 ft of product containment and absorbent boom.
Salvage teams yesterday secured the barges near the channel and were beginning to remove the remaining fuel from the vessels.
The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
Related news posts
Idemitsu books rare US Gulf-Vancouver HVO cargo
Idemitsu books rare US Gulf-Vancouver HVO cargo
New York, 17 April (Argus) — Japanese oil company Idemitsu provisionally hired a medium range (MR) tanker to carry hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) from the US Gulf coast to Vancouver on 16 April, a sign of the growing HVO trade from the region into west coast North America. Idemitsu put the Stolt Sisto MR on subjects for a US Gulf coast-Vancouver voyage from 20-25 April at $2.35mn lumpsum. The fixture may be part of an agreement under which Vertex Energy supplies Idemitsu's California-based subsidiary, Idemitsu Apollo, with all of its renewable diesel production from its plant in Mobile, Alabama. The plant's exports are targeting "growing regional markets in the western United States and Canada", according to Vertex. High freight costs for US domestic shipments because of the Jones Act may be encouraging Idemitsu to focus on the Canadian market. In comparison, freight for a US-flagged MR on a New Orleans-Los Angeles voyage was equivalent to $4.34mn, nearly double the cost of a voyage to more distant Vancouver. "I think [demand from Vancouver] will keep expanding with the subsidies/grants," a shipbroker said. "There is not much production in Vancouver, just Parkland [refinery]." Canadian oil company Suncor typically books one MR vessel a month to carry HVO from the US Gulf coast to Vancouver, with two charters in October 2023 standing out as a particularly active month for the trade, according to ship fixtures compiled by Argus . But Idemitsu has been "jumping in on the action" in recent months, according to the shipbroker, provisionally hiring at least one MR tanker on the spot market in January and February before yesterday's deal. Vancouver buyers are also getting HVO from Asia-Pacific suppliers, and countries like South Korea could become increasingly competitive in the renewable trade overall as they ramp up their sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and HVO production in the coming years. Vancouver imported around 29,500 b/d of HVO in January 2024, including 16,612 b/d from the US, 7,548 b/d from South Korea, and 5,351 b/d from Taiwan, according to Kpler data. By Ross Griffith Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Sheinbaum pledges $13bn for Mexican energy transition
Sheinbaum pledges $13bn for Mexican energy transition
Mexico City, 17 April (Argus) — Mexican presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to invest $13.6bn in electricity infrastructure through 2030, with a key focus on Mexico's energy transition. "We are going to accelerate the energy transition with new solar, wind and hydropower projects," Sheinbaum told a meeting of business associations in Merida, Yucatan, on 15 April. Former Mexico City mayor Sheinbaum is ahead of opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez for the 2 June presidential election, according to recent polls. While Sheinbaum is the continuity candidate for President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's Morena party, she has been a vocal supporter of clean energy development in contrast to Lopez Obrador's pursuit of conventional power projects and a restriction on private sector renewable energy development. "We are developing a national energy plan not just to 2030 but towards 2050 to coincide with our international climate change commitments," Sheinbaum said. Mexico committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 35pc by 2030 from a 2000 baseline at the Cop 27 climate talks in 2022. Key projects through 2030 include 13.66GW of new power capacity across three hydropower plants, the third and fourth phases of the 1GW Puerto Penasco solar plant, two gas-fired combined cycle plants, cogeneration plants for the Cadereyta and Salina Cruz refineries, and additional wind and solar capacity. In addition to large scale electricity projects, Sheinbaum also committed to a build out of distributed generation, calling for the installation of solar panels in residential and commercial property. But while Sheinbaum pledged her "commitment to reaping the benefits of the historic moment Mexico is seeing in terms of foreign direct investment," she also recommitted to cap private sector electricity participation at 47pc. Foreign direct investment into Mexico hit $36.1bn in the fourth quarter of last year, 22pc above the same period in 2022, but investment into the energy sector has tanked under Lopez Obrador's statist energy policies, according to the latest statistics from the economy ministry. Lopez Obrador's government has largely focused on fossil fuel-based electricity generation, including the construction of new gas-fired combined cycle plants. But despite a commitment to build at least five combined cycle plants during his administration, Sheinbaum confirmed that only the Merida plant is due to launch by the end of this year. Launch dates for the Valladolid, San Luis Colorado, Gonzalez Ortega and Tuxpan plants have been pushed back to 2025-2030. By Rebecca Conan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Exxon German refinery sale in limbo after court ruling
Exxon German refinery sale in limbo after court ruling
Hamburg, 17 April (Argus) — ExxonMobil's plan to sell its share in German refining joint venture Miro has been delayed by a court order following a petition by fellow Miro shareholder Shell. ExxonMobil agreed to sell its 25pc stake in Miro , operator of the 310,000 b/d Karlsruhe refinery, to Vienna-based Alcmene in October last year. The two sides were aiming to close the deal in the first quarter of this year, but in a letter seen by Argus last month, ExxonMobil said completion had been pushed back to the summer because some of the administrative procedures had yet to be finalised. Argus has since learned that a regional court in Karlsruhe issued an interim order against the sale on 18 January at Shell's request. Shell originally petitioned a court in Hamburg on 20 November, but the case was later moved to Karlsruhe, according to a court spokesperson. The judgement prohibits ExxonMobil from splitting off or transferring its Miro shares. The firm has already appealed against the judgement to a higher court in the region. A decision is pending. Exonmobil's partners in Miro are Shell with a 32.25pc stake, Russia's Rosneft with 24pc and US firm Phillips 66 with 18.75pc. Rosneft's German refinery assets have been under state trusteeship since September 2022. By Natalie Mueller Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Shell geht gegen Verkauf von Essos Miro-Anteilen vor
Shell geht gegen Verkauf von Essos Miro-Anteilen vor
Hamburg, 17 April (Argus) — Im Januar hat das Landgericht Karlsruhe einem Antrag von Shell Deutschland auf eine einstweilige Verfügung gegen den Verkauf der Miro-Anteile von Esso stattgegeben. Esso hat daraufhin Berufung eingelegt. Es ist unklar, ob und wann der Verkauf stattfinden wird. Ein entsprechender Antrag auf einstweilige Verfügung sei bereits am 20. November 2023 von Shell in Hamburg gestellt worden und wurde schließlich nach Karlsruhe überwiesen, so ein Sprecher des Landesgerichts. Mit dem Urteil sei es Esso somit untersagt, ihre Anteile an der Miro (310.000 bl/Tag) abzuspalten oder zu übertragen. Im Oktober 2023 hatte Esso den Verkauf ihres 25 %-igen Anteils an das österreichische Unternehmen und Liwathon-Tochter Alcmene bekanntgegeben. Anfang April folgte dann die Mitteilung, dass die Umsetzung der Übernahme aus administrativen Gründen auf Sommer 2024 verschoben wurde. Ursprünglich war diese für das 1. Quartal vorgesehen. Esso hat bereits beim Oberlandesgericht Karlsruhe Berufung gegen das Urteil eingelegt, so der Sprecher des Landesgerichts Karlsruhe. Ein abschließendes Urteil wurde bislang noch nicht gefällt. Sollte das Oberlandesgericht das Urteil aus erster Instanz aufrechterhalten, könnte dies die Übernahme der Miro-Anteile durch Alcmene weiter verzögern oder komplett stoppen. Von Natalie Müller Senden Sie Kommentare und fordern Sie weitere Informationen an feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . Alle Rechte vorbehalten.
Business intelligence reports
Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.
Learn more