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Barge delays at Algiers lock near New Orleans

  • : Agriculture, Chemicals, Coal, Coking coal, Crude oil, Metals, Petroleum coke
  • 24/04/24

Barges are facing lengthy delays at the Algiers lock near New Orleans as vessels reroute around closures at the Port Allen lock and the Algiers Canal.

Delays at the Algiers Lock —at the interconnection of the Mississippi River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway— have reached around 37 hours in the past day, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers' lock report. Around 50 vessels are waiting to cross the Algiers lock.

Another 70 vessels were waiting at the nearby Harvey lock with a six-hour wait in the past day.

The closure at Port Allen lock has spurred the delays, causing vessels to reroute through the Algiers lock. The Port Allen lock is expected to reopen on 28 April, which should relieve pressure on the Algiers lock.

Some traffic has been rerouted through the nearby Harvey lock since the Algiers Canal was closed by a collapsed powerline, the US Coast Guard said. The powerline fell on two barges, but no injuries or damages were reported. The wire is being removed by energy company Entergy.

The canal is anticipated to reopen at midnight on 25 April.


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25/03/19

Mineral Resources shuts Australian iron ore haul road

Mineral Resources shuts Australian iron ore haul road

Sydney, 19 March (Argus) — Australian metal producer Mineral Resources (MinRes) has closed the Onslow haulage road, a private highway linking its 35mn t/yr Onslow iron mine to the Port of Ashburton in Western Australia, over safety challenges. Two road train trailers tipped over while moving along the road on 17 March, triggering an internal investigation by MinRes. State occupational safety regulator Worksafe WA then issued MinRes a notice about risks to its road train operations on 18 March, prompting the closure. The company declined to comment on the specifics of the notice. MinRes is continuing to move iron ore to Ashburton using contractors and has indicated that the closure will not affect its full-year Onslow shipment guidance of 8.8mn–9.3mn wet metric tonne (wmt) of ore. The recent accident was the latest in a series of Onslow truck rollovers. Four road trains, carrying loads of iron ore, toppled over between August-November 2024. MinRes responded to the incidents by improving signage along the road, re-examining its design, and providing additional training to drivers, the company told investors in January. This is also not the first Onslow road closure. Cyclone Sean damaged parts of the haul road in late January, as it passed along WA's coast. MinRes' CEO Chris Ellison last month told investors that "[the company] lost about eight days of loading in January and another seven days in February". By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

State of emergency after Nigeria pipeline attack:Update


25/03/18
25/03/18

State of emergency after Nigeria pipeline attack:Update

Updates with state of emergency declared London, 18 March (Argus) — The Nigerian government has declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, after an apparent attack on the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) halted crude movements to Nigeria's Bonny Light export terminal. A fire occurred on the pipeline at the border of the Kpor and Bodo communities, and the pipeline's management has shut down the affected section, the Rivers State police said. Operator Renaissance Africa said it is responding to an incident. The 180,000 b/d, 60km TNP carries crude to the Bonny terminal, from where the Bonny Light grade is exported. TNP was operated until 14 March by Shell subsidiary SPDC . The pipeline has been the target of repeated oil theft, vandalism and sabotage in the past, and Shell shut the TNP entirely between April and October 2022. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu today said the resumption of "disturbing incidents" had happened "without the [state] governor taking any action to curtail them". Tinubu suspended the Rivers State governor and his deputy and said the region will be under federal control, effective immediately. It is unclear what if any effect this will have on the region's oil production, a source within state-owned oil firm NNPC told Argus . But it appears the pipeline attack has halted loadings at the Bonny terminal. The Almi Voyager was the most recent tanker to load there, with around 550,000 bl of crude on 14 March. Loading operations are seemingly halted as the pumping of 475,000 bl to NNPC's 210,000 b/d Port Harcourt refinery was the next scheduled operation before the explosion. Market sources said they are monitoring the situation and awaiting a possible declaration of force majeure by Renaissance Africa. Sources added that loading operations at the export terminal were already running up to two weeks behind schedule. By Elena Mataro, Adebiyi Olusolape and Sanjana Shivdas Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Groups to sue Alliant over Iowa coal ash discharge


25/03/18
25/03/18

Groups to sue Alliant over Iowa coal ash discharge

New York, 18 March (Argus) — Three environmental groups intend to sue Alliant Energy subsidiary Interstate Power and Light, alleging that groundwater discharges from the Ottumwa coal plant's coal ash impoundment in Iowa violate the Clean Water Act. The groups — the Iowa Environmental Council, Sierra Club, and Environmental Law & Policy Center — filed a formal notice to sue the utility on 12 March, initiating a 60-day period for the company to respond and comply with the Clean Water Act. The environmental groups claim Ottumwa has continued to release groundwater with arsenic and other toxic pollutants into the Des Moines River through a drain under the plant's lined coal ash pond despite being told by Iowa regulators in 2023 that such releases were not allowed under the plant's stormwater permit. The utility also has not applied for a new permit since the Iowa Department of Natural Resources mentioned the issue, the groups claim. "We want the unpermitted pollution to stop," said Environmental Law & Policy Center senior attorney Josh Mandelbaum. "We will evaluate any response by the utility, but if there continues to be unpermitted pollution, we intend to act." Alliant said that it is abiding by all regulated and required groundwater monitoring processes. The company "proactively" reached out to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources about the permit and has been "actively communicating" with the department while "systematically working" toward a solution for the groundwater discharge. "The system under the landfill is engineered so the groundwater does not come into contact with the contents of the landfill," the coal plant operator said in its statement. Still, environmental groups insist that "a solution has not been implemented and Alliant continues its unpermitted discharge". The Ottumwa coal plant received 1.27mn short tons (1.15mn metric tonnes) of coal from four Wyoming mines in 2024, according to the most recent US Energy Information Administration data. By Elena Vasilyeva Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Norway's Equinor sells first Johan Castberg crude cargo


25/03/18
25/03/18

Norway's Equinor sells first Johan Castberg crude cargo

London, 18 March (Argus) — Norway's state-controlled Equinor has sold its first cargo of crude from the new Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea to Spanish firm Repsol ahead of first oil next month, according to market sources. Repsol will probably run the crude at its 220,000 b/d Bilbao refinery, the sources said. The Johan Castberg field had been expected to come on stream in the final quarter of 2024, but start-up was delayed, first to January-February this year because of bad weather, and more recently to April. Equinor delayed the first loading of Johan Castberg crude to 14-17 April from 21-24 February. The April export programme comprises four 700,000 bl cargoes, with Equinor loading three and Johan Castberg partner Var Energi loading the fourth. Three of the April cargoes are unsold, and Equinor is planning to issue separate tenders for them. It is not immediately clear what price the first cargo fetched. Traders have said previously that the grade could be priced at a premium to sweet middle distillate-rich Norwegian grades such as Troll or Alvheim. Johan Castberg crude will also be rich in middle distillates and have have a gravity of 34.7°API with a sulphur content of just 0.16pc when the field starts production, according to an assay. The field is expected to produce 220,000 b/d at plateau and has estimated recoverable reserves of 450mn-650mn bl. Equinor operates Johan Castberg with a 50pc stake, Var Energi has 30pc and Norwegian state-owned Petoro has 20pc. By Lina Bulyk and Sanjana Shivdas Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Trans-Niger Pipeline fire halts crude to Bonny terminal


25/03/18
25/03/18

Trans-Niger Pipeline fire halts crude to Bonny terminal

London, 18 March (Argus) — A fire on the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP) appears to have halted crude movements to Nigeria's Bonny Light export terminal. The Rivers State police said a fire occurred on the pipeline at the border of Kpor and Bodo communities. It said the pipeline's management shut down the affected section. Operator Renaissance Africa said it is responding to an incident. The 180,000 b/d, 60km TNP carries crude to the Bonny terminal, from where the Bonny Light grade is exported. TNP was operated until 14 March by Shell subsidiary SPDC . The pipeline has been the target of repeated oil theft, vandalism and sabotage in the past, and Shell shut the TNP entirely between April and October 2022. A source within state-owned NNPC told Argus the Almi Voyager was the most recent crude tanker to load at the Bonny terminal, with around 550,000 bl of crude on 14 March. Loading operations are seemingly halted as the pumping of 475,000 bl to NNPC's 210,000 b/d Port Harcourt refinery was the next scheduled operation before the explosion. Market sources said they are monitoring the situation and awaiting a possible declaration of force majeure by Renaissance Africa. Sources added loading operations at the export terminal were already running up to two weeks behind schedule. By Elena Mataro, Adebiyi Olusolape and Sanjana Shivdas Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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