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Texas, Louisiana ports close due to winter storm

  • : Freight
  • 25/01/21

Ports in Texas and Louisiana remained closed to shipping traffic Tuesday morning due to a winter storm, a shipping agent said.

Marine pilots suspended boardings at the Texas ports of Houston, Galveston, Texas City and Freeport late on 20 January. Traffic also was halted at the Sabine-Neches Waterway on the Texas-Louisiana border, which offers access to terminals and refineries in Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas, as well as Cheniere's Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas terminal.

Pilots also halted traffic at the Louisiana port of Lake Charles late on 20 January.

A blizzard warning from the US National Weather Service remains in effect until 1pm ET Tuesday for southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana, including Beaumont, Lake Charles and Cameron, Louisiana.


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25/02/03

Canadian oil transferred at PAL not subject to tariffs

Canadian oil transferred at PAL not subject to tariffs

Houston, 3 February (Argus) — Shipments of Canadian crude that are transferred onto very large crude carriers (VLCCs) at the Pacific Area Lightering zone (PAL) en route to Asia-Pacific will not be subject to tariffs. PAL lies in the US' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which provides the US with sovereign rights over natural resources within the zone but permits all countries the right to freely navigate the surface waters, including crude tankers, according to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. US president Donald Trump's 10pc tariffs on Canadian energy, set to begin on 4 February, could reroute crude exports out of Vancouver, British Columbia, the Aframax-restricted terminus of the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline system. Since the first cargo from the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) pipeline project in May 2024, Canada has exported about 350,000 b/d from Vancouver through 31 January, according to Vortexa data. About 165,000 b/d went to the US west coast, and the other 185,000 b/d went to Asia-Pacific. The tariffs could price Canadian crude out of the US west coast and push more barrels across the Pacific. Shippers have shown a preference for direct voyages from Vancouver to Asia, sending about 115,000 b/d directly on Aframaxes and 70,000 b/d via VLCCs at PAL, Vortexa data show. By Tray Swanson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

РЖД насчитала 400 тысяч невостребованных вагонов


25/01/31
25/01/31

РЖД насчитала 400 тысяч невостребованных вагонов

Moscow, 31 January (Argus) — Объем подвижного состава, необходимый для вывоза грузов, заявленных к перевозке на февраль, составляет 970 тыс. вагонов, сообщил на брифинге заместитель генерального директора — начальник Центральной дирекции управления движением РЖД Михаил Глазков. Количество вагонов вычислено по Методике расчета потребного парка, согласованной с Союзом операторов железнодорожного транспорта. Всего на сети находится около 1,38 млн вагонов всех родов, это абсолютный исторический рекорд для нашей страны. Таким образом, в феврале уже порядка 400 тыс. единиц — это излишний парк, который занимает инфраструктуру, не имея задачи, — отметил Глазков. Вместе с тем каждые 50 тыс. вагонов на инфраструктуре общего пользования, не подкрепленные спросом, становятся причиной замедления участковой скорости примерно на 1—1,2 км/ч, по данным РЖД. А это, в свою очередь, замедляет оборот подвижного состава на сети, что требует для обеспечения вывоза того же объема грузов дополнительно 120—140 локомотивов и 600—650 локомотивных бригад. С октября мы начали тщательнее нормировать нахождение порожнего подвижного состава на рейсе. В результате на конец прошлого года нам удалось временно отставить от работы 75 тыс. вагонов. Это дало нам улучшение участковой скорости на 2 км/ч, увеличение погрузки на 2%, рост выгрузки на 1,7 тыс. вагонов в сутки, поднятие 458 брошенных груженых поездов. По состоянию на конец января средняя участковая скорость выросла относительно середины октября на 5 км/ч, до 39,3 км/ч, — сообщил Глазков. По его словам, в текущем году работа продолжается, в частности, 28 января госкомпания разослала железнодорожным администрациям пространства 1520 факсограмму, запрещающую с 2 февраля вход порожнего парка на сеть РЖД. Ограничение не распространяется на вагоны с российской припиской, однако оно касается иностранного парка, находящегося в аренде у российских компаний. Цель решения — максимизация эффективности использования отечественного подвижного состава для перевозок по сети РЖД. Срок запрета не определен, но мы уже видим, что в феврале его отмена нецелесообразна, — заявил Глазков. Константин Мозговой ___________________ Больше ценовой информации и аналитических материалов о рынке транспортировки навалочных, генеральных грузов и контейнеров — в ежемесячном отчете Argus Логистика сухих грузов . Подписаться на аналитический дайджест Вы можете присылать комментарии по адресу или запросить дополнительную информацию feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Группа Argus Media . Все права защищены.

W Australia iron ore exports plummet because of cyclone


25/01/28
25/01/28

W Australia iron ore exports plummet because of cyclone

London, 28 January (Argus) — Combined iron ore exports from four of the largest producers in Western Australia (WA) were disrupted by cyclone Sean in the week to 25 January and fell to the lowest since April 2023 when cyclone Ilsa disrupted operations. BHP, Fortescue, Roy Hill and Rio Tinto loaded vessels with a combined capacity of 11.16mn deadweight tonnes (dwt) over 19-25 January, down from 14.72mn dwt a week earlier. The deadweight volume is the maximum capacity of a vessel and typically overestimates shipments by about 5pc. Exports dropped to the lowest since the week to 15 April 2023 — when volumes plummeted to 10.28mn dwt because of cyclone Ilsa. Rio Tinto's shipments dropped to 3.05mn dwt from 4.46mn dwt and below its 12-month weekly average of 6.39mn dwt. BHP loadings fell to 4.55mn dwt from 5.33mn dwt — well below its 5.92mn dwt 12-month weekly average. Fortescue's loadings dropped to 2.97mn dwt from 3.44mn dwt a week earlier and below its 3.83mn dwt 12-month average. Roy Hill's exports collapsed to just 590,000dwt dwt from 1.49mn dwt during the week to 25 January, far above its 12-month weekly average of 1.19mn dwt. Spot freight rates in the Pacific dropped recently after a short rebound in early January as iron ore demand remains slow ahead of the lunar new year holiday. Capesize rates on the key west Australia to north China route for cargoes loading from the end of January fell to $5.85/t on 28 January from a recent high of $6.60/t on 13 January. Overall iron ore shipments from the four main west Australia ports — Hedland, Walcott, Dampier and Onslow — fell to 61.89mn dwt on 1-28 January from 66.06mn dwt a year earlier, provisional shipping data indicate. Shipments to China — where most cargoes are destined for — dropped to 50.85mn dwt from 52.88mn dwt a year earlier. Exports to Japan and South Korea slid to 7.50mn dwt from 9.56mn dwt. By Andrey Telegin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

ACBL issues upper Mississippi River reopening plan


25/01/24
25/01/24

ACBL issues upper Mississippi River reopening plan

Houston, 24 January (Argus) — Major barge carrier American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) has issued its tentative reopening plan for the upper Mississippi River, with release dates as soon as 1 February. Depending on operating conditions, ACBL will begin releasing barges at Mobile, Alabama; Houston, Texas; and Lake Charles, Louisiana, on 1 February for barges destined above St Louis, Missouri, but below Dubuque, Iowa. The barges destined between Dubuque and St Paul, Minnesota, will begin travel as soon as on 11 February at the same locations. Release dates are based on ACBL's anticipated lock reopenings by the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). Lock 25, upriver of St Louis, Missouri, is scheduled to reopen on 28 February, ACBL said. The main chambers for neighboring locks 27 and Mel Price will still be closed, although the auxiliary locks will be open, according to the Corps. Upper Mississippi Locks 20,18 and 16, between Quincy, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa are expected to reopen 4 March, the Corps said. But these dates remain tentative since freezing conditions may still hamper transit. The Corps typically reopens locks around mid-March depending on ice thickness across multiple locations. By Meghan Yoyotte ACBL's tentative upper Miss. reopening schedule Origin Port Barges destined above St L. to Dubuque, IA Barges destined above Dubuque to St Paul, MN Mobile, AL 1 Feb 11 Feb Houston, TX 1 Feb 11 Feb Lake Charles, LA 1 Feb 11 Feb New Iberia, LA 4 Feb 14 Feb New Orleans, LA 11 Feb 21 Feb Memphis, TN 18 Feb 28 Feb Little Rock, AR 11 Feb 21 Feb Blytheville, AR 19 Feb 1 Mar Pittsburgh, PA 12 Feb 22 Feb Cincinnati, OH 16 Feb 26 Feb Jeffersonville, OH 18 Feb 28 Feb Louisville, KY 18 Feb 28 Feb Evansville, MS 20 Feb 1 Mar Chicago-Joliet, IL 25 Mar 25 Mar Morris, IL-South 20 Feb 1 Mar Nashville, TN 20 Feb 1 Mar Decatur, AL 16 Feb 26 Feb Chattanooga, TN 12 Feb 22 Feb Cairo, IL 28 Feb 9 Mar St. Louis, MO 1 Mar 11 Mar ― ACBL Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Texas, Louisiana ports closed by winter storm: Update


25/01/21
25/01/21

Texas, Louisiana ports closed by winter storm: Update

Updates status of operations at Port Houston facilities. Houston, 21 January (Argus) — Ports in Texas and Louisiana remained closed to shipping traffic Tuesday afternoon due to a winter storm, a shipping agent said. Marine pilots suspended boardings at the Texas ports of Houston, Galveston, Texas City and Freeport late on 20 January. Traffic also was halted at the Sabine-Neches Waterway on the Texas-Louisiana border, which offers access to terminals and refineries in Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas, as well as Cheniere's Sabine Pass liquefied natural gas terminal. Pilots also halted traffic at the Louisiana port of Lake Charles late on 20 January. Port Houston facilities, which include eight public terminals on the Houston Ship Channel, will remain closed through Wednesday, according to statement from port officials. Vessel operations may resume at container terminals on Wednesday evening, the statement said. By Tray Swanson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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