Teams rescue capsized boat trio

NEW ORLEANS —The Coast Guard assisted in the rescue of three people whose boat capsized in Alligator Pass near Delacroix, La., on June 28. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at 7:10 p.m. that a vessel with three people aboard had capsized in Alligator Pass some 25 miles SSE of Belle Chasse. Currents swept two of the people away from the boat. The CG launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew from CG Air Station New Orleans and a 24-foot Special Purpose Craft and crew from CG Station New Orleans to assist in locating the boaters. The helicopter crew located the two people who were swept away and directed a St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office boat and crew to their location. A good Samaritan rescued the other person near the capsized vessel. The trio was taken to Sweet Water Marina in Delacroix in stable condition. Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office also assisted in the response. “Teamwork was a major factor in the success of this rescue,” said Scott Talbot, a search and rescue mission coordinator at Sector New Orleans. (Source: Coast Guard 06/28/19)

Weeks Marine dredging: $11.5M

Weeks Marine of Covington, La., was awarded an $11,545,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Plaquemines, La., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2019. FY 2019 civil operations and maintenance - recovery act - funds in the amount of $11,545,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/28/19)

South Ala. work on sub: $8.4M

International Marine and Industrial Applicators of Spanish Fort, Ala., is awarded an $8,480,396 firm-fixed-price contract for the accomplishment of preservation and non-SUBSAFE structural repairs and maintenance on USS Michigan (SSGN 727). This contract will provide preservation, structural repairs, anode removal and safety track repair requirements. The contract will include all necessary management, material support services, labor, supplies and equipment deemed necessary to perform depot level preservation, structural repairs, anode removal, sound damping removal and safety track repairs. This contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $9,297,412. Work will be performed in Bremerton, Wash., and is expected to be completed by June 2020. FY 2019 Navy operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $8,480,396 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility of Bremerton is the contracting activity. (DoD 06/28/19)

Crane pact for Lettsworth, La.

Konecranes Nuclear Equipment and Services of New Berlin, Wis., was awarded a $24,997,043 firm-fixed-price contract for furnishing a rail mounted portal crane. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Lettsworth, La., with an estimated completion date of July 11, 2022. FY 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $24,997,043 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/28/19)

Asian swamp eel in Bayou St. John

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has verified that the Asian swamp eel, an invasive species native to Asia, has been found in Bayou St. John in New Orleans. LDWF sampling has found the eel in several locations of the bayou. The impact of the Asian swamp eel on native species is not yet known. Its diet consists of fish, shrimp, crawfish, frogs and other aquatic invertebrates, such as worms and insects. It primarily lives in freshwater. LDWF will continue to study its effects on local species. LDWF does not know how the eels found their way into Louisiana waters, but the most likely case is through an accidental release from an aquarium dump. Possession of live Asian swamp eels is prohibited under state law, and it is illegal to release a live Asian swamp eel into state waterways. Over the years, similar Asian swamp eel species have been found in New Jersey, Hawaii, Georgia, and Florida. (Source: LDWF 06/27/19)

Cheniere dominating Europe market

Dutch gas prices hit 10-year lows this week, reflecting high European inventories swelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, testing levels at which companies that committed to buy American LNG will start making serious losses. Prices for month-ahead Dutch gas have dropped by 66 percent since it peaked last September at under 30 Euros per megawatt hour (MWh). Dutch gas for July delivery slumped to 8.95 Euros per MWh on June 28, the lowest since last August. European pipeline gas prices also tend to rise with the onset of winter. The price falls are in part to an influx of American LNG supplies. But customers of Cheniere Energy, which dominates U.S. production, have been feeling the pain from their long-term commitments for months due to a fixed pricing formula. Cheniere sells its LNG at 115 percent of gas futures plus a liquefaction fee of between $3 and $3.50 per million British thermal units (mmBtu). Cheniere LNG’s costs now are around $5.61 per mmBtu with the liquefaction fee, compared to $3.19 per mmBtu paid for natural and re-gasified gas at the Dutch hub, a benchmark for European prices. Yet American LNG is still being sold to Europe, which received between 30 and 50 percent of all U.S. supplies between January and May, according to Refinitiv Eikon shipping data. Royal Dutch Shell is the largest Cheniere off-taker with a commitment of 5.5 million tons per year (mtpa) and paying $723M per year in liquefaction fees, according to Cheniere's filings. With Cheniere's flexible destination clauses, buyers take the LNG and sell onwards to others or deliver it themselves to countries around the world. It’s helped the European market that U.S. Henry Hub prices are also weak, slumping to a three-year low of $2.159 per mmBtu due to inclement weather and record-breaking shale production boosting inventories. (Source: Marine Link 06/28/19) Cheniere Energy owns and operates the Sabine Pass (Texas) LNG receiving terminal and the Creole Trail Pipeline - a 94-mile flow from Ellis Station, La., to Sabine Pass - through a general partner ownership interest in and management agreements with Cheniere Energy Partners. The Creole Trail Pipeline is interconnected with the Natural Gas Pipeline of America, Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Corp., Tennessee Gas Pipeline, Florida Gas Transmission, Bridgeline Holdings, Texas Eastern Gas Transmission, and Trunkline Gas.

MSU-Houma change of command

HOUMA, La. - Capt. Jerrel “Wade” Russell took command of Marine Safety Unit Houma, La., from Capt. Blake E. Welborn during a change of command ceremony June 27. Russell comes to Houma from duty as chief of marine safety training at Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown, Va. Welborn initially assumed command of MSU Houma in June 2017. His next tour will be at the Eighth Coast Guard District HQ in New Orleans where he will serve as director of western rivers. (Source: Coast Guard 06/27/19)

CG prepares for Blues’ beach show

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard is scheduled to set up two temporary safety zones in portions of the Gulf of Mexico and the Santa Rosa (Fla.) Sound during the Navy’s Blue Angels’ annual Pensacola Beach Air Show over the Gulf of Mexico from July 11-14 during the hours of 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. The GoM safety zone includes all waters 1.75 nautical miles east and 1.5 nautical miles west in the vicinity of the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier and extending 1,000 yards south creating a box. This safety zone is for the protection of people and vessels on navigable waters during the air show. All vessels, mariners or other people are prohibited from entering into, transiting or anchoring in the zone unless specifically authorized by the captain of the port of Mobile, Ala., or a designated representative. Additionally, a portion of the safety zone includes Santa Rosa Sound waters from Deer Point to Sharp Point and all waters within Little Sabine Bay. There will be a no-wake zone approaching the Bob Sikes Bridge that will be strictly enforced. Additionally, vessels seeking to enter Little Sabine Bay for the two hours immediately following the air shows must contact the on-scene captain of the port designated representative via VHF channel 16 for authorization. (Source: Coast Guard 06/28/19)

HUD closes review of MDA, port

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has closed its review of the Mississippi Development Authority over records of jobs created at the Port of Gulfport after Hurricane Katrina, saying MDA has met the “National Objective” required by HUD. In its report, HUD stated that MDA and the Port are keeping proper records, and now, demonstrating at least 51 percent of the jobs created at the Port are held or made available to low- and moderate-income (LMI) people. “As a result of the review, HUD concurs with MDA that the corrective actions from the August 2013 finding have been implemented. HUD made a $570M investment in south Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. (Source: Y’all Politics 06/28/19)

CG Dauntless change of command

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Cmdr. Paul S. McConnell relieved Cmdr. Timothy C. Sommella as the 28th commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless during a change of command ceremony June 27 at Naval Air Station Pensacola. McConnell comes to Dauntless from Coast Guard Cutter John Midgett in Seattle, Wash., where he served as executive officer. Sommella will transfer to the Naval War College in Newport, R.I. (Source: Coast Guard 06/27/19)

Pascagoula site of partial C4I pact

BAE System Technology Solutions and Services of Rockville, Md.; Serco Inc. of Herndon, Va.; and Scientific Research Corp. of Atlanta are each awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-only indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract for logistics, integration, engineering, procurement, fabrication, assembly, test, inspection, zone integration and installation of integrated command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) system of systems capabilities aboard new construction aircraft carrier and large deck amphibious ships, to include refueling and complex overhaul ships. Throughout the duration of the awarded contracts, the total obligated amount on orders for all of the awarded contracts combined will not exceed $747,097,000. Each contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the estimated value of each contact to $601,513,730 for BAE System; $608,243,247 for Serco Inc., and $599,544,784 for Scientific Research Corp. These contracts will support various Navy shipbuilding programs. These programs require integrated C4I capabilities to provide communications for maritime operations and flight safety. The integrated capability is composed of distributed systems that provide network capabilities, communications, command and control, intelligence, and non-tactical data. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va. (73%); Charleston, S.C. (17%); and Pascagoula, Miss. (10%). Work is expected to be completed by June 2029. No contract funds will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $50,000 will be obligated on the first task order under each contract utilizing FY 2017 Navy shipbuilding and conversion; FY-2019 Navy shipbuilding and conversion; and FY-19 Navy research and development funds. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were awarded pursuant to full and open competition, with three offers received. Naval Information Warfare Systems Command of San Diego is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/26/19)

Hospital ship makes 1st mission stop

MANTA, Ecuador - The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Manta, Ecuador, on its first deployment-mission stop June 26. While in Manta, U.S. service members and medical professionals will work alongside partner nations - Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru - and Ecuador medical professionals to provide much-needed medical assistance in communities with urgent health care needs, including local populations and vulnerable Venezuelans who have fled to other countries in the region. “Comfort’s team is ready to work side-by-side with doctors, nurses, and surgeons from throughout the region, exchanging expertise and providing assistance where we can to build a stronger neighborhood on a foundation of mutual respect and goodwill,” said Capt. Brian J. Diebold, Commander of Task Force 49. Comfort’s team is made up of military – primarily from East and Gulf coasts’ medical facilities - and civilian personnel to create a dynamic team capable of delivering a variety of services during this mission stop. This marks the seventh hospital ship deployment to the region since 2007. The embarked medical teams will provide care on board Comfort and at two land-based medical sites partly strained by an increase in Venezuelan migrants. (Source: USNS Comfort 06/27/19)

LCS 24 christening at Austal USA

WASHINGTON - The Navy will christen its newest Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Oakland (LCS 24), during a 9 a.m. CDT ceremony June 29 from the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert of California will deliver the christening principal address. Kate Brandt, Google’s sustainability officer, will serve as the ship’s sponsor and christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. "The christening of the future USS Oakland marks an important step toward this great ship's entry into the fleet," said Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer. "The dedication and skilled work of our industry partners ensure this ship will represent the great city of Oakland and serve our Navy and Marine Corps team for decades to come." The LCS class consists of two variants, Freedom and Independence, designed and built by two industry teams. The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA for LCS 6 and subsequent even-numbered hulls. The Freedom team is led by Lockheed Martin at Marinette (Wis.) Marine. The future USS Oakland (LCS 24) is the third Navy ship named for the California city. (Source: Navy Chief of Information 06/27/19)

CoE may close spillway in July

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to begin closing the Bonnet Carré Spillway the second or third week in July, ending a record opening for the flood-control structure that pours Mississippi River water into Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi Sound. (Source: Biloxi Sun Herald 06/15/19)

Miss. Seabees spell Army ‘family’

BOLESLAWIEC, Poland - The Army’s 372nd Engineers, a reserve brigade from Fort Snelling, Minn., arrived in Poland in January with the mission of over-seeing some 25 construction projects spread over three task forces and two countries in an exercise known as Resolute Castle (RC) 19. Resolute Castle 19 has been a growth process for us to help us further train and enhance our ability to be a ready deployment asset to the Army and the joint force,” explained 372nd officer in charge Maj. Robert Mikyska. In FY 2018, the brigade was involved at battalion headquarters in Romania, he said. This year the brigade assumed mission command over the whole RC 19 mission and will be in Poland through September. Seabees of the 22nd and 7th Naval Construction Regiments (NCRs) from Gulfport, Miss., arrived in May. “As part of the planned mission for the exercise, we have relinquished control to the Seabees so they can come in and exercise command and control over a joint mission,” explained Mikyska. “This allows us to conduct a staff exercise which will develop our redeployment operations order,” he said. During the Army’s time away, the Seabees continued with mission execution while evaluating joint and combined engineering processes, and providing input for improvements. Any changes incorporated in the over-all project management process would have to be sustainable by RC 19 forces and maintained by the Army’s 372nd. “The incorporation of the Seabees at a brigade level is a prime example of inter-service operability,” said Army First Lt. Steven Scott of the 301st Forward Engineer Support Team (FEST). The Army to Navy transition was “absolutely seamless,” said Mikyska. “It truly has been one of the most enjoyable transitions I have been a part of” and “truly felt like a big family.” (Source: 7th NCR 06/21/19)

Oceanography fortifies BALTOPS

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - With more than 18 nations, 50 surface ships, 36 aircraft, two submarines and 8,600 personnel involved in the 47th annual Baltic Operations (BALTOPS), the people of Naval Oceanography could be easily overshadowed, but the work they do fortifies the entire exercise. “Before any ship, submarine or aircraft enters or effectively maneuvers in the Baltic Sea and surrounding region, it must have a deep understanding of the environment,” said Rear Adm. John Okon, commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC) here at Stennis Space Center. “Everything we do in the Navy and the Joint Force starts with our environmental analysis and prediction, and our team is on watch, afloat and ashore 24/7 to ensure there are no surprises.” Hydrographers worked closely with amphibious operations planners to determine strategic landing locations through the identification of reefs, tides, currents, and anchorages to ensure safe landings. The California-based Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center (FNMOC) provided atmospheric environmental information, while the satellite location at Stennis provided current directions, wave height, water temperature and salinity, and acoustic parameter forecasts to support amphibious landings and surface ship navigation. “We’ve never done a direct near real-time data release during BALTOPS, and coordinating that with a foreign country was exciting,” said FNMOC Oceanographer Michele Jordan. BALTOPS is an annual joint, multinational maritime-focused exercise designed to strengthen partner relationships, enhance flexibility and interoperability, and demonstrate resolve among allied and partner forces in defending the Baltic Sea region. (Source: Naval Meteorology and Oceanography 06/24/19)

Beaches of Lake Ponchartrain closed

The poor water quality of Lake Ponchartrain has prompted St. Tammany Parish officials to close Northshore Beach and fishing pier near Slidell, La. The proliferation of algae in the water also led to the Louisiana Health Department (LHD) issuing public warnings. The parish government announced June 25 the beach ad pier will be closed until further notice. In Mandeville, the city put temporary fencing around one of its beach. The closures were prompted by a June 21 advisory from LHD urging residents to avoid contact with the water. The advisory further urged residents not to harvest or eat fish from the lake during the bloom, according to St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister. LHD also warned of potentially large algae bloom in the lake. The harmful algae are made up of cyanobacteria, which can produce a variety of toxins and cause ailments ranging from rashes to diarrhea. Previous algae blooms in the lake have been linked to openings of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway along the Mississippi River. To date the spillway has been open for 89 days. (Source: NOLA.com 06/25/19)

Austal USA delivers 10th LCS

MOBILE, Ala. – Austal USA delivered its 10th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, the future USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), to the Navy on June 24. It will be the 18th LCS to enter the fleet. “I’m so proud of our incredible team here at Austal USA, our industry and Navy partners for achieving this major milestone for the future USS Cincinnati,” said Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle. Five small surface combatants are presently under various stages of construction at Austal’s Mobile, Ala., shipyard. The future USS Kansas City (LCS 22) is preparing for sea trials. Assembly is underway on the future USS Oakland (LCS 24) and the future USS Mobile (LCS 26), and modules are under construction for the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) and the future USS Canberra (LCS 30), with four more under contract through LCS 38. Austal USA builds the even-number hulls. More than 700 suppliers from across 40 states contribute to the Independence-variant LCS program. The supplier base supports tens of thousands of small to large business jobs. Austal is also under contract to build 14 Expeditionary Fast Transport vessels (EPF) for the U.S. Navy. The company has delivered 10 EPFs while an additional two are in various stages of construction. (Source: Austal USA 06/24/19)

CG ends Lake Salvador search

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is searching June 24 for a person in the water in Lake Salvador, La., about 12 miles southwest of New Orleans. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at 6:50 p.m. June 23 of a 22-year-old male who reportedly entered the water without a flotation device on the NE end of the lake. Involved in the search are: a CG small response boat and crew; CG New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew; Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department; and Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. Anyone with information is requested to contact Sector New Orleans at (504) 365-2200. (Source: Coast Guard 06/24/19) Lake Salvador is a 44,800-acre lake about 12 miles southwest of New Orleans in Jefferson, Lafourche, and St. Charles parishes. UPDATE: The CG ended its search for a person in Lake Salvador on June 25. The CG used three assets to search about 294 square miles for 23.5 hours.

No FFG(X) spec changes: BAE’s out

LONDON – U.K-based BAE Systems shipbuilder told USNI News that it would be “delighted” to enter its Type 26 Global Combat Ship in the U.S. Navy’s FFG(X) future frigate competition – if the sea-service scraps requirements for a proven hull design. BAE has taken an interest in the small surface combatant program, prompting speculation the U.S. might join Britain, Australia and Canada in acquiring versions of the Type 26 platform. However, as the Navy released a final FFG(X) request for proposals. Afterwards, BAE confirmed it will not be submitting a design unless the competition is opened to designs that have not yet been proven at sea. The Navy is not expected to make that U-turn. Four companies are expected to submit bids - Austal USA of Mobile, Ala.; Fincantieri (Wis.) Marine, Bath (Maine) Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss. - with deadlines of August 22 for technical proposals and September 26 for pricing proposals. (Source: USNI News 06/21/19)

Austal modification pact: $13.1M

Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., is awarded a $13,197,241 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-2301) for Littoral Combat Ship class design services and integrated data and product model environment (IDPME) support. Austal USA will provide efforts to support LCS class ships, including but not limited to technical analyses, non-recurring engineering, configuration management, software maintenance and development, production assessments, and diminishing manufacturing sources and sea-frame reliability analysis. Austal USA will also maintain an IDPME that will enable the Navy to access enterprise data management, visualization, program management applications, and network management and control. Work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama (60%); and Pittsfield, Mass. (40%), and is expected to be complete by June 2025. FY 2016 Navy shipbuilding and conversion; FY-18 other Navy procurement; and FY-19 Navy research, development, test, and evaluation funding in the amount of $13,197,241 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (DoD 06/21/19)

Metal Shark contract mod: $12.8M

Gravois Aluminum Boats, doing business as Metal Shark Boats of Jeanerette, La., is awarded a $12,818,790 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00024-17-D-2201) to exercise options for the construction of Near Coastal Patrol Vessels in support of U.S. Southern Command partner-nations and Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Jeanerette and is expected to be completed by August 2021. No funding will be obligated at this time. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/21/19)

BIS river contracts: $47M

BIS Services of Kenner, La., was awarded two Army contracts for Calcasieu River work in Cameron Parish totaling more than $47M. A $32,305,200 firm-fixed-price contract for Calcasieu River and pass stone foreshore protection; and a $14,785,945 firm-fixed-price contract for Calcasieu River and pass stone foreshore protection, repairs and armoring. The estimated completion date is Dec. 12, 2020. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/21/19)

GIS to build newest rescue ship

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Navy Secretary Richard Spencer announce June 21 that Gulf Island Shipyards (GIS) in south Louisiana was awarded a $64.8M contract to build the Navy's newest rescue ships. The first ship is being named "Cherokee Nation" to honor the service and contributions that the Cherokee people have made to the Navy and Marine Corps. The ship is scheduled for completion by 2021. The contract includes an option for six additional vessels, each to be named in honor of a prominent Native American or tribe. It’s the fifth ship to be named in honor of the Cherokee people, and the first since a WWII-era tugboat dubbed USS Cherokee. The activities are to be performed at one of GIS’ shipyards in Houma, Jennings or Lake Charles, La. (Source: The Associated Press 06/22/19)

Austal mod pact $13M

Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., is awarded a $13,197,241 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-2301) for littoral combat ship class design services and integrated data and product model environment (IDPME) support. Austal USA will provide efforts to support LCS class ships, including but not limited to technical analyses, non-recurring engineering, configuration management, software maintenance and development, production assessments, and diminishing manufacturing sources and sea frame reliability analysis. Austal USA will also maintain an IDPME that will enable the Navy to access enterprise data management, visualization, program management applications, and network management and control. Work will be performed in Mobile (60%); and Pittsfield, Mass, (40%), and is expected to be complete by June 2025. FY 2016 Navy shipbuilding and conversion; 2018 other procurement (Navy); and 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $13,197,241 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 20/19)

Pascagoula get 6% of USW pact

Leidos Innovations Corp. of Gaithersburg, Md., is awarded a $29,962,608 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-only modification to previously-awarded contract (N00024-16-C-5202) to exercise the options for integrated logistic support, fleet support and life cycle sustainment of the Navy’s AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 surface ship Undersea Warfare (USW) Systems. The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is the USW combat system, with the capabilities to search, detect, classify, localize and track undersea contacts and to engage and evade submarines, mine-like small objects and torpedo threats. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va. (61 %); San Diego (18 %); Pascagoula, Miss.(6 %); Bath, Maine (4 %); Manassas, Va. (4 %); Yososuka, Japan (2 %); Pearl Harbor (2 %); Everett, Wash. (1 %); Mayport, Fla. (1 %); and Rota, Spain (1 %), and is expected to be completed by June 2020. Foreign Military Sales; FY 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 Navy shipbuilding and conversion; FY-17, 2018 and 2019 other Navy procurement; and FY-19 Navy operation and maintenance funding in the amount of $15,418,688 will be obligated at time of award, and $2,846,455 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/20/19)

Miss. River mod contract: $9.9M

Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel Co. of White Hall, Ark., was awarded a $9,925,269 modification (P00009) to a contract (W912EQ-16-C-0008) for the rental of the dustpan hydraulic pipeline dredge for up to six months to perform maintenance dredging within the Mississippi River and tributaries to authorized channel dimensions. Work will be performed in New Orleans with an estimated completion date of Dec. 23, 2019. FY 2019 Mississippi River and tributaries civil funds in the amount of $9,925,269 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Memphis, Tenn., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/19/19)

Miss.-based USMI turns 35

On April 16, the Gulfport, Miss.-based United States Marine Inc. celebrated its 35th anniversary of continuous Defense Department production. Over those years, USMI has thrived, primarily by evolving into one of the nation’s premier military small craft builders. (Source: Marine Link 06/19/19)

Harvey Gulf charters to Nigeria

Louisiana-based Harvey Gulf announced June 18 that it has signed a pair of one-year charters in Nigeria for the placement of two US-flag 3250DWT DPS-2 platform supply vessels (PSV). Both PSVs are capable of working in shallow water ports with 4.5 meters of transit depth and will depart for Nigeria in late June. The company said it also expects to send two 1,000-square-meter deck vessels to the area in the third quarter. (Source: Marine Link 06/18/19) Harvey Gulf’s corporate offices are in New Orleans with an operations office at Port Fourchon, La.

Gov. requests fed flood assistance

BATON ROUGE, La. – Gov. John Bel Edwards announced June 17 that he has written and requested a federal fisheries disaster declaration for Louisiana from the U.S. Department of Commerce following impacts of spring flooding on the fishing industry. High mortality rates are among oysters, declining catches, and the financial damage to livelihoods caused by floodwaters rushing from the Bonnet Carré Spillway, Edwards outlined in a letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. A declaration may help in obtaining federal financial assistance for state fishers, processors, docks, and for the state to “help rehabilitate the important fishery species upon which our seafood industry relies,” he wrote. The governor cited findings from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries that show negative impacts on the fishing industry. The declaration is driven by the unprecedented decision to open the Bonnet Carré Spillway twice this year, which resulted in reduced salinity levels in some of the state’s coastal waters and disrupted estuarine productivity. (Source: La. Wildlife & Fisheries 06/17/19)

Tank ship strikes Sunshine Bridge

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard responded to a tank ship that had struck the Sunshine Bridge in St. James Parish, La., on June 16. The bridge was closed for about two hours during an inspection, but has since reopened. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report that the Marshall Islands flagged tank ship, Dank Silver, struck the Sunshine Bridge at 1:30 p.m. The vessel, owned by Dank Silver Maritime Transportation Company Ltd., was heading down the Mississippi River from Burnside, La. It is being assessed for damages at Grande View Anchorage in Louisiana. There have been no reported injuries or pollution. The cause of the incident is under investigation. (Source: Coast Guard 06/16/19)

Mississippi River’s revenge

GENOA, Wis. – Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge manager Sharonne Baylor’s pontoon boat glides through a riverscape that’s unraveling. “It’s like we’ve pulled a string on a sweater,” the environmental engineer told NOLA.com while traveling the watery border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. “We lose the land, then the habitat, then the fish and the birds.” The Upper Mississippi River national refuge is a 261-mile-long stretch of river girdled in its middle by Lock and Dam 8 near Genoa. It’s one of the first places where river engineering began to show its ugly side. (Source: NOLA.com 06/16/19) Full coverage located on Times Picayune website.

Funding bills tough on LCS program

The Navy appears ready to send the Littoral Combat ship program sailing toward the sunset. Three of four congressional defense committees also appear obliged, through restrictive policies and funding authorizations. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) members included prohibitive language for funding to only extend the program in a couple of specific and short-term instances as part of its version of DoD’s FY 2020 authorization bill. As for the existing fleet, the White House FY-20 budget asked for $388.1M for LCS mission modules. However, the House Appropriations Committee authorized $327M, cutting monies back on the LCS mine-countermeasures and common mission module warfare packages. After marathon markup sessions June 13-14, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) approved its FY-20 defense bill that included deeper cuts to several funding requests. The Navy requested $51.6M for LCS common mission module. HASC authorized $33.2M. House appropriators authorized $38.7M. HASC also cut the Navy’s request of $197.1M for LCS mine countermeasures modules (MCM). The HASC authorized $77.1M – under 40 percent of the MCM module request. House appropriators authorized $163.6 M. The SASC included language approving the purchase of more LCS only “(I)f it is necessary to maintain a full and open competition for the future guided missile Frigate (FFG(X)) with a single source award in FY-20. The Navy wants to shift to buying the new FFG(X) frigate in FY-20. Four shipbuilding teams are competing for the contract, but if the frigate program hits a delay, keeping the LCS production line running may help keep the costs of the future frigates down, according to a Congressional Research Service report. In the meanwhile, the HASC approved a requirement for the Navy to study the prospect of buying a version of the Coast Guard’s Fast Response Cutter, and basing FRCs in Bahrain. The Navy has been reluctant to deploy LCS. There were no deployments in FY-18. There are three LCS deployments scheduled for this fall. The Navy has not stated the destinations of those LCS scheduled to depart from San Diego and Mayport, Fla. (Source: USNI News 06/13/19) Gulf Coast Note: Austal-USA shipyards in Mobile, Ala., build the Independence variant of LCS, are among those scheduled to bid on the future frigate design.

Miss. AG considers suit vs Corps

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announced June 13 that he would, as a last resort, sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over widespread environmental damage and aquatic deaths in the Mississippi Sound, which presumably was caused by the release of Mississippi River water through the Bonnet Carré Spillway, about 12 miles west of New Orleans. The spillway has, for the first time in its 88-year history, been opened twice in a single year for two straight years. Openings in February and May have spewed more than six trillion gallons of river water through the spillway that empties into Lake Pontchartrain and then the Mississippi Sound. The water is polluted with chemical-laden sediment that contributes to an oxygen-deprived dead zone and also reduces salinity to intolerable levels for aquatic life (dolphins, oysters) in the Sound. “I’d rather have a conversation with them,” he said. The AG, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, and Joe Spraggins, executive at the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, will meet June 24 with Maj. General Richard G. Kaiser, commander of the Corps’ Mississippi Valley Division. The Corps commander decides whether to open the spillway because he also heads the Mississippi River Commission, which recommends policy, flood control and other aspects of river work. The spillway remains open, without a firm date for closure. (Source: Sun Herald 06/14/19)

CG base backlog bill introduced

U.S. Reps. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Fla.) and Garret Graves (R-La.) introduced the Coast Guard Shore Infrastructure Improvement Act bipartisan legislation June 12 to help reduce and better manage a maintenance backlog for Coast Guard shore infrastructure. A Government Accountability Office report in February found 45 percent of Coast Guard shore assets have exceeded their services lives, and the service has at least $2.6B in project backlogs. “With an aging fleet and facilities that are falling apart, the Coast Guard’s readiness is jeopardized,” said Rep. Graves. “This solution just makes sense” as it relates to taxpayer-spending and keeping “our Coasties focused on delivering the services our economy and national security depend upon.” The legislation would direct the commandant of the CG to develop a plan to standardize facility assessments, establish baseline measurements to track effectiveness of maintenance and repair investments, and implement GAO’s recommendations to better manage its maintenance projects. (Source: Work Boat 06/13/19)

Metal 3D printer ensures dominance

Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWCPC), Fla., has acquired a new metal 3D printer for its Additive Manufacturing Laboratory (AML) that will allow the command to quickly produce parts and prototypes to “ensure war-fighting dominance.” There are major advantages to having a metal 3D printer, says Chuck Self, AML director, including “reduction in time to complete prints, reproducibility, and the complexity of parts available for print.” The Navy is heavily investing in 3D printing. In 2018, the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) allocated $2.6M for the introduction of metal additive manufactured parts. The Marines have set up an Advanced Manufacturing Operations Cell to provide 24/7 3D printing support, and the Navy has been applying the technology to upgrade various ships in its fleet. This latest metal 3D printer added is an EOS M290 Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) system, which has been used to make products like portable runway mats and hydraulic components. It features a 250 x 250 x 325mm build volume and uses a 400-watt fiber laser inside a nitrogen atmosphere to make accurate, complex, and fully dense parts out of powdered metal. Halie Cameron, NSWCPC mechanical engineer says: “The printer is capable of building highly complex geometries that are unable to be fabricated by traditional machining.” (Source: 3D Printing Industry 06/13/19) NSWCPC conducts research on naval warfare and its disciplines that include optics, acoustics, mine warfare and robotics.

Mag: Mobile top 5 Americas’ cities

Mobile, Ala., was ranked the Future 2019/20” the fifth best city in the Americas for foreign direct investment strategy, according to a study called “American Cities of the e June/July edition of fDi Intelligence magazine – a Financial Times publication. “To put this in perspective,” says Bill Sisson, the Mobile Area Chamber’s president, “New York was first, Chicago was second, followed by Montreal, Medellin (Columbia) and Mobile. That’s an impressive group of cities to be counted among.” The rankings are part of a 16-page spread where the section on Mobile, written by Naomi Davies, highlighted Team Mobile and the area’s “extensive transportation infrastructure.” “Mobile is an international community and we have plans to continue to diversify,” says David Rodgers, the Chamber’s VP of economic development. In May, the Chamber presented its new foreign direct investment strategy to Partners for Growth economic development investors. The study comes days before representatives from the Chamber, City and County, University of South Alabama, Alabama State Port Authority, Mobile Airport Authority, and private industry attend the Paris, France, aerospace tradeshow – one of the largest in the world. (Source: Mobile Chamber 06/13/19) Mobile is home to a French aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of Airbus and an Australia shipbuilding subsidiary of Austal.

DOT port infrastructure grants

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to apply for $292.7M in discretionary grants’ funding through the new Port Infrastructure Development Program. “This major investment in the Port Infrastructure Development Program will help strengthen, modernize, and improve our country’s maritime systems and gateway ports,” said DOT Secretary Elaine L. Chao. This new program aims to support public coastal ports by improving the safety, efficiency, or reliability of goods movement into, out of, or within a port. Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis for projects located either within the boundary of a coastal seaport, or outside the boundary of a coastal seaport, and directly relate to port operations or to an intermodal connection to a port. DOT evaluate projects using criteria which include leveraging federal funds, project costs and benefits, project outcomes, project readiness, and domestic preference. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019 made available $292.7M for the Port Infrastructure Development Program, including $92.7M for the 15 coastal seaports that handled the greatest number of loaded foreign and domestic 20-foot equivalent units of containerized cargo in 2016, as identified by the Army Corps of Engineers. The minimum award size is $10M with a federal cost share not to exceed 80 percent. The deadline to submit an application is 7 p.m. CDT September 16, 2019. (Source: DOT 06/13/19)

Breaking the ice for academia

When Victoria Fitzgerald arrived at the University of Alabama to begin geology PhD work in January, she thought she would spend most of her time studying the Jurassic Period eolian rock formations of west Alabama, extending her master’s research. She never thought she would wind up in Antarctica researching a ‘Doomsday Glacier’. Fitzgerald joined with her advisor, UA assistant professor Dr. Rebecca Totten-Minzoni, to assist on the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC) Thwaites Offshore Research (THOR) team, to better understand the risks and recent history of rapidly changing Thwaites glaciers, better known as the Doomsday Glacier. As the glaciers melt, global sea levels will rise. “Our goal isn’t to tell people the world is filled with doom and gloom,” she said, but rather to “figure out the timeline.” Although not fully understood how it’s changing, and the rate it responds to change over the past 10,000 years, the duo is “studying sediment to develop better models and account for variables that we haven’t yet.” Fitzgerald and Minzoni are part of a team of ITGC researchers funded by the National Science Foundation and UK’s Natural Environment Research Council. Minzoni is a co-investigator for THOR. Fitzgerald’s role was to help sample mud collected from the ocean floor, to reconstruct the behavior of the glacier through the analyses of melt-water samples, microfossils, grain size, and other proxies. The data will help researchers learn more about the glacier. “I’m focusing on the most recent change at the glacier front, which is actually several kilometers further inland than it was two or three years ago. We were the first people ever to be that close to the ice front.” (Source: University of Alabama 06/2019)

NSWC rep earns LULAC award

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - Ivan Lugo, head of the Air Cushion Vehicle Branch at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla., (NSWCPC) was recently selected to receive the League of United Latin American Citizens’ (LULAC) 2019 Excellence in Service Uniformed Services Public Service Award. Lugo is responsible for supervising a team of engineers, scientists, logisticians, and technicians in support of the In-Service Engineering Agent for the Landing Craft Air Cushion vehicle. When learning of his selection for the LUCAC award, Lugo said he felt appreciative and was quick to credit his team. In addition to his demanding career, Lugo was chosen by NSWCPC to recruit scientist and engineers, particularly within under-represented populations. This effort is in line with the continuing diversity initiative that supports the Chief of Naval Operations’ objectives for the Navy, and has the sea-service recognized as an employer of choice across the U.S. Lugo will receive the award during the 90th LULAC National Convention and Exposition in July in Milwaukee, Wis. (Source: NSWC Panama City 06/09/19)

Gov. praises outgoing NOLA CoE lead

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Col. Michael N. Clancy, the outgoing Commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (CoE) New Orleans District, in a statement released June 11. Col. Clancy's three-year term at the district ends June 11. Col. Clancy’s next assignment will be to deploy to Afghanistan. Col. Stephen F. Murphy has been appointed to replace Clancy as district commander. “There has been no Corps district commander in history who has accomplished more for Louisiana in his three-year term than Col. Clancy,” said Gov. Edwards. (Source: Louisiana Governor 06/11/19)

USM probing spillway opening effects

University of Southern Mississippi researchers are leading an investigation into the effects of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway openings into Mississippi Sound. The USM team has begun an examination of the spillway’s effects on the Sound, and will continue working for as long as the effects are measurable and impactful. Their mission is to advance the state’s scientific understanding and public comprehension of the actual effects of the spillways’ openings on the Mississippi Sound. Leading the research are personnel from USM’s School of Ocean Science and Engineering, located at the Marine Research Center in Gulfport, the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, and the John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County. (Source: WVVX 06/10/19)

Bay Steel expanding in Mobile

Mobile, Ala.-based Bay Steel Corp. announced expansion plans by investing $6.29M, and hiring five additional employees, for a new operational facility beginning in the first quarter of 2020. The family-owned business previously purchased 32 acres on Todd Acres Drive in southwest Mobile, across from Mobile Commerce Park; and has decided to construct a 76,500-square-foot office- and-warehousing space on those 7.5 acres, according to Neal Collins, VP of Bay Steel. The company will be moving from its existing facility at the Port of Mobile. “Our new operations will allow us to be more efficient with our space, triple the number of overhead cranes and give us room to grow, and we’re excited about that,” said Collins. Bay Steel is a steel service center for carbon and galvanized steel and sells a variety of products to support industrial, marine boat-building, commercial, transportation, and chemical and energy businesses. (Source: Mobile Chamber of Commerce 06/2019)

Cutter returns from 58-day deployment

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless returned to its homeport on Naval Air Station Pensacola on June 12 after a 58-day patrol of the Gulf of Mexico. During the two-month patrol, the cutter supported several Eighth Coast Guard District mission areas, including search and rescue, enforcement of domestic living marine resource regulations and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activity near the U.S. and Mexico maritime border. The crew deterred three Mexican vessels caught illegally fishing in U.S. waters and recovered three miles of long line fishing gear, preventing the illegal harvesting of red snapper and other regulated GoM fish species. The crew's employment in south Texas waters supported Operation Patriot Curtain, which addressed threats to border security and U.S. sovereignty near the maritime boundary line. During the patrol, the crew collaborated with the Mexican Naval Warship Arm Independencia to share operational best practices and to demonstrate effective interoperability with a key international maritime partner. (Source: Coast Guard 06/12/19)

GoM ‘dead zone’ could be record

This summer’s low-oxygen “dead zone” on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas will likely be close to record size - roughly the size of Massachusetts – or 7,829 square miles, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced June 10. Researchers are warning that the increased-size zone, estimated by modeling of nutrients carried into the GoM by record-high Mississippi River levels, could be repeated in years to come because of the effects of climate change. The latest National Climate Assessment predicts an increase in the frequency of heavy rains in the Southeast, Midwest, and Great Plains regions, which likely would impact nutrient input to the northern Gulf of Mexico and the size of the hypoxic zone, Steve Thur, director of NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, says in a media release. NOAA models were conducted at five universities and the U.S. Geological Survey for NOAA. However, another model conducted at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia predicted the low-oxygen zone would expand to as much as 10,000 square miles by August. The record measurement of a dead zone was 8,776 square miles, set in July 2017. (Source: NOLA.com 06/10/19)

Spillway has effect on La. marine life

Recent high water activity in Louisiana and the opening of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway west of New Orleans are having a noticeable effect on the state’s supply of oysters, shrimp, crab and finfish, according to preliminary assessments from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). Those results come from the monitoring of commercial harvests using data available (as of June 6) to show oysters on public water-bottoms and landings have declined 80 percent from the average year-to-date, and 89 percent below the average for March-April. Statewide brown and white shrimp landings combined declined 36 percent for March, and 63 percent for April, when compared to the five-year average. Finfish prelims show landings down for black drum; 53 percent in the Vermilion-Tech basin; down 43 percent year-to-date in the Calcasieu basin; and commercial black drum landings down 31 percent from 2019. LDWF is monitoring salinities, and the abundance of fish and shellfish in all the major estuaries of the coast. LDWF biologists continue to monitor the flooding impacts on fishery and wildlife resources resulting from the Bonnet Carré Spillway openings order by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The impact on fish and animals related to the spillway openings and other high water events won’t be known for months. Data continues to be collected and analyzed by both state and federal agencies. (For more a complete list of findings, please view the LDWF preliminary report at http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/floodinfo) (Source: La. Wildlife & Fisheries 06/11/19)

Miss. firm SLEP contract: $84M

Taylor Defense Products of Louisville, Miss., is awarded a ceiling $84,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for up to a maximum of 145 all-terrain cranes. Work will be performed in Louisville, and is expected to be complete by June 2029. FY 2019 Marine procurement funds in the amount of $9,719,457 will be obligated on the first delivery order immediately following contract award; and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. Marine Corps Systems Command of Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 06/10/19)

Icebreaker should sail in U.S. waters

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Coast Guard is expected to take possession of a new heavy icebreaker - being built at VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula, Miss - within five years. Alaska’s junior U.S. senator, Dan Sullivan, wants to see it spending more time in American waters. The CG’s Antarctic policy likely will shift the future icebreaker away from its Arctic missions, the Alaska Journal of Commerce reported of Sullivan’s remarks. "I think we're too focused on Antarctica and not focused on our own sovereign interests here," Sullivan said. The country’s only heavy icebreaker, the 43 year-old Polar Star, does much of its work around Antarctica breaking ice and escorting supply vessels to the National Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station research center and returning home in Seattle for repairs. - a round trip distance of about 11,000 miles. NSF officials expect the new icebreaker will take on Polar Star’s Antarctic research duties. The Polar Star is scheduled to escort two cargo vessels and a tanker in 2020, said CG spokesperson Senior Chief Petty Officer NyxoLyno Cangemi. Polar Star does not currently conduct Arctic missions. A February budget bill appropriated $655M to fully fund one heavy icebreaker and $20M for long-lead items to prepare for building a second. VT Halter Marine is expected to deliver it in 2024. If funded, a second icebreaker is expected in 2025, and a third in 2027. Diverting Coast Guard resources, such as the Polar Star from the Antarctic mission, requires an order from the White House, Cangemi wrote in an e-mail. The science foundation reimbursed the CG over $49,000 per day for use of Polar Star. The CG was reimbursed nearly $33,000 per day for use of the medium-duty icebreaker Healy, which supports Arctic research, he said. (Source: The Associated Press 06/09/19)

MS creates spillway impact task force

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant created an intra-agency and university task force to monitor environmental conditions and measure the impacts of the opening of the Bonnet Carre’ Spillway, 12 miles west of New Orleans, on marine species in the Mississippi Sound. The task force will report to the governor with science-based facts on water quality and quantity, seafood and safety risks to residents who may come in contact with those waters, according to a state news release. The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR), Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), USM Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Mississippi State University’s (MSU) Veterinary College, and the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) will work together on that task force. MDEQ will continue to conduct water quality analysis on public beaches to ensure its safety. “I am deeply concerned over the influx of fresh water into the Mississippi Sound and the adverse effects it is having on our marine resources.” said Gov. Bryant in a release. (Source: Sun Herald 06/08/19)

CG rescues beached elderly duo

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard rescued two 70-year-old men from an overdue 25-foot vessel that departed from Bay St. Louis, Miss., on June 5. The vessel was found beached on Freemason Island, La., on June 7. Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., directed the launch of an HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew from CG Aviation Training Center at Mobile to search for the duo. The CG later received a report from an oil rig helicopter crew about a capsized vessel on Freemason Island with two people on land waving their hands. CG Mobile then launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from CG Air Station New Orleans to rescue the men. The helo crew landed on the island, recovered the men, and transported them to Stennis (Miss.) International Airport in stable condition. “This is a great example of how filing a float plan can save your life,” said Lt. Alex Gomez, a search and rescue mission coordinator at Sector Mobile. A float plan can simply mean telling a friend or family member about plans for departing and returning home … "that vital information can be relayed to the proper authorities so we can, like today, rescue those in need as quickly as possible.” he said. (Coast Guard 06/07/19)

U.S. oil production may set records

U.S. total oil production, already off to a fast start, is likely on track to set another record for 2019. New records are expected when the final numbers for May emerge and at the end of the year, according to Rystad Energy, an energy research and business intelligence company. Rystad is raising its forecast for U.S. crude output to 13.4M barrels per day (bpd) by December 2019. For May, research and calculations point to crude oil production averaging 12.5M bpd. Both are all-time highs. “Strong growth persists in the Permian Basin on both the New Mexico and the Texas sides,” says Bjørnar Tonhaugen, head of Oil Market Research at Rystad. The firm’s projection is that Texas production will exceed 5M bpd at some point in the second quarter of 2019. Gulf of Mexico production may reach 1.95M bpd by the end of 2019 - up 135,000 bpd – and partly due to an early start-up of Shell’s Appomattox field. But, Rystad Energy expects crude oil prices to stay flat in the near term. Its report estimates OPEC production of 29.9M bpd for May, the lowest monthly level in over five years, and 2.6M bpd below October 2018’s levels. For 2019 the forecast is for OPEC crude production of 30.3M bpd - down 1.6M million from last year. Rystad is also lowering its projections for Saudi Arabia from 10.6M bpd to about 10.3M million. (Source: Marine Link 06/07/19)

ESG delivers another McAllister tug

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) of Panama City, Fla., announced June 6 that it had delivered the Escort/Rescue Z-Drive Tug Ava M. McAllister (ESG Hull #222) to McAllister Towing Inc. on May 31. The Z-drive tug’s design is provided by Jensen Maritime Consultants and was issued a Coast Guard Sub-M Certificate of Inspection. ESG began work on the tug in 2018. The tug’s design is the same provided by Jensen Maritime Services’ Rosemary McAllister (ESG Hull #224) and the upcoming Capt. Jim McAllister (ESG Hull #223) tugs constructed at ESG. The Rosemary McAllister was honored as one of the Significant Boats of 2018 by WorkBoat Magazine during the 2018 International Workboat Show in New Orleans. The lead vessel of this four-vessel series is Capt. Brian McAllister, which was delivered in the summer of 2017 and built at Horizon Shipbuilding in Bayou La Batre, Ala. – about 30 miles south of Mobile. (Source: Eastern Shipbuilding 06/06/19)

Cheniere build-up at La. LNG complex

Gov. John Bel Edwards highlighted Cheniere Energy’s final investment decision on June 3 to build a sixth LNG liquefaction train and a third shipping berth at the company’s Sabine Pass LNG complex in Cameron Parish, La. The site, now producing up to 25M metric tons of LNG annually will add up to 5M more metric tons. Cheniere Energy Inc. announced that its board of directors has approved the project and issued a full notice to proceed with construction to its contractor, Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemicals Inc. Cheniere Energy is the leading LNG exporter in the U.S. and Louisiana’s No. 1 state exporter of LNG to foreign markets. The new project will increase Cheniere Energy’s capital investment in Cameron Parish to $19.5B. (Source: Office of the Governor 06/03/19)

New La. catalyst blending plant

Gov. John Bel Edwards and Lacassine Operating Company CEO Van Eversull announced June 4 that the company will invest $12.5M to construct a catalyst blending plant in Lacassine, La. Designed to serve oil refineries throughout the world, the catalyst plant will become the anchor tenant of the Lacassine Rail Terminal operated by Rail Logix in Jefferson Davis Parish. Lacassine Operating is a newly formed partner company of Equilibrium Catalyst Inc. “Equilibrium Catalyst has served Louisiana oil refineries for many years,” Gov. Edwards said. “With industrial clients in Louisiana, Texas and across the world, the company is well-positioned to grow and thrive here,” he said. Founded in NOLA in 1992 and currently based in Houston, Equilibrium Catalyst is the world’s leading provider of catalyst-related services in the fluid catalytic cracking. Company facilities blend and process material for use by both domestic and international oil refineries. Major regional clients of the new Lacassine Operating facility will include ExxonMobil in Baton Rouge, Citgo in Lake Charles, Phillips 66 in Westlake, and the Motiva and Total Port Arthur refineries in Texas. (Source: Office of Louisiana Governor 06/04/19) Lacassine (French: La Cassine) is an unincorporated community – 18 miles east of Lake Charles – with a population of around 480.

Tulane grad will lead Marine Corps

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Lt. Gen. David Berger to serve as the next commandant of the Marine Corps after Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) dropped his opposition to Berger’s confirmation for unspecified reasons, according to USNI News. Berger, the current commander of Marine Corps Combat Development Command, was confirmed June 5. Now confirmed, Berger will become the 38th commandant of the Marine Corps on July 11. A carrier infantry officer, he commanded the 1st Marine Division in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012. He is a 1981 Tulane University graduate. (Source: USNI News 06/06/19)

Gov. requests feds' fisheries disaster

Gov. Phil Bryant says he's requested the federal government declare a fisheries disaster in Mississippi as marine death rates climb in the Mississippi Sound for dolphins, oysters, and other marine life exposed to fresh water from the opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway north of New Orleans. “We are currently observing significant adverse impacts to all components of Mississippi’s marine resources,” the governor told the Sun Herald. The spillway has been opened an unprecedented two times this year. The last time was May 10 with no date determined as to when it will be closed. It’s also the first time the spillway has opened two consecutive years. Bryant said the marine deaths in the oyster population are at 70 percent, a figure that likely will increase as long as the spillway remains open. (Source: Sun Herald 06/07/19)

MSU grad commands Bollinger FRC

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Lt. Lennie R. Day, a 2004 Mississippi State University mathematics graduate and former Bulldog football player from 2000-03, assisted in the commissioning of the Coast Guard Cutter Benjamin Bottoms in mid-May, and became the first commanding officer of the service’s 32nd Fast Response Cutter. Day, a native of Mobile, Ala., was a four-year letter-winner at MSU. The Benjamin Bottoms, a 154-foot multi-mission ship, is the last of four Fast Response Cutters to be homeported at CG Base Los Angeles-Long Beach. The ship is based in San Pedro, Calif., but will operate throughout the 11th Coast Guard District, which includes all of California and international waters off Mexico and Central America. The FRC was built by Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, La., and delivered to the CG in February. The ship honors the Georgia native who was part of a CG aircrew that rescued an Army aircrew from a downed B-17 off the west coast of Greenland in 1942. Bottoms was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his role in the rescue. (Source: MSU 06/05/19)

La. redirects $700M for infrastructure

Louisiana lawmakers want to redirect nearly $700M in Gulf of Mexico oil spill recovery monies - earmarked for trust funds - to finance roadwork, bridge upgrades and port improvements. The state receives annual payments of $53.3M through 2034 from BP as compensation for massive 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The payments are separate from recovery money slated for coastal restoration. The House voted 90-11 on June 4 to final passage of Rep. Tanner Magee’s (R-Houma) bill steering monies to infrastructure projects. The proposal goes to Gov. John Bel Edwards for review. Under the measure, $150M would pay for upgrades to Louisiana Highway 1 in Lafourche Parish, a highway that leads to the critical oil and gas hub at Port Fourchon. Some of the 10 projects will be matched with local, federal and private dollars, according to Magee. The bill would send the $53M annual payment to the trust funds for the upcoming budget year that starts July 1, but scrap those earmarks starting in FY 2020-21. Among some of the other projects: $20M for a new Cameron Parish ferry; $20M to buy two cranes for the Port of New Orleans; and $40M to replace and rehabilitate bridges around the state. The economic-damage dollars are separate from an estimated $5.8B that Louisiana is expected to receive in other civil penalties from the BP settlement – and required to be set aside. (Source: NOLA.com 06/04/19)

Record number of VLCCs at LOOP

Medium-sour crudes from the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) are being gobbled up by Asian oil buyers, paving way for a record six supertankers to load at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) in a matter of weeks, according sources. The six scheduled loadings in late May and early June would double the record of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) reached in December. An unusual influx of GoM crudes to the U.S. deepwater export port at Port Fourchon, La., and weakening prices are contributing to the exports. Mars Sour, a GoM crude produced by Royal Dutch Shell Plc, traded at a $4.40 on June 3, falling from a 2019 high mark of $8.10 in mid-February. Following U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, and some production cuts, medium-sour grades are helping fill Asian markets with a new supplier. New Prime, chartered by Shell, began loading crude at LOOP on June 3, following two departures since May 31 of supertankers chartered by China's Unipec and Mercuria, according to trade sources and data from Refinitiv Eikon and vessel-tracking service Kpler. Three other supertankers are expected to load at LOOP through mid-June, they added. In recent weeks, more crude produced in the GoM has been piped to LOOP for loading onto vessels, instead of to domestic refiners, trade sources indicated. (Source: Marine Link 06/04/19)

Ports: Boxed in or Busting Out?

Major American ports finished 2018, and began 2019, setting monthly/annual container volume records, but White House trade talks, especially with China about tariff increases, has raised more questions than answers. Tariffs on Chinese goods are set to increase to 25 percent, from 10 percent, unless there is an agreement reached. The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) data indicates trade sanctions will impact 9 percent of the total volume of products imported and exported to the U.S. Trade with China accounts for 16 percent of items moved in and out of California ports, and 13 percent in Georgia. Despite the political/economic disputes, there’s a good deal to be positive about at the nation’s collection of boxports, and infrastructure development. The U.S. Department of Transportation is projecting that total freight-tons moving on the nation’s transportation network will grow 49 percent over 30 years, while the value of freight will almost double and despite the prospect of a trade war will be eclipsed by the inertia of growth. A quick look at some of the nation’s busiest boxports is eye-opener: Los Angeles, the nation’s busiest port in TEUs and fourth in value began 2019 on an accelerated pace with a record 852,000 containers in January, a 5.4 percent increase over January 2018 when it moved nearly 809,000 TEUs. In 2018, the Port of New York and New Jersey handled more than 7M TEUs for the first time in its history. The Port of Houston finished on a record note, moving 2.7M TEUs in 2018, up 10 percent over 2017. January 2019 has seen a slight drop in TEU volume. New Port Houston Chairman Ric Campo wants to fast-track the widening and deepening of the Houston Ship Channel. The Georgia Port Authority, which operates the Port of Savannah, reported the movement of 430,000 TEUs in January, up more than 90,000 TEUs from 2018. Last year closed with a record 4.35M TEUs. Recently, Savannah handled more total containerized cargo and intermodal rail volume than any March on record. The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) moved more containers in 2018 than at any time in its history, totaling 591,253 TEUs, up 12.3 percent from last year. The numbers include a 58 percent surge in containers moved by barge on the Port’s growing container-on-barge service operated in conjunction with the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. A Marad grant of $3.1M will support the barge service, allowing them to purchase purpose-built vessels that will increase the viability of the service. Also, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, which the Port acquired in 2018, realized a 15 percent growth in intermodal cargo and new connections with domestic markets. (Source: Maritime Logistics 06/03/19)

HII hires TS comms director

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced June 3 that Jaime O’Keefe Orlando has been named senior director of communications for its Technical Solutions division. Orlando will be based at HII’s Fair Lakes office in Fairfax, Va., and reports to Technical Solutions President Andy Green. As director of communications, Orlando will work closely with the Technical Solutions leadership team on a variety of strategic initiatives, including the design, development and execution of multi-faceted, integrated marketing, communication and engagement strategies in support of the division. She will also work closely with HII’s executive vice president of communications, Jerri Dickseski, to whom she will be functionally aligned. Prior to joining HII, she worked as the senior director of strategic communications for Peraton, formerly Harris Corp.’s Government IT Services business. (Source: HII 06/03/19) Gulf Coast Note: HII’s Technical Solutions division provides a wide range of professional services through its Fleet Support, Mission Driven Innovative Solutions, Nuclear & Environmental, and Oil & Gas groups. One of the TS locations is in Panama City, Fla.

Fitz CO: Fire safety @ risk to repairs

Poor fire safety practices at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard are putting a nearly 18-month, $523M repair effort of USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) in jeopardy, the ship's commander wrote in a status report to Navy officials. Fitzgerald is the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that was heavily damaged in a deadly 2017 collision. Cmdr. Garrett Miller noted the issues in a May status report submitted to officials in early May, and obtained by USNI News. There have been more than 15 fire safety incidents aboard the ship since it arrived at HII-Pascagoula nearly 18 months ago. Fitzgerald was heavily damaged in June 2017, when it collided with ACX Crystal off the coast of Japan, killing seven sailors in what was the first of two deadly DDG collisions with commercial ships that summer. “The lack of fire safety is a major concern on this project and I am extremely concerned we are on a path to have a catastrophic fire event on board. NSA (Naval Supervisory Authority) and KTR (contractor) leadership have taken measures to curtail,” he wrote, “but they have been marginally effective.” Miller also wrote that there have been “improvements in government (oversight) in the past few months, but little change in craft deck plate compliance.” The most recent incident is “uncomfortably similar” to the recent USS Oscar Austin industrial fire at BAE Systems’ Norfolk, Va., shipyard, he indicated. It was nearing an end to a year-long $41.6M upgrade when the fire broke out last November causing major damages. The Navy has not identified the cause of the fire or repair costs, but has awarded Raytheon $16.8M to repair DDG-79’s electronics damaged by the fire. During the most recent incident aboard Fitzgerald, shipyard workers expanded their hot work - generally involves welding or heated equipment - into a space with no fire watch. Expanding the hot work area, Miller wrote, “caused damage to bulkhead lagging and electrical panel which will likely require replacement.” In a May 31 statement, HII stressed the shipyard is taking measures to keep work on the ship safe. Since March, no hot work has been allowed to start unless an HII’s fire marshal signs off on the work. The bottom line, Miller stated, is that “management control processes in place have been ineffective at the deck plate level, (and NSA) must take significantly more aggressive and punitive actions to force (contractor) leadership to take fire safety seriously.” (Source: USNI News 05/31/19)

Glasstream, Fassmer partner up

Business has been good for the Dothan, Ala.-based Glasstream Powerboats and its founder A.L. Kirkland. “We’re actually selling more product than we can manufacture,” he said at a May 31 celebration of its 13,500 square-foot expanded operations and announcement of a partnership with Fassmer Service America of Lauderhill, Fla., to bid on major military and law enforcement contracts. Fassmer Managing Director Tim Klaybor said they intend to bid on a large Navy contract, and noted that Glasstream’s tapered hull design provides some great advantages against current options. The partnership agreement calls for Glasstream to build the hulls and deck for the boats, then ship them to Fassmer’s facilities. Fassmer will then outfit the boat with the engine, electronics, and accessories for delivery to its customers, Klaybor said. Glasstream has produced similar products for the Department of Homeland Security and some foreign countries, said Kirkland. “The fit was really good between us and Fassmer,” he said. “They manufacture off-shore workboats and military-type stuff” and were “fascinated with our product – with our bottom designs and the speeds we were able to produce.” The expansion will allow Glasstream to hire another 40 personnel for various stages of production. (Source: Dothan Eagle 95/31/19) Neither company was specific as to what major military and law enforcement contracts they intended to bid on.