The following is the text of a news release from The Shearer Group:
(CLEAR LAKE, Texas) — Ed Shearer, principal naval architect with The Shearer Group Inc., Mark Bourgeois, vice president-operations, LeBeouf Bros. Towing LLC, and Bobby Barthel, vice president-new construction, Bourg Dry Dock & Service Co. Inc., announce the delivery of Gonsoulin 540. This is the 40th hull in this series, all 297’- 6” X 54’ X 12’ inland service double skin tank barges. The barges are certified by the U.S. Coast Guard as Type II or Type III hulls for Subchapter D and Subchapter O cargoes.
The barges, designed by the Clear Lake, Texas, naval architecture firm, have a cargo heating system utilizing hot oil provided by a Heatec 5.0 MMBTU hot oil heater. The cargo pump is a Byron Jackson Model S450 rated at 3000 GPM at 292 TDH driven by a Mitsubishi Model S6B3-Y2MPTK-4 diesel engine rated 429 HP at 2000 RPM. There is also a Mitsubishi Model S4S-DTB diesel generator rated 40 KW. The generator and cargo pump engine were furnished by Laborde Products. The cargo pump was furnished by Bayou City Pumps, Houston. The barge also has a vapor control system with self-contained high level alarm system and two 4500 gallon fuel tanks. The Shearer Group worked with Lebeouf Bros. Towing to analyze their operating requirements and cargo handling needs and with Bourg Dry Dock to comply with their manufacturing processes. Jon Gonsoulin, president of LeBeouf Bros. Towing, stated “There’s more plate and iron in those barges than the normal tank barge.”
The Shearer Group Inc. is located in Clear Lake, Texas, and provides naval architecture, marine engineering, marine surveying and professional engineering services to the inland marine industry. Bristol Harbor Group Inc., in Bristol, R.I., is associated with The Shearer Group Inc., and provides the same services to the offshore industry.
Bourg Dry Dock, located in Bourg, La., has a state-of-the art fabrication and repair facility and is currently building three 11,500 BBL double skin tank barges and two other 297’- 6” tank barges for other clients as well as towboats for LeBeouf Bros.
