Gulf ship operators propose raise for Galveston-Texas City pilots

(GALVESTON, Texas) -- An association of ship owners and operators has proposed a cost-of-living raise for the Galveston-Texas City Pilots Association, the Daily News of Galveston County reported. The West Gulf Maritime Association members are typically at odds with the pilots over the issue of fees. The mariners association said the recent proposal was conciliatory and acknowledged the assistance the…
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GulfMark Offshore buys Rigdon Marine

Larry Rigdon launched his company, Rigdon Marine, with the construction of 10 vessels like the 210-foot DP-2 St. Louis. Their success led to the current building program comprising 10 190-foot diesel-electric supply vessels. Desiring to have a position in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, GulfMark Offshore Inc., has agreed to purchase Rigdon Marine Corp. The terms of the agreement calls…
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Offshore oil’s port of choice

An aerial view of busy Port Fourchon. [photos courtesy Brian Gauvin] Ted Falgout calls Port Fourchon “the nest of the goose that is laying the golden egg.” You might suspect him of being biased, since he is, after all, the executive director of this fast-growing port at the southern tip of Louisiana. However, even a casual glance around Port Fourchon…
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Terminal operator admits bribing ship captain to illegally dump fertilizer

A marine terminal operator has pleaded guilty to violating the federal Ocean Dumping Act after investigators said an employee bribed a freighter captain $1,100 to discard an unwanted fertilizer chemical off the Oregon coast. The admission by Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals Inc. (KMBT) culminated a five-year probe. The Louisiana-based company is expected to pay a total monetary penalty of $240,000,…
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Coast Guard plans to greatly expand ranks of safety inspectors, casualty investigators

  Rear Adm. James Watson, the Coast Guard's director of prevention policy, speaking at the Southeastern Small Vessel Security Summit in Orlando, Fla., in April. He will oversee the hiring and training initiatives designed to restore public confidence in the Coast Guard Marine Safety programs. [Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard] The Coast Guard hopes to increase its corps of safety inspectors…
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Coast Guard warrant officer pleads guilty in case involving bilge-water discharge

The Coast Guard cutter Rush discharged 2,000 gallons of untreated bilge water into Honolulu Harbor. The waste was routed around the ship's oil-water separation system. [Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard] An engine-room officer aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Rush has admitted that he lied to federal officials investigating the discharge of 2,000 gallons of untreated bilge waste from the ship…
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