Houston Ship Channel Reopens After Emergency Closure
The Houston Ship Channel reopened to all maritime traffic early on October 6th, three days after a barge accident closed about half of the 52-mile channel. The tug Safety Quest, transporting three barges, struck a high-voltage electricity tower situated on an island in the middle of the channel. The allision caused the tower to lean over the waterway, imperiling traffic below.
The crippled tower was stabilized with the assistance of a crane known as "Big John," one of the largest of its type in the nation.
With the tower held in place, crews dispatched by its owner, CenterPoint Energy, were able to begin work removing the high-voltage power transmission cables, clearing the way for the Houston Ship Channel's eventual reopening for commerce.
The U.S. Coast Guard estimated that the closure resulted in a loss of some $320 million per day as three-fourths of the terminals at one of the country's busiest ports were idled. Thus the entire episode could have caused nearly $1 billion in economic loss.
Port officials noted that some vessels were able to divert to other ports along the Texas Gulf Coast after the Houston Ship Channel was declared closed. Traffic figures for the port reflect that an average of 30 to 40 vessels transit the channel each day. Media reports indicate that some operations, such as container vessel activities, were not affected by the closure.
Refineries in the area reported that they were not significantly affected by the traffic shutdown because they had enough supply to operate normally for several days. Crude oil recipients at the channel include Exxon Mobil, Shell, Royal Dutch Shell, and Valero.
The Safety Quest had a crew of six. No injuries from the incident were reported.
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