Bunkering barge completes LNG trials at Harvey Gulf facility

AUGUST 17, 2018 – LNG bunkering trials of the 2,200 cu.m bunkering barge Clean  Jacksonville have been successfully completed, using Harvey Gulf’s LNG Bunkering Facility in Port Fourchon, LA.

Built by Conrad Shipyard, the barge will be used to bunker LNG fueled vessels in the Port of Jacksonville, FL.

The trials were Harvey Gulf’s first to be carried out for a third party.

The box shaped barge arrived at the Harvey Gulf LNG terminal 15 days ago and Harvey Gulf’s experienced LNG staff performed the following:

• Developed terminal specific procedures for review and approval by USCG. These procedures outlined the safe and efficient means of loading and receiving LNG for the trials on the bunker barge.
• Jointly worked with Conrad on the operational procedural review and submission to local USCG in Houma. This joint effort ensured procedural alignment between both terminal and the barge, thus minimizing the potential for incidents.
• Provided full shore-side support to facilitate the arranging of all of the equipment and operations necessary for the trials.
• Provided approximately 1,056 man hours without one incident.
• Throughout the process, Harvey successfully loaded approximately 220,000 gallons of LNG onto the barge without any incidents.
• On August 11, 2018, during the conclusion of the test and trials, Harvey Gulf successfully received approx. 142,000 gallons of LNG into the three shore-side storage tanks. This allowed the barge to simulate a bunkering operation at multiple transfer rates and pressures.

The trials were coordinated and managed by Harvey. Involved in the project were 90 persons from the following companies and regulatory parties: Conrad Shipyard, GTT, GAS Entec, ABS, USCG and NCOE for LNG, Zeeco.

Harvey CEO Shane Guidry commented, “My LNG team, under our executive management’s supervision, has once again successfully reached another milestone in the LNG supply chain. I thank all Harvey staff for their willingness to embrace my decision to move Harvey into the LNG service business, thus taking our industry into the future, years ahead of our competitors.

“I also thank the United States Coast Guard for working with my staff to successfully complete the gas trials of America’s first LNG Offshore Supply Vessel, the Harvey Energy, America’s first LNG Marine fueling terminal, Harvey LNG Fuels, and, now, Harvey Gulf’s first successful gas trial of a third party’s LNG bunkering barge, all without incident since we began this LNG journey in 2011.”