Harvey Gulf to Build United States’ First LNG Bunkering Facility at Port Fourchon

An illustration of Harvey Gulf’s LNG-powered OSVs. Image courtesy Harvey Gulf

New Orleans-based Harvey Gulf International has secured plans to construct and operate the United States’ first LNG marine fueling facility out of Port Fourchon, LA, the companies CEO Shane Guidry announced Monday.

The facility will consist of two sites each having 270,000 gallons of LNG storage capacity and the ability to transfer 500 gallons of LNG per minute. To support the development of the LNG bunkering facility, Harvey Gulf says it has secured CH-IV International of Houston, Texas as the EPC contractor. Harvey Gulf added that the facility will also be capable of supporting over-the-road vehicles that operate on LNG. The estimate to complete the first site is February 2014, with the second site following shortly thereafter.

“To date, Harvey Gulf is the only company in North America that has committed $400M to build, own and operate LNG powered offshore support vessels as we’ll as two LNG fueling docks,” Guidry said in a statement.

In addition to the bunkering facility, Harvey Gulf also announced Monday an order for a 6th LNG-powered Offshore Support Vessel to be built at Gulf Coast Shipyard Group (formerly Trinity Offshore) in Gulfport, MS. With this 6th vessel, Harvey Gulf will become the largest owner and operator of LNG powered OSV’s in the world.

To ensure safety and security of vessel operations and port facilities, Harvey Gulf says it has actively enlisted the expertise of the USCG to participate at all levels of the development of today’s announced facility. Guidry noted “the success of our LNG new build program would not be possible without the gracious cooperation and commitment of the USCG personnel.”

Harvey Gulf is now the second company to announce the development of a LNG bunkering facility in Port Fourchon as the U.S. looks to grow its LNG supply infrastructure.

In March, Royal Dutch Shell announced an agreement with Edison Chouest Offshore to supply LNG fuel to vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico. Under the deal, LNG transport barges will move the fuel from a Geismar, LA production site to Port Fourchon where it will be bunkered into customer vessels. The Geismar facility, however, is not expected to begin operations until 2016.

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