Port Fourchon’s most recent expansion project has
progressed so quickly that Port officials are already beginning the process of
another expansion.
Leased-Up
The latest expansion of Slip C has moved through the
dredging phase, and bulkhead construction is about to begin. Says Greater Lafourche Port Commission
Director, Chett Chiasson, “We actually have the majority of Slip C spoken for
either by lease or right of first refusal. We have all but about 3,000 feet on
the east side that does not have a company's name on it.”
Chiasson expressed that the Port has just approved a $15
million bid for 2,600 feet of bulkhead construction on Slip C – the largest
single project that the Port has ever undertaken.
The bulk of the property on the slip is occupied by oil and
gas service companies, like Edison Chouest Offshore. Edison Chouest plans to acquire more property
on the new slip when the expansion is completed. Bollinger Shipyards has also expressed
interest in the new slip, as the company has plans for a larger rig and vessel
repair facility. Danos, Harvey Gulf
Marine International, and Schlumberger have also voiced their interest in the
slip.
Further Expansion
Slip C is created from shallow, open water, so dredges must
be used to build the embankment, deepen the slip, and mitigate for affected
wetlands. The Port commission has
already created approximately 700 acres of land in the last ten years, and is
currently in the process of creating an additional 360 acres through the
expansion.
Looking to the future, another slip has begun the process
of mitigation and approvals needed for expansion; however, that process will
take several years.
Airport Improvements
In addition to those expansion projects, the airport is
also undergoing improvements to better serve the oil and gas industry, as well
as to diversify its uses for everything from training to recreation to
emergency response.
Said Airport Manager, Joe Wheeler, “The majority of our
operations are people going offshore to work. We also have people using the
airport for other reasons, and we want to grow that also. There is too much
stuff going on around here economically not to have a large airport.”
Wheeler adds that activity at the airport has been
increasing over the last several years, and will likely increase again this
year. In fact, the Federal Aviation
Administration predicts that the airport will grow more than any other in the
state over the next two decades. Last
year, the airport handled over 20,000 landings and take offs, which is up from
12,500 in 2011. The Port Commission is
making various improvements on the facility’s capacity and safety to handle the
increased volume, as part of its master plan that looks ten years into the
future of the Port.
Deeper Water
Chiasson thinks that deeper water at the Port is
essential. Large boats and deepwater
rigs need deep channels to access the Port’s services. Said Chiasson, “We know oil and gas is our
niche. We do that well. We will continue to do that. We have to look at what we
can do to enhance oil and gas services, rig repair services as well as the
opportunities for deeper draft into the port could bring to oil and gas
services and whatever happens like that.”
With talk of the Port becoming an import-export
point following the completion of the Panama Canal Expansion in 2015, the
master plan improvements revolve primarily around these deep channels.Chiasson adds, “Every port is as good as its
draft. To be able to service oil and gas better and other things, we are going
to have to evaluate that.”