2015 July Port Bureau News

Port Bureau July 2015

Greater Houston Port Bureau

News

ILA Working Houston’s Waterfront for Over 100 Years Brownwater Operators Rise to High Water Challenges

www.txgulf.org

Port Bureau

News

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Publisher/President CAPT Bill Diehl, USCG (Ret.), P.E. Editor Christine Schlenker Copy Editors Christine Schlenker Judith Schultz

3 Captain’s Corner

Speeches Seem the Same but Stiff Competition Certain

4 Port Watch

Far Through This Azure Turbulent Domain

6 Port Bureau Updates

8 Brownwater

Operators Rise to the High Water Challenges

14 The International Longshoremen’s Association Working Houston’s Waterfront for More Than 100 Years Like us on Facebook facebook.com/portbureau 2

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22 Foreign Trade Statistics

Houston Ranked First By Waterborne Tonnage January - April 2015

30 Two Projects

Receive LNG Export Approval to Non-FTA Countries in May 2015 31 NTSB Releases Synopsis in 2014 Texas City Y Incident

34 Commerce Club

Featuring Jennifer A. Carpenter, Executive Vice President, American Waterways Operators (AWO)

Follow us on Linkedin linkedin.com/company/ greater-houston-portbureau

Art Director Kyle Beam Writers Elizabeth Sandefur Christine Schlenker Judith Schultz Patrick Seeba Photographers Kyle Beam Patrick Seeba Cover Photos Patrick Seeba Lou Vest Port Bureau Staff Jeannie Angeli Dave Cooley Al Cusick Megan Essenmacher Cristina Gomez Janette Molina Printing Company DiPuma Printing and Promotional Products www.dipuma.com For information about the Port Bureau: Phone: (713) 678-4300 Email: info@txgulf.org For information about the Port Bureau News stories or advertising: Email: editor@txgulf.org

Captain's Corner

Speeches Seem the Same but Stiff Competition Certain We recently had the privilege of joining hundreds of other happy parents at Veterans Memorial Stadium to watch the Clear Lake High School Class of 2015 turn their tassels – one last task to signify they had really reached the status of high school graduate.

Even though some outward circumstances have changed since I graduated (no one live-streamed my graduation ceremony so far-flung family members could watch it from the comfort of their sofas), the basics of the event remained the same. Introductions were made, and speeches were delivered. Our family waited patiently as they started to call names, mostly unknown to us, to get to the name that mattered the most: Michael Justin Diehl. There was clapping and cheering. We were excited; the graduates were excited; balloons were everywhere.

Things seemed the same as always.

Except things are really not the same, and I am not just talking about graduation streaming live via the internet.

The competition out there is tougher than ever and more than a little confusing for a graduate fresh off the boat. On the one hand, skilled labor is experiencing a shortage and seeking young people to train up to fill the void. On the other hand, smart young college grads, with multiple degrees, have to knock hard to get the doors of opportunity to crack open. As a dad, it would be nice to point Michael to a goal that would guarantee satisfaction and success in the years to come.

No such fortune is mine. I can, however, point him to the same principles we promote here at the Port Bureau: get informed, get involved, and get better at business. By seeing that he is informed, he’ll hopefully make good choices for the path that best suits him. By getting involved with others who are in like-minded pursuits, he’ll keep enthusiasm going when the going gets tougher; and, by pursuing his goals with passion through information and involvement, he’ll keep getting better at

CAPT Bill Diehl, USCG (Ret.), P.E. whatever business he undertakes.

Like the graduation ceremonies, some things may look the same at our ports.

The ships come in; the ships go out. But competition for global and domestic business is sharper than ever. To keep on the cutting edge, we urge you to stay informed and stay involved in the Port Bureau community. Just as teachers might be said to push knowledge to elevate students toward academic success, we see our information at the Port Bureau as helping to elevate member companies to the next level of maritime commerce. Extra homework is sometimes required, but tassel turning is optional.

Congratulations, Michael, I am proud of you!

ò

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© Christine Schlenker

PORT WATCH

Far Through This Azure Turbulent Domain Tom Marian, Buffalo Marine Service First, the rain came. Then, the wind.

This, followed by the storm that shielded the penetrating blue skies of a Texas spring – a sky that reflected its deep azure upon the seas that heralded the arrival of yet more spring bounty. Indeed, it was a very rich spring. How so? May was the best cumulative month of the year for Texas ports; highest vessel count for the Port of Houston for the year; top arrival numbers for 2015 in the Port of Texas City; and, even the fracking queens – Corpus Christi and Brownsville – racked up vessel arrival tallies that are now those to be beat. Things were just as grand in the brownwater community as the year’s second highest tow count through the Houston Ship Channel reflected a respectable 3% monthly gain and even more commendable 11% year-to-date rise.

Not all was in full bloom during the waning days of the season of rebirth. Port Freeport continued to stumble with another 2% monthly drop which further exacerbated its year-to-date decline – a decline that

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currently stands at 19%. Likewise, the Port of Texas City is still off 2014’s vessel arrivals by 3%, but it has been rapidly decreasing this deficit with back-to-back vessel arrival highs. Hence, it edged up 1% for the month.

Its neighbor to the south, Galveston, racked up the largest monthly decline for Texas

ports. Nevertheless, its 2015 pace remains nearly 13% above that of 2014. In the nether regions to the east, the Port of Sabine, over the last month, was also down by almost 5% - a substantial enough sum to drag the port into the red on an annualized basis.

Shifting from the bad to the best, the

Texas Ports Deep Draft Vessel Arrivals May 2015 Year-to-Date Percent Change

port watch

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Port of Houston Deep Draft Vessel Arrivals

May 2015 vs. May 2014 May 2015 YTD (Total: 3,546)

1000

May 2014 YTD (Total: 3,397) 500

0

Port of Brownsville was the lead dog for the month with a 7% higher arrival count culminating in a 21% vault over 2014’s pace.

Corpus Christi posted similar monthly results – percentage wise – with over 5% more vessels. This has been consistent with its year-to-date annualized performance which stands 6.4% taller than last year.

Finally, the trade elephant on the coast, Houston, dominated the state’s maritime trade picture with back-to-back record transits for the year resulting in another 1.5% monthly gain. All told, Houston’s vessel arrival count remains well over 4% for the year.

May in the Port of Houston was dominated by chemical, containers, and BTUs (i.e., energy). Chemical tankers posted a second monthly gain to the tune of 6% which further strengthened its 2015 yield by over 18%. Tankers, likewise, enjoyed a rosy month with its 2015 monthly high attributable to 3.5% more vessel calls. The final leg of the BTU triad – LPG – remains one of the strongest categories for 2015 with a 21% positive difference over 2014.

Finally, container ships flirted with triple digits and, while they came up five short, regained positive territory for the year with a 21% monthly jump.

While there were not many losers in the

various vessel types that called upon Houston, bulk carriers were down dramatically. The 27% monthly plummet was most likely due to softening international demand tied to a very strong dollar. Conversely, general cargo was up a scant 1% month-over-month. That said, the general cargo vessel count is off just shy 3%. A sizeable portion of that decrease is the tapering of steel pipe imports due to slack demand in the fracking arena. Mind you, there was plenty of metal rolling off the 10 car carriers that moored at the Port of Houston; however, the overall calls are 10% fewer than last year.

Thus, as the vernal equinox gave way to the summer solstice, the trade winds of spring were strong and steady despite the squalls that descended upon the coast. Of course, the sultry weather that typically follows the transition into the furnace-like months of summer heralds the seasonal shipping lull. In fact, there are already indications that the seasonal trade hiatus is settling upon the coast of Texas. No matter, in the wake of this spring, the turbulence of tomorrow will not undo the gains of yesterday.

ò

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port bureau updates

July 2015 Commerce Club Join the Port Bureau July 9 for our monthly Commerce Club luncheon featuring Edwin Bastian, Global Sales Director, BBC Chartering USA. Bastian joined BBC Chartering in 2007. He currently serves as their Global Sales Director leading the strategic sales plan for the largest global break bulk fleet in the world. During Bastian’s 38-year career, he has held management positions with many leading companies in the maritime industry. BBC Chartering USA is a world leader in the ocean carriage of heavy lift and project cargoes.

For more information or to register for the event and to join table sponsors BBC Chartering, Houston Pilots, Manchester Terminal, Port of Houston Authority, Richardson Companies, T. Parker Host and West Gulf Maritime Association, visit www.txgulf.org/ commerceclub.php or call (713) 678-4300.

The Port Bureau Community Updates August

features our premier maritime event of the year: the 86th Annual Maritime Dinner Honoring ExxonMobil. The dinner will be held at the Bayou City Event Center on August 22. This year’s event will have a record sold-out attendance of over 800 attendees supporting the maritime industry. More information on the dinner can be found on page 28. While there will be no Commerce Club in August, our September event will feature Roger Guenther, Executive Director of the Port of Houston Authority.

Certified Port Executive

course will be held July 27-31 at the Port Bureau offices. The training course will provide a commercial understanding of the maritime industry and stakeholder management skills for internal and external stakeholders, such as regulators, environmental groups, and local residents. For more information on the course and to register online visit www. certifiedportexecutive.com or contact (902) 425-3980.

The Board of Directors

of the Greater Houston Port Bureau welcomes Mickey Franco, Director, Terminal Services for Houston Fuel Oil Terminal Co. and Joe Nassif, President for OTH and Odfjell USA. Franco and Nassif join a 32-member board of leading maritime-industry and maritime-support executives.

Mickey Franco

Joe Nassif

The Port Bureau Welcomes New Members in the First Half of 2015 AECOM www.aecom.com

Florida Marine Transporters LLC www.floridamarine.com

Nature Environmental and Marine www.ngrp.com

American Commercial Lines www.aclines.com

Freedom CNG www.freedom-cng.com

Orion Marine Group www.orionmarinegroup.com

Bettencourt Tax Advisors LLC www.btanow.com

Gas Innovations www.gasinnovations.com

RCS Group LLC www.rcsllctx.com

Burleson LLP www.burlesonllp.com

Integrity Terminal & Marine Services, LLC www.itmservices.net

Seaways Maritime Services www.seawaysus.com

Capital One Bank www.capitalone.com

Javeler Marine Services LLC www.javeler.com

Southwest Shipyard, LP www.swslp.com

Enterprise Products Partners, L.P. www.enterpriseproducts.com

Monico, Inc. www.monicoinc.com

Texas Citizens Bank www.texascitizensbank.com Texas International Terminals, LTD. www.titerminals.com

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BARGING AHEAD ever so politely.

B

Buffalo Marine Service, Inc.

www.BuffaloMarine.com

Brownwater Operators Rise to High Water Challenges Christine Schlenker, GHPB

T

he high rain volumes inflicted on Texas and surrounding regions since April 2015 have presented interesting challenges for brownwater operators along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW). During the short weather downtime between the Memorial Day floods and Tropical Storm Bill, Capt. Tracy Cheramie, Houston Port Captain for Florida Marine Transporters (FMT), shared how operators are overcoming the impacts of high waters, strong currents, and rapid shoaling. As with any business along the Houston Ship Channel, FMT’s chief concerns are always the safety of its employees and the community, and the ability to deliver high-quality service to its customers.

Photo by Roy Luck

brownwater challenges

Brownwater commerce encompasses most of the ports along the Gulf of Mexico, so the flooding in Texas has a trickledown effect for the entire coast. Some of the rivers most impacted by the floods, including the Brazos and Colorado Rivers, directly intersect the GIWW before they spill into the Gulf. The San Jacinto River passes under the I-10 bridge as it empties into the Houston Ship Channel at about the halfway point along the Port of Houston segment of the Ship Channel.

When the San Jacinto River reached flood stage on May 28, 2015, Vessel Traffic Service Houston-Galveston (VTS) and the Captain of the Port announced safety precautions, including additional reporting requirements and a Coast Guard safety zone. The safety zone specifically included 500 yards north and south of the I-10 bridge spanning the San Jacinto, which is a commonly-used area for barge fleeting.

FMT fleets directly north of the bridge, and fast-rising waters reduced the under-

bridge clearance from about 21 feet to 11 feet. The FMT boat captains were able to use towboats with jack-up wheelhouses that can lower to traverse under low structures to move the barges to the south side of the I-10 bridge. Moving the fleet enabled FMT to continue to provide service to its customers.

At the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee Navigation Operations and Dredging subcommittee meetings the first week of June, companies along the Houston Ship Channel reported increased shoaling (sediment deposits) in some docks, which led to at least one case of emergency dredging. The Houston Ship Channel and docks along it require regular maintenance dredging, but emergency dredging, whether from storms or lack of maintenance, is almost always more costly than maintenance dredging. This situation demonstrated the importance of obtaining regular dock soundings so that volume of shoaling from significant weather events

Capt. Tracy Cheramie, FMT can be better observed and predicted. Capt.

Cheramie stressed that drought periods need as much attention as floods and maintenance dredging is one of the keys to a successful waterway.

As the Brazos and Colorado Rivers reached flood stage, the flow rate and depth

The Tyler T, one of Cheryl K Towings’s jack-up towboats. When the wheelhouse is down as shown, the boat can maneuver through low-clearance areas which proved useful as the San Jacinto River reached flood stage. Photo courtesy of Cheryl K Towing.

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brownwater challenges of the rivers constricted safe performance of pushboats. While protocols are in place to enable continuation of commerce during high-water periods, pushing capacity is severely limited. The Code of Federal Regulations section on Navigation and Navigable Water has specific regulations pertaining to operating on the GIWW in conjunction with the Brazos River Floodgates and the Colorado River Locks. Under normal conditions, generally defined as current under 2 miles per hour and acceptable differences in water level between the river and the water behind the floodgate or lock, there are no restrictions on the number of single vessels or towboats with one or more barges.

When these conditions are not met, limited passage may still be allowed.

However, pushboats are limited to only one loaded or two empty barges. Barge flotillas in the Texas portion of the GIWW usually contain five or six barges, so this restriction is significant. Once the water level difference between the river and the locks or floodgate exceeds 1.8 feet, or if the Army Corps District Engineer determines that there is a potential threat to life or property, the gates may be closed to navigation.

The Colorado River, intersecting the GIWW in Matagorda, is a narrow river that usually flows at about 0.2 to 0.3 miles per hour. The swells spike very quickly, but also receded quickly, and the restrictions only lasted a matter of days.

The Brazos River near Freeport, on the other hand, is a wider, deeper, and faster moving river than the Colorado.

The flooding impacts persisted and the restrictions are still active as of June 23, 2015.

In addition, Capt. Cheramie stated that on some occasions, operators chose to limit to a single empty barge for safety reasons rather than the permitted two empty barges.

Just as the Brazos was recovering from the Memorial Day floods, the Brazos River Floodgates were closed on June 15, 2015, in anticipation of renewed flooding from Tropical Storm Bill.

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One of the few positive points to note regarding the devastating flooding is that wide-spread drought across Texas has been largely eliminated. According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, one year ago on June 17, 2014, 89.55% of Texas was in a drought situation, and by March

2015 it fell to just over 56%. On June 16, 2015, that number was only 6.8%.

Capt. Cheramie, a fourth generation towboat captain, indicated that the situation has been a learning experience for the Gulf Coast maritime community. FMT’s ability to provide uninterrupted service validated

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brownwater challenges

BE0005

Left: The U.S. Geological Survey’s reported velocity for the Brazos River at the GIWW Floodgates near Freeport, Texas, from March 26, 2015, to June 26, 2015. Per the Code of Federal Regulations, the GIWW is under restriction at the Brazos and the Colorado if the stream velocity reaches 2 miles per hour, or about 2.9 feet per second.

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brownwater challenges its practice of installing high-horsepower engines that can both accommodate high river situations with full power and run on reduced power during normal operating conditions to improve fuel efficiency.

The Houston region’s public-private partnerships enable quick response to situations such as this that require restricted movements or closure of the Houston Ship Channel. Capt. Cheramie particularly praised the Port Coordination Team (PCT) that meets and organizes port movements during adverse weather or incidents.

Houston and Gulf Coast brownwater operators gather twice per year for Brownwater University, a two to three day training course that promotes knowledge transfer and cooperation between public and private port users. Capt. Cheramie felt that one of the next courses may be able to address the recent experiences and prepare users for future high water situations. These

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partnerships, even amongst competitors, mean that for Capt. Cheramie, “Houston is one of the best ports to work in. We all try to work together.”

ò

Improvements of the dought conditions in Texas.

Counter-clockwise from top: June 17, 2014; March 17, 2015; June 16, 2015. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor.

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Spotlight

The International Longshoremen’s Association Working Houston’s Waterfront for More than 100 Years Patrick Seeba and Elizabeth Sandefur, GHPB Since antiquity, vessels have been plying Earth’s waterways for the transport of passengers and cargo. In early colonial America, the cry of “Men alongshore!” would herald the arrival of a new vessel carrying precious imports. By the middle of the 19th century, though, conditions for workers on the waterfront were pitiful. The University of Washington’s “Waterfront Workers History Project” describes some of the difficulties encountered by noting that “workers had to…jockey against each other for a job for the day, [and] employers could speed-up the work site by employing fewer workers, making the employees work harder.” In addition, “employers were able to retaliate against non-compliant workers through a company union.” In 1864, the Longshoremen’s Union Protective Association (LUPA) was formed in the Port of New York for the express purpose of improving working conditions and wages.

Though economic upheaval and racial, class, and socioeconomic pressures strained union membership and solidarity in the late 1800s, by the turn of the century, the newly renamed International Longshoremen’s Association (international due to the high number of Canadian members at the time) began an affiliation with the American Federation of Labor (AFL), which endures to this day. The ILA’s history books indicate that its 100,000 members were led by a council focused on “eliminating independent stevedoring firms and securing closed-shop contracts, ... guaranteeing uninterrupted work in return

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A member of ILA Local 24 guides pipe onto a ship at the Port of Houston. for badly needed improvements in working carried on pallets. “It was a different field. conditions.” The ILA now focuses on Back then seniority meant that after fifteen promoting safety and workers’ rights while years of throwing bags or rolling drums, you operating in a competitive environment. might get the chance to come out of the Through the first half of the 20th hold.” century, a longshoreman’s job was Clerks and Checkers Local 1351 characterized by brutally strenuous manual President Charles Montgomery remembers labor. The hatch tenders, bag-throwers, things in much the same way. “Don’t get sack-turners, side runners, jitney drivers, me wrong, that could be a lot of fun. You’d boom men, donkey drivers, and gang bosses get up in the mornings and look forward worked to take pallets, boxes, and bales off to seeing who you could out-work that day. of vessels and put them on the docks before We used to have contests on bags that we moving them to storage in a warehouse or called “burn-out”, where we’d work to see shed. who’d be the first one to get so hot from Union leaders in Houston, like Deep working hard that they’d burn out. But Sea Local 24 President John Mamou, you know what? If somebody got sick, we remember the days when most cargo was picked up his slack, so now there’d be three

Spotlight of us getting all the sacks out instead of four, but there was a lot of camaraderie as you moved those heavy bags.”

Everything changed on April 26, 1956.

The reconfigured T-2 tanker IDEAL X carried her first 58 containers from Port Newark to the City Dock 16 in Houston where 58 trucks waited to usher in a new era in shipping: containerization.

“Everybody in the beginning was frightened,” Clyde Fitzgerald, President of the ILA South Atlantic and Gulf Coast District remembers. “When I came, SeaLand was here; they came in 1956 and by 1959, they were bringing 150-200 boxes a week. But by the early 70s, containerization really took off.”

Unions initially struggled to adapt.

“It seemed like everything changed overnight between ’69-’75 or so,” explained Montgomery. “We went from handling Danish hams loose in the tins to a single container which we could use to lift

40-50 pallets worth of hams.” Cranes and containers took jobs that initially may have stretched into 20 man-hours and reduced them to mere minutes. The ILA, which had worked over 10,000,000 annual man-hours in the years prior to containerization, hit a historic low of 3,200,000 man-hours in 1973.

As the unions struggled to absorb the job losses from containerization, another major change was taking place in American society: racial integration. On April 1, 1983, the Houston locals of the ILA became racially integrated. “Previously, we’d had five locals,” recalled Mamou. “But on the order of Judge Black, we integrated, and you know what? People may have thought it’d be total chaos, and sure everybody’s different, but we put everybody together and didn’t really have many problems. I’ll never forget that day that Local 24 was integrated,” said Mamou as he continued to look back.

“Police were out here like there was going

Members of ILA Local 28 work on loading a large boiler onto a ship at the city docks.

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to be a big disturbance, and nothing really happened. We merged, and got back to work.”

As is the case whenever two organizations with an established seniority system come together, the transition was not seamless, and there were winners and losers. One assignment could have double the number of bidders, and with each union member allowed to decide whether or not he/she wanted to take a particular job, the frustration and initial growing pains led some individuals to find other lines of work.

On the heels of integration, another disruption to the status quo of the Houston waterfront shook the city. On January 3, 1986, a group of non-union workers were called to unload the Samu, a small ship carrying 6,200 tons of Brazilian steel.

According to Texas Monthly, ILA leadership urged members to exercise their legal right to protest but “not obstruct the performance of work.” Nearly 200 longshoremen blocked

spotlight

Hiring hall for ILA Local 24 where union workers bid for jobs for the day. the unloading of the Samu. Over the next several years, however, pressure mounted on the unions to change the way they operated.

“Until that time, we’d basically told shippers, ‘Here’s what we’re going to do,’ but as competition entered the marketplace, we

started asking, ‘What would you like us to do?’” explained one union official.

Now, Houston is, in some ways, a strangely peaceful place for what had been a divided port. The ILA provides labor at the Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals, and the numerous break bulk

facilities along the channel are split between union and non-union workers. “We try to be as competitive as we can be, retain what we have and attract new members,” explained Montgomery. “Those guys are trying to make a living, we’re trying to make a living, and maybe we each have a bit of different hustle, but what we did is make some changes with an eye toward competition, and it’s worked.”

“That’s when we established our Partnership for Progress,” described Fitzgerald. “The ILA came together with stevedores, the Port Authority, steamship lines, and any shipper of cargo that would talk, and they are our partners now.” The warehouses belonging to Port Bureau member Gulf Winds are a prime example of the development of the Houston union’s new competitive spirit. “Initially they used non-union labor, but we were given the opportunity to compete, and when it came time for a second warehouse, we won the job,

Members of ILA Local 24 load crates onto the Gentle Leader.

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spotlight and that continued to the third, the fourth, and here we are today with a mutually beneficial partnership that keeps us all busy and growing.”

Another example of this type of partnership can be found in North Carolina where a non-ILA stevedoring company just won a contract to provide labor for the U.S. military. “We had that contract for over 60 years,” explained Alan Robb, the ILA District Representative. “But when they won the contract, we called and said, ‘let’s talk, see how we can help each other,’ and while they were initially skeptical, with the recognition that our decades of experience with this specialized cargo brought value to the operation, we’ve recently put together [a memorandum of understanding] and are moving forward with a new type of partnership.”

These days, the union is looking ahead with an eye to the future. The newest member of the South Atlantic and Gulf Coast District (SAGCD), Local 2071, is located just across the Harris County line at Cedar Crossing. A union official explained, “We looked at the existing agreements that we had with steamship lines, and realized that the current work rules and jurisdictions may not work across the river for barge work, so we chartered a new local which will man those jobs as the companies deem necessary.” The union leadership’s proactive approach to growth is something that many other successful organizations recognize from their own practices and is one of the main reasons that 151 years after their founding, union labor is still a powerful force along the waterfront.

Early Mornings The work of a labor union begins each morning at the hiring hall. Though each local may use slightly different procedures, every morning the hiring halls attract members and casual laborers looking for work. “Seniority is King,” explains Mr. Montgomery. “We do have a formal hiring process, but you put your name on the roster and you’re an employee.” Each local has its

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own roster of members and operates as a separate entity. Above the local level, the District handles negotiations for the Master Contract - a container-focused agreement with the shipper’s group United States

Maritime Alliance (USMX) - and mediates grievances and concerns. Covering 26 ports from Brownsville, Texas, to Morehead City, North Carolina, the SAGCD represents

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spotlight union members in just about every facet of waterfront labor.

The hiring in Houston is done in two ways, depending on each local’s particular organization. At the Local 24 and 28, showface hiring means that workers come to the

hiring halls starting early in the morning and look at work that they may be able to bid on. Mamou detailed the steps in the hiring procedure: “We run our first set of jobs at six in the morning and keep calling for work every few hours throughout the day until we

close up shop at 6:00 p.m. and get ready for the next day. For some specialized jobs we have different boards and lists, but for most of our jobs you show up, go on the floor, and we have slots sectioned off from 54 years’ experience to the casual laborer who may have none.” During the six daily calls, foremen walk through the slots in order of seniority and fill their gangs, so if a worker does not have seniority, he or she may wait many hours before a job becomes available.

At the Clerks and Checkers Local 1351, it is an electronic process which relies on telephonic notification, but the end result is the same: if you want a job and you are the most senior person, then that job is yours for the day.

At the Local 28, President Larry Sopchek recounted similar activities. “We open at 5:30 a.m. and probably dispatch 6070 people that don’t go through the daily hiring system because they’ve already bid on jobs - though if they’re not here by ten ’til six, they’re late and miss their opportunity for the day.” On a typical Monday morning, the floors open up by 6 a.m., and 200-300 more jobs are bid upon by the assembled crowd at the hiring hall. The Local 28’s seniority system is a little different from No. 24: each member receives a number and must work at least 1,000 hours per year to stay active.

As members drop for retirement or lack of activity, everybody below them rises a slot.

A Different World On the job training used to be a totally different experience for a longshoreman.

“On a ship, every inch of the ship is sold, either weighted out or cubed out,” Montgomery explained. “Whenever you were loading bags, you want to make sure to get every nook and cranny. You may have had X number of bags or pallets and if you came out of a lower hold and hadn’t loaded the right number of bags, you did something wrong - and got to load everything again.

Every new kid that didn’t know better would have the bright idea to ‘blow the hold’ and create false pockets where it looked like the hold was fuller than it was. You only do that

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spotlight one time, then realize that it’s a lot easier on your back to only load everything once - the right way - than twice because you thought you were smarter than the stowage plan.”

Fitzgerald described his own training back in the early 1960s. “We trained ourselves back then. A guy motivated to get a different - usually easier - job would get on a piece of equipment during lunch or on a break and teach himself, or get a buddy to teach him. Back then, when Barbours Cut opened we taught our own people to run the Paceco cranes.”

Today, driven by concerns for worker safety and company liability, training is a far more rigorous and formal endeavor.

Mike Dickens, District Treasurer, described the pipeline for a crane operator: “It’s a lot more technical than learning how to drive a truck. That’s not to say someone can’t learn fairly quickly, but you go through many sections of a program, and then you begin getting your experience.” The nearly sixmonth process can be elongated because

of the busy nature of the Port of Houston.

“Sometimes a trainee may only get thirty minutes per day because we don’t want to slow down operations. We understand that, but with complex pieces of equipment, the process of training somebody depends on the amount of time your trainee gets in the seat: the more time on the equipment, the better they get.”

The machinery, equipment, and cargo that come across the Port of Houston’s docks create an environment where safety is on everybody’s mind. “Unfortunately, we’re not in the habit of seeing a lot of paper cuts on the docks; when there’s an injury - something that we’re seeing less and less of, thank God - but when there’s an injury, you’re talking about a piece of pipe, or plate, or a container. We all have to be very careful,” stressed Robb.

“Because of all that, we’re not talking about just training,” explained Mamou. “You know, going back a few decades, the image of a longshoreman was that of a guy who

worked hard, and may have drank harder.

Now, we have drug and alcohol policies, and that’s strictly not allowed. Here’s the thing though: people adapt. We have policies, and everybody knows what they are, so if I call someone for a job he’ll tell me, ‘John, I can’t come to work today,’ and I’ll tell him to take care of himself and stay in.”

Moving Forward The Houston region’s unions have a long and colorful history, but the progress made may be best summed up not with words, but actions. As a union official articulated “In 1986 we were at City Dock 8, and 200 riot police were standing outside waiting to take protesters away in handcuffs. Fast forward nearly thirty years and the President of the [ILA] District is on the Port of Houston Authority Board of Commissioners, a representative of Harris County, the third most-populated county in the country.”

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Foreign Trade Statistics

Houston Ranked First by Waterborne Tonnage for January - April 2015 Christine Schlenker, GHPB During the first four months of 2015, the Port of Houston (public and private terminals) enjoyed a 6.5% increase in total waterborne foreign tonnage compared to the previous year, totaling almost 51 million metric tons (MMT). However, this came with a 9.5% decline in the value of foreign trade, totaling $49.8 billion. Foreign trade values have been most noticeably influenced by the decline in crude price over the past year and the strength of the U.S. dollar compared to foreign currencies. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil spot price on April 30, 2015, was $59.62 per barrel, down 53% from the price of $100.07 per barrel seen at the end of April 2014. Houston fared better than the U.S. waterborne trade as a whole, which fell 1.8% by tonnage to 419 MMT, and dropped by value 10.3%, or $515.2 billion.

Houston remained first-ranked in waterborne tonnage with 12% of trade, followed by New Orleans with 8%, or 31.6 MMT. Two other Texas ports made the top ten by tonnage: Port Arthur with 15.8 MMT and Corpus Christi with 14.4 MMT. Houston came in third place with respect to foreign waterborne trade value behind Newark, New Jersey, at $50.8 billion and Los Angeles with $82.6 billion. New Orleans was the only other Gulf port to make the top ten list, coming it at number ten with $15.3 billion.

Texas Ports

With the predominance of oil and petroleum products traded through the ports in Texas, the decline in trade value was almost universal compared to last year, but tonnage only decreased in three of the ten seaports.

Brownsville was the sole deep draft port to show an increase in the value of trade, albeit small compared to the increase Brownsville saw in tonnage. Brownsville’s trade has increased over the past year, driven by imports of construction materials, such as gravel, iron, and steel products, and exports of petroleum products. The Port of Orange is a rare addition to the foreign waterborne trade statistics. Orange exported seamless tubes and pipes and 22

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some heavy machinery in January and February 2015 to make its first appearance on the list since October 2013.

The Port of Houston remained the driver for Texas waterborne foreign trade, contributing about 47% by tonnage and 68% by value to the total for Texas. Including the other three ports in Coast Guard Sector HoustonGalveston (Texas City, Freeport, and Galveston), the local impact on Texas reached almost 63% and over 79% for tonnage and value, respectively.

Top U.S. Port by Waterborne Vessel Value April 2015 YTD (in Billion USD)

Top U.S. Ports by Waterborne Tonnage April 2015 YTD (in Million Metric Tons)

Source: GHPB analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data

trade update

Deep Draft Ports of Texas

Port of Houston Authority

Houston: America’s Distribution Center

Source: GHPB analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data

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Houston Exports

Source: GHPB analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data

Houston’s exports rose 6.5% by tonnage but fell 13.4% by value. From January through April, the top ten exports (ranked by value) represented 46.5% of Houston’s exports by value and 69.4% by tonnage. Exports of petroleum oils and gases increased by 20.9% and 18.8%, respectively, but their values dropped dramatically, as did most of Houston’s top petrochemical exports. Crude oil has become one of the top exports from Houston, primarily being shipped to Canada under a products exchange agreement. The additional volumes are moving to the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, and China as condensate.

Houston Imports

Source: GHPB analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data

Houston’s imports also increased 6.5% April year-to-date by tonnage and fell 4.6% by value, courtesy again of the decreased value of crude oil. Break bulk – seamless and non-seamless steel tubes and pipes, parts for pipes and tanks, hot-rolled flat iron, and even cars fared well in the beginning of 2015. Crude oil continued its unsurprising tumble, both in volume and price, in the face of domestic production.

Imports of returned exports refers to goods falling under U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule 9801, a special tariff provision that allows U.S. goods previously exported to be returned to the U.S. duty free after temporary use abroad or for repairs. Common examples are the return of items used at an international trade show or the return of a piece of leased equipment. A good that is altered while abroad to increase value or improve its condition will not qualify under this provision.

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Trade Update

Houston’s Trade Partners Houston maintained a trade surplus with the rest of the world, totaling $3.75 billion through April 2015, which is about $3 billion closer to equilibrium than the same period last year. Waterborne trade for the U.S. showed a deficit of $170.4 billion, an improvement from last year’s $175.6 billion deficit.

6 2

9

7

1

4 10

5

3

8

Source: GHPB analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data

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Trade Update

China rose to the top of Houston’s trading partners on the strength of exports of petroleum gases and petroleum products, and imports of pumps, parts for pipes (taps and cocks), and various machinery and parts for machinery. The strong growth in trade with Venezuela was derived almost entirely from exports of light oils and petroleum oils. Notably, Saudi Arabia is currently out of the top ten trade partners with Houston – the first time since 2010 based on annual rankings.

Looking forward, the combination of a strong U.S. dollar and cheap oil may weaken Houston’s exports. To generalize, a strong dollar means foreign goods are cheaper for Americans to buy, but American goods are more expensive for foreigners to purchase. In addition, the strong dollar can put downward pressure on oil prices already dampened by high production and weakening global demand, making oil more expensive for currencies that are weaker than the dollar. By the same token, imports will be comparatively cheaper, leading to a potential uptick in imports and further driving Houston’s trade balance toward equilibrium. ò

$120 $110

Strong Dollar, Cheap Oil Spot price of WTI ($/barrel)

120 115

$100 $90

110

April 30, 2014: $100.07 April 30, 2015: $59.62

$80 $70 $60 $50

105 100

Trade‐weighted average of foreign exchange value of U.S. dollar (index points) April 30, 2014: 102.50 April 30, 2015: 114:07

$40

January‐14

95

April‐15

90

Source: Federal Reserve System Nominal Broad Dollar Index, U.S. Enery Information Administration Spot Prices for Crude Oil and Petroleum Products

Sea & Shore

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The Odfjell Group is a leading participant in the global market of seaborne transportation and storage of chemicals and other specialty bulk liquids. The Odfjell Tankers fleet of about 90 ships, trades globally and regionally. The Odfjell tank terminal division of 12 partially owned tank terminals is in a network with 12 other tank terminals partly owned by related parties. The terminals are all strategically located around the world, and with Odfjell Group headquarters in Bergen, Norway, the Company has more than 20 offices world wide.Odfjell has about 3,500 employees and annual gross revenue of about $1.2 billion.

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LNG Export

Two Projects Receive LNG Export Approval to Non-FTA Countries in May 2015 Judith Schultz, GHPB

The Department of Energy (DOE)

approved two projects in May to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries that do not have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States. These authorizations bring the total projects approved for non-FTA export of LNG to twelve in the U.S. thus far.

Corpus Christi Liquefaction, LLC, was issued non-FTA export authorization from the DOE on May 12, 2015. This authorization allows the Corpus Christi facility, a subsidiary of Cheniere Energy, to export up to 2.1 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas per day to these countries for the next 20 years. Houston area newspaper, the North Channel Star, quoted Representatives Gene Green (D-TX-29) and Filemon Vela (D-TX-34) as issuing the following statement about the authorization: “We applaud the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for completing the environmental review of the Corpus Christi Liquefaction Project quickly and efficiently. We also commend the Department of Energy for the reasonable turnaround. The application was part of a large backlog at DOE, but thanks to process changes last July, we’re now seeing movement. We’re hopeful that FERC and DOE will continue to expedite the remaining LNG export applications in the backlog so the United States can capitalize on its abundant domestic supplies of natural gas, and capture a large portion of the world market.”

The DOE approval process for LNG export to non-FTA countries is a lengthy one, requiring the project to be determined in the “public interest” and to meet environmental reviews under the National

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Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Prior to August 2014, the DOE utilized an export approval process involving “conditional” approvals for commodity exports prior to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) issuance of terminal facility operation. Applicants were then reconsidered after all factors, relevant issues, and NEPA documentation were completed.

On August 15, 2014, the DOE announced its new “Procedures for Liquefied Natural Gas Export Decisions”.

Existing regulations were not amended to eliminate conditional authorizations under the new procedures, but the practice of issuing such approvals ended. The DOE now acts on an application for non-FTA exports when it is “ready for final action”, described by the DOE as when it has sufficient information on which to base a public interest determination and when it has completed its NEPA review.

According to the project description on the Cheniere Energy website, the company expects the Corpus Christi Liquefaction

Project to have access “to a significant amount of conventional and unconventional resources available across Texas and the Gulf Coast Region.” This is Cheniere’s second LNG terminal approved to export to non-FTA countries in the Gulf Coast.

In May 2011, regulators conditionally approved a $10 billion plant in Cameron Parish for Cheniere: the Sabine Pass LNG Terminal. The terminal was distinguished at the time as the first LNG export project to win approval outside of Alaska.

On May 28, 2015, non-FTA export approval was issued to the Alaska LNG Project, LLC. According to the DOE press release, the DOE “considered the Alaska application separately from other currently pending LNG export applications in the lower-48 states due to the relative geographic isolation of the natural gas resources on Alaska’s North Slope. North Slope gas has been a stranded resource unavailable to commercial markets. The project proposed by Alaska LNG includes a pipeline intended to make North Slope gas

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Lng export accessible to consumers.”

As of June 2015, 33 projects in the U.S. are currently under review by the DOE for non-FTA approval. There are 18 proposed export terminals to FERC, six of which are on the Texas coast at Lavaca Bay, Sabine Pass, Brownsville, and Port Arthur, and six more in Louisiana. An LNG terminal is considered proposed when a project sponsor submits permit applications to the proper authorities. Potential terminals are sites that have been identified by project sponsors, but have not yet been formally proposed by the sponsors to the permitting authorities. The DOE lists 28 potential North American LNG export terminal coastal sites, primarily in Texas and Louisiana for the United States, and British Columbia and Nova Scotia for Canada.

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FERC Approved Facilities

1. Cheniere - Corpus Christi LNG - Import -Under Construction 2. Cheniere - Corpus Christi LNG - Export - Not Under Construction 3. Freeport LNG Dev/Freeport LNG Expansion/FLNG Liquefactation - Export - Under Construction 4. Cheniere/Sabine Pass LNG - Export Under Construction 5. Sabine Pass Liquefaction - Export Under Construction 6. Sempra-Cameron LNG - Export - Under Construction

MARAD/USCG Approved Facilities

7. Main Pass McMoRan Exp. - Import Not Under Construction 8. TORP Technology-Bienville LNG Import - Not Under Construction 9. Hoëgh LNG - Port Dolphin Energy Import - Not Under Construction

FERC Proposed Facilities

1. Lake Charles, LA - Southern UnionTrunkline LNG 2. Lavaca Bay, TX - Excelerate Liquefaction 3. Lake Charles, LA - Magnolia LNG 4. Plaquemines Parish, LA- CE FLNG 5. Sabine Pass, TX - ExxonMobil-Golden Pass 6. Pascagoula,MS - Gulf LNG Liquefaction 7. Plaquemines Parish, LA -Louisiana LNG 8. Cameron Parish, LA -Venture Global 9. Jacksonville, FL - Eagle LNG Partners 10. Elba Island, GA - Southern LNG Company 11.Hackberry, LA - Sempra-Cameron LNG 12.Brownsville, TX - Texas LNG Brownsville 13. Port Arthur, TX - Port Arthur LNG 14. Brownsville, TX - Rio Grande LNG

Approved and Potential LNG Facilities along the Gulf Coasts and South Atlantic

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13 1 3 11 6 8 5 5 7

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10 9

6 4 9

8

12 14 July 2015

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NTSB Report

NTSB Releases Synopsis of Findings in 2014 Texas City Y Incident Judith Schultz, GHPB In a public meeting on June 9, 2015, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed its report on the March 22, 2014, collision between the bulk carrier Summer Wind and the Miss Susan on the Houston Ship Channel lower Galveston Bay, often referred to locally as the Texas City Y Incident.

While not sharing the rationale behind the conclusions, probable cause, or safety recommendations, the NTSB did release a synopsis for public review. The agency plans to release the final report and distribute safety recommendation letters as soon as possible.

The report’s Executive Summary states that the Summer Wind, with a Houston Pilot on board, collided with the Miss Susan tow – a towing vessel with two tank barges loaded with fuel oil. Visibility was restricted due to fog. The Summer Wind was inbound to Houston, traveling in a north direction; the tow was bound for Port Bolivar on the east side of the channel, traveling in an east direction.

The resulting hull breach in the forward tank barge in the Miss Susan tow

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spilled 168,000 gallons of fuel oil into the waterway. Two Miss Susan crewmembers sustained minor injuries related to fuel vapor inhalation. Total estimated damage was almost $1,378,000 (excluding oil response and recovering efforts).

The NTSB identified the following factors as the probable causes of the collision: 1. The Miss Susan captain’s attempt to cross the Houston Ship Channel ahead of the Summer Wind impeded the passage of the bulk carrier, which could transit only within the confines of the channel.

2. The Houston Pilot and the Summer Wind master did not set a safe speed, given the restricted visibility and nearby towing vessel traffic.

3. The Miss Susan captain and the Houston Pilot did not establish early radio communication with one another.

4. Vessel Traffic Service Houston/ Galveston did not interact with the two vessels in a developing risk of collision.

5. The lack of a Coast Guard vessel separation policy for the Bolivar Roads Precautionary Area.

The NTSB report identified the lack of vessel separation in Houston Ship Channel precautionary area with intersecting waterways and inadequate oversight and training related to the safety and health of uninspected towing vessel crews responding to hazardous materials releases as safety issues.

In response to the oil spill, the NTSB found that effective communications and coordination were established and maintained between the responsible parties, the Coast Guard, local and state response agencies, and oil spill removal organizations.

The actions taken to recover spilled oil to minimize further environmental damage were found to be timely and appropriate.

The report issued recommendations to the Coast Guard, Kirby Inland Marine, and to the American Waterways Operators (AWO) trade organization. The NTSB Marine Accident Report can be read in full online at http://www.ntsb.gov/ investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/ MAR1501.pdf.

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Imported wind turbine towers departing the port by rail

Commerce Club

Commerce Club June 2015

Featuring Jennifer A. Carpenter, Executive Vice President, American Waterways Operators (AWO) Judith Schultz, GHPB “I get to tell the story of this industry,” said Jennifer A. Carpenter, Executive Vice President of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), as she began her presentation of “The Tugboat, Towboat, and Barge Industry: A National Perspective” at the June 11 Commerce Club luncheon at Brady’s Landing.

“Sometimes it’s the story of a high school graduate who goes to six figures [in salary] in this industry in five to six years,” Carpenter explained to the nearly 200 maritime professionals attending the lunch.

“It’s a great story in Washington, D.C.” The AWO is comprised of 350 member companies and serves as a leader in marine safety and environmental stewardship for the inland and coastal waterways of the United States. They advocate with Congress, federal agencies, and the individual states, and they act as a resource and a partner to the government.

The organization champions safety in the towing and barge industry. Participation in and commitment to the standards in their Responsible Carrier Program (RCP) is a requirement that must be met by all AWO member companies. The AWO safety initiatives also include the CoastGuard AWO Safety Partnership. More than 40 cooperative initiatives to improve safety and environmental protection have been launched since the inception of this partnership in 1995.

Inter-region and coastal safety as well

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Jennifer A. Carpenter addresses attendees at the June 11 Commerce Club luncheon as fatigue prevention and management are also priority AWO safety issues. Carpenter emphasized that uniformity of regulation throughout the ports and waterways of each of the U.S. states is an important objective of regulation advocacy.

“It’s a proactive effort to fix a problematic situation,” stated Carpenter.

Carpenter also discussed the AWO’s research with Northwestern University and the Transportation Research Board into methods for reducing fatigue for mariners.

“We’ve learned that 5 + 2 also equals 7 + 0,” Carpenter explained with a smile, as she described one result of the study: mariners perform equally well getting one long and one short period of rest as they do with a single longer period of rest. This knowledge can allow for safer and more effective shift scheduling for mariners who can rarely find

time for seven solid hours of sleep. “We’ve put together a compendium of best practices within watch periods. We’re very excited.”

Carpenter wrapped up her presentation with brief updates of other industry initiatives, such as the AWO’s vigorous advocacy for the Jones Act, infrastructure improvements, and her appreciation for the waterways industry supporters.

“We don’t get it all done without you,” she concluded.

Ed. Note: The next Commerce Club luncheon will be held on Thursday, July 9, 2015, at Brady’s Landing, and will feature Ed Bastian, Global Director Sales, BBC Chartering. Individual seats and table sponsorships are available. Sign up by visiting www.txgulf.org/commerceclub.php or by calling (713) 678-4300.

ò

Commerce club

First Row: From left, Mark Woodruff, Dan Van Duzer, and Pat Studdart Second Row Left: Dave Cooley and LT Griffin, USCG Second Row Right: RADM Callahan and CAPT Bill Diehl Bottom Row: Over 180 attendees filled Brady’s Landing to listen to Jennifer A. Carpenter.

Thank you to our table sponsors:

July 2015

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Greater Houston Port Bureau www.txgulf.org 111 East Loop North Houston, TX 77029 (713) 678-4300 A Publication of the Greater Houston Port Bureau The Port Bureau News magazine is a monthly publication of the Greater Houston Port Bureau, a member-driven non-profit dedicated to promoting the maritime community, providing vessel movement information, and offering members premier networking and advertising opportunities to drive business. The magazine is distributed to over 7,000 professionals in the Houston maritime community via U.S. mail and email. Advertising is available for members.

ŠLou Vest