Always Under
Construction!!
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When
you specialize in designing, redesigning and making upgrades to terminals for
over ten (10) years, it is good to be informed about the happenings and
improvements going on with the Texas Ports along the Gulf of Mexico. We especially stay on top of the ports at our
back door like Port Houston and Port of Galveston. Here are
links to some of the Texas Ports of Call and their respective pilots. We also stay on top our local business groups
which support the ports.
Texas
Ports of Call:
Port Houston – Port Houston is an international port
which owns and operates eight public facilities along the fifty-two-mile
Houston Ship Channel. It is the leader
in advocating for the Houston Ship Channel and its improvements including the
Project 11.
Port of Galveston – The Port of Galveston (Galveston
Wharves) is an international seaport which does a bit of it all
from cruise ports (4th most popular port), cargo and commercial
businesses and industries like oil and gas.
They currently have 3 projects underway that will be improving
everything from internal roads to a study on road safety to improvements to pier
piling.
Port of Port Arthur – Port
of Port Arthur is an international port for cargo shipping, and it has utilized the
area’s transportation system which in barges, railroad, roadways and ocean
carriers.
Port Freeport
– Port Freeport is in Brazoria County, Texas and it has accessibility to
rail, waterway and highways. Its Harbor
Channel is currently being deepened and widened, and they have plans for
expanding the port with new berths and facilities.
Port of Corpus Christi – The Port
of Corpus Christi is the US’s largest energy export gateway as well as handling domestic
and international goods. They have a
54-foot-deep channel which ends at the Viola Turning Basin. They have access to three railroads and close
proximity to two highways. In February
2023, they announced that Trans Permian H2Hub and their Horizons Clean Hydrogen
Hub have merged their applications to the Department of Energy’s Regional Clean
Hydrogen Hubs Program with the port being the primary applicant. They are also
investing in carbon capture and storage technology to help with getting the US
to net zero emissions.
Calhoun Port Authority – The Calhoun
Port Authority in Point Comfort, Texas is a gateway to world markets for
petrochemicals and chemicals industries.
They are in the Matagorda Ship Channel which is 24 miles long and it
goes from Point Comfort Turning Basin to the Gulf of Mexico and their area
includes the shallow draft channels to Port Lavaca and Harbor of Refuge.
Port of Isabel – San Benito Navigation District – Port Isabel is a deep-water
port located in South Texas which mostly serves Mexico, Central and South
America.
Port of Brownville – Port of Brownsville is a deep-water seaport at the southern tip on Texas. It mostly handles cargo between the US and Mexico. Port of Brownsville like many of the Texas ports are making improvements to handle larger vessels and in addition are improving road access.
The Port of Victoria (Victoria County Navigation District) –
Port of Victoria has direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, and it
centrally located to Texas markets and is within two hours of Houston, Austin,
San Antonio, and Corpus Christi. Has
access to rail through BNSF and UPRR. It
has barge access. It has 2 green energy
projects: First Ammonia and Vitis Energy.
Texas
Pilot Associations:
Galveston-Texas City Pilots Association: they help guide vessels into and out of the
ports of Galveston County. GalTex Pilots had the honor of moving the Battleship
Texas into the Port of Galveston for dry dock.
Houston Pilots Association: help the shipping industry by guiding vessels safely
through the Houston Ship Channel to the Port of Houston and back out to sea.
Sabine Pilots Associations:
help the shipping industry in Southeast Texas, and they serve the ports of
Beaumont, Post Arthur and Orange, as well as the private oil terminals and
industrial complex. They will help guide
your vessel safely to the dock and back to sea!
Aransas - Corpus
Christi Pilots: guide vessels to and from the Port of Corpus Christi through
Port of Corpus Christi Channel and La Quinta Channel.
Brazos Pilot Association: guide vessels to and from the Ports of Brazoria County and Port Freeport through the Freeport Ship Channel.
Brazos Santiago Pilots: Guide vessels to and from the Port of Brownsville and Port Isabel.
Others:
Greater Houston Port Bureau (GHPB) – This
group supports the Houston Ship Channel and many of the ports around Houston
and its surrounding counties. GHPB has
a monthly luncheon which the business community around the ports meet to
exchange ideas and maybe learn something.
Inland Rivers Ports & Terminals, Inc.: This is a group who promotes inland river ports and terminals. They helped with the dredging of Cedar Bayou.