On May 1, Colonial Pipeline Co., Atlanta, and TransMontaigne Inc., Denver, started up a new barge dock near Baton Rouge, La., that will, say the companies, enhance their ability to deliver and receive shipments throughout the Mississippi and Ohio river regions.
Construction began in April 1999; dedication was in March 2000.
The facility is in response to a "rising need for logistical services from refiners, shippers, and other customers who utilize the inland river system to meet increasing energy demands," said TransMontaigne's Larry Clynch, head of transportation services.
Facilities
TransMontaigne built a marine loading and unloading facility capable of handling petroleum products transported within Colonial's pipeline system. Installed was a barge dock consisting of a metering skid, emissions-control unit, unloading pump, and associated piping.
Owned and operated by TransMontaigne, the dock is on the Mississippi River 29 miles north of Baton Rouge and 4.5 miles west of Colonial's Baton Rouge junction.
Designed to handle simultaneous deliveries to and from the nearby Colonial tank farm, the facility can load or unload barges concurrently at a rate of 7,000 bph.
As its part of the project, Colonial built three 4.5-mile pipelines: two 16-in. lines (gasoline and distillate) to feed the marine facility and waterway deliveries along the two rivers, and one 16-in. line (multigrade service) to receive barge deliveries traveling to the tank farm for long-haul system shipments.
Colonial also now owns and will operate a new pump station at its 2.5-million-bbl Baton Rouge tank farm and all pipeline connections between the tank farm and marine facility. A fourth pipeline was built from the tank farm to the pump station to accommodate the delivery of premium gasoline to the dock.
Atlanta-based TransMontaigne Logistical Services Group, which includes TransMontaigne Transportation Services Inc. and TransMontaigne Product Services Inc., says it handles more than 200 million bbl/year of petroleum products.
