Lockport, LA., July 7, 2008 - LOCKPORT,
La., Bollinger Gretna, LLC, Harvey, La., a Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. company,
has delivered B. No. 260, a double hull 60,000 BBL oil tank barge built to meet
the requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA’90) to Bouchard Ocean
Services, Melville, NY. 
Barge B. No. 260 is a manned
ocean, black oil barge measuring 350-foot long, with a 70-foot beam and a depth
of 25-feet. A near sister to B. No. 262 and B. No. 264 currently in production
at Bollinger Marine Fabricators, the B. No. 260 is built and certified by
American Bureau of Shipping and United States Coast Guard to meet the
requirements of OPA’90 with ten (10) cargo compartments and two (2) separate
pumping systems. The barge is equipped with a five million BTU/hr Vapor thermal
oil heater, two (2) Byron Jackson cargo pumps, driven by Detroit series 60
engines, and the deck is equipped with two (2) EBI model C20-40
electric-hydraulic cranes.
Morton S. Bouchard, III, President/CEO of Bouchard Affiliates
(Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. / Bouchard Coastwise Management / Bouchard
Ocean Services) said, "Bouchard is pleased to have taken delivery of our second
double hull barge from Bollinger within 4 months. With the delivery of the B.
No.260, Bouchard affiliates moves closer to completing our long term business
plan that was established in 1992, which is to have our fleet, as it existed in
1990, totally double hulled prior to 2010, with new builds and retrofits." Mr.
Bouchard went on to say, "We would not have been capable of accomplishing this
very aggressive business plan without our dedicated customers, employees and the
family and employees of Bollinger. We are looking forward to the delivery of our
remaining three barges under construction at Bollinger.”
In May of 2008 Bollinger delivered the B. No 233, the second of two 35,000
BBL units to Bouchard. In the coming months Bollinger will deliver the B. No.
284, a 80,0000 BBL clean oil unit equipped with the Intercon connection
system, with a March 2009 delivery, B. No. 262, a 60,000 BBL clean oil barge
with a delivery in June 2009 and the B. No.264 , a 60,000 BBL clean oil barge
with a delivery in March 2010. With the delivery of these barges Bouchard’s
fleet will be 100% double hulled and the most modern and flexible fleet in the
Jones Act Trade.
Following the delivery from Bollinger Gretna, the B. No. 260
went directly into service supporting black oil transportation service primarily
in the Northeast United States.
Founded in 1918, Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc., and
Bouchard Coastwise Management Co. (www.bouchardtransport.com) is a
total service oil barging company. The Bouchard fleet includes 29 barges ranging
from 25,000 BBL to 252,000 BBL and 19 tugs with power ratings from 3,000 to
10,000 horsepower. They serve the U. S. East, Gulf and West Coasts, the Great
Lakes, and the Caribbean.
Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. (www.bollingershipyards.com) is a
leading designer and builder of ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil
field support vessels, tug boats, rigs, liftboats, inland waterways push boats
and barges, fast military patrol boats and other steel and aluminum products
from its three new construction shipyards. Bollinger has 13 shipyards and all
are strategically located between New Orleans and Houston with direct access to
the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Bollinger
is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf of Mexico region with a total
of 40 dry-docks in Louisiana and Texas.
