Lower Miss. River fully reopened, but coal terminals still closed

Washington (Platts)--13Sep2005

Draft restrictions on the Lower Mississippi River were lifted at 5:30 p.m. CDT
Sunday, and daylight restrictions were removed late Monday afternoon for most
of the river.

Michael Titone, president of the Mississippi River Maritime Assn., told Platts
Coal Trader late Monday afternoon that the Coast Guard lifted the daylight
restrictions from MP 0 north, but they were still in effect from the mouth of
the river to MP 0, about 20 miles. The restrictions are to be lifted as aids
to navigation are replaced.

A Coast Guard spokesman told Platts Coal Trader that there were 17 vessels in
queue at about 2:30 p.m. Monday.

While the Coast Guard has approved drafts to 47 feet, bar pilots were only
pulling ships with 45-foot drafts into Lower Mississippi ports until noon, and
handling outbound ships with the same draft in the afternoon. The
pilot-imposed restrictions were expected to be lifted if they didn't encounter
problems with the shallower drafts. 

Titone said some of the shoaling that was feared earlier at MP 15 and the
Southwest Pass from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration surveys
turned out to be false readings.

While the Port of New Orleans was preparing to reopen Monday using diesel
generators, private terminals were still without power.

Kinder Morgan Inc.'s 12 million-ton/year International Marine Terminal in
Myrtle Grove, La., south of New Orleans, was still without power Monday
afternoon, spokesman Rick Rainey told Platts Coal Trader. 

Likewise, TECO Energy's TECO Bulk Materials Terminal in Davant, La., was still
closed until crews could assess damages and make repairs, spokeswoman Laura
Plumb Duda said.

For more information, take a trial to Platts Coal Trader at
http://www.coaltrader.platts.com.

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