ExxonMobil project cargo arrives safely at Port of Beaumont

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  • The AUDAX carries project cargo to the Port of Beaumont.
    The AUDAX carries project cargo to the Port of Beaumont.
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The Port of Beaumont and ExxonMobil have marked the safe arrival of equipment for a refinery upgrade project at ExxonMobil’s Beaumont Refinery, the port announced Nov. 19. Earlier this week, the Red Box Energy Services AUDAX vessel arrived at the port, carrying six large furnaces for the project. Over the coming days, the furnaces and other project components will be offloaded from this ship, which is more than two football fields long.

“We have a long history of collaboration with ExxonMobil, including working together to bring large project components to Beaumont for the refinery upgrade project,” said Chris Fisher, Port Director.

In May 2020, large pieces of industrial equipment for the project began to arrive from overseas at the Port of Beaumont, where it passed through customs before being loaded onto barges for transport via the Neches River. The equipment is offloaded at a newly constructed roll-on, roll-off dock near the ExxonMobil Beaumont Chemical Plant, where it is transported across Gulf States Road via the project’s heavy haul road to the project site.

“Our strategy of moving project equipment via the Neches River continues to support our objective to minimize community impact,” said Terry Boles, ExxonMobil venture executive. “Our coordination efforts with the Port of Beaumont, TechnipFMC, Mammoet, and Red Box has helped us continue to be a good neighbor here in Beaumont.”

By April 2021, the port will have handled nearly 25,000 metric tons of cargo for the project, including 16 process modules that will also arrive via Red Box vessels. These upcoming cargos will be some of the largest the port has ever handled.

The project began construction in 2019 and will increase the Beaumont refinery’s crude oil refining capacity by approximately 65 percent, a boost of 250,000 barrels per day. This increase in capacity will make ExxonMobil’s Beaumont Refinery one of the largest in the United States.

Each stakeholder plays a unique role in getting the cargo to its final destination and bringing the project to life:

ExxonMobil, one of the largest publicly traded international energy companies, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is one of the largest refiners and marketers of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. To learn more, visit exxonmobil.com and the Energy Factor.

TechnipFMC is a global leader in the energy industry; delivering projects, products, technologies and services. The company was awarded the contract to handle the engineering, procurement and construction of the project.

UTC Overseas is an international freight forwarder and logistics provider with 95 years of experience moving freight to every corner of the world. UTC has worked closely with ExxonMobil and TechnipFMC to provide customized supply chain solutions for the movement of the project cargo.

“UTC Overseas worked closely with Technip over the past few months on selecting viable carriers and coordinating shipments. The months of planning were critical and we are very pleased with the professionalism and support of all parties involved,” says UTC Chief Operating Officer Marco Poisler.

Red Box Energy Services is the leading provider of module transportation services for Arctic LNG Liquefaction Projects. The Polar Class (PC3) Heavy Transport Sister Ships, AUDAX and PUGNAX are the only vessels in the world today that can navigate unescorted, year-round above the Arctic Circle. They have been designed and constructed to safely transport module cargoes weighing as much as 20,000 tons, making them uniquely qualified to transport the large components needed for the project.

The Port of Beaumont, the fourth largest port in the nation in terms of tonnage, specializes in heavy-lift and project cargo, and is less than one mile from the site, making it an ideal location to bring the large components.

Mammoet delivers engineered heavy lift and transport service across a multitude of industries for large pieces of cargo. They are responsible for the barging, transport and setting of the project components and modules. They will complete the heavy-lift campaign for all project towers using the PTC35 ring crane, one of the largest in the world.