Gulf LNG Tugs Orders Four New Vessels to Serve Port Arthur LNG Export Facility

Gulf LNG Tugs of Port Arthur on Thursday announced it has placed orders for four new escort tugs to serve the Port Arthur LNG export facility in Texas. Two will be constructed by Master Boat Builders in Coden, Ala., and two by Sterling Shipyard in Port Neches, Texas.  

Gulf LNG Tugs—a joint venture comprised of Bay-Houston Towing, Moran Towing Corporation and Suderman & Young Towing Company—said the new high horsepower, highly maneuverable RApport 2800 tugboats have been designed by naval architect Robert Allan Ltd. specifically for the Port Arthur LNG export facility.

The new 92- by 40-foot tugs feature a compact design providing increased maneuverability in ship handling and escorting through waterways and will offer a bollard pull capacity of more than 85 metric tonnes. Each will feature EPA Tier-4 emission standard Caterpillar 3516 E main propulsion engines connected to Kongsberg US-255 FP-Z drives. Additionally, the tugs will be outfitted with a Markey DESF-48-100 Electric Class III hawser winch, including a Render Recover feature for full bollard pull capacity.  

The new vessels are being designed and built to exceed the U.S. Coast Guard Sub-M regulations and ABS classification. Each tugboat will be equipped with firefighting capabilities that exceed ABS Fire Fighting Vessel 1 (FFV1) classification.

Gulf LNG Tugs noted its members each currently operate tugs of a similar hull design within their commercial fleets, with an additional four under construction.

Port Arthur LNG marks the fifth LNG Terminal along the Gulf Coast for the Gulf LNG Tugs group, the largest provider of LNG terminal services in North America.