Halter Launches First J&L Barge

Halter Marine has launched the Capella (the brightest star in the constellation Auriga) an 80,000-barrel tank barge for J&L, Inc. The barge, the first project Halter has undertaken for J&L, was built at Halter’s Gulfport, Miss. Yard. Delivery is planned for August 30. The barge is 332 ft. long, with a beam of 74 ft. and a depth of 25 ft. The barge is built to U.S. Coast Guard standards under Sub-chapter D, as a tank barge certified to carry Grade A or lower bulk petroleum products. The barge also qualifies to be certified by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) under the +A1 Oil Tank Barge designation. The facility, technical, managerial and manpower assets of the Halter business unit are in the process of being transferred to VT Kinetics. After the closing, which is expected to take place no later than the end of August 2002, the new name of this company will be VT Halter Marine, Inc.