Oldendorff, United Bulk Offer Demurrage Free Top-Off Service

United Bulk Terminals USA Inc. and Oldendorff Carriers GmbH & Co. KG announced a cooperative agreement to market combined loading and shipping of coal and petroleum coke in capesize vessels from the U.S. Gulf Coast to India and East Asia. The new service includes United Bulk Terminals export terminal in Davant, Louisiana and Oldendorff’s top-off installation in Trinidad. For the first time customers are able to book fully loaded capesize vessels from the U.S. Gulf Coast at a very competitive fixed rate, face no demurrage risk and receive high quality professional service from two market leaders.

Customers will be quoted one competitive and all-inclusive freight rate for loading of a capesize vessel up to maximum available draft (approximately 47ft / 120,000 tons) and a smaller shuttle vessel of approximately 50 to 60,000 tons. Both vessels will sail to Trinidad where the cargo of the shuttle vessel is consequently transferred into the capesize vessel at Oldendorff’s existing top-off installation. The contract eliminates any demurrage risk for the customers at United Bulk Terminals Davant and Trinidad.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to offer this unique service package together with Oldendorff, the world’s largest dry bulk carrier owner/operator. Our ongoing expansion project at Davant, where we are currently doubling our handling capacity to over 20 million tons per year, will enable us to offer our customers the best possible transshipment and freight terms for coal and petroleum coke exports to Asia” says Jan Vogel, President & CEO of United Bulk Terminals.

“Our worldwide fleet of over 450 vessels and the existing top-off operation in Trinidad are now complemented by a high performing loading facility with approximately four million tons of ground storage and strong ties to river transportation” adds Patrick Hutchins, Managing Director of Oldendorff Carriers London. ''The Trinidad project in the Gulf of Paria has been in operation since July 2012 and transshipped more than two million tons of iron ore in the first four months of operation''.

Both companies believe that the combination of two successful and established operations will form very competitive and simple alternatives for producers, trading houses and importers alike. Because no new investments are required, the service is available with immediate effect and with no long-term commitment required from the customers.

Although the new transport solution focuses primarily on one freight rate from the U.S. Gulf Coast to a discharge port in India or other Asian destinations, it can be easily expanded to also include river transportation on the Mississippi River. Already today United Bulk Terminals offers package contracts that combine barge transportation with terminal handling at Davant that avoid barge demurrage risk for the customer while offering high quality storage, blending and sampling services.

In all cases the full logistical chain is coordinated by Oldendorff and United Bulk Terminals and can be booked either via Oldendorff’s freight desk in London or via United Bulk Terminals’ chartering business United Ocean Chartering in Houston.