Harvey Gulf completes LNG trials for US bunker barge

Harvey Gulf, the New Orleans-based LNG-fueled PSV owner and LNG bunkering pioneer, has completed gas trials for the Conrad built 2200 cubic meter bunkering barge, Clean Jacksonville, at its facility in Port Fourchon.

The box-shaped barge arrived 15 days ago to the Harvey Gulf LNG terminal where the barge’s staff performed the gas trials.

During the procedure, Harvey Gulf developed terminal specific procedures for review and approval by United States Coast Guard. These procedures outlined the means of loading and receiving LNG for the trials on the bunker barge.

The company has also jointly worked with Conrad on the operational procedural review and submission to local USCG in Houma.

“This joint effort ensured procedural alignment between both terminal and the barge, thus minimizing the potential for incidents,” the company said in a statement.

Harvey also provided full shore-side support to facilitate the arranging of all of the equipment and operations necessary for the trials and loaded approximately 220,000 gallons of LNG onto the barge.

During the conclusion of the test and trials, Harvey Gulf received approximately 142,000 gallons of LNG into the three shore-side storage tanks. This allowed the barge to simulate a bunkering operation at multiple transfer rates and pressures.

The trials were coordinated and managed by Harvey, with teams from Conrad Shipyard, GTT, GAS Entec, ABS, USCG and NCOE for LNG, and Zeeco involved in the project.