Corpus Christi kicks off $360m dredging channel

The Port of Corpus Christi ship channel Improvement project will deepen and widen the entrance ship channel from 47 up to 54 feet and widen it from 400 to 530 feet.

The $93m dredging contract was awarded to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company earlier this year with work expected to be completed in 2020.

The overall ship channel deepening project has an estimated contract value of approximately $360m over the next five years.

“We are building and enhancing infrastructure and collaborating with new partners as we prepare to accommodate major growth in crude oil production,” said Sean Strawbridge, ceo of the Port of Corpus Christi.

The Port of Corpus Christi has become the largest crude export port in the United States. Its location on the Gulf of Mexico and proximity to the West Texas oil and gas boom drove demand and traffic for the Port of Corpus Christi.

In 2018, the Port of Corpus Christi exported $10.8bn worth of crude oil. The Port of Corpus Christi currently is the 4th largest port in the United States in total tonnage, and the expectation is that the Port’s crude oil exports will triple, and perhaps quadruple, as production continues to increase, the port said in a statement.