26/10/2026 by Joel Thompson
US-based oil major Chevron recently detailed how making a terminal berth just three feet deeper substantially increased throughput at a terminal.
Workers at Chevron, which makes Texaco lubricant and coolant products, had long watched oil tankers pass through the Mississippi River Southwest Pass to the Empire Terminal. While this route had a water depth of 53 feet, the terminal’s berth only offered a depth of 50 feet. Heavier cargo loads increase a ship’s draft, which is the distance between the waterline and the lowest part of the hull. This meant crews worked around the three-foot difference by not loading ships to their full capacity.
Chevron crude oil trader Jacob Behm and Chevron facility engineer Jon Farkas began thinking about alternative solutions. A project was then initiated to increase the terminal berth’s depth by three feet. By allowing ships to be fully loaded, this was expected to increase the terminal’s throughput by 522,000 barrels per month. Behm said about the project:
“The addition of our 80 Mbd Ballymore development increased available supply at the Empire Terminal. Exporting over the dock became a critical sales channel to maximise enterprise value. Improving the draft means more barrels can be safely loaded, and our terminal becomes more flexible logistically and more competitive economically.”
The project exemplifies how seemingly small improvements can make a big difference. What’s more, the terminal connects Chevron’s production, transportation and refining operations, so improving the terminal’s efficiency has a knock-on effect on the entire production chain.
You may also interested in:
Guyana to face obstacles to LNG exports
The tiny South American country of Guyana may prioritise natural gas for domestic consumption due to limited volumes being available.
Saudi Arabia to lead rebound in OPEC+ oil production
Oil production from the OPEC+ countries has recently seen a sharp increase, with Saudi Arabia being mainly responsible.