Cook Inlet Tug & Barge is supporting oil, gas and construction operations in the North Slope area with an expanded fleet of tugs
Foss Maritime subsidiary Cook Inlet Tug & Barge has started operations in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, US, following a fleet purchase in Q1 2019.
Three newly acquired tugs and barges began work on Alaska’s North Slope supporting the oil and gas sector and construction projects in the region.
Tugs and barges in northern Alaska are laid up during the first half of the year due to ice coverage in the waterways. They operate during Q3 of each year and some months during Q4 until ice coverage returns.
“The ice-free season in Prudhoe Bay is short, so we are glad to have such capable vessels available there to support the oil and gas industry and construction activities on the North Slope,” said Cook Inlet Tug & Barge president Jeff Johnson.
“It is great to see these vessels on the water and ready to work.”
The Foss Maritime subsidiary acquired assets operated by Crowley in northern Alaska, including tugs, barges, heavy machinery and other vehicles operating in Prudhoe Bay.
This included 19.5-m tugs Sag Wind, Kuparuk Wind and Kavik Wind, which have shallow draughts of only 1.04 m and are each powered by three CAT 343D engines. “These shallow-draught tugs are ideally suited for work on the North Slope waterways and the western Alaska markets,” said Mr Johnson. “These versatile workhorses help round out Cook Inlet and Foss operations in Alaska.”
They complement Foss’ harbour towage, oil and gas support services, mining and construction support, and offshore marine transportation services in the region.
During the fleet acquisition, Cook Inlet Tug & Barge also took command of 14.6-m tug Colville Wind, which has two CAT 3408 engines and 1 m draught.
Cook Inlet Tug & Barge provides harbour services and fuel distribution in the Port of Anchorage and Cook Inlet, Seward, southeast Alaska, Aleutian Islands, the North Slope and western Alaska.
Foss has one of the largest fleets of tugs and barges on the North American Pacific coast. It provides harbour services and transportation operations in all major US west coast ports and in the Columbia and Snake River system, Hawaii and Alaska.
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