Peterson gives boost to $1.5B Gulf of Mexico port project

Peterson has signed a letter of intent to lease some 1.2 million square feet of rental space in Port Cameron Logistics Center in Louisiana, a project being developed to serve offshore installations in the Gulf of Mexico.

The letter of intent which was signed on Thursday follows a consultancy agreement Peterson had signed earlier this year with Port Cameron LLC to develop a new, deepwater oil & gas port and supply base facility in the Gulf of Mexico.

According to the local news reports, the development of Port Cameron will take four years to complete, creating some 8000 temporary jobs in the process and boosting the employment rate in the Cameron Parish. Once built, the port is expected to create 4000 permanent jobs.

The port is a private, land based, deep water energy support complex, comprised of 500-acres, and 750 more acres available for future expansion, to be built on the Calcasieu Ship Channel, only three miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

Peterson to manage the port

Apart from leasing the space, the agreement also gives Peterson the opportunity to be the Co-Manager with 2 responsibilities to act as Port Manager for Port Cameron and Port Cameron Logistic Center.

As co-manager of the port and Logistic Center, Peterson will provide operational support in relation to strategic planning, facility and port and logistics center management, including assisting Port Cameron with marketing a design-build development.

Erwin Kooij, CEO for Peterson Offshore Group, said: “With Port Cameron’s strategic location, we’re looking to create an opportunity for greater efficiency of transportation of equipment and oilfield consumables to offshore platforms. We are looking to replicate the model we have successfully developed in the North Sea and internationally and we are focusing on working with the port developer and developing a customer base.”

Bud Viator, Chairman of CDFS–Port Cameron Executive Governance Committee, said: “We are very excited to be collaborating with Peterson and the signing of their letter of intent to lease rental space in Port Cameron Logistic Center. This brings the development of Port Cameron as a premier port for the Gulf coast closer to reality.”

The estimated $1.5 billion Port Cameron development is expected be the largest private energy services facility on the Gulf Coast, with more than 21,000 linear feet of bulkhead lots on dredged slips of 500-feet and 700-feet wide and dredged depths of 33 feet.

The investors have said that Port Cameron’s strategic location offers operators, drilling companies and service providers proven savings of 30% – 50% land freight forwarding cost to transport goods,  materials and supplies to and from Port of Houston and rigs and platforms in the Western Gulf.

They’ve promised the port complex will provide the Gulf energy industry with logistical advantages that will save time and money while helping to reduce business interruption risks.

Offshore Energy Today Staff