American Commercial Lines (ACL) officials announced that the company is purchasing eight 20,000-barrel-capacity tank barges from SeaRiver Maritime Inc, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation.
The purchase will expand ACL's fleet of 325 tank barges, which transport liquid cargoes, including chemicals, petroleum and renewable fuels throughout the US inland waterway system. The company reportedly operates the nation's second largest tank barge fleet and the third largest dry cargo fleet.
"This expansion of our fleet enables us to meet shippers' needs for mid-range capacity tank barges and underscores ACL's long-term commitment to our liquids business," says Dan Jaworski, ACL's vice-president, Liquid Sales. "As an added benefit, these tank barges were built by Jeffboat, adding quality, as well as capacity, to our liquids fleet."
Bob Blocker, ACL's senior vice-president, sales and customer service, adds: "ACL is focused on strategic growth of our liquids business, and the addition of the 20,000-barrel-capacity tank barges to our fleet provides the potential for entry into new markets."