Eighteen months after construction started, GT Logistics LLC held the grand opening for its new multi-modal GT OmniPort terminal in Port Arthur TX. The celebration for the 1,100-acre state-of-the-art terminal took place October 16.
Developed at a cost of approximately $95 million, the terminal is designed to handle crude oil and other products transported via rail, ship, barge, and truck. Located off Highway 73, and in close proximity to the area refining industry and pipeline network, the terminal is served by the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads and can handle unit trains.
“This is one of the nation’s largest projects of its kind in size and scope,” said Timothy DeSpain, GT Logistics principal and president. “The demand for terminal facilities in the Gulf Coast capable of receiving unit trains of crude continues to grow, and we are pleased that GT OmniPort is able to fulfill this need.”
Storage track currently in place can handle up to 250 tankcars. The next phase of rail storage capacity expansion is underway with 300 acres dedicated to railcar storage, which will give GT Logistics the ability to store, switch, and transload more than rail tankcars. The rail terminal site also features a multi-barge receiving dock on Taylor’s Bayou.
GT Logistics also announced that it is negotiating a joint venture with Gibson Energy Inc to develop, construct, and operate a storage terminal for natural gas liquids, crude oil, and other related products. That project would be combined with the already-completed rail transloading facility.
GT logistics recently commissioned a state-of-the-art train-to-barge transloading facility at the terminal that will be serviced by Union Pacific Railroad. The next phase of the project would be to construct crude oil tank storage and pipeline connections. GT Logistics has begun initial engineering, design, and permitting studies and anticipates that the proposed joint venture would commence construction of the storage terminal in 2013.
GT Logistics also owns and operates a 20-acre deepwater dock and receiving facility on the Sabine Neches Navigation District Channel with more than 900 feet of steel bulkhead improvements and 1,700 feet of waterfront access to the 42-ft channel. The deepwater dock is 2.2 miles from the rail terminal and is connected by rail and highway.