Port MacKenzie and Sixteen Miles of Pipe

For five days, starting on July 2, sixteen miles of cement coated pipe were successfully off-loaded from a Panamanian Vessel at Port MacKenzie. After five days of work, the pipe now rests on the recently expanded Port MacKenzie barge dock awaiting transfer to a working barge sixteen miles northwest of Nikiski. From there it will be welded together and run underwater from a new natural gas oil platform to Nikiski. The pipe originated in South Korea before making its way to Mexico for the cement coating. The warm temperatures there were needed to properly cure the cement which took three months.

King Hufford III of West Pac Logistics was contracted to bring the vessel in, discharge the pipe then ground it on the barge dock. He says Port MacKenzie was the optimal choice for its large lay-down space. There were eight acres available for this project which provided ample space to maneuver the equipment around the rows of pipe. The young port continues to prove that it can handle project cargo such as this in an efficient manner. The off-load ended up being accomplished three days ahead of schedule, on-time and under budget. Port Director Marc Van Dongen was enthusiastic about what this means for Port MacKenzie. “We’re excited to have this new commodity and expanding our capabilities here at the port.