Tulsa Ports

Tulsa Ports consists of the ports of Catoosa and Inola near Tulsa, Oklahoma, on the Verdigris River, a tributary of the Arkansas River and the Mississippi River.

Tulsa Ports
Location
CountryUnited States
LocationRogers County, Oklahoma
Details
OpenedJanuary 1971
Operated byCity of Tulsa - Rogers County Port Authority
Type of harbourMulti-modal
Land area2500 acres
Employeesapprox. 3,000 [1]
Statistics
Website
http://tulsaport.com
Location of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa
Aerial photo of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa taken May 5, 2008

The ports are at and near the head of navigation for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS). They enable year-round, ice-free barge service with river flow levels controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.[2]

Tulsa Port of Catoosa

The Tulsa Ports' primary facility is the Tulsa Port of Catoosa.[3] It is near the city of Catoosa in Rogers County, just inside the municipal fenceline of Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. It encompasses an area of 2,500 acres (10 km2) and employs over 4,000 people at over 70 companies in its industrial park.[4] The port ships manufactured goods and agricultural products from Oklahoma to the rest of the world.[5] Designated a foreign trade zone, it is a major economic engine for the region with over 2.7 million tons of cargo shipped through the Port in 2013 alone.[6]

History

The notion of making Tulsa a port city on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) evolved during the early 1960s, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was constructing the massive waterway. A delegation of 23 Tulsa business people travelled to Ohio to evaluate the impact of the effects of the Ohio River Valley navigation systems on regional business growth. They concluded that it would stimulate business in Oklahoma, and convinced other Tulsa business leaders to support the concept. The Metropolitan Tulsa Chamber of Commerce appointed Early Cass to chair a committee, thereafter known as the City of Tulsa–Rogers County Port Authority.[7]

The port received its first commercial shipment in January 1971,[7] It was officially opened for business on February 20, 1970, and was formally dedicated by President Richard M. Nixon on June 5, 1971.[8] This port is the largest in Oklahoma. It is also one of the largest, farthest inland river ports in the United States.[9] It is located 8 miles (13 km) from the Tulsa International Airport, and 15 miles (24 km) from downtown Tulsa. It is a fully equipped multi-modal transportation center served by both the BNSF Railroad and the South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad. The port also provides rail switching services, known as the Port of Catoosa Industrial Railroad (PCIR),[10] utilizing three dedicated Port-owned switch engines. The railroad's operation was turned over to OmniTRAX in August 2022.[10]

In 1971, the first full year of operation, the port handled 86,654 tons of cargo. In 2013 (the most recently reported full year), it handled over 2.7 million tons.[11]

In addition to the many private terminals for grain, fertilizer, and break-bulk cargo located along the port channel, the port operates a 200-ton capacity overhead crane as well as a roll-on/roll-off dock.

In 2016 the port added a new 720 foot dock accommodating a rail line and multiple cranes.[12]

Low Water Wharf

In 2020 the Tulsa Port of Catoosa received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration for railroad crossing repairs, freight rail infrastructure, and interchange improvements at the multimodal shipping complex and industrial park.[13]

On Thursday 24 September 2020, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa rebranded to Tulsa Ports.[14][15]

Facilities

The port has five public terminals that can transfer inbound and outbound bulk freight between barges, trucks and railroad cars.

  • Dry cargo terminals are owned by Tulsa Port of Catoosa. The dry break bulk cargo dock is operated by Tuloma Stevedoring, Inc. and primarily handles commodity iron and steel products. The dock is 720 feet (220 m) long with a 230-foot (70 m) wide concrete apron, and has various cranes and forklifts. It also features a 200-short-ton (180 t) overhead traveling bridge crane.[16]
  • Dry bulk freight terminal is a public terminal operated by Gavilon Fertilizer LLC, and which can handle materials ranging from pig iron to fertilizer. This terminal has two pedestal cranes and an outbound conveyor loading system. Both open and covered storage areas are available.[17]
  • Roll-on/Roll-off (RO - RO) low water wharf or "Project Cargo" is a public wharf operated by the Port Authority very large cargo (e.g. certain process equipment used in oil refineries. Often these cannot be shipped easily by truck or rail because of their weight or their overall dimensions. Sometimes these are shipped internationally by sea, and must be transferred to or from ocean-going vessels at the Port of Houston or the Port of New Orleans).[18]
  • Bulk liquids terminals handle such commodities as chemicals, asphalt, refined petroleum products and molasses. There are seven such terminals at the Port.[19]

Tulsa Port of Inola

Tulsa Ports’ Inola facility, known as the Tulsa Port of Inola, is a 2,500 acre industrial park.[20] It has rail access to the Union Pacific, as well as barge access to MKARNS.[20] The first tenant, Sofidel, completed its manufacturing facility there in 2020.[20]

In September 2022, Tulsa Ports received the largest grant in its history, being $22.3 million from the federal government, toward the $27.9 million cost of the Port of Inola Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant.[21] The plant lays the foundation for industrial facilities which could likely provide 10,000 future jobs.[21]

In December 2022 the Port announced a $15.76 million dollar rail project to use 4.4 miles of track to connect the Port and the Sofidel plant with the Union Pacific main line. The project includes funding from Sofidel and the United States Department of Transportation.[22]

On May 22, 2023, an Enel subsidiary announced the Tulsa Port of Inola as the future site of one of the largest solar cell and panel manufacturing plants in the U.S.[23] Enel expects to invest over $1 billion in the facility, creating 1,000 permanent jobs with the possibility of creating another 900 in a second phase.[23] Oklahoma officials have called this the biggest economic development project in the state.[23]

References
  1. "Tulsa Port of Catoosa - Industry"
  2. "Welcome to the Tulsa Port of Catoosa". Tulsaport.com. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
  3. "Tulsa Port of Catoosa". Tulsa Ports. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  4. "About". Tulsa Ports. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  5. Arnold, Kyle. "Tulsa Port of Catoosa job, cargo numbers near record highs - Tulsa World: Employment". Tulsa World. BH Media Group Holdings. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  6. Arnold, Kyle (February 27, 2014). "Tulsa Port of Catoosa job, cargo numbers near record highs". Tulsa World. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  7. Hightower, Michael J. "Tulsa Port of Catoosa". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
  8. Reed, Roy (June 5, 1971). "President Opens Oklahoma to the Sea". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
  9. "About - Tulsa Port of Catoosa". Tulsaport.com. Retrieved 2014-11-25.
  10. "Tulsa Ports selects Colorado-based company as new railroad operator". Rhett Morgan, Tulsa World, August 18, 2022.
  11. "Shipping and Ports:Tulsa Port of Catoosa." Accessed January 24, 2017.
  12. Trotter, Matt (May 10, 2016). "New Dock Dedicated at Port of Catoosa". KWGS. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
  13. Staff Reports. "Tulsa Port of Catoosa receives $1.1 million federal grant for freight rail infrastructure". Tulsaworld.com. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  14. "Have you seen our new logo? 👀".
  15. "Tulsa Port of Catoosa undergoes branding change, creates new logos to mark expansion of area footprint".
  16. "Dry Break Bulk Cargo Dock." Accessed January 23, 2017.
  17. "Dry Bulk Freight Terminal." Accessed January 23, 2017.
  18. "Project Cargo: Roll-on/Roll-off Low Water Wharf." Accessed January 23, 2017.
  19. "Bulk Liquids Terminals." Accessed January 23, 2017.
  20. "Tulsa Port of Inola". Tulsa Ports. Retrieved August 21, 2022.
  21. "$22.3 million federal grant to Port of Inola to lay groundwork for larger-scale manufacturing". Rhett Morgan, Tulsa World, September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  22. "Tulsa Ports hopes $15.74 million rail project at Port of Inola will attract new industry". Fox23 News. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  23. "Enel to build $1 billion solar plant at Tulsa Port of Inola". Carmen Forman, Tulsa World, May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.

36°13′27″N 95°44′11″W

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