Tulsa Port of Catoosa volumes fall in January

The inland river port experienced a 23.8 percent month-over-month drop in barge tonnage to 112,594 tons in January.

   The Tulsa Port of Catoosa handled 112,594 tons of waterborne cargo in January, a 23.8 percent decline from December.
   The port attributed the weak result partially to the excessive rains that occurred at the end of 2015. “The backlog of freight movement was immense, and we are still dealing with the ripple effects logistically,” Tulsa Port of Catoosa Manager of Gavilon Grain Jay Boucher said.
   Inbound shipments of dry fertilizer fell from December, along with outbound shipments of wheat, soybeans and soy products.
   In January, total shipping for the entire McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which is a 445-mile navigation channel that starts at the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and runs southeast through Oklahoma and Arkansas to the Mississippi River, reached 571,450 tons.
   Looking ahead, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa’s main dock is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation to provide more flexible cargo handling capabilities, short-term storage and intermodal transfer services. The main dock will re-open in the early spring and will provide the port with an increased ability to handle cargo, City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority Chairman Chip McElroy said.