Corpus Christi port begins channel improvement project to serve energy market

Port of Corpus Christi officials last week kicked off the Texas port's historic ship channel improvement project.

Designed to set up the port to become the net exporter of the nation's energy production, the project will deepen the channel from 47 to 54 feet and widen it from 400 to 530 feet.

Port officials hosted a ceremony to mark the start of Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co.'s work on the project.

"We are building and enhancing infrastructure and collaborating with new partners as we prepare to accommodate major growth in crude oil production," said Sean Strawbridge, the port's chief executive officer, in a press release.

The port is served by three Class Is: BNSF Railway Co., Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific Railroad. In addition, a port-owned line is operated by Corpus Christi Terminal Railroad Inc., which is owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.

After the end of the 40-year ban on crude oil exports, the port handled its first shipment of U.S. crude oil abroad on Dec. 31, 2015. The port's location on the Gulf of Mexico and proximity to the west Texas oil and gas boom drove demand and traffic for the port, according to port officials.

In 2018, the port exported $10.8 billion worth of crude oil to U.S. trading partners.