By Karen Robes Meeks
Cook Inlet Tug & Barge will expand operations on Alaska’s North Slope for the 2019 ice-free season, the independently managed Foss Maritime Company subsidiary announced Tuesday.
For the next three months, three tugs acquisitions, as well as barges and shore equipment will run out of Prudhoe Bay, further expanding the companies’ Arctic operations and bolstering harbor towage, oil and gas support services, mining and construction support, and offshore marine transportation services, according to CITB and Foss.
“It is great to see these vessels on the water and ready to work,” said CITB President Jeff Johnson. “These shallow-draft tugs and barges are ideally suited for work on the North Slope waterways and the Western Alaska markets.”
The 64-foot long and 27-foot wide tugs – Sag Wind, Kuparuk Wind, and Kavik Wind – run on three 1095 HP CAT 343D engines.
“The ice-free season in Prudhoe Bay is short, so we’re glad to have such capable vessels available there to support the oil and gas industry as well as construction activities on the North Slope,” said Johnson. “These versatile workhorses help round out Cook Inlet and Foss operations in Alaska.”
