Late August is likely to bring increasing barge-loading delays to the Gulf coast, Platts is reporting.
The fall in Gulf Coast gasoline prices has helped to make barge-delivered gasoline more attractive, thereby increasing barge shipments and related traffic in the region.
Platts cited market sources who claimed delays of one to 15 days at the Magellan Terminal in Galena Park, Tx.
"The flow of incoming barges to our Galena Park terminal is normal for this time of year," Magellan spokesman Bruce Heine told Platts. "Based on past history, we do expect demand for our barge receiving services to increase later this month."
Such delays can be costly, gasoline trading sources told Platts, with demurrage fees associated with extra use of chartered vessels beginning to cut into profit margins.
