Towing vessel Ovide J underway on the Mississippi River on unknown date before the dock collapse.

​Towing vessel Ovide J underway on the Mississippi River on unknown date before the dock collapse. (Source: Michael Farrell, marinetraffic.com)​​​

Collapse of Chalmette Refinery Dock Section During Docking of Ovide J Tow

What Happened

​On April 25, 2023, about 0004 local time, the towing vessel Ovide J was maneuvering two loaded crude oil barges to the Chalmette Refinery crude oil dock near mile 89 on the Lower Mississippi River in Chalmette, Louisiana, when the starboard barge contacted the dock, after which about 150 feet of the dock collapsed into the water. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. There was extensive damage to the dock’s pipelines, bridges, and pilings. The estimated cost of repairs to the dock was about $7 million. 

What We Found

​We determined that the probable cause of the collapse of a section of the Chalmette Refinery crude oil dock during the docking of the Ovide J tow was the degraded condition of the no. 3 dolphin transfer platform structure.​

Lessons Learned

​Maintaining Waterfront Infrastructure

It is important for dock owners to inspect, evaluate, maintain, and rehabilitate facilities, piers, docks, and other infrastructure to minimize the risk to the environment and the vessels that traverse the waterways. Scheduling inspections, as well as maintaining and replacing waterfront infrastructure and components, is critical to continued safe operations.

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