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Bauxite transshipment in Guyana

In January 2006, OLDENDORFF CARRIERS commenced operations under an 11-year contract with one of OLDENDORFF's long-term customers, RUSAL, via their affiliate Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc.


The contract consists of a one-year period, in which an intermediate transloading solution was in place, and a 10-year period, where the operation forms a complete logistics solution facilitating barging, offshore loading and ocean transportation of around 2.0‒2.5 million tons per annum of bauxite from the bauxite mine located around 131 nautical miles up the Berbice River in Guyana.

 

The operation is carried out by:

  • Twenty barges with a deadweight capacity of ca. 3,500 tons built in China
  • Five Damen-type tugs with a bollard pull capacity of 40 metric tons
  • Two Damen-type tugs with a bollard pull capacity of 13 metric tons
  • One smaller assistance tug
  • 1 "Figee Lemniscate" floating crane
  • 2 Damen pilot boats with a maximum speed of 25 knots
  • 2 small crew boats
     

Getting it there

The barges were built in China in 2006 and they arrived in the Berbice River in October 2006, all stacked on the world's largest semi-submersible vessel, "Black Marlin". The Damen tugboats arrived in Guyana at the end of 2006/beginning of 2007. The first one, the "Lübeck", was used as a training unit for the crew until commencement of the river barging operations in January 2007. The Figee crane arrived in the Berbice River in January 2007 on the semi-submersible vessel, "Enterprise". This highly specialised, newly built Lemniscate-type crane is of a unique design, capable of a total turnover of 20,000 metric tons per day.

 

The barges are loaded at Aroaima close to the mine site. One tug takes two barges down the river to the transshipment area at the mouth of the Berbice River, near the town of New Amsterdam.

The incoming bulk carriers – normally Handymax ships – are taken in through the channel to the transshipment area by assistance of the tugs and the pilot boats. After the bulker has been tied up at the buoys, the floating crane transfers the bauxite from the barges to the ship.

All crewing and technical management is handled by OLDENDORFF CARRIERS' branch office, Oldendorff Carriers (Guyana) Inc. in New Amsterdam, which employs around 150 people, including 12 expatriates.

In order to service all equipment on a priority basis and to support the local population by generating more business and further jobs, Oldendorff Carriers (Guyana) Inc. has bought a floating dock which is in position in New Amsterdam since February 17, 2008.

Our track record

Over the years, OLDENDORFF CARRIERS has built up a considerable area of activity within bulk logistics and project development. The company is engaged in several major transshipment projects around the globe, and operates seven self-unloading bulk carriers. Through its experience with grab and belt self-unloading technology and its financial strength, OLDENDORFF CARRIERS is continuously developing further projects and is expanding its involvement in self-unloading trades, bulk shuttles, transshipment, top-off and lighterage operations, port development and other bulk logistics projects.

 

The gist of bulk logistics for OLDENDORFF CARRIERS is to assist clients in achieving their goals by designing, building and operating fast, reliable and cost-efficient logistics systems. High ocean transportation costs and increasing throughput requirements combined with factors such as draught-limited ports, lack of port loading or unloading facilities and local environmental restrictions are driving shippers and receivers to think in terms of tailor-made logistics solutions. With a purpose-designed system or vessel in place, substantial freight savings can be achieved and import/export volumes can be increased.

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