The shipping platform

Location: The port of Houston is 326nm NE of Brownsville in the SE of Texas General overview: The port of Houston is a 40km long complex of diversified public and private facilities. The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) operates the public facilities located along the Houston Ship Channel, including Buffalo Bayou, Sims Bayou, Hunting Bayou, Greens Bayou, Boggy Bayou, Goose Creek, Cedar Bayou, Barbours Cut and Bayport. PHA's facilities include: The Turning Basin Terminal, a general cargo facility located about 11.2km from downtown Houston; the Fentress Bracewell Barbours Cut Container Terminal, an intermodal facility; Jacintoport Terminal, Bulk Materials Handling Plant, Bayport Terminal, a bulk liquids complex, Woodhouse Terminal and Care Terminal (attached to Jacintoport). The port also operates and manages a foreign trade zone site. Principal cargoes: Import: Petroleum products, iron/steel, LPG, organic chemicals, and crude fertilisers. Export: Cereals/grains, petroleum products, organic chemicals, polymer plastics and inorganic chemicals. Traffic figures: Approx 225,000,000t of cargo, 1,770,000TEU and 8,000 vessels handled annually. Load line zone: Summer. Max size: Suezmax size vessels, LOA 274.3m, beam 44.1m, draught 13.7m.