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ST. CROIX — Limetree Bay Terminals announced Friday the successful commissioning of its new crude oil offshore mooring platform last month.
Limetree said it safely loaded several million barrels of crude oil in May to Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC’s) using the company’s new state-of-the-art offshore Single Point Mooring (SPM) buoy connected to the shore via subsea pipelines. These pipelines are safely capable of high flow rates to and from marine vessels, the company said.
“We are looking forward to many years of safe and environmentally sound transfers to and from offshore vessels here in St. Croix, and we remain excited about the future of Limetree Bay Terminals,” said Jeff Hersperger, senior vice president of operations.
In the Bryan administration's 2021 budget proposal, Office of Management and Budget Director, Jenifer O'Neal, said the coronavirus pandemic could delay the planned July opening of Limetree Bay's oil refinery arm. Once completed, the refinery is expected to provide what Ms. O'Neal described as a welcome source of economic diversification and refinery jobs. But it also means a ramping down of temporary jobs that has topped 3,000 individuals for preparatory oil-refining work. "The facility’s reliance on demand from cruise ships may also prove a near-term vulnerability if the industry is unable to quickly rebound following the pandemic," Ms. O'Neal said.
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