The Port of Corpus Christi Authority (PCCA) Commission, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), recently entered into a Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) to deepen and widen the Corpus Christi Ship Channel.
Officially called the CC Ship Channel Improvement Project (CIP), the effort will specifically widen the channel by 530 feet, add additional barge shelves to allow for two-way vessel and barge traffic, and deepen the channel by 54 feet mean lower low water (MLLW) in order to safely and efficiently pass modern deep draft vessels through the area.
The agreement between the two organizations officially became effective on Sept. 9 following a sign off from the PCCA and the USACE. PCCA Executive Director John LaRue and Colonel Lars Zetterstrom joined together for a ceremonial signing event on Oct. 20 to commemorate the agreement.
PCCA Commissioners recently approved the acceleration of $32 million in port funds to the USACE to expedite the initial construction phase of the PPA.
The improvement project is expected to result in the construction of new Permian Basin for Corpus Christi crude oil pipeline capacity. Once completed, the pipelines’ crude oil export value is estimated at $30 billion per year with $500 million in annual shipping cost savings, according to the port.