Two 297.5’ steel tank barges at an Ohio River terminal near Evansville, Ind., broke loose when their mooring arrangement failed in high-water conditions due to an undetermined cause, possibly related to debris in the river, the National Transportation Safety Board reported Thursday.
The barges at the Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) terminal dock at mile 793.8 on the right descending bank of the Ohio river were carrying diesel fuel and gasoline when they broke free at mile 793.8 around 4:45 a.m. April 16, 2024.
The two barges contacted mooring cells about 1,500 feet downstream at the TransMontaigne terminal at mile 794.1. The barges were later recovered with minor damage. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage to the TransMontaigne dock structure was estimated to exceed $2.5 million…