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volume of repeat business, is Crowley Maritime. The company recently signed, through its Vessel Management Services subsidiary, a contract to build three 330,000-barrel tank barges for Crowley Maritime Corporation's subsidiary, Vessel Management Services Inc. The vessels -- which will measure 600 x 105.5 ft. with a 54-ft. depth -- include the cost of owner-furnished equipment and are cumulatively valued at approximately $254m. VT Halter Marine currently holds three contracts with VMS, to build the tugs and 185,000-barrel barges for 10 Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) units, at the total value of approximately $515m. This latest contract will bring the total contractual value with Vessel Management Services to $769m. The 330,000-barrel tank barges are similar to the 185,000-barrel barges, but they will have about 78 percent more cargo handling capacity. Recent facility improvements, including the extension of the launch system, have enabled VT Halter Marine to accommodate vessels up to Panamax in size, to meet the rising demand for vessels with higher cargo capacity and deep water capability. Engineering for the 330,000-barrel tank barge project is scheduled to start in 1H2008. Production will follow the last of the 10 ATB units previously contracted. Construction of the first tank barge will begin in 1H2009 with proposed deliveries beginning in 2H 2011 and ending in 2H 2013. While many shipyards boast of diversity in the marketing arena, VT Halter walks the walk, with a diversity of commercial and government clients to help smooth the peaks and valleys inherent in the marine business. Currently, business is split 60/40 in favor of commercial vs. government work, according to King, but he expects the government side of the ledger to bump slightly in the coming months, making it close to 45% of the company's business. While VT Halter's prowess in building ATBs for Crowley is wellrecorded, it keeps operations growing steadily with an influx of technically challenging orders. VT Halter has a strong relationship with NOAA, the fruits of this the deliveries of the fisheries research vessels Oscar Dyson and Henry B. Bigelow. Bigelow, the second in a fleet of four new 208-ft. fisheries survey vessels being built, will support NOAA research efforts in conservation and management of fisheries and marine ecosystems, replacing the 45-year old Albatross IV. The fleet of FSVs being built by VT Halter for NOAA will have the ability to
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