

Valero Energy Ship Refinery Towers on Robert Wynn’s Terra Marique
Staffordshire-based specialist shipping company Robert Wynn and Sons Ltd. have had a busy start to 2021, successfully carrying out two shipments from Pembroke Port to the Valero Energy Oil Refinery in Pembroke, South West Wales.
Our 80m x 16.5m specialist heavy lift barge Terra Marique, carried a 487t Depropanizer and a 474t Acid Settler in consecutive journeys.
The cargoes were some of the largest ever carried by the Terra Marique and required her to travel with her 3 hydraulic roadways elevated.
The first shipment was the Depropanizer, which was 55m in length x 10.2m in width x 11.3m in height and when loaded on to 1 x 4-file 12-axle & 1 x 4-file 10-axle self-propelled modular trailers weighed 760t and had a traveling height of 13.5m.
The second shipment was the Acid Settler at 38.2m in length x 12.8m in width x 13.5m in height which was carried on 2 x 4-file 12-axle self-propelled modular trailers and collectively weighed 765t and was nearly 13m wide with a traveling height of 15.6m.
Working for Sarens, who in turn were contracted to Valero Energy, the precious cargo was rolled onto the Terra Marique in an operation that was complete within half an hour. Robert Wynn & Son’s crew working within enhanced protocols due to the Covid-19 pandemic lashed and secured the cargo ahead of the short voyage of 3.5 nautical miles to the refinery barge berth.
Offloading operations at the Valero berth were undertaken afloat with the Terra Marique’s integral dual ballast system, capable of pumping 40t of water per minute, ensuring that she was level throughout the 30 minute offloading operation.
Robert Wynn & Sons General Manager Andy Manners coordinated the operation and commented: “While the Terra Marique is purpose built for such operations, the weight and dimensions of the cargo, as well as the location of the offloading berth meant that detailed planning and collective working was required to successfully carry out such a complex operation. Our engineers, crew and those from Sarens and Valero worked well together to ensure the project was delivered as planned.”

Source
Robert Wynn and Sons Ltd
