New Orleans signs marketing pact with neighboring parish
The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans and the Plaquemines Parish Port, Harbor and Terminal District last week signed an agreement to jointly market current and future facilities.
The Plaquemines District has more than 90 miles of river frontage and close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. The two ports say more than 6,000 oceangoing vessels traverse the lower part of the Mississippi River annually.
In addition to marketing its deepwater river port, Plaquemines Parish officials are studying the expansion of its energy port at Venice, La., to service new oil and gas exploration leases opened in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Officials hope to improve access to Venice by dredging Baptiste Collette Bayou to a depth of 27 feet. Venice is closer than any other Gulf Coast port to the new lease area, which is set for drilling in 2008.
“This is a great day for Plaquemines Parish,” said Billy Nungesser, president of Plaquemines Parish. “Our future lies with the Mississippi River. We are looking forward to working with the Port of New Orleans and we can surely benefit from the many years of experience they have in port operations.”
