Port Fourchon ‘sitting duck? for hurricanes

Port Fourchon ôsitting duckö for hurricanes    Louisiana's Port Fourchon is a 'sitting duck' in the face of future severe hurricanes, according to an Associated Press report published Saturday.
   The port, which handles 15 percent of the nation's crude oil via pipelines to refineries and supports 90 percent of the Gulf of Mexico's 3,700 offshore oil platforms, has experienced significant erosion of its protective sand bank from hurricanes during the past three years.
   'Officials worry that unless work begins immediately to bolster the port's defenses, a direct hit from a strong Category 3 storm or worse could wipe out its waterways, docks, giant cranes, tanks and helipads, crippling the facility for weeks and creating a national energy crisis overnight,' the AP said.
   The Army Corps of Engineers is expected to start work in 2011 on a $243 million shoreline restoration project in the vicinity of Port Fourchon, according to the wire service.