A barge that sank late Tuesday in the Calcasieu Ship Channel (CSC) of Louisiana is one of three obstructions that need to be removed before deep draft vessel traffic, including tankers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), is allowed to resume, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Shipping

In addition to the barge that sank in the area of 38 Buoy on the bar channel, an oil rig and a recreational boat would need to be removed from the CSC before the 25-foot maximum draft restriction is lifted, the Army Corps said. 

Spokesperson Ricky Boyett told NGI that the recreational boat was “not that deep in the water,” so crews expected to remove it “pretty quickly.” The oil rig was to be removed by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the rig’s owner, which was not...