No existing U.S. Port can handle supertankers like this one, shown at launch- 



in 9- (Exxon Corp. Photo— Courtesy of API) 



Establishing the feasibility of deepwater port systems involves 

 not only economic, engineering, environmental, and operational 

 factors for the offshore terminal itself, but also such other 

 considerations as distances to markets, availability of sites for 

 storage or refining facilities, and routes for interconnecting pipe- 

 lines. Past and continuing activities within the federal marine 

 science and engineering program have provided much essential 

 basic data for relevant studies. 



The Corps of Engineers was authorized by Congress to conduct 

 regional deepwater port studies on the North Atlantic, Gulf, and 

 Pacific coasts to determine efficient, economic, and logical means of 

 developing facilities to accommodate very large bulk cargo carriers. 

 This authorization resulted from the growing concern over the 

 adequacy of present U.S. harbor and channel facilities to 

 accommodate the future needs of our waterborne commerce, much of 

 which will be moving in these supersize ships. 



Prior to the initiation in FY '72 of the regional deepwater port 

 studies, the Corps of Engineers undertook two major research efforts 

 to provide an overall appraisal of U.S. deepwater port needs. The 

 first research, completed in December 1971, provided an assessment 

 of foreign experience with deepwater port development. The second 

 major research, completed in August 1972, examined the overall 

 need for deepwater ports. It concentrated on identification of the 

 factors critical to U.S. deepwater port decisions, on development of 

 the engineering, economic, and environmental criteria appropriate to 

 the evaluation of deepwater port policies, on analyses of the develop- 

 ment options available at this time and the critical issues 

 surrounding each, and on identification of the critical issues which 

 need further analysis. 



Interim reports for the regional deepwater port studies are nearing 



27 



