dry bulk commodities. The existing depths of channels serving the 

 dry bulk carriers are generally inadequate to accommodate the 

 larger vessels being employed in these trades. 



As noted in chapter III of last year's Federal Ocean Program report, 

 Congress, recognizing the growing inadequacy of the U.S. ports, 

 authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct regional 

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

 coasts. Interim reports resulting from these studies have now been 

 completed. While the reports made no recommendation for Federal 

 participation in the development of deepwater port facilities, they 

 have reached some general conclusions. First, deepwater port 

 facilities can be justified only by a present or near future need to 

 import foreign crude petroleum. Such a need exists, and there is 

 economic justification for one or more deepwater port facilities on 

 the North Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts to serve superships 

 transporting crude petroleum. Several likely alternative systems 

 and potential site and facility combinations were identified on each 



DISCHARGING/ LOADING TANKER 



MOORING LINES 

 MONO MOORING BUOY 



FLOATING 

 HOSES 



ANCHORS 



Artist's concept of a single-buoy mooring facility. 



69 



