Facility Operator Pitches In to Keep Product Moving

Customers at the Dravosburg Marine Terminal in Pennsylvania depend on the Watco team to safely receive, handle, and store all types of liquids and chemicals. While these commodities are typically stored for weeks or even months, one customer, who had recently run out of caustic soda, was counting on an incoming barge delivery to quickly replenish their product and keep operations moving.

Discharging product from a barge to a storage tank takes up to three hours. But this time there was a hiccup. Another barge was already docked at the terminal and was not scheduled to be unloaded until the following day.

When a third-party tankerman arrived, he initially refused to discharge caustic soda from the second barge. Terminal Manager Brad Shobert said: “There are some challenges when discharging product from one barge but not the other. When you empty one, the barge starts to rise in the water, while the other remains in the same position, deep in the water.”

Taking proper precautions is necessary when unloading one barge and not the other. Failing to do so can compromise the stability of both vessels and increase the risk of a collision.

Because Facility Operator Mario Marghella has four decades of experience, he knew exactly what to do. He proposed continuously tying and untying the barges together in order to stabilize both so one could be safely discharged. The tankerman agreed, and Marghella began the hours-long process of tying and untying the barges while the barge was being unloaded.

The process to discharge product from barge to storage, and later from storage to truck, may have taken more time than usual. But the customer was still able to receive caustic soda that day.

Shobert said, “Mario saved the day. He found a way to meet our customer’s needs while also prioritizing safety every step of the way.”