Mary Meaux
The Port Arthur News
PORT ARTHUR —
GT Logistics LLC on Tuesday received its first unit train heralding the official opening of the facility’s rail terminal.
Bart Owens, vice-president/general manager of GT Logistics LLC, said the facility will soon see the arrival of crude oil by rail to transport to local refineries.
The GT OmniPort is a multi-modal terminal for crude oil and other products transported via rail, ship, barge and truck. The $95 million, 1,100-acre site is located on Taylor Bayou at the old Lyondell Chemical, a high density polyethylene plastics plant that closed in 1999.
GT Logistics also owns and operates a 20-acre deepwater dock and receiving facility on the Sabine Neches Navigation District Channel. Together, the two sites will be known as the GT OmniPort and will be the first multi-user facility of its kind in the Golden Triangle region.
Once complete, the industrial rail park and related tenant improvements are expected to create more than 1,000 jobs and $100 million in new capital investment over the next 10 years.
Owens explained that the related investments include ongoing negotiations to develop other parts of the property for petrochemical related projects.
Construction on the project began in May 2010.
The rail terminal, served by Union Pacific, will be able to receive unit train traffic, with 300 acres of rail car storage on site capable, upon completion, of storing, switching and transloading more than 1,000 rail cars. The rail terminal site also features a multi-barge receiving dock on Taylor Bayou; access to Texas 73 and Interstate 10; and connectivity to the extensive network of pipelines serving the region, according to a press release from GT Logistics.
“This is just the first of many important steps in the process of opening the GT OmniPort for business. The rail line is key to our success and Union Pacific is a fantastic partner. We look forward to surpassing all expectations for success in the future,” Timothy DeSpain, GTL principal and president said.
