The news that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has placed a US$93-million order with Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company for the deepening and widening of its ship channel at the Port of Corpus Christi (PortCC) broke last week in what was still a sluggish news environment. But it is significant news: this is the first step the federal U.S. government has made to support efforts to boost crude oil exports and it is also the first step in a competition dance between the Port of Corpus Christi and commodity major Trafigura. Energy analyst David Blackmon noted the significance of the contract in a recent story for Forbes, adding it was part of a bigger port expansion project that would require US$360 million in funding. The port authority’s determination to see this project through despite the bulky price tag was made evident by its willingness to tap the […]