Fuel Operations Resume at Haiti's Main Terminal Varreux
Terminal Varreux Receives and Stores More Than 70% of Haiti's Fuel
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL--(Marketwire - February 9, 2010) - WIN Group, the Haitian enterprise that
owns and operates Terminal Varreux in Port-au-Prince, and SEACOR Holdings
Inc. (SEACOR) (NYSE: CKH) today announced that emergency repairs have
enabled crucial tanker shipments of fuel to resume to Haiti.
Restoration of Terminal Varreux's marine operations included the
installation of an interim vessel mooring system, the repair and testing of
critical piping systems and the revision of terminal operating procedures.
Additional emergency construction at Terminal Varreux is also providing the
capability to receive containerized cargoes, furthering recovery efforts.
The first tanker began discharging its initial load of fuel at the restored
berth on Friday, February 5. The shipment was completed in the early
morning hours on Sunday, February 7 and the vessel has departed from the
terminal.
"We are all taking a deep breath now that the fuel supply to Haiti has been
restored," said Youri Mevs, managing partner of WIN Group. "Without fuel
the recovery effort is clearly paralyzed. We commend SEACOR for mobilizing
so quickly to address this dire situation, as well as WIN Group's staff in
Port-Au-Prince. They all worked around the clock through very challenging
circumstances. As a result, Terminal Varreux will continue its role as a
key element of Haiti's long-term recovery efforts."
Terminal Varreux is located five miles from the epicenter of the
devastating January 12 earthquake, and suffered damage to its piers and
facilities, but the bulk of the port's 18 storage tanks were undamaged.
Terminal Varreux's tanks have a total capacity of approximately 45 million
gallons.
SEACOR provided a diverse team of experts along with helicopter and marine
resources from their subsidiaries O'Brien's Response Management, National
Response Corporation (both units of SEACOR Environmental Services) and Era
Helicopters. "We are pleased our diverse marine, aviation and environmental
divisions were able to quickly restore marine operations under these
challenging conditions. We will continue our efforts in assisting with
Haiti's recovery," added Eric Fabrikant, vice president of SEACOR Holdings
Inc.
About WIN Group
The Haiti-based, Mevs family-held WIN Group is one of the Caribbean's
largest conglomerates with stakes in diverse industries such as warehousing
and storage, port operations and ethanol processing. WIN's holdings include
SHODECOSA, the largest privately-owned industrial and commercial park in
Haiti; Terminal Varreux, the largest privately-owned general cargo shipping
terminal that is capable of loading in general, non-specialized stowage
areas or standard shipping containers; e.g., boxes, barrels, bales, crates,
packages, bundles, and pallets; WINECO, the largest liquid bulk storage
facility and, now, the under-construction West Indies Free Zone, a $45
million, 1.2 million square feet manufacturing park in northern
Port-au-Prince, among other enterprises. The fourth generation family has
always had a significant impact on the country through its social
service-based endeavors, and actively supports numerous organizations
providing both immediate relief, and long-term infrastructure development.
About SEACOR
SEACOR Holdings is a global provider of equipment and services primarily
supporting the offshore oil and gas and marine transportation industries.
SEACOR offers customers a diversified suite of services including offshore
marine, marine transportation, inland river, aviation, environmental,
commodity trading and offshore and harbor towing. SEACOR is focused on
providing highly responsive local service combined with the highest safety
standards, innovative technology, modern, efficient equipment and
dedicated, professional employees. The Company's website is located at:
www.seacorholdings.com
Contact Information: For Further Information:
For SEACOR
Molly Hottinger
Tel: (954) 627-5278
Mobile: (954) 993-8008
mhottinger@ckor.comwww.seacorhaitiresponse.com
Inquiries may be submitted by selecting "Questions/Comments"
For WIN Group
Israel Kreps, Ana Maria Colmenares
Kreps DeMaria PR
Tel: (305) 663-3543
ikreps@krepspr.comacolmenares@krepspr.com