A substantial increase in shipments of fertilizer and crude oil contributed to making last month the strongest February in the history of the Port.
Total barge shipping at the Port last month was 286,314 tons. By comparison, the next highest February total was in 2009, when 254,900 tons of cargo were handled.
Steel coming into the Port saw an increase in February. Outgoing shipments of wheat also increased, as did outgoing shipments of steel from the Port's low water wharf, or RoRo (Roll on/Roll-off dock).
The Tulsa Port of Catoosa is the only Port on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System to have a multimodal 'RoRo' facility that was specifically designed to handle cargo that needs to be loaded or unloaded at water level (usually because of its excessive size, weight, or other factors).
"The first quarter of 2012 is shaping up to be a very strong start for shipping activity at the Port this year," said David Page, Chairman of the City of Tulsa-Rogers County Port Authority.
"We anticipate that as the economy in Oklahoma continues to grow , the Port and Waterway will be used even more frequently by regional industries because of its multimodal transportation capabilities. These are tremendous assets for the Oklahoma economy," Page said.
Total shipping for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System in February was 1,008,353 tons. Oklahoma's share of that total was 568,700 tons. Fifty percent of the freight shipped through Oklahoma was handled by the Port.
The 2,500-acre Port complex offers industrial sites for lease, and its Riverview Business Park, adjacent to the Port, offers property for sale. Together they are home to more than 60 companies employing more than 3,000 employees.