Fuel Operations Resume At Haiti's Main Terminal Varreux

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 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 roll 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.

SOURCE SEACOR Holdings Inc.