Modern Maritime
Houston - Energy Capital of the World
Houston is the energy capital of the world. Houston has been a key player in the oil and gas industry since the first major oil discovery at Spindletop, Texas in 1901. Its prominence is due to both proximity to vast oil reserves and strategic location near major deep water ports, providing easy access to onshore and offshore production and regional and global transportation. These factors have driven significant investment in Houston's infrastructure and workforce, earning it the well-deserved title energy capital of the world. As a leader in the global energy industry, Houston also enjoys a growing emphasis on energy technology and renewable resources.
Look closely at these models to see the oil and gas industry's three interconnecting segments. From upstream production to midstream transportation to downstream refining and end users. That's us. From drill site to consumer, oil and gas moves through three main stages, upstream, midstream, and downstream. These segments collectively facilitate the journey of hydrocarbons from their natural state lying deep beneath the Earth's surface to a variety of refined products that meet global energy needs and provide the building blocks for consumer goods.
Types of Ocean-going Ships
1. Tankers - Very Large Crude Oil Carriers
2. Liquified Gas Carriers
3. Chemical Carriers
4. Tug Boats & Barges
Not all giants of the sea are alike. The chart in front of you compares the tankers that carry the world's crude oil, from the Panamax — sized to squeeze through the Panama Canal — up through the Aframax and the Suezmax, to the true monsters: the V-L-C-C, the Very Large Crude Carrier, and the U-L-C-C, the Ultra Large Crude Carrier, stretching to around four hundred meters. That's longer than three football fields laid end to end. And tankers are just one family. Liquefied gas carriers haul natural gas chilled into liquid inside rounded tanks. Chemical carriers keep dozens of cargoes carefully separated. And weaving among them all are the tugboats and barges — the hardworking small craft that guide the giants safely to the dock. Every one of these ship types calls on the Port of Houston, which is part of why this city earned the title Energy Capital of the World.
Buoys are important
"Red, Right, Returning"
Green Buoy, "Can" Red Buoy, "Nun"
Buoys are very important because they indicate the safe path through a waterway. Buoys are anchored to the bottom of the channel to guide boaters safely around underwater hazards and identify speed zones. Green buoys show you the left edge of the shipping lane called the port side and the red buoys indicate the right hand edge called the starboard side. The green buoys are called cans while the red buoys are called nuns. This is because the green ones resemble something like a can of beans, while the red cone shaped buoys look like the shape of a nun in her habit. The core concept of navigation is red right returning, meaning red buoys should be on your right hand side when heading upstream or toward the shore. And buoys sometimes have numbers on them, odd numbers on green buoys and even numbers on red buoys. You can match up the numbers to a navigational map called charts to see exactly where you are on the water.
