The US Port of Corpus Christi in Texas has completed the $625 million ship channel improvement project.
The four-phase channel improvement project increased the depth of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel.
It was conceived more than three decades ago as a massive undertaking to enhance navigational infrastructure – ultimately deepening the ship channel from 47 to 54 feet MLLW (mean lower low water) and widening it from 400 to 530 feet with additional barge shelves – to accommodate the growing demand for larger vessels.
“The newly expanded waterway facilitates safe, navigable commerce for larger vessels and two-way traffic, enabling more efficient transport of crude oil, liquefied natural gas, and other commodities,” the port said.
According to the port, annual transportation cost savings are estimated to exceed $200 million.
The port and its customers moved 51.3 million tons of commodities through the Corpus Christi Ship Channel in the first quarter of 2025, driven primarily by increases in crude oil and LNG shipments.
Crude oil shipments in the first quarter totaled 33.4 million tons, up 10.5 percent over the same period last year, while LNG volumes were up 12.3 percent to 4.3 million tons.
These volumes will grow in the future as Cheniere’s Corpus Christi liquefaction facility is currently undergoing a capacity expansion.
The Corpus Christi terminal consists of three trains, each with a capacity of about 5 mtpa.
Cheniere is also building the Corpus Christi Stage 3 expansion project.
In March this year, Cheniere’s EPC partner, Bechtel, turned over care, custody, and control of CCL Stage 3 Train 1 and associated systems to Cheniere ahead of schedule.