Odfjell Terminals (Houston) Inc. – OTH – is strategically located near the entrance of the Houston ship channel, one of the major hubs of the world for the chemical and petroleum industries. OTH has been a premier supplier to the bulk liquid chemical industry for more than a quarter of a century already. It is one of the most sophisticated chemical tank terminals in the world with pressurized carbon steel, lined and stainless steel tanks, automatic nitrogen compensation system, as well as an advanced vapor return system.
The terminal has 98 tanks with total capacity of 320 000 cbm (2 016 000 bbls), of which 31 are stainless steel, totaling 82 000 cbm (515 700 bbls). Tank sizes vary from 340 to 9 500 cbm (2 160 to 60 000 bbls). Early 2009 OTH embarked upon a further expansion by 2 carbon steel tanks of 5 350 cbm each (34 000 bbls each) with completion expected Q3-2010.
The terminal is easily accessible for sea-going tankers, barges, rail tank cars, road tank trucks and through pipelines. OTH has two deep draft ship docks and four barge docks. Since the American distribution network is heavily dependent on rail and road infrastructure, OTH is well equipped with broad rail tank car and road tank truck handling facilities:
- Linked to the North American rail network for distribution throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico
- Multiple stainless steel rail header systems enabling the loading and unloading of up to 120 rail cars on eight tracks
- Direct transfer from rail cars to ships or barges, at rates up to 500 cbm (3 500 bbls) per hour
- 14 truck stations located throughout the terminal
- Automated scale system controls truck loading process through computerized control features
OTH was one of the first public marine terminals in the United States to obtain both ISO and Responsible Care® partner certification, recently upgraded to ISO-9001:2008 and RC-14001. As a result of its industry leading QHSE standards and operating practices, OTH has earned the trust of the surrounding community, regulatory entities and its customers. The facility was awarded the William H. Benkert Marine Environmental Protection Award, Bronze award in 2007.