Lightweight construction aggregate: Four Aces Logistics, a subsidiary of Onshore Companies of Louisiana, is recycling discarded offshore drilling riser buoyancy modules into what it markets as Silverlite, a lightweight, cost-effective construction aggregate that diverts nonbiodegradable waste from Louisiana landfills. Silverlite provides structural support and drainage while reducing weight, transportation costs, fuel consumption and pressure on structures compared with traditional stone and gravel. At Port Fourchon, approximately 25,000 cubic yards of Silverlite made from 7,500 riser floaters was used as bulkhead backfill. Lafourche Gazette has the full story.
Athletics and beyond: ULM and b1Bank announced a five-year partnership naming b1Bank the Official Bank of ULM athletics, with Fant-Ewing Coliseum becoming b1Bank Fant Coliseum, pending UL System Board approval. Beyond athletics, the partnership will provide ULM students with financial education, internships and career development opportunities while strengthening b1Bank’s investment in Monroe and North Louisiana.
Navigating danger: Despite ongoing attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, oil tankers are continuing to move crude through the waterway, with some conducting ship-to-ship transfers and using routes along Oman’s coast. These operations are helping maintain global oil supplies and limit price increases, with at least four supertankers carrying roughly 8 million barrels of crude recently emerging from Hormuz. However, the route remains highly risky, with numerous vessels attacked, limited shipowner participation and tanker rates surging to nearly $500,000 per day. Bloomberg has the full story.
