![Aerial photo of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa taken May 5, 2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Aerial_photo_of_the_Tulsa_Port_of_Catoosa_taken_May_5%2C_2008.jpg)
The primary facility of the Tulsa Ports, known as the Tulsa Port of Catoosa, is near the city of
Catoosa in
Rogers County
Rogers County is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,240, making it the sixth-most populous county in Oklahoma. The county seat is Claremore. Rogers County is included in ...
, just inside the municipal fenceline of
Tulsa
Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
,
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
, United States. Located at the head of navigation for the
McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS), it handles shipping loads through its waterway access to the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...
via the
Verdigris River
The Verdigris River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. It is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, ...
. TPOC offers year-round, ice-free barge service with river flow levels controlled by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
. It encompasses an area of and employs over 4,000 people at over 70 companies in its industrial park. The port ships manufactured goods and agricultural products from
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
to the rest of the world. Designated a
foreign trade zone
A free-trade zone (FTZ) is a class of special economic zone. It is a geographic area where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, or reconfigured and re-exported under specific customs regulation and generally not subject to cust ...
, it is a major economic engine for the region with over 2.7 million tons of cargo shipped through the Port in 2013 alone.
History
The notion of making Tulsa a port city on the MKARNS evolved during the early 1960s, as the Corps of Engineers was constructing the massive waterway. A delegation of 23 Tulsa business people travelled to Ohio to evaluate the impact of the effects of the Ohio River Valley navigation systems on regional business growth. They concluded that it would stimulate business in Oklahoma, and convinced other Tulsa business leaders to support the concept. The Metropolitan Tulsa Chamber of Commerce appointed Early Cass to chair a committee, thereafter known as the City of Tulsa–Rogers County Port Authority.
The port received its first commercial shipment in January 1971,
It was officially opened for business on February 20, 1970, and was formally dedicated by President
Richard M. Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was t ...
on June 5, 1971. This port is the largest in Oklahoma. It is also one of the largest, most inland river-ports in the United States. It is located from the
Tulsa International Airport
Tulsa International Airport is a civil-military airport five miles (8 km) northeast of downtown Tulsa, in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. It was named Tulsa Municipal Airport when the city acquired it in 1929;[BNSF Railroad
BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...]
and the
South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad
South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad is a short line railroad which operates of rail lines in Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri that used to belong to Missouri Pacific, Frisco and Santa Fe lines. SKOL is a unit of Watco. The present railroad was create ...
. The port also provides rail switching services, known as the Port of Catoosa Industrial Railroad (PCIR),
[ utilizing three dedicated Port-owned switch engines. PCIR's operation was turned over to ]OmniTRAX
OmniTRAX, Inc. is a transportation and transportation infrastructure holding company based in Denver, Colorado, in the United States. It primarily owns or operates railroads, with a network of 25 regional and shortline railroads in 12 U.S. states ...
in August 2022.
In 1971 (the first full year of operation), the port handled 86,654 tons of cargo. In 2013 (the most recently reported full year), it handled over 2.7 million tons.
In addition to the many private terminals for grain, fertilizer, and break-bulk cargo located along the port channel, the port operates a 200-ton capacity overhead crane as well as a roll-on/roll-off dock.
In 2016 the port added a new 720 foot dock accommodating a rail line and multiple cranes.
In 2020 the Tulsa Port of Catoosa received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration for railroad crossing repairs, freight rail infrastructure, and interchange improvements at the multimodal shipping complex and industrial park.
On Thursday 24 September 2020, the Tulsa Port of Catoosa rebranded to Tulsa Ports.
Facilities
The port has five public terminals that can transfer inbound and outbound bulk freight between barges, trucks and railroad cars.
* Dry cargo terminals are owned by Tulsa Port of Catoosa. The dry break bulk cargo dock is operated by Tuloma Stevedoring, Inc. and primarily handles commodity iron and steel products. The dock is long with a wide concrete apron, and has various cranes and forklifts. It also features a overhead traveling bridge crane.
* Dry bulk freight terminal is a public terminal operated by Gavilon Fertilizer LLC, and which can handle materials ranging from pig iron to fertilizer. This terminal has two pedestal cranes and an outbound conveyor loading system. Both open and covered storage areas are available.
* Roll-on/Roll-off (RO - RO) low water wharf or "Project Cargo" is a public wharf operated by the Port Authority very large cargo (e.g. certain process equipment used in oil refineries. Often these cannot be shipped easily by truck or rail because of their weight or their overall dimensions. Sometimes these are shipped internationally by sea, and must be transferred to or from ocean-going vessels at the Port of Houston
The Port of Houston is one of the world's largest ports and serves the metropolitan area of Houston, Texas. The port is a 50-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities located a few hours' sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico. ...
or the Port of New Orleans
The Port of New Orleans is an embarkation port for cruise passengers. It is also Louisiana’s only international container port.
The port generates $100 million in revenue annually through its four lines of business – cargo (46%), rail (31%) ...
).
* Bulk liquids terminals handle such commodities as chemicals, asphalt, refined petroleum products and molasses. There are seven such terminals at the Port.
Tulsa Port of Inola
Tulsa Ports’ Inola facility, known as the Tulsa Port of Inola, is a 2,500 acre industrial park. It has rail access to the Union Pacific, as well as barge access to MKARNS.[ The first tenant, ]Sofidel
Sofidel is an Italian multinational producer of tissue paper for sanitary and domestic use.
The Sofidel Group was founded in 1966. It is one of the world leaders in the tissue paper market and the second largest producer in Europe behind Essity
...
, completed its manufacturing facility there in 2020.[
In September 2022, Tulsa Ports received the largest grant in its history, being $22.3 million from the federal government, toward the $27.9 million cost of the Port of Inola Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant.] The plant lays the foundation for industrial facilities which could likely provide 10,000 future jobs.[
]
Change of leadership
Robert W. Portiss, who has been director of the Tulsa Port of Catoosa since July 1, 1984, retired on December 31, 2016. He was replaced by David Yarborough, who was hired as operations manager in 2006, and promoted to deputy director in 2008.Levy, Larry. "Tulsa Port of Catoosa director to retire Jan. 31." ''Tulsa World''.December 16, 2016.
Accessed January 24, 2017.
References
External links
Tulsa Ports
Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tulsa Port Of Catoosa
Ports and harbors of Oklahoma
Geography of Tulsa, Oklahoma
Economy of Tulsa, Oklahoma
Geography of Rogers County, Oklahoma
Buildings and structures in Rogers County, Oklahoma
Infrastructure in Oklahoma
Transport infrastructure completed in 1971