CABINET NOTES: The Cabinet invited the principals of Blue Ocean to address the scale of the dredging that is taking place at Crabbes and in the St. John’s Harbour.

Blue Ocean’s principals reported that the firm hired to supplement their dredging efforts at Crabbes, has not been able to remove the rocky material that has proven to be a challenge to deepening the channel. Larger cement-carrying vessels and liquid natural gas (LNG) vessels require a deeper draught than now exists.

The ability to remove the rock requires some bigger equipment, Blue Ocean reported, to crack and rip the rock from its foundation. Blue Ocean also reported that its equipment can remove three times as much material as the other company’s ocean excavator.

It requires payments that will allow it to purchase spare parts, repair damaged equipment, purchase fuel, and to pay its employees.