Winter 98-99 Murphy Oil USA Seaway Port Authority of Duluth, Minnesota

Interlake Steamship Company’s 1,013.5-foot Paul R. Tregurtha, the largest laker on the Great Lakes, took advantage of Murphy’s 1,200 feet of dock space while taking on its fuel.

Fill ’er up!
Murphy Oil opens fueling operation

A new ship-fueling facility in the Port of Duluth-Superior is now in business. Murphy Oil USA, Inc., fueled its first vessel, Interlake Steamship’s Charles M. Beeghly, at 2 a.m. on Nov. 2 (see cover photos). Murphy serviced several additional lakers within the following weeks.

Ed Priem (far right), Murphy’s senior sales representative, asphalt & residual products, took Port Authority Chief Financial Officer John Kubow, Trade Development Director Ronald L. Johnson and Executive Director Davis Helberg (left to right) on a tour.

Murphy representatives said the facility, located on two acres of dockside property leased from the Port Authority, features a multi-service delivery system combining state-of-the-art technologies for both fuel-handling efficiency and environmental protection.

As Murphy develops the new facility’s service potential, marine customers will be able to make one stop to receive full service for all needs, from

Joe Cuseo has been named terminal manager of Murphy’s marine terminal.

bunker fuel to related supplies. Murphy said the primary customers will be U.S. and Canadian lake vessels but that the facility will also serve oceangoing ships. Lake vessels represent about 85 percent of Duluth-Superior’s average annual ship calls.

Murphy Oil USA, Inc., is based in Eldorado, Ark., and has owned and operated an oil refinery in Superior since 1958. Most of the maritime fuel will be produced at the Superior refinery.