Houston Channel Importance Swelled as Oil, Gas Exports Rose
- More and larger ships making calls on second-busiest U.S. port
- Waterway supports roughly 12 percent of U.S. refining
A ship is docked on the Houston Ship Channel.
Photographer: Loren Elliott/AFP via Getty Images
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On a normal day, 42 tankers, 19 freighters, 391 barges, 128 ferries and 2 cruise ships will move through the Houston Ship Channel. On any given day, one of those tankers may be as long as 1,500 feet.
The last week, though, has been anything but normal.