The Port of Houston creates jobs and economic success for the local, regional, and state economies. When the Port of Houston has grown, so has the City of Houston. The Port of Houston Authority is responsible for an area that contains the Houston Ship Channel and the bayous and streams in Harris County, 67.6 kilometers (42 miles) of railroad right-of-way, six thousand acres of dredged material areas at 13 sites, and areas of the Port of Houston where other entities have permits granted by the Port Commission.

The Port of Houston Authority is the sponsor for the Houston Ship Channel and is responsible for managing the Channel, protecting the waterway environment, and assuring the free flow of commerce in the Port of Houston. Specific responsibilities of the Port of Houston Authority include:

• Managing and coordinating dredging projects in the Port of Houston with the US Army Corps of Engineers and private terminals;
• Managing the Port of Houston's 13 dredged material areas (DMA) and entering into DMA Agreements with private interests;
• Administering permits for building docks, bulkheads, and wharves and for leasing submerged land;
• Managing and administering licenses for pipelines, cables, and transmission lines in the Port of Houston, including right-of-entry and seismic exploration;
• Managing and coordinating a project to deepen and widen the Houston Ship Channel and using dredged material to create about 4250 acres of wetland in Galveston Bay;
• Advising the US Coast Guard when there are navigational safety issues within the Port of Houston Authority's area of responsibility; and
• Managing and coordination new Port of Houston initiatives like Electronic Navigation Systems and Geographic Information Systems to improve safety and efficient management of port infrastructure and assets.

In 2011, the Port of Houston handled over 33.5 million tons of cargo, including 23.4 million tons of general cargo and 10.1 million tons of bulk cargo, excluding the Bayport Chemical complex traffic. Within the general cargo category, the Port of Houston handled 16.9 million tons of containerized cargo, 4.3 million tons of steel, and 2.2 million tons of miscellaneous general cargo.

In 2011, the Port of Houston handled 1.4 million TEUs of containerized cargo, including 873.1 thousand TEUs of exports and 570.5 thousand TEUs of imports. Of the total exports leaving the Port of Houston, 35% (or 308.9 thousand TEUs) was resins and plastics, 14% (or 122.9 thousand TEUs) was chemicals and minerals, 10% (or 86.9 thousand TEUs) was food and drink, and 10% (or 86.2 thousand TEUs) was machinery, appliances, and electronics. Other containerized exports included automotive products (56.6 thousand TEUs), fabrics and raw cotton (40.8 thousand TEUs), apparel and accessories (26.7 thousand TEUs), steel and metals (25.7 thousand TEUs), retail consumer goods (23.9 thousand TEUs), hardware and construction materials (21.5 thousand TEUs), and furniture (4.1 thousand TEUs). Almost 40% of containerized exports leaving the Port of Houston in 2011 from Europe and the Mediterranean region, and over 24% of containerized exports went to South America. India and the Middle East received 13% of the containerized exports leaving the Port of Houston.

Food and drink represented 20% (109.5 thousand TEUs) of imported containerized cargo entering the Port of Houston. Miscellaneous cargoes of 85.2 thousand TEUs represented 15% of containerized imports in the Port of Houston. Other imported containerized cargo included retail consumer goods (63.5 thousand TEUs); machinery, appliances, and electronics (56.2 thousand TEUs); hardware and construction materials (55.3 thousand TEUs); steel and metals (54.9 thousand TEUs); resins and plastics (30.9 thousand TEUs); automotive products (22.1 thousand TEUs); furniture (21.7 thousand TEUs); apparel and accessories (15.8 thousand TEUs); and fabrics including raw cotton (7.2 thousand TEUs). Europe and the Mediterranean region contributed almost 43% of the containerized imports arriving at the Port of Houston in 2011, and 22% came from the Far East.

The Port of Houston Authority owns, operates, and leases public facilities that include the Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals and the general cargo terminals located at the Turning Basin.

• Container terminals

Located at the mouth of Galveston Bay about 3.5 hours sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico, the Barbours Cut Container Terminal in the Port of Houston handles the majority of all containerized cargo traveling the United States' Gulf of Mexico. The Port of Houston's Barbours Cut Container Terminal also handles roll-on/roll-off and project cargoes. Web-based systems at the terminal allow shippers to make bookings, and truckers and brokers can monitor those bookings. On-line services also include berth applications and information on vessel and holiday scheduling, traffic at terminal gates, and maps for facilities. An ambitious plan to modernize the Port of Houston's Barbours Cut Container Terminal includes new cranes, dock improvements, and lighting.

The Barbours Cut Container Terminal in the Port of Houston has a total of 1.8 kilometers (six thousand feet) of continuous quay equipped with nine wharf cranes. In addition to the roll-on/roll-off platform and a LASH dock, the Port of Houston's Barbours Cut Container Terminal has 230 acres of paved marshaling area, 2.1 hectares of warehouse that includes a refrigerated food warehouse, and large open marshaling and storage areas. Containers are tracked through a computerized inventory control system.

The Barbours Cut Channel in the Port of Houston is 2.4 kilometers (1.3 nautical miles) long and 91.4 meters (300 feet) wide with a depth of 12.2 meters (40 feet). The Port of Houston Authority's berths are 45.7 meters (150 feet) wide, and they are dredged to the same depth as the channel. The Barbours Cut turning basin in the Port of Houston has a diameter of 487.7 meters (1600 feet), accommodating vessels to 406.3 meters (1333 feet) in length. The Port of Houston's Barbours Cut Container Terminal includes grounded slots for almost 27.7 thousand TEUs and 2700 wheeled slots that include 392 440-volt reefer slots.

Docks C1 through C6 and the LASH dock at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal in the Port of Houston have a draft of 12.2 meters (40 feet), and each of these docks is 304.8 meters (one thousand feet) in length. Dock C7 is also 304.8 meters but has a draft of 9.8 meters (32 feet). There are a 50-slot United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ramp and a 9.3-hectare warehouse with a cargo-handling area of 58 acres at this Port of Houston terminal. The LASH dock is 86 meters (282 feet) long, with available vessel space of 243.8 meters (800 feet) and alongside depth of 3.4 meters (11 feet). The LASH dock has two 10-hectare sheds and a 5.5-hectare Container Freight Station.

The Port of Houston's Barbours Cut Container Terminal has 235 acres of developed land including 130 acres at docks C1 through C5. The terminal building and gates cover 33 acres, and there are another 14 acres at the docks. The East Roll-on/Roll-off ramp covers 44 acres. The breakbulk terminal and warehouse at this Port of Houston terminal are 58 acres.

The Port of Houston's Barbours Cut Container Terminal is equipped with nine 15.2-meter (50-foot) gauge ship-to-shore container-handling gantry cranes and 36 rubber-tyred gantry cranes. Other yard equipment includes 31 yard hustlers, 80 bomb-cart chassis, two 45-ton top-loader container handlers, and three 7-ton empty stackers. Docks C1 through C6 are each equipped with ten 200-ton shore cranes and can accommodate up to one thousand pounds per square foot. There is a cruise terminal at Dock C7 that is equipped with a 300-ton shore crane.

The Port of Houston's Barbours Cut Container Terminal has rail facility near the terminal dock and a nearby intermodal rail ramp with spurs to the terminal warehouses. The 42-acre rail ramp has four working tracks of about 823 meters (2700 feet) long, five 685.8-meter (2250-foot) storage tracks, and 730 wheeled container spaces. Entirely paved with concrete, the facility has wheeled operations only.

Three overhead cranes handle containers at the rail facility, each with capacity for 30 moves an hour. Open from Monday through Friday from 7am until 5pm, ITS Technologies operates the rail facility. The main railroad companies are Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Union Pacific, and the Port Terminal Railroad Association [PTRA] (providing access to industries along the Ship Channel).

The Bayport Terminal in the Port of Houston is the US Gulf Coast's most modern and environmentally-sound container terminal. When completed, the Port of Houston's Bayport Terminal will have seven berths with capacity for 2.3 million TEUs. The Bayport Container Terminal has 376 acres of container yard and a 123-acre intermodal facility. The terminal is equipped with a computerized inventory control system that tracks individual containers.

The Bayport Container Terminal in the Port of Houston is designed to preserve 956 acres of coastal habitat, preserve 200 acres of new marshland, create or improve 173 acres of wetlands, and include a 128-acre buffer zone. The Bayport Container Terminal is expected to generate over 32 thousand jobs and add $1.6 billion to the State's economy.

The Bayport Channel is about 6.5 kilometers (3.5 nautical miles) long, 91.4 meters (300 feet) wide, and has a depth of 12.2 meters (40 feet). The Port of Houston Authority berths at the Bayport Container Terminal are 68.6 meters (225 feet) wide, and they are dredged to the same depth as the channel. The 487.7-meter (1600-foot) diameter turning basin can accommodate vessels to 406.3 meters (1333 feet) in length.

The Port of Houston's Bayport Container Terminal has four container docks with a total quay of 1006 meters (3300 feet) with alongside depth of 12.2 meters (40 feet). Dock T-2 is 91.4 meters (300 feet) long, and Docks T-3 through T-5 are each 304.8 meters (1000 feet) long. The BPT Cruise Terminal/Lay Dock located at the Port of Houston's Bayport Container Terminal is also 304.8 meters (1000 feet) long.

The Bayport Container Terminal in the Port of Houston has a four-door 334.5 square meter (3600 square foot) customs inspection warehouse and a 50-slot USDA inspection ramp. The terminal has 193 acres of developed land and 63.4 acres of grounded loaded container space at Docks T-2 through T-5. There are two grounded empty yards at the Port of Houston's Bayport Container Terminal including 12 acres at the Houston Terminal empty yard and 13.6 acres at the Terminal Link Texas empty yard. There are 610 container slots at the Bayport Container Terminal and 544 440-volt refrigerated container slots.

The Port of Houston's Bayport Container Terminal is equipped with nine (30.5-meter) 100-foot ship-to-shore container-handling gantry cranes including six post-Panamax and three super post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes. The terminal also has 27 rubber-tyred gantry cranes, 14 yard hustlers, 60 bomb-cart chassis, and one 45-ton top-loader container handler.

• Bulk and breakbulk terminals

The Port of Houston's Turning Basin Terminal is a multi-purpose 37-wharf facility located near (12.9 kilometers or eight miles) from downtown Houston. The navigational head of the Houston Ship Channel, the Turning Basin Terminal is 83.7 kilometers (52 miles) from the Gulf of Mexico. Within eight kilometers (five miles) of Interstate Highways 10 and 45, the Turning Basin Terminal is served by over 150 truck lines.

The docks at the Turning Basin Terminal in the Port of Houston can handle any kind of cargo from breakbulk to containers to project and heavy-lift cargo. This Port of Houston terminal can handle odd-shaped and large cargoes, long-term project cargo, and vehicles. All wharves (excluding Wharves 1 to 4) are served by rail. The PTRA provides switching services to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads.

Every wharf at the Turning Basin, except Wharves 1 through 4, is served by rail. The Port Terminal Railroad Association provides switching service Burlington Northern-Santa Fe and Union Pacific. More than 150 truck lines serve the Turning Basin, which is located just five miles from I-10 and I-45.

Located 14.5 kilometers (nine miles) downstream from the Turning Basin Terminal at Greens Bayou is the Port of Houston Bulk Materials Handling Plant. This dry bulk import/export facility can handle bulk cargoes from sand to heavy cargoes. The plant has a high-speed loading system and an advanced dust-collection system that allow handling of very dusty goods. Kinder Morgan operates the Bulks Material Handling Plant under a long-term lease with the Port of Houston Authority. While the plant has capacity to operate 24 hours per day, its regular hours are from 8am until 5pm on Monday through Friday.

The Bulk Materials Handling Plant in the Port of Houston can accommodate (without a pilot) vessels to 228.6 meters (750 feet) long with a 35.4-meter (116 foot) beam, and longer vessels can use the handling plant if they use a pilot. The working dock is 198.1 meters (650 feet) long, and the total berth length, including the lay berth area, is 399.3 meters (1310 feet) with alongside depth of 12.2 meters (40 feet).

Private companies provide outside storage in the Port of Houston next to the Bulk Materials Handling Plant in the Port of Houston. There is also property available for short- and long-term lease through the Port of Houston Authority. The waterfront tracts at the handling plant are well-suited for processing, packaging, and distribution facilities.

The Port of Houston's Bulk Materials Handling Plan is near Interstate Highways 10 and 45, and nearly 150 motor freight lines use the Port of Houston. The PTRA serves this Port of Houston facility with links to Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads.

The 32-acre Care Terminal is located near Channelview, Texas, on the Port of Houston Ship Channel. The Port of Houston's Care Terminal has recently been improved, and a new state-of-the-art wharf was created for project and heavy-lift cargoes. The PTRA links port rail with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads.

The Care Terminal in the Port of Houston has easy access to road networks, and PTRA switching services link on-site rail sidings with major railroads. The Care terminal has 335.3 meters (1100 feet) of berthing space, 15 acres of paved open storage, and a 3.7 thousand square meter (45 thousand square foot) warehouse. Coastal Cargo of Texas operates the Port of Houston's Care Terminal under a long-term lease with the Port of Houston Authority. The terminal is open from Monday through Friday from 8am until 5pm, but it can be operated 24 hours per day when necessary.

Covering six acres, Wharf 1 (JP-4) at the Care Terminal in the Port of Houston is 152.4 meters (500 feet) long with alongside depth of 11 meters (36 feet). Covering four acre, Wharf 2 (JP-5) at the Care Terminal is 118.4 meters (618 feet) long with alongside depth of 11.6 meters (38 feet). Each of these Port of Houston wharves is equipped with a 300-ton shore crane. There are a 4.6-hectare transit shed and 15 acres of paved open storage adjacent to Wharf 1.

Located near Channelview, Texas, on the Port of Houston Ship Channel, the 125-acre Jacintoport Terminal is operated by a Seaboard Marine corporation (Jacintoport International) under a long-term lease with the Port of Houston Authority. This Port of Houston terminal is normally open from 8am until 5pm on Monday through Friday, but arrangements can be made so that it operates 24 hours per day.

The Port of Houston's Jacintoport Terminal has three berths with a total of 559.6 meters (1836 feet) of continuous quay and alongside depth of 11.6 meters (38 feet). Wharf JP-1 is 193.9 meters (636 feet) long, and Wharves JP-2 and JP-3 are each 182.9 meters (600 feet) long.

This Port of Houston terminal has 7.5 acres of paved marshaling area next to the wharves, and a 7.7 thousand meter (82.5 thousand square foot) transit shed is located next to JP-3. Jacintoport Terminal in the Port of Houston has a 4.6-hectare warehouse that contains a rail area and truck bays so that cargo is protected from weather while it is loaded/unloaded. This Port of Houston terminal also has a 4.6 acre refrigerated facility. Within the lease area, there is additional acreage for back-up storage.

The Port of Houston's Jacintoport Terminal has a "Spiralveyor" bagged cargo handling system that loads ships quickly and efficiently. There is on-site bagging equipment that packages corn, rice, oats, wheat, soybeans, and other food products at the terminal.

The PTRA provides rail services for the Port of Houston's Jacintoport Terminal that connect with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads. With easy access to Interstate Highway 10 and Houston's Beltway 8, the Port of Houston is served by nearly 150 motor freight lines.

The Port of Houston's Wharf 32 is designed to handle heavy-lift and project cargos. This state-of-the-art handling facility has 245.7 meters (806 feet) of berthing space with alongside depth of 11.6 meters (38 feet), and its 20 acres of paved marshaling yard allow for all sizes of cargo.

The Port of Houston's versatile Woodhouse Terminal is located in Galena Park on the north side of the ship channel near the Sims Bayou junction just downstream from the Turning Basin Terminal. The Woodhouse Terminal has three general cargo wharves, a public elevator, and a roll-on/roll-off ramp. GP Terminals (a joint venture between Gulf Stream Marine and Shippers Stevedoring) operates the Woodhouse Terminal in the Port of Houston. The Port of Houston's Woodhouse Terminal is open from 8am until 5pm on Monday through Friday, and appointments can be made for the terminal at other hours.

The Port of Houston's Woodhouse Terminal has three wharves that can accommodate vessels to 228 meters (750 feet). Covering 2.2 acres, Wharf H-1 is 201.2 meters (660 feet) long with alongside depth of 11.9 meters (39 feet). With alongside depth of 10.7 meters, Wharf H-2 is 182.9 meters (600 feet) long and Wharf H-3 is 198.1 meters (650 feet) long. Wharf H-2 covers about 1.5 acres, and Wharf H-3 covers 1.6 acres. Wharf H-3 also has capacity for roll-on/roll-off cargo.

Each wharf is equipped with a 200-ton shore crane. The Woodhouse Terminal in the Port of Houston has 2.2 hectares of covered storage in three transit sheds and about ten acres of open storage. There is also back-up acreage in the Port of Houston available for storage. The Woodhouse Terminal in the Port of Houston is served directly by Union Pacific railroad and has access to Burlington Northern Santa Fe.

The Houston Public Elevator is located in the Woodhouse Terminal in Galena Park near the Sims Bayou junction. Operating since 1993, the Port of Houston's Public Elevator No. 2 is continuously upgraded to maintain its state-of-the-art status. The fully-automated elevator has storage capacity for 1.9 thousand US barrels (6.2 million bushels) of grain and loading capacity for 36.6 US barrels (120 thousand bushels) per hour.

Louis Dreyfus operates Public Elevator No. 2 on a long-term lease with the Port of Houston Authority. In addition to cargo handling, the elevator provides application of malathion and red dye as well as fumigation and screening services. This Port of Houston elevator normally operates from 8am until 5pm on Monday through Friday, but arrangements can be made for 24-hour operations.

The Port of Houston's Public Elevator can accommodate vessels of 228.6 meters (750 feet) long without pilot assistance. Wharf H-4 is 182.8 meters (600 feet) long with alongside depth of 12.2 meters (40 feet).

The Port of Houston's Public Elevator is directly served by Union Pacific and has connections to Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Louis Dreyfus provides internal plant switching services. With easy access to Interstate Highway 10, nearly 150 motor freight lines serve the facility.

The Port of Houston's general cargo terminals can handle any kind of cargo. Around 65% of the breakbulk cargo in the United States is handled at the Port of Houston, and project cargo is a port specialty.

The Northside Turning Basin facilities in the Port of Houston total 255.4 hectares and include 25 docks (CD-08 to CD-32) with a total length of 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) with alongside depths ranging from 11 to 9.4 meters (36 to 30.9 feet). There is also an 18.5-acre back-up area at the Port of Houston's Northside Turning Basin.

The Southside Turning Basin facilities in the Port of Houston total 4.3 acres and include eight docks with a total length of 892.2 meters (2927 feet) with alongside depths from 7.6 to 10.1 meters (25 to 33.1 feet).

• Oil / Liquid terminals

The second biggest petrochemical complex in the world runs along 40.2 kilometers (25 miles) of the 84-kilometer (52-mile) long Port of Houston Ship Channel. The petrochemical complex includes oil refineries, petrochemical facilities, and oil-related industries like asphalt plants and fuel bunkering.

The Port of Houston's Manchester Terminal is a 15.5-acre liquid bulk facility leased by Oxid L.P., Westway Terminal Company, South Coast Terminal, and Valero. The terminal has two docks with alongside depth of 11 meters (36 feet). The docks are 152.4 and 173.7 meters (500 and 570 feet) in length. These Port of Houston berths are available on a first-come first-served basis, and average turn-around for vessels ranges from two to three days.

The Port of Houston's Manchester Terminal is near the 200-acre Industrial Park West and the 115-acre Industrial Park East. Manchester Terminal in the Port of Houston is equipped with a 40-ton container crane, and mobile truck cranes can be rented from private companies.

The PTRA supports the Manchester Terminal facility in the Port of Houston and offers regular links with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads. The Manchester Terminal also has easy access to Interstate Highways 10 and 45, facilitating efficient motor freight carriers.

The Port of Houston has two berths in Sims Bayou that are operated by Texas Petrochemicals. Berth A, a ship dock for bulk liquid cargoes, is 32 meters (105 feet) long and can accommodate vessels to 73.5 meters (241 feet). Berth B, a barge dock for bulk liquids, is 24.7 meters (81 feet) long and can accommodate vessels to 61.3 meters (201 feet).

• Port services

The Port of Houston Authority manages a foreign trade zone (FTZ) made up of private- and port-owned sites across Harris County and Houston. The Port of Houston FTZ offers many advantages for shippers. The Port of Houston is in an ideal location for distributing goods to the United States' West and Midwest regions, particularly because of the city's links to nationwide interstate highways, railroad networks, and many airlines. FTZ facilities serving the Port of Houston include warehouses, storage and blending for liquid bulk cargoes, storage for steel and pipes, and pipe end fishing and heat treating. The Port of Houston FTZ has over 700 acres of land and building space for development and lease.

The Port of Houston Authority offers a free public tour aboard the 29-meter (95-foot) M/V Sam Houston with capacity for as many as 90 passengers. The vessel has air-conditioned lounge seating. The tour is a round-trip 90-minute cruise along the Houston Ship Channel. The tour departs from the Port of Houston's Sam Houston Pavilion. The tour is free, although reservations must be made at least 24 hours ahead of time. Passengers can register online at any time or by phone (713-670-2416) from Monday through Friday from 10am until 4pm.

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