When will the widening of the canal be complete and will it be able to
handle 145,000 cum LNG shops when complete?

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Clarification of Question by bill22-ga on 25 Jan 2006 22:26 PST

should read panama canal

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Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 27 Jan 2006 00:06 PST

Hello bill22-ga,

I thought finding an answer to your question would be quick and easy.
I assumed that there would be an official Panama Canal website and it
would have up-to-date information about construction projects on the
canal. Locating the website for the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) was
easy. Accessing their summary of programs and projects was also easy.
Getting a clear and conclusive answer on the status of the widening of
the canal has proven very difficult.

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/projects/index.html
Programs & Projects
The Canal is always undergoing improvement and maintenance works.
Keeping the waterway in operational shape takes hundreds of skilled
personnel and endless hours of planning and execution. Find out more
about the processes going on now.

Some widening projects have been completed but others are still under
consideration. The completed projects don?t allow the canal passage
for LNG carriers. The current Panamax standard are as follows:

http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/glossary.html
Panamax. A maritime standard corresponding to about 65,000 deadweight
tons. Refer to a ship with dimensions that allow it to pass through
the Panama canal: maximum length 295 m, maximum beam overall 32.25 m,
maximum draught 13.50 m.

Some of the proposed widening projects would accommodate even the
largest post-Panamax ships. There are a variety of proposals under
consideration and all involve a lot of politics.

Will you accept a summary of my findings as an answer even though I
can?t give you a simple and clear-cut answer to your question? Please
tell me more about the context of your question so I can get you the
information you need.

I look forward to your clarification.

~ czh ~

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Clarification of Question by bill22-ga on 27 Jan 2006 18:21 PST

I am going to need a little bit more than a summary but an educated
guess would be good. I think you will have to dig a little
deeper.Recently there was a discovery program on the widenening ( the
really big one for huge ships)showing the work that was currently
going on but I did not hear a finish date. I am sure the inforamtion
is out there since capital lenders want to know when they will get
there money back. Everyone knows it is in the works but no one seems
to have the specifics down ( ie mon=bilization stages etc.). I also
know that the Army Corp of Engineers has half the contract. That
should help you get more detailed information.