River Freight

During the 20th Century a lot of cargo which was typically transported on rivers and canals was switched to heavy goods vehicles. However in many countries, there is now a growing trend to re-use the rivers for cargo transportation purposes.

WELL has considerable experience in using inland waterways particularly in relation to heavy and out of gauge cargo. With so many restrictions on the roads with low bridges, street furniture obstacles as well as the requirement to have police escorts there is often good reason to consider the waterways.

A good example of the depth of experience we have in this area goes back to 2001 when the founding partners of WELL played a pioneering role in the transportation of the modules for the DSS-20 oil rig transported from Singapore to Baku, Azerbaijan through the Volga-Don canal. This shipment consisted of 2 pontoons, each weighing in at 2500 tons and measuring 90 metres in length, four columns, each weighing approximately 360 tons and a drill floor at 540 tons.

The transportation process was complex with the pontoons being wet towed through the waterway and the columns and drill floor being loaded onto specially equipped barges. The cargo was successfully delivered into the Caspian Sea in less than 50 days and has since been fully assembled and has completed drilling programs.

As a multi-modal service provider we will always consider the use of rivers and inland waterways as a viable option, when considering the most appropriate and cost effective logistics solution for our clients needs.