PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. (January 26, 2005) -- The Broward County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a contract between the Port Everglades Department and international energy consultant Purvin & Gertz, Inc. to conduct a comprehensive study of the current and future needs of the petroleum sector at the seaport.

“Port Everglades began as a petroleum port back in the 1930s and has grown exponentially along with South Florida’s growing population.  When we look towards the future, we need a strategy to provide guidance for the development of the Port’s petroleum infrastructure and its ability to reliably serve the petroleum needs of South Florida.” said Port Director Ken Krauter.

The study, contracted for $542,971 over an eight-month period, will provide the County with insight about how to prepare the Port’s facilities to meet the petroleum industry’s expected growth in South Florida through 2020 and beyond.  

Port Everglades is South Florida’s distribution center for petroleum – including gasoline, jet fuel, fuel oil, diesel fuel, propane, aviation gasoline and asphalt.  The petroleum terminal operators at the Port supply gasoline and petroleum products, fully and partially, to 12 counties in South Florida.

In recent years, a higher demand for petroleum and petroleum products has pumped up volumes at Port Everglades to record levels in fiscal year 2004 (Oct. 1, 2003 through Sept. 30, 2004).

Petroleum, which is measured by the number of barrels, grew by 3.9 percent from 119,100,503 barrels in FY2003 to a record 123,734,414 barrels in FY2004.  Revenue is up 15 percent from $19,803,802 in FY2003 to $22,734,391 in FY 2004 led by gasoline, which was up 6.6 percent.

Founded in 1947, Purvin & Gertz, Inc. is an independent energy industry consulting firm with headquarters in Houston, Texas and an international network of offices in the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America and Asia.  The employee-owned firm, provides technical, commercial and strategic advice concerning the oil, natural gas, gas liquids, chemical and power generation industries.  More information about Purvin & Gertz, Inc., can be found on the company’s web site at http://purvingertz.com.

The Port Everglades Department is a self-supporting Enterprise Fund of Broward County government that does not rely on local tax dollars. The Port provides more than 11,700 direct jobs and generates $2.1 billion in business activity and $667.8 million in personal income annually in Broward County.  

More information on Port Everglades, which is governed by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners, is available on the Internet at www.broward.org/port or by calling (954) 523-3404.