Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) will expand its Louisiana shipyard operations at the Port of Terrebonne. The $10 million investment will help bring 1,000 new jobs at an annual average salary of $54,000 to the state.

"We at Edison Chouest Offshore are proud of our Louisiana heritage and are excited about the creation of 1,000 jobs in Terrebonne Parish," said Gary Chouest, president of Edison Chouest Offshore.

At the Port of Terrebonne, Edison Chouest Offshore, through its sister company LaShip, will build vessels to support growing deepwater offshore oil and gas industry needs for vessels with hull lengths greater than 350 feet.

The state is expected to provide $10 million to support infrastructure improvements at the Port of Terrebonne to accommodate the company's expansion investment. The Port of Terrebonne also will receive a $4 million grant from the Governor's Rapid Response Fund to complete the infrastructure improvements.

"This exciting project is a terrific example of the opportunities we can generate by supporting the growth of existing Louisiana businesses," said Stephen Moret, secretary of Louisiana Economic Development.

Edison Chouest Offshore owns and operates offshore marine support vessels worldwide. The company provides the largest number of special-purpose vessels to support the U.S. government and operates the largest independently owned fleet of offshore research vessels. Its proprietary vessel designs have propelled the company to worldwide leadership in deepwater exploration and development in the offshore oil and gas industry.

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