KIRBY CORP

The Company operates within the United States inland tank barge industry, a diverse and independent mixture of approximately 25 large integrated transportation companies and small operators, as well as captive fleets owned by refining and petrochemical companies. The inland tank barge industry provides marine transportation of bulk liquid cargoes for customers and, in the case of captives, for their own account, throughout the Mississippi River and its tributaries and on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The most significant markets in this industry include the transportation of petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products, and agricultural chemicals. The Company operates in each of these markets. The use of marine transportation by the petroleum and petrochemical industry is a major reason for the location of United States refineries and petrochemical facilities on navigable inland waterways. Texas and Louisiana currently account for approximately 80% of the United States production of petrochemicals. Much of the United States farm belt is likewise situated with access to the inland waterway system, relying on marine transportation of farm products, including agricultural chemicals. The Company’s principal distribution system encompasses the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway from Brownsville, Texas, to Port St. Joe, Florida, the Mississippi River System and the Houston Ship Channel. The Mississippi River System includes the Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Red, Tennessee, Yazoo, Ouachita and Black Warrior Rivers and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

The number of tank barges that operate on the inland waterways of the United States increased from 2,750 in 2006 to approximately 4,000 by the end of 2019. The increase from 2,750 tank barges in 2006 to approximately 4,000 by the end of 2019 primarily resulted from increased barge construction and deferred retirements due to strong demand and resulting capacity shortages. The number of industry tank barges has remained relatively constant from 2019 through the end of 2023. The Company’s 1,076 inland tank barges represent approximately 27% of the industry’s approximately 4,007 inland tank barges.

For 2022, the Company estimates that industry-wide, 22 new tank barges were placed in service and retirements, net of reactivations, were flat. For 2023, the Company estimates that industry-wide 27 new tank barges were placed in service and 48 tank barges were retired. During 2021, the Company’s inland barge utilization improved to the mid-to high 80% range by the fourth quarter as the economy began to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. During 2022, the Company’s inland barge utilization improved to the low 90% range reflecting increased activity levels as a result of higher refinery and petrochemical plant utilization. During 2023, the Company’s inland barge utilization remained in the low 90% range as improved activity levels were offset by lock closures and several refinery outages. The Company estimates that approximately 25 to 30 new tank barges have currently been ordered for delivery in 2024. Generally, the risk of an oversupply of tank barges may be mitigated by increased petrochemical, black oil and refined petroleum products volumes from increased production from current facilities, plant expansions, the opening of new facilities, and the fact that the inland tank barge industry has approximately 600 tank barges that are 30 years old or older and approximately 400 of those are 40 years old or older, which could lead to retirement of these older tank barges. The average age of the nation’s inland tank barge fleet is approximately 18 years.

The Company’s inland division of KMT also owns a shifting operation and fleeting facility for dry cargo barges and tank barges on the Houston Ship Channel, in Freeport and Port Arthur, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana, and a shipyard for building inland towboats and providing routine maintenance on marine vessels. The Company also owns a two-thirds interest in Osprey Line, L.L.C. (“Osprey”), a transporter of project cargoes and cargo containers by barge on the United States inland waterway system.