Ship Photos of the Day – Panama Canal Conducts Trial Transit Through the Expanded Cocoli Locks

News from Panama / Thursday, June 23rd, 2016
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A U.S.-built crane ship was used to conduct a trial transit of the Panama Canal’s new Cocoli Locks on Monday ahead of next week’s inauguration of the Expanded Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal Authority reports that the Panama-flagged vessel, named Oceanus, was maneuvered through the Pacific-facing Cocoli Locks by Panama Canal Pilots Fernando Jaén and Ricardo Varela.

The inauguration of the Expanded Panama Canal will take place on Sunday, June 26 with the first commercial transit of the COSCO Shipping Panama containership. Commercial operations will begin the following day.

The trial run of the Oceanus follows transit testing of the Atlantic-facing Agua Clara locks earlier this month using the 255-meter-long, 43m wide bulk carrier, MV Baroque.

A floating gate opens as a Panama flagged crane ship named Oceanus navigates through Cocoli locks during a test of the new set of locks of the Panama Canal expansion project on the Pacific side in Cocoli, on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama, June 20, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

A Panama flagged crane ship named Oceanus navigates through Cocoli locks during a test of the new set of locks of the Panama Canal expansion project on the Pacific side in Cocoli, on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama, June 20, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso

A Panama flagged crane ship named Oceanus navigates through Cocoli locks during a test of the new set of locks of the Panama Canal expansion project on the Pacific side in Cocoli, on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama, June 20, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Jasso