Kirby’s KEX first-quarter revenue fell 1% from last year. The decline was driven by anemic demand for United’s pressure pumping units, tempered by solid inland trends and improvement in coastal operations. The marine transportation business (75% of first-quarter sales) saw revenue increase 25%, thanks to persistent petrochemical and crude oil shipment demand, which is supporting 90%- plus inland-fleet utilization and favorable pricing. Market conditions in … Continue reading Kirby’s Coastal Operations Continue to Improve in the First Quarter