PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT [Abstract]

(8)	PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

At December 31, 2011 and 2010, property, plant, and equipment consisted of the following:

	Depreciable Lives		2011		2010

Land		-	$	19,446	$	20,200
Improvements to land and buildings	10-25 years			73,432		53,655
Transportation equipment	3-7 years			1,848		1,816
Storage equipment	5-20 years			68,297		62,372
Marine vessels	4-25 years			228,043		226,376
Operating equipment	3-20 years			265,314		253,271
Furniture, fixtures and other equipment	3-20 years			2,327		1,656
Construction in progress				52,345		13,110
			$	711,052	$	632,456

Depreciation expense for the year ended December 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009 was $41,437, $38,085, and $37,027, respectively, which includes amortization of fixed assets acquired under capital lease obligations of $280, $280, and $116 for 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively. Gross assets under capital leases were $7,764 at December 31, 2011 and 2010. Accumulated amortization associated with capital leases was $675 and $396 at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and other types of furniture and equipment including, but not limited to, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment and software. This disclosure may include property plant and equipment accounting policies and methodology, a schedule of property, plant and equipment gross, additions, deletions, transfers and other changes, depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, net, accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization expense and useful lives, income statement disclosures, assets held for sale and public utility disclosures.

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