What IS that? (pic)

I would guess it is some sort of turbine, but for WHAT is the question, that thing is HUGE... Maybe a large ship or a power plant?

Yeah, kind of reminds me of something on Firefly

Anal probe...and they're coming for you...

Pic was taken near NOLA

Drill

Vibrator?

some type of drill head???

So everyone thinks it's a drill and I'm sure it's something like that- any thoughts on what it would be heading to in NOLA?

nuke plant steam turbine

This is along the lines of what I think it is. Whatever it is it is definitely NOT a drill of any sort I am pretty sure of that...

[link to www.youtube.com]

That is the central stem of a rock crusher.

really too huge to be a drill head, even a tunnel borer. if you look at the pic, barge bow side has multiple flanges. stern side has one HUGE flange, and a flow smoothing cone. also notice that the ring-like portions of the body are 2 different sizes, with what appears to be some type of very large panel mounted between them in the "wasp waist" section. the 2 ring portions are a compound turbine (smaller high pressure, larger low pressure). the "panel" is the actual gen set. that is a mac daddy of a set-up, it really resembles a siemens rig i found a pic of (the pic only had the high side turbine though, so i didnt bother to post a link). one way for OP to find out is check out the tug company logo on his full size pic, and call and ask. if the tuggies dont know, they can tell what barge company it was, and they WILL know without a doubt. just takes a polite phone call or 2

Janet Napolitano's vibrator.

I don't know but I remember someone posting a picture of something that looked just like that being transported by 18 wheeler on Interstate 40..back in June I think.

this object is over 100 ft long, and roughly 40 ft or so in diameter at its widest point... no 18 wheeler on the planet could move that.

spire for a cathedral

Idiots, That is one of those huge wind turbines, they can't ship them with the blades and tails attached.

Would be sweet to hijack that barge, free electricity for my farm forever! Just need to hijack the blade and tail fin shipment too.

Hit the dirt, that is a barge bomb !!!

A minaret?

Yeah, that looks exactly like a turbine from a power plant.

Those saying it's a drill; it isn't. Modern industrial drills look like this:

[link to cdn.theatlantic.com]

satellite?