Dredge vessel Queen of the Netherlands arrives

The Queen of the Netherlands, one of the world's most technologically advanced dredging vessels, arrives in Melbourne.

The Queen of the Netherlands will be the main vessel to undertake dredging as part of the Channel. The vessel will be highly visible as she transits Port Phillip Heads. Mr. Stephen Bradford, CEO of the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) said: 'The 'Queen of the Netherlands' is state of the art dredging technology and is recognized as an environmentally responsible and sustainable method of dredging in the bay. The vessel has had to comply with extensive environmental, social and economic criteria and has been assessed in line with world's best practice. 'The vessel will operate under what are quite possibly the strictest environmental controls ever seen for a dredging project anywhere in the world, and its technologically advanced features will minimize disruption to the bay to as low as practicably possible.' The Queen of the Netherlands is a self–propelled, highly manoeuvrable vessel known as a Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge. The advantage of this vessel is its ability to load its own hold or 'hopper' while moving or 'trailing' slowly along a pre–set course. The vessel removes material from the seabed via suction pipes that lead from its side. The material is then stored on the vessel and deposited at a designated location in the bay.
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Sunken cruise ship located

The Royal Navy Ice patrol ship 'HMS Endurance', which amongst other tasks is carrying survey work in the Antarctic, has located the wreck of a cruise liner, which sank last year.

The work was carried out on behalf of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office to improve Safety of Life at Sea products and services. Merchant Vessel 'Explorer' hit ice and sank just south of the South Shetland Islands off the Antarctic Peninsula in November with all 86 passengers and 66 crew safely rescued. Whilst conducting hydrographic survey work of the area 'Endurance' pinpointed the position of the wreck. The wreck's position is at the north-west end of the Bransfield Strait, and was located at a depth of approximately 1130 metres. The actual location is at 620 24.2929' south 570 11.7748' west. It is judged that the depth of the wreck showed that it presented no hazard to shipping. At the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 'HMS Endurance' undertook a search for the wreck of 'Explorer' to ascertain its position, assess the likely condition of the vessel on the seabed and observe any ongoing fuel seepage or other evidence of pollution. The survey work contributes markedly to the Safety of Life At Sea in the Antarctic region, which is taking on more significance with the annually increasing number of passengers in cruise liners visiting this breathtaking wilderness.
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Historic ships handed £31m boost

Two of the UK's most famous historic ships are to be given a £31m boost out of lottery funds.

Some £21m has been awarded to the world's oldest surviving warship, the 16th Century Mary Rose, to build a museum around her in Portsmouth. Another £10m will go to help restore the Victorian tea clipper the Cutty Sark at Greenwich in southeast London. The ship was badly damaged by fire in dry dock part way through a £25m conservation project in May last year. The Mary Rose was Henry VIII's flagship and spent centuries at the bottom of the Solent after sinking in 1545. It was raised to the surface in 1982 after being rediscovered, and is now one of Portsmouth's major tourist attractions. The Cutty Sark was due to reopen to the public in November 2009 but work will take another year to complete following the fire. Scott & Linton in Dumbarton to transport tea from China built the 900-tonne ship in 1869.

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Progress in simulation-based ship design

Simulation-based ship design increasingly replaces traditional-based design.

Extensive experience gathered over the last ten years on this topic enables Germanischer Lloyd, as one of the world's leading technical supervisory organizations, to present various approaches and state-of-the-art at the Pacific 2008 trade fair. The presentation ''Progress in simulation-based design'' took place today at the Maritime Engineering Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour. Ship designing processes are iterative, and subdivided into several phases during which the design is developed in increasing degrees of detail. In his presentation Karsten Fach, head of competence centre for engineering services at GL, focused on one basic activity in modern ship design: analysis. Germanischer Lloyd developed a numerical procedure based on the combined use of a boundary element method (BEM), a statistical analysis technique using random process theory, and an extended RANSE solver to obtain accurate responses of ships in a seaway. In simulations, forces exerted by the sea cause the vessel to move, exciting sloshing in the tanks. Extensive experience allows Germanischer Lloyd the numerical prediction of sloshing loads in ships with great confidence.

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Coal shortages across China now acute

China's power shortages are now desperately acute with 17 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

These regions are suffering blackouts, and power grids in central China's Hubei and Hunan provinces and south China's Guizhou and Guangdong provinces seriously damaged, following the worst snow storms in the mainland since 1954 bringing the nation's transport infrastructure to its knees as the world's largest human migration - Lunar New Year - gets underway. Inflation is now very likely, as more than $3bn has already been lost with these transport delays. More than 77 million people have been affected by transport delays and hundreds of power stations have their coal stocks critically low, under two days reserves. Coal exports have been banned, while Beijing has commandeered many bulk ships to urgently relieve China's strained national grid - the shortfall in power now exceeding the equivalent of the entire UK national grid. About 4.5 million tons of coal is expected to arrive at Guangzhou ports on 125 cargo ships, some of which had canceled international missions to assist in coal shipping from north to south.
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Tui flows boost AWE turnover

Australia’s AWE saw revenue rise 159% sequentially to A$223 million in the fourth quarter of 2007, driven by higher-than-expected production from its Tui project off New Zealand.

AWE reported a 24% increase in production compared with the previous quarter to 2.65 million barrels of oil equivalent, with the Tui project producing 3.95 million barrels of oil (1.68 million net to AWE). AWE said in its quarterly report that it now expects the field to produce 12 million barrels in its 2007-2008 financial year, up from its previous estimate of 11 million. The company also said it had boosted proved and probable reserves twice, in August and November last year, by a combined 50% to 41.7 million barrels. The four wells on the project produced an average total of 43,000 barrels per day, while production capacity at the field remained above 50,000 bpd. However, AWE water production also crept up at the field to an average 22,800 bpd. A further development well, Tui-4H would be drilled on the field ibn mid-2009. AWE operates the Tui project with a 42.5% stake. Exploration was continuing on AWE’s prospects on the Otway and Perth basins off Australia, at its 42.5%-owned Bulu production-sharing contract on Indonesia’s East Java basin, and at its holdings on the Taranaki and Canterbury basins on New Zealand.
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Thames pleasure boat scare

Six crewmembers were safely evacuated from a Thames pleasure boat after it hit Westminster Bridge and was in danger of sinking.

The 30-metre long ‘Millennium City', which can seat up to 500 people with two bars and an open top deck, was not carrying passengers at the time, but lifeboats, a fire service boat, and police boats rushed to its aid. The stricken vessel was towed to nearby Westminster Pier where firefighters used pumps to control the ingress of water, by then two metres deep, and successfully seal the engine room. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Marine Support Unit said this morning that Millennium City was no longer in any danger and is now moored awaiting repairs. All six crewmembers on board the river cruiser were safely evacuated by the RNLI after the collision. The Metropolitan Police's Marine Support Unit attended the incident and no arrests were made. It is not known if any of the crew will face charges relating to the collision.
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Knight & Carver Honored as Boatyard of the Year

Knight & Carver YachtCenter, which has emerged in recent years as one of the marine industry's top-rated repair yards for megayachts and other large vessels, has been honored by the American Boat Builders & Repairers Association as the nation's most outstanding boatyard for 2007.

The organization's annual "Boatyard of the Year" award is made annually to the U.S. vessel repair company that, demonstrates excellence in all facets of business through commitment to customer relations, quality management, positive employee and vendor relationships, regard for the safety of their employees and their customers is a good steward of the environment, and innovatively employs technology to enhance marine business. Accepting the prestigious marine-industry award on behalf of Knight & Carver at the recent ABBRA awards ceremony in Atlanta were repair yard manager Mike Alvarez and production manager Giovanni LoCoco. "This award marks a significant achievement in our company's long and accomplished history," said President/CEO Sampson A. Brown. Known for specializing in megayacht refits, Knight & Carver will soon complete a major refit of Helios, a 194-ft Oceanco-built motoryacht that has undergone an extensive five-month renovation and upgrade. Knight & Carver specializes in the repair of large vessels, including luxury yachts, sportboats, commercial and military vessels.

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Coal prices jump, hit by the perfect storm

Coal prices have risen to a record this week in Asia as flooding in Australia, power cuts in South Africa and snowstorms in China restricted output.

This contributed to electricity shortages in China, the world's fastest-growing major economy, and with the Lunar New Year holidays around the corner deep, anger is growing around the nation at these critical power shortages combined with massive queues at train stations - up to 600,000 people are now waiting outside Guangzhou train station. China is experiencing an acute power shortage with a nationwide electricity shortfall at 70 gigawatts, the equivalent of almost Britain's entire generating capacity. State media has described the crisis as China's worst-ever power shortage. So worried is the government that on Friday it put in place a two-month ban on coal exports. The coal shortages have forced the five biggest electricity producers to close 90 power stations - with a combined capacity of more than 20,000 megawatts - in northern and central China. Most parts of central and southern China are set to suffer weather that is more inclement in the next few days with some provinces facing snowstorms, and transport and energy supplies thrown out of kilter.
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Wavefield set for Timor Sea work

A major 3D seismic survey is expected to start before the end of March across the Oilex-operated Block 06-103 in the joint petroleum development area shared by East Timor and Australia.

Oilex said that the Maura 3D survey was awarded to Wavefield Inseis vessel Geowave Champion. The survey will cover 1657 square kilometres and is expected to start in the first quarter of 2008 dependent on the vessel’s current work commitments. "With the purchase of modern third-party 3D data and the addition of the new 3D data to the existing data set, the JV (joint venture) will have a comprehensive seismic database over the entire prospective area of the block by mid 2008," the Australian company said. Oilex added it is hoping to drill two wells in the fourth quarter this year. The partners are operator Oilex (25%) and Indian trio Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (25%), Videocon Industries (25%) and Bharat Petroleum (25%). The block is located immediately to the east of the Laminaria, Corallina, Kakatua, Kuda Tasi and Elang discoveries/fields and to the north of the Bayu-Undan gas and condensate field.
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Major maritime event for Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s second major exhibition and conference will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from March 12 to 14, 2008.

China Maritime 2008 is again being organized by Baird events, one of the world’s leading maritime publishers and exhibition organizers. China maritime have again garnered the support of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, the Hong Kong Marine Department, the Hong Kong Maritime Industry Council and all the Baird publications fleet of maritime magazines. “China Maritime is an event for the whole international maritime community”, said organizer Kishore Navani. It is aimed at owners and operators of vessels of all shapes and sizes and their builders and suppliers, he said. The exhibition will showcase the latest in maritime, shipping, port technology and services from around the world. Hong Kong

is one of the world’s top three maritime centres. It is rapidly becoming even more so Chinese and Japanese shipowners flock to relocate themselves in the world’s free commercial centres.

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Moose Boats delivers first 'M1-44'

Moose Boats, an aluminum boat manufacturer, recently delivered a new model named the 'M1-44' to the Naval Militia in New York.

This vessel is the first of its kind and was designed to meet mission-specific needs for New York State's Division of Military Naval Affairs (DMNA) headquartered in Latham, NY. The vessel is presently berthed at the United States Coast Guard Sector 1 on Staten Island, NY. DMNA took possession of the vessel, which is operated by the New York Naval Militia's Emergency Boat Service. The 'M1-44' is a robust offshore 13.5-metre aluminum catamaran powered by twin Cummins QSC 8.3 ltr 447kW turbo diesels and is propelled by Hamilton 322 water jets. This vessel features BlueArrow fly-by-wire controls, which is an innovative electronic steering system manufactured by Hamilton Jet. The waterjets' proven maneuverability is enhanced by the ease of the 'mooseboat' control device mounted at the helm, which allows the operator directional and speed control for low speed and docking maneuvers. The vessel's mission will include maritime safety, security, environmental response and protection of high value assets in the ports and waterways of New York State in co-operation with the United States Coast Guard and other state, local and federal agencies.
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Yacht company turns focus to super-sizing

Yacht solutions plans to upgrade its customization service by modifying and refitting old commercial vessels into super-yachts.

Yacht Solutions plans to upgrade its customization service by modifying and refitting old commercial vessels into super-yachts. I would like to enlarge this business in Thailand. So my company will set up a big facility in Bangkok in order to complete our objective,' managing director Gareth Twist said last week. The company started by retrofitting a 52-metre vessel and converting it into a super-yacht in Bangkok last year. It recently received an order to renovate a 60-metre vessel into a floating palace with a swimming pool, elevators, Jacuzzis, theatres, karaoke rooms and 12 bedrooms. "Super-yachts worldwide are being sold for US$6 million [Bt200 million] to $120 million, according to their size. The target customers are the wealthy, agents and brokers of super-yachts, but the company does not anticipate much local business in the beginning. There is some interest from Southeast Asia, particularly Hong Kong and Singapore, in having the company decorate super-yachts. Yacht Solutions offers yacht management, project management, yacht agency and yacht charter services.
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Philippines to ban single-hull vessels in April

The Philippines will ban single-hull oil tankers from its waters from April, two years earlier than planned, after the worst oil spill in the country's history and a separate leak in South Korea.

Vessels carrying "black" petroleum products such as crude oil and bunker fuel won't be allowed to dock at ports from April 1 without a double hull, said Transportation Undersecretary Len Bautista in a phone interview from Manila. The single-hull crude oil supertanker Hebei Spirit caused the worst spill in South Korea's history last month after a crane causing it to lose 66,000 barrels of crude oil, about 1/3 the size of the Exxon Valdez spill of 1989, struck it. In August 2006, the tanker Solar 1 leaked 2.19 million litres of marine fuel, killing marine life and fouling the coastline of the Philippines's Guimaras islands. The spills "dramatize the urgent need to impose stricter safety standards and regulations on tankers to protect our environment," Bautista said, adding the country's previous plan was to ban such ships from 2010.

Panama Canal charges go up

Shipowners will soon be paying more services they require when ships transit the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal Authority says rates for tug services will increase 8% and those for line handling services will rise 7%. Additionally, a US$300-per-wire fee will be charged for ancillary locomotive services, up from the current $200. Wires are attached to the locomotives to ensure that the vessels stay centered as they transit through the locks. The ACP says the increasing are necessary due to rising operating costs brought about by fuel hikes. Over the past eight years, says the ACP, $1,329m has been spent on buying a new fleet of state-of-the-art tugs, a new generation of locomotives and other improvements.
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New series of ISO standards assists stakeholders in recycling ships

ISO has launched the first document of a new series of management system standards for the recycling of ships.

The new series, ISO 30,000, ship recycling management systems, will support environmental protection and increase the safety of workers. Ship recycling contributes to the global conservation of energy and resources. However, the presence of asbestos, hydrocarbons and other environmentally hazardous substances in ships can, if the scrapping process is not carefully controlled, have negative repercussions for the environment and human health. The ISO 30,000 series thus aims to provide assistance to organizations implementing or improving a ship recycling management system through guidance on the allocation of resources, assignment of responsibilities, and ongoing evaluation of practices, procedures and processes. Captain Charles Piersall, Chair of ISO technical committee ISO/TC 8, Ships and marine technology says: 'ISO 30000 has been developed to assist stakeholders, large and small, in the uniform implementation of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) requirements on ship recycling. The series of standards will increase transparency, facilitate trade, provide a clear reference for industry and constitute a valuable risk assessment tool.
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“Hotline between Coast Guards of India and Pakistan working well”

Arrest of anglers by Pakistan and India when they stray into each other’s waters is fast becoming outdated with the establishment of a “hotline” between the Coast Guard and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.

“Now, if an Indian fishing boat enters Pakistan waters, they call us to shepherd it back to our side instead of arresting the fishermen and we must have received about a dozen such calls in the past three months,” said Commander, Coast Guard Region (West), Inspector-General A. Rajasekhar. The direct communication facilitates discussions between the two countries’ coast guards and the Pakistan Embassy in New Delhi, Mr. Rajasekhar said. The exercise, held to mark the Coast Guard Day that falls on February 1, saw several patrol vessels, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft displaying their skills. Mr. Rajasekhar said it might not have always been the case that Indian fishing boats inadvertently crossed into the Pakistani side. They could have been lured by better catch. “The boats, fitted with GPS and other communication systems cannot be so mistaken.” The Indian fishing boat fleet was much larger than that of Pakistan. Therefore, the incidence of their involvement was comparatively much higher. Though the hotline idea was mooted over two years ago, it started working only last November. Both sides were now talking in terms of mutual aid in joint search, rescue, and even pollution control.
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'Superior Achiever' launched at IHC Krimpen Shipyard

Offshore support vessel 'Superior Achiever' has been launched at the IHC Merwede Shipyard, IHC Krimpen Shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, the Netherlands.

The vessel is being under construction for Superior Offshore International, Inc. based in Houston, USA. Before launching, the 'Superior Achiever' was named by Dutch minister of Economic Affairs, Mrs. Maria van der Hoeven. IHC Krimpen Shipyard based on the successful IHC Merwede Type 22 series of vessels has developed the ‘Superior Achiever’. In close cooperation with Superior Offshore International, Inc., this particular Type 22 has been enhanced. The vessel will be a fully dynamically positioned, multi role offshore support vessel for offshore support and construction operations worldwide. The 'Superior Achiever' features flexible and modular capacity saturation diving capability through a dedicated diving moonpool. One or two remote operated vehicles, launched over the side, can support sub-sea operations. For offshore construction a variety of cranes are available, such as a 160-tonnes crane, a 120/170-tonnes heave compensated crane, capable of handling 70 tonnes to a depth of 1,800 metres and a 24-tonnes man-riding crane. 'Superior Achiever' is the first ship after re-opening the shipyard, late 2006.
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China orders ports to halt loading coal for export

The Transport Ministry has ordered seaports to suspend loading coal for export amid mounting power shortages in China.

The severe winter, which has seen the greatest volume of snowfall in decades in some provinces, has led to coal transport bottlenecks, leaving many utilities in short supply of fuel. Ocean shippers have also been ordered by the ministry to divert their exports of coal to meet domestic requirements, while railways have been told to make hauling coal and food a priority over the coming weeks. It warned of "severe" consequences for failing to comply with the order, which will remain in effect through the Lunar New Year holiday in February. China's economic planning agency ordered the country's utilities and coal suppliers to coordinate their efforts to avert power shortages that have forced more than a dozen provinces to ration electricity.
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Accident Closes Major Shipping Channel for Hours

A 669-foot tank ship carrying orange juice collided with a smaller dredging ship in Newark Bay, forcing the Coast Guard to close a waterway that leads to some of the largest shipping terminals on the East Coast for about five hours.

No one was injured in the collision, but the smaller ship, the 117-foot Dredge New York, took on water and started to sink before it was stabilized. The Coast Guard found sheen of light hydraulic fluid in the surrounding water, but investigators had not determined its source. The collision, Officer Rorison said, occurred about 1:50 p.m. near Port Newark, on the west side of a channel between Bayonne, N.J., and Newark. The freighter, Orange Sun, which was flying a Liberian flag, collided with the dredging vessel, and several hours later, tugboats escorted the ship to Berth 24 at Port Newark. The dredging vessel was linked to a barge and tugboat after water was removed from the ship. The dredging vessel was working on a $2.5 billion project to deepen New York Harbor and the surrounding channels to 50 feet, from 45 feet, to allow bigger container ships to dock in New York and New Jersey. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, which is based in Chicago, owned the damaged vessel.
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Hart Fenton design three new ferries for Wightlink

Hart Fenton, Portsmouth based naval architect and marine engineering consultancy, have been selected by Wightlink to provide the design for its three new ships.

They are built to service the busy Lymington - Yarmouth ferry service in Croatia, which carries approximately 1.35 million passengers annually. The new Wight class vessels to be named 'Wight Light', 'Wight Sky' and 'Wight Sun' will replace Wightlink's older C-class vessels the 'Caedmon', 'Cenred' and 'Cenwulf', which were built in 1973 and are now more than 30 years old. The new design, which came from a working party made up of staff from the route, managers and representatives from Hart Fenton, is designed to secure the long-term financial viability of the route, which has been in operation since 1830. Designed especially for operation on the Lymington River, the new Wight class vessels are much more efficient vessels than the Caedmon and its sister ships, offering greater flexibility, more maneuverability, reduced emissions and better and more modern passenger facilities. 'Wight Light' and 'Wight Sky' will enter service in time for the 2008 peak summer season while the third vessel the 'Wight Sun' will enter service in late 2009.
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Vietnam's Vinalines to build seaports, berths nationwide

Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) plans to build a range of major seaport developments nationwide with some of the projects involving foreign direct investment, reports Vietnam Economic Times.

First will be the construction of the Van Phong international transit seaport in the central province of Khanh Hoa, which will have an annual cargo handling capacity of 300 million tonnes and cater to ships weighing up to 400,000 tonnes, said the report. Construction of the Lach Huyen deepwater port in the northern city of Hai Phong is also scheduled to begin during the first three months of the year, along with the building of five new berths for ships of up to 20,000 tons at Hai Phong's Dinh Vu port.
A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of berths 2, 3 and 4 at Cai Lan port in northern Quang Ninh province is also slated to be held this quarter. Berths 2, 3, and 4 will be designed to receive 40,000-ton ships, the report said. Vinalines also intends to cooperate with US and Danish firms to build two container berths at Cai Mep-Thi Vai port in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau and one container port in Ben Dinh-Sao Mai. The report did not specify when construction on these two projects would begin. However, between this year and 2011, the cooperation with overseas investors is expected to be extended to cover the construction of a further two container berths in Ba Ngoi port on the Cam Ranh Gulf in central Khanh Hoa province, as well as a seaport in the Son Tra peninsula in central Da Nang province, said the Vietnam Economic Times.

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Titan Makes Headway on New Flame Salvage

Titan Salvage, Crowley Maritime Corporation's salvage and wreck removal company, reported that its salvage team on site in Gibraltar responding to the wreck of the bulk ship New Flame is preparing to begin cutting the stern section of the ship from the sunken bow so that the stern can be re-floated and towed away.

The New Flame, which sank following a collision while exiting the port of Gibraltar in August of last year, now lies in the open ocean off Gibraltar's Europa Point with the forward four cargo holds of the ship lying on the ocean bottom, and cargo hold No.5 and the engine room still floating while being maintained by TITAN's salvage pumps. The ship is loaded with over 42,000 tons of scrap metal, which was being transported from New York Harbor to Turkey for recycling.

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Luhrs Marine makes key appointments

Luhrs Marine Group, the USA-based boatbuilding organisation, has announced that the top sales and marketing positions at two of its subsidiaries have been filled by veteran executives of the group.

Mike Usina is now vice-president, sales and marketing duties for the Florida-based Luhrs Corporation, having left the same position at Silverton Marine Corporation to assume the role. Usina joined New Jersey-based Silverton Marine in 1995 and served as vice-president, sales and marketing there since 2002. He first entered the marine industry in 1981, serving in sales and marketing for Thunderbird Formula, Donzi Marine and Trojan Yachts before joining Silverton. The second appointment is that of Brett Marshall, Silverton Marine's national sales manager for the past five years, who has been promoted to director, sales and marketing. With over 20 years' experience in the marine industry, Marshall will head the manufacturer's domestic and international dealership organisation in addition to his marketing responsibilities.

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R Marine expands to Melbourne

Australian luxury boating dealership network R Marine has expanded to Melbourne, with an agreement between Australian boatbuilder Riviera and dealership Jacksons Marine, based in Sandringham.

Rebranded as R Marine Jacksons VIC, the dealership — which opened its doors in the 1950s — joins a network of 13 R Marine dealers that stretches from Auckland, New Zealand to Fremantle, Western Australia.

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Strategic Marines to open Mexican Yard

Strategic Marine reported that it will open its first shipyard in the Americas in early 2008 following a joint venture bid with Servicios Navales E Industriales S.A. DE C.V. (SENI) to build two 52m aluminum crew boats for Arrendadora Ocean Mexicana S.A. de CV (Blue Marine Offshore) in Mexico.

Strategic Marine already operates yards at its HendersonWestern Australia, Tuas in Singapore and Dong Xuyen Industrial Zone, Ba-Ria Vung Tau in southern Vietnam. The $11.9m contract will see the two vessels operated by Blue Marine Offshore for its Pemex contract in the Gulf of Mexico. Work on the contract is scheduled to commence this year, before which Strategic will work with SENI to upgrade its existing maintenance facility at Mazatlan on the Mexican west coast. Both vessels will be based on Strategic’s Deep V High Speed Planing Hull design and will be operated by a 10-man crew with a 60 passengers capacity in addition to 100 tonne of cargo at a cruising speed of 20knts. The company believes the contract win was heavily influenced by its powertrain decision which provided greater hull efficiency and hence reduced fuel consumption. Strategic Marine chairman, Mark Newbold, said the Mazatlan yard would provide Strategic Marine with the ability to target both the North and South American offshore and para-military markets. Design of the two vessels will be undertaken at the company’s Henderson facility.

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S. Korea Refiner Steps Up Single Hull Ban

South Korea's GS Caltex will reportedly ban crude shipments on single-hulled oil tankers from next year, according to a Reuters report, well ahead of international laws that timetable their phase out.

The move is significant in Asia, particularly if others follow suit.
Pending the actions of others, the move could have a ripple effect on the shipbuilding industry and the need for double hull tankers. The industry is currently in the midst of a record orderbook, with much shipbuilding capacity booked through 2011.

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Petro-Canada Reports O&G Discoveries

Petro-Canada is reporting oil and gas discoveries at two exploration wells: one in the U.K. sector of the North Sea and one in deep water off Trinidad and Tobago, according to a report on The Canadian Press.

In Trinidad and Tobago, the Cassra-1 well in deep-water Block 22 was completed as a significant natural gas discovery. Petro-Canada operates the well and holds a 90 per cent interest. The second discovery was in the British sector of the North Sea, with the successful completion of the 13/21b-7 well. The well encountered two oil columns that total nearly 80 metres when combined.

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Grand Alliance ATX service to deploy more tonnage to cut fuel costs

Grand Alliance container shipping lines Hapag-Lloyd, NYK and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) have announced they are upgrading their Atlantic Express (ATX) service that plies the trade between north Europe and the north Atlantic.

Starting from early March, the Grand Alliance's ATX service, which is operated in cooperation with Zim Integrated Shipping Services, will deploy four 4,000-TEU vessels to replace the four smaller 2,800-TEU ships the ATX service uses. One of the container ships used on the service will be provided by Zim and the other three will come from the three Grand Alliance members. Furthermore, the Atlantic Express service will replace the current NEX service offered by Zim, the release said. The port rotation for the weekly, fixed-day ATX service is: Rotterdam, Hamburg, Le Havre, Southampton, New York, Norfolk and Charleston. Established in 1998, the Grand Alliance global container shipping consortium also comprises MISC, although the Malaysian ocean liner does not provide any trans-Atlantic services.

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Walker Bay appoints Turkish distributor

Walker Bay Boats in the US has chosen Merkur Spor to serve as its sole distributor in Turkey and Bulgaria.

The company, which is based in Tuzla, Istanbul, will carry Walker Bay's original rigid and rigid inflatable dinghies (RIDs) as well as Genesis RIBs, including the new centre console models. Merkur Spor has an established network of 44 dealers that sell top name brands from companies such as Mercury, Mariner, Quicksilver, Mercruiser and Valiant. The company also claims to be the distributor of choice to the area for Brunswick Marine, which also carries WalkerBay products in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Walker Bay Boats designs and builds small motorboats, sailboats, rowboats, RIBs and inflatable air deck rollups that are sold in more than 50 countries worldwide.

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Mustang names new general manager

Chris Heaton has been named as the new general manager at Australian boatbuilder Mustang, which was recently sold by receivers to Standard Bank.

Thirty-nine year-old Heaton has had a varied background in general business management, both in Oceania and internationally. Before entering the marine industry he worked for Caterpillar in the mining sector, most recently in Indonesia. Heaton, a keen sailor, then owned and ran Oliver Marine in New Zealand before forming a partnership with Mustang in July 2006. He is reported to be looking forward to working with Mustang's new owners and restoring the company's place in the market. One of Australia's main boatbuilders, Queensland-based Mustang went into receivership in October 2007 and has since been acquired by South African financial institution Standard Bank.

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Rising seas pose danger to big cities

Sea levels rising at an 'alarming' rate because of climate change and depleting groundwater threaten coastal economies.

Two key cities, Shanghai and Tianjin, are among those facing the biggest threat, State Oceanic Administration (SOA) spokesperson Li Haiqing said, citing the agency's 2007 sea-level monitoring report. In the last 30 years, the financial hub of Shanghai has seen the sea level rise 115 mm, or the length of half a chopstick, the report says. Tianjin, a major port about two hours' drive from Beijing, has seen the level rise as much as 196 mm, about the length of a new pencil. In the past 30 years, the country's overall sea level has risen 90 mm with the average offshore surface temperature going up by 0.9C. In comparison, when the global sea level rose 1.7 mm every year between 1975 and 2007, the Chinese sea level rose 2.5 mm every year. In the next decade, the SOA forecasts, China's coastal sea level is likely to rise by 32 mm, or 3.2 mm every year. Global warming is the main reason for the rising sea levels, but surface subsidence is also to blame for the threat of floods in Shanghai and Tianjin, due to their 'indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater resources.

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Second-hand ship values fall the most in 3 1/2 years

The price of second-hand commodity carriers dropped the most in three and a half years after ship-hire rates tumbled.

Oil-tanker prices also slumped. The price of five-year-old capesize ships that normally haul about 160,000 tons of iron ore or coal dropped 3.2 per cent to US$144 million, according to weekly prices from the London-based Baltic Exchange. It was the biggest drop since June 2004, when prices fell 14 per cent. Prices for every class of commodity carrier and oil tanker assessed by the exchange fell. Very large crude carrier, or VLCC, prices slipped US$800,000 to US$134.5 million. There have been record declines in the cost of transporting dry-bulk commodities and oil-tanker rental rates have slumped. The Baltic Dry Index, an overall measure of the price of shipping coal, grains and iron ore, fell 19 per cent in the five days to Jan 18, its biggest weekly fall since the exchange began compiling the data. The Baltic Clean Index, which indicates the price of transporting refined petroleum products including gasoline, jet fuel, naphtha, diesel and gasoline, has dropped 17 per cent since Dec 6.

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Crowley boosts heavy lift fleet

Crowley Maritime ration has handed a construction contract to Gunderson Marine to build two heavy lift deck barges that will initially be deployed to the Gulf of Mexico.

This would take the US company’s heavy lift deck barge fleet to five, the company said. US-based Gunderson Marine, which built the first three barges in the series, will construct two Heavy Lift Series 455 deck barges. The barges have a 400 foot by 105-foot deck and are tailored for deep-water exploration and development. The barges offer increased stability for loads up to 4200 pounds per square foot in order to carry the larger offshore structures now being planned and engineered for deep-water projects.
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Seatrade Asia Awards set for May 13 in Singapore

The internationally renowned Seatrade Awards scheme, judged by a panel of industry leaders under the chairmanship of the IMO, has been the toast of London's maritime social calendar for the past 20 years, often dubbed "The Oscars of Shipping".

A Middle East and India Subcontinent version has likewise proved an enormously popular and glamorous event in Dubai over the past four years. May 13, 2008 sees the keenly anticipated debut of the Seatrade Asia Awards, combining the best of the formats of the two other schemes plus unique Asian spice for a recipe of excellence, celebration and jubilation. The Singapore Shangri La's Island Ballroom is the venue for the inaugural Seatrade Asia Awards - a glittering, black tie event with more than 650 expected to attend. 23 gongs are up for grabs and a top judging panel will be unveiled shortly.

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Auckland adds to Taranaki booty

New Zealand’s Energy Ministry said it would offer three more blocks in the country’s Taranaki basin for oil and gas exploration.

The blocks will be added to nine other onshore blocks already on offer in New Zealand's Taranki onshore round, Associate Energy Minister Harry Duynhoven said in a statement. I’m pleased to be able to extend the area for exploration, with the addition of these blocks which were not available at the time of the initial offer,” Duynhoven said. “The Labour-led government is promoting economic growth both in Taranaki and on a national scale by encouraging domestic and international investment in the energy sector. The ministry said technical data on the blocks and terms and conditions of the offer was available through its Crown Minerals hydrocarbons agency.
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Superferry traffic way below estimates

‘Emergency' cited by company in letter to state agency.

The Hawaii Superferry is in an 'emergency situation' with so few passengers that its ability to continue running between Oahu and Maui is imperiled, according to a letter written last month by attorneys for the Superferry. The Superferry vessel Alakai, which can seat 866 passengers, is averaging only 150 passengers per day, far below its planned ridership of 410, according to the letter from Superferry attorneys Goodsill Anderson Quinn and Stifel. The letter was sent to the state Public Utilities Commission requesting an extension of the Superferry's $39 one-way promotional fares through June 5. Attorney Audrey Ng wrote that Hawaii Superferry 'must increase its business immediately' to address weak bookings, interisland airline competition and continuing litigation and protests; to pay for fixed expenses as well as to compensate for repeated delays; and to start a second Maui trip.
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Naval-aerial war games

Russia has launched the “active phase” of naval-aerial war games in the Northeast Atlantic in the biggest display of its military power since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Eleven warships drawn from Russia’s Northern and Black Sea Fleets and backed up by dozens of aircraft began joint exercises in the Bay of Biscay off the west coast of France and the northern coast of Spain. This is the biggest exercise of its kind in the area since Soviet times. It is also for the first time that the Russian Navy has deployed a large presence outside of Russia’s immediate coastal regions since the end of the Cold War. The two-month tour of duty in the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic is part of an effort to resume permanent presence in different areas of the world ocean, Russia’s Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said. Last year Russia resumed regular global patrolling by its long-range nuclear bombers.
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SPC Norway Launches New Website

Shortsea Promotion Centre Norway (SPC Norway) announces the launch of their new website.

The new site provides users with a comprehensive overview of short sea shipping together with other services. This includes easy access to newsletters, calendar with upcoming short sea events and search engines, for example web-based port-to-port liner services. Mr. Thomas Saxegaard, Managing Director of SPC Norway, commented, 'The website also includes a new action that aims to identify and hopefully remove bottlenecks in European short sea shipping and transport logistics. This newly created initiative, known as 'progress', welcomes contributions from all parties involved in door-to-door short sea shipping.' Visitors to the new website will find the new look to be more users friendly and full of helpful information about short sea shipping. The site will be helpful for transport users and organizations seeking information about this modern and environmentally friendly mode of transport. Short sea shipping has a very positive business image. The site does a good job at describing the many advantages and features available to transport users that consider using short sea shipping.
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Maersk Line introduces a new BAF formula

Maersk Line introduced a new formula for the floating BAF (Bunker Adjustment Factor).

With the new formula, Maersk aims to provide a simple, fair, and transparent BAF for their customers. In addition, to sharing and recovering the extraordinary costs provided by the increasing bunker prices. Bunker prices have tripled within the last three years and bunker costs now constitute nearly half of the total vessel costs, up from 20 percent ten years ago. 'Today, we only recover approximately 55 percent of the bunker expenses via BAF surcharges. This poses a significant exposure to Maersk Line, and traditionally we have tried to recover this via rate increases,' says Vincent Clerc, Vice President for Pacific Services. 'With Maersk Line's BAF formula we will create more transparency, and the customers will experience a simple and fair way of applying BAF. The BAF formula has been built on principles that are common in other transportation industries like airlines and parcel services. In these industries, prices and rates reflect fluctuations in fuel prices, and customers accept this as part of doing business in an industry, which is very reliant on fuel.
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STX Group to invest in Vietnam

Sprawling maritime conglomerate STX Group said that it would set up a manufacturing base in Vietnam, investing $150 million by 2015, to expand its offshore plant business.

STX Group's three flagship companies, STX Corp, STX Shipbuilding Co and STX Engine, will invest in the project, said a spokesperson from the heavy industry and shipping-focused business group. The group has won the Vietnamese government's approval to set up a unit, STX-VINA Heavy Industry, which will mostly focus on offshore plant construction. It is yet to be decided whether STX Group would build ships from the Vietnam unit, the spokesperson added.
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Underwater defence system in place to check Sea Tigers

The Sri Lankan Navy has put in place an “underwater defence system” between Kachchatheevu and Neduntheevu (Delft Island) as part of efforts to curtail the movement of Sea Tigers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

A communication about lying of sea mines was sent to the Indian Navy. The Sri Lankan Navy wanted the Indian Navy to warn Tamil Nadu anglers against crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line. Indian anglers claim that the sea between Kachchatheevu and Neduntheevu, though within Sri Lankan territorial waters, is their “traditional” fishing ground. A section of anglers regularly crosses the IMBL for fishing. Commodore Phillip Van Haltren, Naval Officer In-Charge, Tamil Nadu, said he had received the communication from the Sri Lankan Navy on the installation of the seawater defence system. The message was passed on to Chief Secretary L.K Tripathy and other departments concerned. All Naval Detachments from Rameswaram to Nagapattinam on the east coast were alerted. “The message implied there will be serious consequences if fishing boats from Tamil Nadu or elsewhere come in contact with the explosives planted in the water.
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S. Korea yards taking part in bids for Saga's cruiser

There has emerged the possibility of South Korean shipbuilders participating in the newbuilding talks with UK-based Saga shipping as they aim to enter the passenger ship sector.

Saga Shipping seems to be sounding out not only European but also South Korean yards on its plans to build three-four passenger ship newbuildings. STX Shipbuilding, which recently has become the potential newcomer in the sector with the acquisition of Aker Yards, appears to be among the candidate yards for Saga. Saga is studying the plan to build passenger ships along with an option to purchase second-hand vessels primarily to replace the 1965-built 24,000-GRT 'Saga Rose'. If Saga is to opt for newbuildings, they will likely be 30,000-40,000-DWT, a little larger than the existing ship, and have a passenger capacity of 700. Saga has already inquired with shipyards about their slipway schedules. One of the most knotty problems Saga faces in pushing ahead with its plans is delivery. Saga is seeking a near-term delivery by 2010 since the revised SOLAS Convention requires a newbuilding to be equipped with much tighter anti-fire prevention measures.
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A global achievement for Francis Joyon

Francis Joyon has smashed round the world record by 14 days

The IDEC trimaran crossed the finishing line off Brest on January 20, 2008 at 00h39:58. At the age of 51, Francis Joyon is once again the fastest solo yachtsman around the world having completed the voyage in 57 days, 13 hours, 34 minutes and 6 seconds. He has shattered the previous record, held since 2005 by the British yachtswoman, Ellen MacArthur by 14 days, 44 minutes and 27 seconds. It is truly an incredible performance: while he thought it was possible to bring the time down to below 70 days (the time to beat was 71 days and 14 hours), the sailor from Locmariaquer in Southern Brittany has brought it down to below 60 days and even to below 58 days. On board IDEC, Francis Joyon has covered more than 26,400 nautical miles at the astonishing average speed of 19.09 knots. Francis Joyon also becomes the only solo sailor in the world to have grabbed the non-stop single-handed round the world voyage record aboard a multihull on two occasions after a first record back in 2004.
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Antarctic Survey breaks through the ice

Royal Navy ice patrol ship 'HMS Endurance', pictured breaking through ice north of James Ross Island as she carries out survey work in the Antarctic.

The survey was carried on behalf of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) on an 18-month deployment in the area, is currently transferring scientists to Mount Haddington where they will be carrying out ice drilling for the next two months. Endurance's first task on arrival in the South Atlantic is focusing on the South Shetland Islands and the difficult to reach James Ross Island in Erebus and Terror Gulf (Weddell Sea). This involves the ship operating in dense areas of ice, in some of the most extreme weather conditions on Earth. Onboard Endurance are five scientific teams from the British Antarctic Survey who are working on independent projects, including the sampling of ice cores from the summit of the volcano Mt Haddington. Each day the team is being flown out from the ship to different locations all over the Antarctic Peninsula and is returned from their mountainous data gathering by the ship's two Lynx Helicopters. Endurance is fitted with modern hydrographic surveying equipment and experts at UKHO in Taunton will process the data gathered.
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'Ice Prince' update

The UK tug 'Anglian Earl' is remaining on scene as a guardship, at the site of the wreck.

With 46.8 metres of estimated clearance over the wreck, it is not seen to be a hazard to navigation but a full survey of the wreck site will be carried out by the Irish Lights vessel 'Graunuaile'. The vessel arrived on scene this morning and will confirm the precise clearance. The Temporary Exclusion Zone of 1,000 metres is still in force. The owners are developing plans for the recovery of oil and cargo from the wreck, however the recovery may prove technically difficult. Currently no new timber has surfaced, but sheen of oil is coming from the wreck and is currently dispersing within three miles. Weather on scene is Southwesterly force 8 gales. The weather is not expected to improve until Sunday. The Secretary Of State's Representative for Maritime Intervention and Salvage (SOSREP) continues liaison with the French 'Prefet Maritime' and the Environment Group continue to monitor the situation. The Greek Maritime Authority will be responsible for the accident investigation.
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Arabs place orders for vessels with Gujarat shipping industry

Call it another adventure by the wealthy Arabs.

A cost-cutting move by industrialists in the Gulf has resulted in reviving the 200-year-old wooden shipping industry in Gujarat. The cash-rich Arabs are placing orders for ancient vessels to carry livestock, mainly for meat, to the Middle East. Modern vessels had cornered a bulk of the cargo business during the shipping industry’s boom, leaving those in the manufacture of vessels to businesses like ferrying fish and other products to destinations within the state. The entry of sheikhs is seen as a much-required boost. Locally known as vahanvatti, the wooden ship building industry exists in Mandvi and Salaya ports. However, the past two years have seen massive orders coming from the Middle East and Africa to make huge wooden ships. Wooden ship manufacturers say that the cost of such ships range from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore, based on their tonnage and size and have a life of about 30 years. The registration of the wooden cargo ships is done at the destination and by the purchaser.
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Navy to display world-class warships at RD Parade tableau

The Indian Navy will showcase its world-class frontline warships in the form of INS Delhi and Talwar Class Frigate besides a recently upgraded submarine at the Republic Day Parade.

The Naval Tableau, in keeping with its theme, "Indian Navy - Professional Team, Proud Force" will display all arms of the Navy, namely, surface, sub surface and air. "The Indian Navy tableau shows what we Indians are proud of and extends a feeling to the citizens of the country that they are secure as the naval fleet guards the Indian waters," Rear Admiral Pradeep Chauhan told. The Front of the float shows a group of marine commandos carrying out beach assault from an inflatable Gemini craft, while the trailer carried models of two front line warships. A Delhi Class destroyer and a Talwar Class Frigate maneuvering in a formation besides a kilo class submarine were showcased in the second part of the tableau. Models of Indian Navy's Sea Harrier fighter jet and IL-38 Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft would display the evolving strength of Indian Navy.
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Keppel's Sea Apache delivered

Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited has delivered its Sea Apache vessel to Gulfmark Offshore Inc.

Delivery of the 139-tonne (152 ton) bollard pull Anchor Handling Tug/Supply (AHTS) was made on time and with a zero lost time safety record. Subsidiary Keppel Singmarine received a bonus of US$10,000 for the timely delivery. Choo Chiau Beng, Chairman/ CEO of Keppel Offshore & Marine, said, "We are pleased to announce that all our major projects for 2007 were delivered on time to our customers despite the tight labour market and equipment supply crunch. At the naming ceremony of the Sea Apache, Martin Watts, area director for Gulf Marine Far East, a subsidiary of Gulfmark, said, "Keppel has once again achieved a first class production of our vessel.” The Sea Apache is the second delivery of a new class of vessels. Four more deliveries are expected this year, all from Keppel Singmarine." Sea Apache is the second of a fleet of six vessels ordered by Gulfmark, which provides marine transportation services to the energy industry, primarily in the North Sea, Southeast Asia and the Americas.
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Indian sub collides with ship

The Indian Navy Submarine, 'Sindhughosh', collided with a merchant navy ship in the Arabian Sea.

The submarine was trying to surface in Arabian sea near 300 kilometers north of Mumbai. 'Sindhughosh' was on a routine fleet-level war game exercise when the collision occurred and slightly damaged its fin. There were about 60 crewmembers on board and apparently, it made back to the base in Mumbai without any help. Its escape is termed miraculous since submarines normally sink on such occasions. Navy officials are unwilling to confirm or deny the incident.
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China eyes Arctic shipping

Global warming may turn the Arctic ocean into a new economic frontier, with round-the-year shipping being possible already from year 2015.

China with increasing interest looks towards the region. Arctic ice melting last summer was much more extensive than the models predicted. Some experts now think that a tipping point has already been crossed into a period of faster melting, such that shipping routes may open for much of the year, even for normal ships without icebreaker capacity, by as early as 2015. China is especially keen to open the Arctic for shipping. The country has lately displayed special interest in relations with Iceland, the tiny island in the north Atlantic, which with its strategic location is believed to get a key role in future shipping in the region. China wants to start shipping containers in the north, and sees the deep-sea ports of Iceland as potential port bases. China is also showing increasing interest in the Arctic Council, and has applied observer status in the organization. At the same time, concern for the Arctic environment is mounting.
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Slow ships set sail, aim to save fuel

Oil at more than $90 a barrel is concentrating minds in the shipping industry.

Higher fuel costs and mounting pressure to curb emissions are leading modern merchant fleets to rediscover the ancient power of the sail. The world’s first commercial ship powered partly by a giant kite sets off on a maiden voyage from Bremen to Venezuela on Tuesday, in an experiment which inventor Stephan Wrage hopes can wipe 20%, or $1,600, from the ship’s daily fuel bill. “We aim to prove it pays to protect the environment,” Wrage said. “Showing that ecology and economics are not contradictions motivate us all.” The 10,000-tonne ‘MS Beluga SkySails’ — which will use a computer-guided kite to harness powerful ocean winds far above the surface and support the engine — combines modern technology with know-how that has been in use for millennia. However, if Skysails is a relatively elaborate solution, another development shows the march of progress is not always linear: shipping companies seeking immediate answers to soaring fuel prices and the need to cut emissions are, simply, slowing down.
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MISC offers fabrication arm to Ramunia

Malaysian shipping giant MISC has offered to sell its oil and gas engineering and construction subsidiary to Ramunia Holdings for 3.2 billion ringgits (US$980 million).

Ramunia said to the Malaysian Stock Exchange that it received on 18 January 2008 an offer from MISC to dispose of its entire equity interest in wholly owned subsidiary Malaysia Marine & Heavy Engineering (MMHE) in exchange for an issue of new Ramunia shares valued at RM0.50 each and new irredeemable convertible preference shares. The offer lapses today, 21 January 2008, at 5.00 pm Malaysian time unless MISC chooses to extend it. MMHE is a specialist oil and gas fabricator, as is Ramunia Holdings. Both are very experienced in the engineering, procurement and construction of offshore oil and gas production facilities.
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Rickmers Maritime exercises purchase option for 'Ital Fiducia'

Rickmers Trust Management (RTM) trustee-manager of Rickmers Maritime has announced the exercising of the option to purchase 'Ital Fiducia' a 3,450-TEU container vessel.

The vessel is part of the additional fleet of five container vessels, as set out in the Initial Public Offering prospectus, dated 24 April 2007, and is expected to be delivered to Rickmers Maritime on February 1, 2008. The one-year old vessel is employed under an initial eight-year fixed rate time charter to Italia Marittima, with a remaining charter period of approximately seven years upon delivery to Rickmers Maritime. Italia Marittima is part of the Evergreen Group in Taiwan, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Evergreen Marine Corp, which is the world's fourth largest container liner shipping company.
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Brazil’s Vale cancels 30 Chinese iron ore shipments

Brazilian iron ore producer Vale (previously known as CVRD) has cancelled 30 iron ore shipments to Chinese mills in the first three months of this year due to repair work at ports and congestion.

The mills have also been informed of delays to a further 20 cargoes from the same source, indicating that Chinese steel producers will have to make alternative arrangements to ensure a constant supply of the raw material. On it’s website, Vale has said that export stoppages from its Itaguaí maritime terminal (due to repairs) “represents an average daily loss shipment of 60,000 metric tons of iron ore.” The terminal, which boasts an annual shipload capacity of 25m metric tons of iron ore, is expected to return its regular operations by the beginning of February. Vale also operates the Ponta da Madeira maritime terminal, Guaíba Island maritime terminal and the Tubarão Port. The delays coincide with the negotiations for 2008 iron ore prices currently underway between steel mills and miners. Prices are expected to see a substantial rise fuelled by inflation and growing global demand.

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NTSB: Crew mistakes caused heeling of cruise ship

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of an accident involving the cruise ship Crown Princess was the second officer's incorrect wheel commands.

Contributing to the cause of the accident were the captain's and staff captain's inappropriate inputs to the vessel's integrated navigation system while it was traveling at high speed in relatively shallow water, their failure to stabilize the vessel's heading fluctuations before leaving the bridge, and the inadequate training of crewmembers in the use of integrated navigation systems. On July 18, 2006, the cruise ship Crown Princess, which had been in service about a month, departed Port Canaveral, Florida, for Brooklyn, New York, its last port on a 10-day round trip voyage to the Caribbean. About an hour after departing, the vessel's automatic navigation system caused the ship's heading to fluctuate around its intended course. The Safety Board concluded that the incident occurred because the second officer initially turned the wheel to port, when he should have turned it to starboard to counteract the turn. The Safety Board also stated that the captain and staff captain made errors with regard to the ship's integrated navigation system.
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Dragon fires bigger production in 2007

Dubai-based Dragon Oil saw a 56 percent increase in its 2007 gross production over 2006, with an average rate of 31,997 b/d of oil compared to 20,514 b/d in 2006 .

Six development wells were completed offshore Turkmenistan during 2007, one from the upgraded Dzheitune (Lam) 13 platform (L13/118), one from the upgraded Dzheitune (Lam) 21 platform (L21/117) and four from the new Dzheitune (Lam) A Platform (LA/119, LA/121, LA/122 and LA/123). In addition, one development/appraisal well has been drilled from the upgraded Dzheitune (Lam) 28 platform (L28/120). The L28/120 well proved the presence of hydrocarbons and a high quality reservoir in the Dzheitune (Lam) West area and was completed as a producer. In addition, six wells have been worked over from two platforms using a combination of rigless wireline and hydraulic workover operations. The workover programme was successful and achieved incremental production in excess of 2,000 b/d.
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Ecuador to Invest $2 Billion in Oil Industry

Ecuador will invest U.S. $2 billion in its oil industry this year in a bid to increase production by 11 percent, said Energy Minister Galo Chiriboga.

Some $1.7 billion will be used to increase production at state oil company Petroecuador and another $300 million will be used to revamp the Esmeraldas refinery, Ecuador's largest, Chiriboga told Ecuador Inmediato radio. Ecuador is South America's fifth-largest oil producer and churns out an average of 510,000 barrels of crude a day. Chiriboga said Ecuador wants to increase this production by 11 percent this year with the investment. In a speech marking his first year in office, President Rafael Correa blamed Ecuador's 2.67 percent economic growth, one of the lowest rates in the region on a 9.8 percent decline in oil production. He said the slide was caused by his predecessor's failure to invest in the industry. Last year, Ecuador reactivated its membership in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which had been suspended since it stopped paying cartel dues in 1992.

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Quintana deal stalled as dry bulk nosedives

Prospects for an immediate tie-up between US listed dry bulk companies Excel Maritime and Quintana Maritime, which has been offering itself for sale since last November, appeared to recede this week as stocks in the sector plummeted.

An agreement with Excel was promoted as fact earlier this month that suggested the New York Stock Exchange listed company was paying $27 per share for Nasdaq listed Quintana, which controls an ultra modern fleet of 29 bulkers as well as an involvement in eight newbuildings on the way. Another shipping executive who has been following the saga predicted that a takeover of Quintana would now be “a waiting game”. However, the chief executives of the two companies concerned, Christopher Georgakis at 18-ship Excel and Stamatis Molaris at Quintana, flatly refused to comment on any aspect of the matter. Many arm’s length observers this week felt that even if the two companies had approached an understanding a fortnight ago, the nosedive in dry bulk stocks since then would probably have killed prospects for a deal.
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Barge Strikes Richmond-San Rafael Bridge in fog

A barge carrying tanks of heavy black oil struck the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

The crash occurred, as he barge 'Cascade', was being guided by tugboats 'Delta Deanna' and 'Pacific Wolf' at the time, was headed outbound from Rodeo when it hit the east piling of the west span of the bridge whilst carrying 65,195 barrels of heavy black oil. After measuring the amount of oil on the barge after the incident, officials determined no oil spilled into the bay. An investigation into the incident was scheduled to begin at daybreak but weather caused a temporary setback. Alcohol tests were administered to the crewmembers and none had been drinking prior to the incident. Drug tests were also administered but the results are pending. There were no reports of any injuries occurring from the collision.
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CMA CGM invests in the port of Busan

CMA CGM has acquired a 12% stake in South Korea’s ‘Busan 2-3’ container terminal that is expected to become operational in 2011.

The terminal, which will feature a 2.7m teu annual capacity when completed, will be operated in partnership with Macquarie, Bouygues, Hyundai, KMTC, Busan Port Authority and local operators KUKJE and KCTC. Busan 2-3 is CMA CGM’s first port investment in South Korea, and the second one in Asia (a cooperation agreement was signed in Xiamen in November 2007). The project further strengthens the relations ship between CMA CGM and South Korea, where the group’s giant container vessels are currently being built.

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Grounded Vessel Re-floated, Shipping Channel Re-opened

The Savannah River was reopened with no restrictions after the Ever Radiant was safely re-floated and removed from the navigational channel.

The 965-foot container ship ran aground in the Bloody Point Range while departing the Port of Savannah. The vessel was safely re-floated and moved farther offshore to an anchorage area at approximately 1:15 p.m. Two towing vessels were used to free the Ever Radiant from its grounding. The vessel has been ordered to remain at anchor until the problem causing the incident is identified and repaired. The Coast Guard has received information indicating three deep draft vessels were delayed because of this incident. The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the incident.

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Marine BizTV video awards for 2008 to be declared soon

Its time for another great award ceremony by Marine BizTV.

Mr. Sohan Roy, the CEO of Marine BizTV has announced the second Marine BizTV video awards for the year 2008 to be held on April 29 and 30, 2008 at Kochi, India. The nominees for various awards under various categories will be invited shortly. The award categories are best corporate video, best audio score, best narration, best camera, best directed video, best marine documentary, best graphics, best script, best maritime project, best editing and so on. Apart from this, two special jury awards and a lifetime achievement award for overall contribution will also be given away. The special jury awards were award for marine awareness for children, special award for maritime excellence and lifetime achievement award for maritime contribution. These were handed over for their uniqueness. The award ceremony held last year saw the largest ever convergence of all maritime communities from around the world. The awards are particularly designed to highlight and honor various marine corporate and the outstanding videos they have made.
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