'Earthrace' eco-boat smashes round-the-world speed

‘Earthrace’, the world’s fastest eco-boat, has smashed the world speed record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe, completing the 24,000km journey in 60 days, 23 hours and 49 minutes.

The boat crossed the finish line in Sagunto on Friday 27 June and completed the journey using 10 per cent biofuel to demonstrate and draw global attention to the potential for alternative fuel sources. ‘Earthrace’ is a 24-metre tri-hull wavepiercer built in New Zealand, and the record attempt, run by a team of international volunteers from New Zealand, UK, Sweden, Guyana and Hungary, has been completed as a carbon neutral project. The vessel set off from Spain on April 27 in an attempt to challenge the world record that has remained unbroken since 1998, when it was set by the British boat, ‘Cable and Wireless Adventurer’. The finish in Spain by Earthrace was monitored by D Jaime Pérez López, Presidente de la Federación Territorial Motonaútica de la Comunidad Valenciana. ‘Earthrace’, a not for profit enterprise, has overcome many obstacles during its journey, the most challenging of which were the replacement of the boat’s driveshaft and propeller after hitting sea debris in Palau, encountering monsoon conditions in the India Ocean, and bypassing a massive backlog of ships waiting to transit the Panama Canal.’Earthrace’’s success has proved that any form of transport, including marine, can be non-damaging to the environment as well as being high performance.
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First of two 1,740-TEU vessels delivered to Samudera

Samudera Shipping Line received the 1,740-TEU Sinar Sumba from Guangzhou before its maiden deployment from Hong Kong in its new Korea-China-Malaysia service (KMS).

The US$83 million Sinar Sumba was put into service with another vessel and will help the shipping group to attain its long term strategy of providing flexibility in fleet deployment and stability in overall vessel operating costs, said a company statement.
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Sovcomflot and Novoship under one flag

Russia's two largest commercial fleets, Sovcomflot and Novoship, will operate as a single commercial entity from 1 July at Moscow.

The single chartering location will be operated out of Sovcomflot's London office.
Sovcomflot is Russia's biggest shipping company with a fleet of 66 vessels totaling 4.97m dwt which will expand to 130 vessels of 9.3m following the merger with Novoship. An initial public offering for the 15% of the combined entity could happen as soon as the end of this year.

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Keppel rolls out new breed for Ensco

Singapore’s Keppel FELS has completed the first semi-submersible rig in a fleet of six new units for Ensco in a deal worth $2.5 billion in total.

The deep-water rig, the first of the new Ensco 8500 series, has been contracted in the Gulf of Mexico to Anadarko of the US and Italy’s Eni. The Ensco 8500, an enhanced version of the Ensco 7500, is based upon an Ensco proprietary design and is capable of drilling in up to 8500 feet of water and can readily be upgraded to 10,000 feet water-depth capability if required. Enhanced features include a two million pound quad derrick, offline pipe handling capability, increased drilling capacity, greater variable deck load and improved automatic station keeping ability. “We are pleased with the excellent job by Keppel FELS on our first Ensco 8500 series semi-submersible. As she takes on her maiden assignment in the Gulf of Mexico, the Ensco 8500 will be a showpiece of the quality and capabilities of our new deep-water fleet under construction at Keppel FELS,” Ensco’s chief executive Dan Rabun said at a naming ceremony on Saturday.
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Oilexco makes discovery at Moth

Oilexco has made dual zone oil and gas-condensate discovery at Moth in the Block 23/21 in the UK Central North Sea.

The 23/21-6z Moth discovery well was drilled to a total depth of 14,616 feet (4,454 m) by Diamond Offshore semi submersible Ocean Guardian. Hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir sands with a thickness of 605 feet (184 m) were intersected in the Middle Jurassic Pentland and a further 219 feet (66 m) were intersected in the Upper Jurassic Fulmar. The Middle Jurassic Pentland sands at depth of 13,283 feet (4,048 m) were drill-stem tested through perforations from 13,276 feet to 13,730 feet (4,043 m to 4,184 m) in 439 feet (133 m) of oil and gas bearing reservoir sands. Although they say initial indications are encouraging, the company has decided not to continue with the testing process of the Pentland sands at this time. Further testing will likely occur during the course of additional appraisal drilling in the future. The partners will put together a forward program for the development of this discovery. Future appraisal wells will likely utilize higher capacity testing equipment in order to determine the maximum achievable flow rates, they say. "Oilexco remains the most active driller in the UK North Sea and we continue to achieve significant results from our exploration program, with Moth being the second major discovery to be made by the company in the last year," said Arthur Millholland, president and CEO of Oilexco. The company's partners are BG Group, Hess, and BP.
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Worldwide offshore rigs unchanged

The worldwide offshore contracted rig count and total worldwide offshore rig fleet size are unchanged this week.

However, some rig markets did experience fluctuations in their fleet numbers, according to ODS-Petrodata’s weekly mobile offshore rig count. This week, 625 of the world’s 691 mobile offshore drilling units are under contract, and worldwide offshore rig fleet utilization is 90.4%. The US Gulf of Mexico contracted offshore rig count and available offshore fleet size were unchanged. With 104 rigs out of 123 available under contract, US Gulf fleet utilization stands at 84.6%. No change was recorded this week in the South American offshore rig count. With 71 rigs out of 95 available under contract, South American fleet utilization is 74.7%. The European and Mediterranean region saw the offshore contracted rig count and total offshore fleet size decrease by two each. The European offshore rig fleet remains fully utilized, with all 97 rigs under contract. In West Africa, the offshore rig fleet size and the number of contracted rigs grew by two each this week. With 58 rigs out of 61 available under contract, West African utilization remains at 95.1%. In the Asia and Australia region, the total offshore fleet size and number of rigs under contract rose by one each. With 104 out of 107 available offshore rigs under contract, fleet utilization in the region is 97.2%.
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New World Alliance and Grand Alliance offer joint Black Sea Service

The member lines of The New World Alliance and the Grand Alliance have begun a jointly operated service from Asia to the Black Sea.

TNWA member lines comprises Mitsui OSK Lines, APL, and Hyundai Merchant Marine. TNWA and the Grand Alliance carriers began co-operating in February this year with a slot exchange on their respective fortnightly services to the Black Sea. The new joint service will now provide shippers a weekly frequency with the common port coverage. Eight vessels will be deployed on the service. TNWA members will operate three vessels. Grand Alliance member lines will operate five vessels. Hanjin and UASC will keep participating in this service as slot charterers. Capacity for these eight ships is about 5,000TEU. Port rotation for the "EBX" (East-Mediterranean/Black Sea Express) Service is as follows: Shanghai - Ningbo - Shekou - Singapore - Suez - Istanbul - Constanza - Odessa - Constanza - Istanbul - Damietta - Suez - Jeddah - Singapore - Shanghai.

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Completion of FLC - Aker Yards transaction scheduled for July

Norway's Aker Yards and the Russian company FLC expects to complete the transaction in which FLC buys 70 percent ownership in three Aker yards in Ukraine and Germany in July 2008.

The agreement was announced on March 25, 2008. The one remaining item in the process before the transaction is concluded is to complete the process to obtain approval from the Ukraine competition authorities. This process has taken somewhat longer than anticipated, but FLC and Aker Yards expect that it will be possible to get this final approval shortly.

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CSCL, Hapag-Lloyd and Maruba to launch service from Asia to South, West Africa

Hapag-Lloyd will join a new service with China Shipping and Maruba Lines called WSX to cover the Asia, South and West Africa market.

The service will deploy five ships ranging between 2,000 and 2,500TEU with reefer plugs. Hapag-Lloyd will deploy one vessel in the service, which will be jointly operated with partners China Shipping and Maruba Lines. The fortnightly WSX service will link Asia to South Africa, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria on the following rotation: Shanghai - Ningbo - Xiamen - Shekou - Port Kelang - Durban - Tema - Lome - Lagos - Durban - Kelang - Shanghai. The first departure will be from Shanghai on July 15.
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Two Costa Ships Launched

The Italian Company Costa Cruises and Fincantieri have together set record: for the first time ever, two ships have been launched the same day.

The Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica, respectively the 13th and 14th members of the Costa fleet are the newly launched ships. Both will enter service next year. The Costa Luminosa, which will be able to accommodate 2,828 Guests and is 92,700 gross tonnage, was launched at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera (Province of Venice) in the presence of the Honorable Renato Brunetta, the Italian Minister for Public Administration and Innovation. Meanwhile, the Costa Pacifica, total Guest capacity of 3,780 and 114,500 gross tonnage, was also launched in Genova-Sestri Ponente. Costa Cruises has invested over $1.4b in the construction of the two liners, with the labor of around 6,000 people, comprising both Fincantieri’s own employees and those of about 500 contracted suppliers. The two ceremonies held the launch by floating out. The Costa Luminosa is due for delivery at the end of April 2009, the Costa Pacifica at the end of May 2009. Their naming ceremonies will be another first for the cruise industry: the two new fleet members will be christened together on June 5, 2009 in Genoa, the city where Costa Cruises – this year celebrating its 60th anniversary – has always been headquartered. Also for the first time, Guests booked to travel on the maiden cruise of either ship will also be able to witness the christening ceremony.
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Terra Nova back on line for Petro-Canada

Petro-Canada had restarted the Terra Nova oilfield off Newfoundland after a two-week maintenance outage and expected output to be back at full production in the next two days.

Petro-Canada is the operator of the field with a 34% interest in it. The field was shut in on 13 June. The company took the floating production, storage and offloading vessel off line to replace flaring equipment and valves, as well as to inspect other gear. Terra Nova is located 350 kilometres (217 miles) southeast of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Petro-Canada’s partners are ExxonMobil with 22%, Husky Energy with 12.5%, StatoilHydro with 15%, Murphy Oil with 12%, Mosbacher Operating with 3.5% and Chevron.

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Hebei Spirit oil spill damage costs grow

The estimated cost of damages caused by South Korea's worst oil spill may reach as high as over 573.5 billion won (US$554 million), a local government official said.

Around 12,000 tons of crude oil spilled into the west sea following a collision between an oil tanker owned by the Hong Kong-registered Hebei Spirit Shipping Co. and a barge owned by Samsung Heavy Industries Co. last December. The oil spill occurred in waters off Taean County, South Chungcheong Province, blackening beaches and fish farms along the west coast. The barge, which was carrying a crane, separated from its two tugboats and collided with the tanker. Officials at South Chungcheong Province said the total amount of losses arising from the spill is currently estimated at a maximum figure of 573.5 billion won, quoting Willem Oosterveen, director of the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds). The newly estimated loss has increased 149.5 billion won from the amount originally released by the IOPC Funds in March. "The increase came as business activities (in Taean) have yet to normalize, and with consumer trust in Taean's seafood products having decreased, there are likely to be less visitors," said an official.

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Singapore shipyards hit for safety shortfalls

Officers from the Ministry of Manpower have uncovered a raft of shortfalls in safety standards at shipyards here.

Of the 40 shipyards spot-checked so far, an unspecified one has been ordered to 'down tools'. The checks follow a string of shipyard accidents that have left five people dead and 18 others hurt in three weeks.
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Dalian Port to buy $280m stake in Jinzhou Port

Dalian Port plans to buy an 18.9% stake in Jinzhou Port for about 1.91 billion yuan ($278m) to become its second-biggest shareholder and a strategic partner.

Jinzhou Port will sell 246m new shares to Dalian Port at 7.77 yuan each and will use the proceeds to expand port capacity and repay bank loans, the firm said in a statement filed with the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Both port operators are based in northeast China's Liaoning province and a tie-up would bolster their financial resources and competitivess. Jinzhou Port's shares have been suspended on the Shanghai Stock Exchange since May 28 and last closed at 9.03 yuan, for a gain of more than 8% since the start of the year.
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Horizon Lines Recognized With Safety Awards

Horizon Lines, Inc. has been recognized for outstanding achievements in ship safety by the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) at the Annual Safety Awards.

The CSA-sponsored Ship Safety Achievement Award program recognizes outstanding feats of safety that contribute to saving a life, a ship or other property. This year, the Highest Honors award went to the Horizon Falcon in recognition of the crew's extraordinary courage and superior seamanship, without regard to their personal safety in adverse weather conditions, when they successfully rescued Chinese crewmembers of the capsized vessel HAI TONG 7 northwest of Guam last July. Three additional Horizon Lines vessels were presented Devlin Awards, which signify two or more years of injury-free operations. The vessels honored are the Horizon Spirit (5 years injury-free); the USNS Bruce Heezen (3 years injury-free); and the Horizon Pacific (2 years injury-free).
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UN warns of Somalia pirate threat

The UN World Food Program has warned it may have to cut food aid to Somalia if it does not receive new naval protection against pirates.

French, Danish and Dutch frigates have protected deliveries for more than seven months during a surge in piracy, the WFP said. However, a Dutch frigate was scheduled to finish escort duties. As many as two million people could be affected if the shipments cease, the WFP said. The agency said shipping companies were reluctant to sail unescorted to Somalia, and it had no offers to take over escort duties from the Dutch navy. About 80% of WFP aid to Somalia arrives by sea. The UN has warned that the food crisis in Somalia is dramatically worsening, with the number of people in need of emergency food aid likely to rise to 3.5 million in the coming months. A WFP spokesman told that if Somalia received no humanitarian aid, the country could face a famine similar to the one that killed hundreds of thousands 15 years ago. Among the contributing factors are bad harvests, conflict, hyperinflation, and rising food and fuel prices. About 2.5 million Somalis currently need food aid. Somalia has not had a functioning national government since 1991 and has been wracked by civil strife.
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Caterpillar is up and away “Down Under”

Sanctuary Cove Boat Show in Australia is one of the leading pleasure craft events in the Asia-Pacific region.

Each year visitors can spot dozens of impressive motor yachts from both Australian and international boat builders with Caterpillar marine engines on board. Caterpillar Marine Power Systems, with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, brings together all the sales and service activities for Cat and MaK branded marine products within Caterpillar Inc. The Caterpillar Marine Power Systems sales and service network includes more than 2,100 dealer locations worldwide. This year, some remarkable new designs have been displayed. Riviera, the largest luxury boat building company in Australia, presented its new “61 Enclosed Flybridge” model, powered by 2x Cat C18 engines rated 747 kW at 2,300 rpm. Later this year, Riviera will also launch its biggest model to date: the “70 Enclosed Flybridge” propelled by 2x Cat C32 engines rated 1,156 kW at 2,300 rpm. Domestic competitor Maritimo showcased its all-new “C60 Sports Cabriolet”, the first of a new series of European-styled cruisers. Twin Cat C12 marine engines provide a sporty performance of up to 32 knots. Also on display was the “550 Offshore Convertible” with 2x Cat C18, rated 747 kW at 2,300 rpm. According to Martin Ditchburn, Marine Business Manager with Energy Power Systems, Caterpillar’s engine dealer in Australia, Sanctuary Cove underlined the strong demand for Cat’s C-series marine engines, in particular the C12 and C18 models. The company sells about six of these boats a year, exclusively powered by Cat C12 engines.

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DP World launches 'Promis'

DP World-UAE Region has officially launched the first phase of its new port management operation system 'Promis,' which will gradually replace the existing systems applied in all departments and sections of the company.

The new system has been fully put into application in the Marine Operations Department at Jebel Ali Port, where it proved its efficiency in connecting the various departments through an integrated control and co-ordination centre. This enables the efficient management of all operations to cope up with the needs of the rapidly growing marine industry sectors in the country, including shipping, export and import, most of which are carried out through Jebel Ali Port. Mohammed Al Muallem, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director of DP World- UAE Region, said: "The implementation of 'Promis' is part of our constant efforts to make use of the most modern technology at DP World. Following the success of 'Promis' in the Marine Operations Department, we will seek in its second phase to connect all DP World departments at Jebel Ali Port to one central network in order to achieve total and efficient co-ordination of operations. This is the first step in making the implementation of this highly efficient technology possible at all DP World terminals around the world." DP World- UAE Region's goal is to build the first fully-automated port control system in the world because our operations require very high level of accuracy and speed.
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Sarawak Slipways delivers 'OMS Terra Nova'

Sarawak Slipways of Miri, Sarawak East Malaysia, has delivered the 1179GT FPSO support vessel ‘OMS Terra Nova'.

A pair of Niigata mains engines each generating 1,838kW at 750rpm power the Niigata Z-Drives on the ABS-classed dynamic positioning vessel. A 520kW Cummins KTA19-M4 engine powers a retractable HRP azimuthing bow thruster as an essential component of the vessel's dynamic positioning system. For electrical requirements, the 50 by 13.8-metre vessel has a pair of Cummins QSM11-powered 250 kW Stamford generator sets. Aft of the main house, a double drum MacGregor Plimsoll double drum anchor handling winch is completely enclosed. A closed circuit television system allows the wheelhouse to monitor action around the winch. The boat has a designed bollard pull of 55 tonnes forward and 42 tonnes aft with the mains at 100 per cent MCR. The ‘OMS Terra Nova', registered in Port Klang, Malaysia, is the first of two being built at he Sarawak Slipways.
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FRO - Acquisition of vessels and time charter contracts

Ships Inc. at a purchase price of $240 million at Hamilton, Bermuda.

The vessels are built in the period 1992 to1996, and will be delivered in the period June 2008 to August 2008. Frontline also announced the agreement to take five double hull Suezmax tankers on time charter from Eigir Shipping for the balance period of existing charters, all with delivery June/August 2008 and redelivery November 2009/April 2010. The vessels are built in the period 1999 to 2006. The acquisitions and chartering-in of the vessels will contribute to further consolidation in the Suezmax market. This also confirms Frontline's regained position as the world's largest operator and owner of double hull Suezmax tonnage in addition to its position as the world's largest independent operator and owner of double hull VLCC tonnage.Frontline's commitment to acquire the five double hull Suezmax tankers and to charter-in further five, confirms the Board's firm belief in the future prospects in the tanker market.

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First Q-Flex ship reaches US

Qatar has sent its first shipment of LNG to be carried on giant new tankers to the United States, Qatargas.

The new tankers have capacity of around 216,000 cubic metres for the gas chilled to its liquid form, about 60 percent larger than Qatargas' current fleet of vessels with capacity of around 135,000 cubic metres. The Qatargas vessel Q-Flex Al Gharrafa is on charter to RasGas carrying a cargo for Cheniere Energy and will discharge at the newly commissioned Sabine Pass LNG Terminal in Louisiana. The vessel is owned by a joint venture between Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) and Overseas Ship Holding Group (OSG) and is on long-term charter to Qatargas 2. Equipped with an on-board re-liquefaction system to handle the boil-off gas, Q-Flex vessels are able to deliver almost 100 percent of the cargo to customers. The cargo is the second to arrive at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal. The terminal is owned by Cheniere Energy and received its first cargo in April. The terminal cost around $1.5 billion to build and will be capable of reheating and pumping around 2.6 billion cubic feet of gas per day into the US gas system.
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Vinashin exit from steel jv another blow to POSCO's international ambitions

The decision by state-run shipbuilder Vinashin to cancel its $1bn stake in a $5bn steel joint venture with South Korea's POSCO, has not gone down well with shareholders in Hanoi.

The decision is part of an effort by the Vietnamese government effort to cut spending spurred by a 25% inflation rate, and is also expected to impact 40 other projects with a total investment of 6.5trillion dong ($395m). Vinashin has stated that it intends to refocus on the group's core shipbuilding businesses. The move comes as an additional blow to POSCO, which has seen a $12bn plan to build steel mill in India delayed by frequent protests. A POSCO spokesman told that the company would proceed with the steel mill plan on its own. In January, Vietnam approved POSCO's proposal to build the steel mill in Van Phong Bay, near the south-central resort town of Nha Trang, raising environmental concerns in one of Vietnam's most beautiful bays. The steel maker said earlier this year that it aimed to start construction of the plant, which will have annual output of 4m tonnes, next April. POSCO has already started building a separate $1.13bn facility in the southern coastal province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau that will produce 1.2m tonnes of hot-rolled steel products annually from next year. However, the group has seen its overseas expansion drive hitting a snag on weakening global economic growth and local protests.

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Sri Lanka national carrier in joint venture with Vardinoyannis shipping dynasty

Ceylon Shipping Corporation, Sri Lanka's national shipping line, has struck a deal with a member of a famous Hellenic shipping dynasty for a joint venture project to transport petroleum products and supply ship fuel.

"We have signed an MoU to see if we can form a joint venture company to go for oil transportation, particularly for CPC (Ceylon Petroleum Corporation) and also to do bunkering in Colombo," a senior company official said. The MoU was signed with Pyrros Vardinoyannis, scion of one of Hellas’ well-known shipping families with interests in shipping as well as petroleum. The joint venture has tentatively been named CSC Kandia. "We have signed a kind of pre-incorporation agreement outlining the objectives of the joint venture," the CSC official said. "The Hellenic party will provide a vessel, either their own or chartered, and invest along with the CSC. We're looking to see whether a joint venture company of both parties can be formed to go into business." The official said the joint venture is aiming to bid for a tender from the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, the state oil refiner, for a long-term transport contract to ship petroleum products. The CPC is calling tenders for freight. The CPC wants to go for long-term freight contracts to reduce costs and be able to ship bigger parcels, officials said. The CSC official said the joint venture is also eyeing opportunities to do bunkering in Colombo, south Asia's transhipment hub. Bunker prices in Colombo are among the highest in the region and there is scope for more competition, officials said. The Vardinoyannis family network includes shipping and petroleum refining as well as sports. It is one of Greece's close-knit shipping clans that are connected to each other and have considerable influence in the maritime world.
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Navy Christens New Hampshire

The Navy christened its newest Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine "New Hampshire" on June 21, at General Dynamics Electric Boat at Groton, Conn.

This christening marks the fourth time the U.S. Navy named a ship after the Granite State. The service awarded the name to the submarine after third-graders from Garrison Elementary School in Dover, N.H., wrote letters to Congress members, the governor and the Secretary of the Navy. Adm. Kirkland Donald, Naval Nuclear Propulsion director, gave the principal remarks and spoke about the New Hampshire's way ahead. "There still is a lot of hard work to be done," said Donald. "New Hampshire is entering the fleet during a time of conflict. The missions of this new submarine are vital to victory in this war on terrorism." McGuinness added after the ceremony that the New Hampshire symbolizes a new journey of protecting freedom. New Hampshire is scheduled to be commissioned in October at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. As the Navy's next-generation attack submarine, the Virginia class will provide the U.S. Navy with the capabilities it requires to maintain the nation's undersea supremacy well into the 21st century. New Hampshire will have improved stealth, sophisticated surveillance capabilities and Special Warfare enhancements that will enable it to meet the Navy's multi-mission requirements.
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Maersk Line orders 18 new container vessels

AP Moller-Maersk, Denmark, has signed an agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries of Korea for the delivery of 18 container vessels in 2011 and 2012.

The vessels will each have a capacity of 4,500 TEU. The ships are designed to meet the highest demands for safe and economic transportation of goods in geographies such as the Eastern Mediterranean, Africa, and Latin America. In addition, each vessel is equipped with a waste heat recovery system. The system reuses excess heat from the exhaust and generates energy for propulsion of the vessel or on-board electricity consumption. The reduction in fuel consumption results in a corresponding reduction of emissions. It is the first time that an Asian yard will install a waste heat recovery system of this size and efficiency. "These vessels are part of our fleet renewal and development program. They will enable us to continue to offer competitive container shipping based on a modern, economical, and environmentally friendly fleet," said Senior Vice President Michel Deleuran, Head of Network and Product in Maersk Line.

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Navios Maritime acquires two ultra handymax vessels

Navios Maritime Holdings has entered into agreements to acquire two ultra handymax vessels for fleet in Greece.

Total consideration for the vessels is approximately US$152.5 million. The first vessel is a 2007-built, 55,728DWT, ultra handymax built in Japan. The vessel is expected to be delivered by October of 2008. The second vessel is a 58,500DWT, ultra handymax under construction at Tsuneishi Shipyard's Cebu facility in the Philippines. The vessel is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2009.
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Keppel rolls out FPSO for Ezra

Keppel Shipyard is on track to deliver the Lewek Arunothai floating, production, storage and offloading vessel to Singapore-based marine construction and support group Ezra for a South East Asian client.

The FPSO can store 725,000 barrels and has the capacity to export 175 million cubic feet of gas per day. The vessel, which was named last week, underwent refurbishment at Keppel’s Subic Shipyard in the Philippines while the engineering, procurement and topside fabrication were in progress in Singapore. The ship then sailed to Keppel Offshore & Marine offshoot Keppel Shipyard to complete the remaining conversion and topside works. “With the combined efforts of EOC, Keppel and our contractor partners, this project in our two shipyards, have achieved a total of 1.4 million man-hours worked to date with no reportable loss time incident. I wish to thank everyone involved for contributing to Keppel’s ultimate goal of achieving a yard-wide incident free environment,” Keppel Shipyard’s director Nelson Yeo said. Singapore listed Ezra Holdings holds a 48.9% stake in EOC after selling off half its holding late last year.
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Ship-Tracking Satellite Launched

The U.S. Coast Guard announced the launch of an Orbcomm satellite in an initiative to increase maritime situational awareness and security.
The launch of the Orbcomm satellite is part of the Coast Guard and Homeland Security Department's Nationwide Automatic Identification System project. The satellite, launched from Kapustin Yar, Russia, was equipped with automatic identification system technology capable of tracking and identifying ships as far as 2,000 nautical miles from U.S.coastlines, the Coast Guard reported. Officials expect the Orbcomm satellite will begin transmitting operational data within the next three months and will then improve maritime domain awareness and provide increased security to coastal waters from potential threats.

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Nippon Foundation to co-host seminar on Malacca Straits

Ongoing efforts to improve safety and protection of the marine environment in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore will be the subject of a symposium organised by the Nippon Foundation and the Round Table of international shipping associations - Bimco, ICS, Intercargo and Intertanko - to take place in Kuala Lumpur on November 28.

The event which will be set up based on advice from the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (the Littoral States), also carries the support of the International Maritime Organization as a means to build further on various initiatives such as the Littoral States' Co-operative Mechanism and the IMO's Marine Electronic Highway project. ‘We are hoping that this symposium will serve as an example to the other industries to take up the burden of repaying their debt to the environment,’ Yohei Sasakawa, NF chairman told. ‘This is particularly important in the case of the 100km long Straits of Malacca and Singapore, as they are used for carrying around one third of the world’s oil supplies and half of world trade.’ ‘The results, due before the November symposium, should give us an accurate idea of the funds needed to ensure the safety of the marine environment in the area’, he told. The November symposium will cover topics linked to the Straits including the background, history and global significance, the legal background on safety and environmental protection in straits used for international navigation, in accordance with UNCLOS, future developments, corporate social responsibility and the development of the Co-operative Mechanism, amongst others.
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InterMoor boasts new mooring record

Acteon offshoot InterMoor has posted a new record for installing the world’s deepest conventional mooring system after a gig for Murphy Oil and Petronas off Sabah in East Malaysia.

InterMoor worked with the pair to moor Diamond Offshore’s Ocean Rover semi-submersible on the Buntal exploration well at depths that required two of the anchors to be set in more than 8000 feet of water. The deepest leg of the eight-leg conventional mooring system reached 8431 feet. Louisiana-based InterMoor provided mooring analysis, installation procedures and supervision on the project. “We are proud of this achievement, because as the drilling industry moved into deeper and deeper waters, we are proving that we can continue to provide the necessary resources, techniques and experience,” InterMoor’s president Tom Fulton said in a statement.
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InterMoor boasts new mooring record

Acteon offshoot InterMoor has posted a new record for installing the world’s deepest conventional mooring system after a gig for Murphy Oil and Petronas off Sabah in East Malaysia.

InterMoor worked with the pair to moor Diamond Offshore’s Ocean Rover semi-submersible on the Buntal exploration well at depths that required two of the anchors to be set in more than 8000 feet of water. The deepest leg of the eight-leg conventional mooring system reached 8431 feet. Louisiana-based InterMoor provided mooring analysis, installation procedures and supervision on the project. “We are proud of this achievement, because as the drilling industry moved into deeper and deeper waters, we are proving that we can continue to provide the necessary resources, techniques and experience,” InterMoor’s president Tom Fulton said in a statement.
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Port of Longview welcomes 'green' vessel

The Port of Longview, USA, has honored the German marine vessel ‘Beluga SkySails' and its crew for their environmentally innovative transportation solutions.

The vessel, which uses a large wind sail at sea to decrease environmental impacts, has delivered wind energy cargo to the port. "Often times we must take a step back and review methods that have worked in history to make progress in the future," said Port of Longview's Director of Marketing Valerie Harris. "We think ‘Beluga' has captured the essence of this by using the wind to assist with ocean navigation." The first vessel to use the SkySails propulsion system, the ‘Beluga Skysails' boasts a towing kite of 160 square meters. The utilization of wind decreases the vessel's bunker consumption 10 to 15 percent and provides relief to the main engine. The size of the towing kite is expected to increase to 320 square meters in the near future. The vessel arrived with wind energy cargo aboard, creating a combination of green energy and transportation. The Acciona wind energy cargo shipped from Spain and will be delivered to a project site in Montana.

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AMEC awarded Arctic mining project

International engineering and project management company, AMEC, has been awarded a US$147.69 million engineering, procurement and construction management contract by Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation for the US$4.04 billion Mary River Iron Ore project on Baffin Island, Canada.

AMEC's work, which begins immediately, entails basic and detailed engineering services, logistics planning, procurement support and construction management services for both the mine facility and export infrastructure. The contract is scheduled to run until 2014, when the Mary River mine will start production. The mine contains some of the highest-grade iron ore in the world and will produce around 18 million tonnes per year, with an initial operating life of 20 years.

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Capsized Atlantic Rowers Safe

The US Coast Guard has rescued four Britons attempting to row across the Atlantic for charity after their boat capsized.

Chris Jenkins, Tim Garrent, Wayne Davey and Joby Newton, who called themselves the Scilly Boys, were attempting to row the 3,200 nautical miles from New York to the Isles of Scilly off the Cornish coast. Their 29-foot vessel capsized 420 nautical miles east of Cape Cod. All four men were inside the boat's two cabins at the time. They managed to contact Falmouth coastguard who alerted their American counterparts. A Hercules plane spotted the men in a liferaft, and they were rescued and taken on board a merchant ship in the area."The crew has been taken aboard the Gulf Grace at 8 am. We understand all are relatively safe and well, but suffering slight hypothermia," British coastguards said. They set off from New York's Liberty marina on June 1, aiming to break the world record of 55 days set back in 1896 by George Harboe and Frank Samuelson. The route has only been completed successfully six times. The Scilly Boys are raising money for four charities: Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the Cornwall Air Ambulance, the RNLI's Train One and Above and Beyond.

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More than 800 Filipinos perish as ferry capsizes

More than 800 Filipinos have perished in one of the worst maritime disasters in history.

140 kmh winds from Typhoon Fengshen capsized the MV Princess ferry owned by local operator Sulpicio Lines as it made its way from Manila to the centre of the country around noon on Saturday. The ship sank off Sibuyan Island in Romblon province. Twenty eight survivors have been found alive. The group made it to a small village in Quezon province in the centre of the archipelago after drifting at sea for more than 24 hours. Initially there were 30 of them but two died. The discovery raises the number of survivors to 32. The Philippine Coast Guard is coming under intense scrutiny for allowing the vessel to depart the capital despite the clear danger presented by Typhoon Fengshen, which had already ripped through the centre of the country on Saturday and was heading north. The president of the nation, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, has promised a full inquiry into the disaster, the latest in a series of mammoth ferry tragedies to have hit the archipelago.
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PTT: LPG imports may surge five-fold

PTT Plc, the Thai majority state-owned oil-and-gas conglomerate, expects liquefied petroleum gas imports to rise five-fold next year to one million tonnes from 200,000 tonnes this year unless the government scraps its subsidy.

The domestic LPG price today, at 8.50 baht a kilogram, is one-third the international market price, with PTT absorbing the difference. Prasert Bunsumpun, PTT's chief executive and president, said the artificially low LPG price at a time when the prices of other fuels were surging in keeping with the sky-high global oil prices had led more motorists to modify their engines to use the gas. Vendors and producers of LPG fitting equipment also are enjoying bonanza profits thanks to its popularity. Mr Prasert said the government's decision to drop the subsidy by gradually floating the cooking-gas retail price could not deter the prevalent use of the gas in the auto sector. An industrial source said that LPG in the global market, at US$902 per tonne in June, could translate into a local retail price of 48 baht a kilogram, excluding seven baht of taxes and other contributions. This compares favourably with 30 baht a litre for premium petrol, excluding 12 baht of taxes and contributions. Although natural gas (CNG) in the transport sector is sold at only at 8.50 baht a kg compared to 18.13 baht per kg of LPG, CNG conversion kits cost three or four times more than those for LPG. ''At present, the gap between the price of LPG and those of other types of fuels is too large. Even if the state floated the LPG price now, it can't let it rise to the real cost all at once because people will be shocked,'' Mr Prasert said. PTT has expanded its natural gas service facilities and expects the gas consumption will rise to 5,400 tonnes a day soon from 1,700 tonnes currently.
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Keppel corks ground-breaking rig

Keppel Offshore & Marine arm Keppel FELS has finished the new DSS-21 proprietary designed semi-submersible rig for Maersk Contractors, the most advanced deep-water drilling rig to be designed and completed by Singapore to date.

The rig named, Maersk Developer, is the first of a trio of DSS-21 semi-submersible rigs that Keppel is building for Maersk Contractors, a unit of Danish shipping and oil group Moller-Maersk. The Maersk Developer is contracted to Norwegian giant StatoilHydro for operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The DSS-21 rig features a dynamic positioning system, with the ability to attach a pre-laid mooring system. It is capable of operating at water depths of 3000 metres and drilling down to 10,000 metres, which makes it suitable for conditions off Brazil, West Africa, the Gulf of Mexico and South East Asia. Maersk Contractors, which operates a fleet of 26 drilling rigs contracted to global oil companies, in May 2006 ordered its third deep-water rig from Keppel, bringing its total order for the DSS21 design to about S$1.2 billion (US$877 million). The two other DSS-21 rigs being built at Keppel FELS are set to be delivered in the second quarters of 2009 and 2010. The Maersk Developer was named on Saturday in the presence of Minister Lim Boon Heng from Singapore’s Prime Minister’s Office, by Kari Reinertsen, the wife of Oivind Reinertsen, president of StatoilHydro’s North American operations.
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Oceanic Carriers signs new time charter agreement

Oceanic Carriers Limited has entered into a time charter agreement with Oldendorff Carriers for the ‘GO Pride' at Athens, Greece.

The agreement is for a minimum period of 35 days at the gross rate of US$44,000 or US$45,000 per day and a ballast bonus of US$375,000 or US$ 400,000 depending on port of discharge. The charter is expected to commence on or about June 26, 2008. The ‘GO Pride' is a handysize bulk carrier built in 1982 with a carrying capacity of 35,055DWT.
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BBC Chartering expands liner services

BBC Chartering, home-ported in Leer, Germany, has extended its existing liner services between the US Gulf and South America to Europe.

The BBC Americana Line European Service is an extension of a successfully running BBC service from the US Gulf to the East Coast of South America. This now connects Hamburg, Antwerp and Bilbao as scheduled ports with Vitoria, Rio de Janeiro, Santos and Buenos Aires. When required, both services can also call at other ports en route. BBC Chartering expanded both lines because of the increasing demand for project and break-bulk cargo capacities to South America. In trade between Hamburg and South America, the portion of non-containerized cargo is relatively high: 65 per cent of the total tonnage is transported conventionally. The reason for this is the structure of the goods in foreign trade. Ores, oil seeds, fruits (bananas), meat and coffee are the most important groups of imported goods. Fertilisers, machines and/or machine parts and chemical products have the largest share in the export sector. Since April, the BBC Americana Line European Service has provided a total loading capacity of 12000 tonnes per month. On-board cranes can handle all kinds of heavy left cargo of up to 500 tonnes.

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Container liners expanding capacities at a fast pace

Maersk Line continues to lead the global container shipping trade, with a market share of 16.4%, according to the latest statistics as produced on a daily basis by Paris-based AXS Marine.

As of the 20th of June, there were 6,004 ships active on liner trades, for 12,406,864 TEU and 169,671,755 TDW. To the above figures are included 4,485 fully cellular ships for 11,648,037 TEU. The total existing cellular fleet (all sizes / all positions) stands at 4,506 ships for 11,678,934 TEU. There are 11 cellular ships over 1,000 TEU for 22,630 TEU which are inactive (either awaiting employment or laid up or damaged). According to data from AXS Marine, APM-Maersk tops the list of container liners, controlling, or operating 546 ships with a total capacity of 2,028,713 TEUs. The company’s orderbook includes 82 ships of 396,585 TEUs, which represents 19.5% of the Maersk’s capacity in terms of TEUs. Also, the company charters 351 out of 546 ships. The second largest liner is Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC), which has a fleet of 401 ships of 1,303,580 TEUs. MSC owns 220 of these 401, while the remaining 181 are chartered. As for its orderbook it stands at 54 vessels with a total capacity of 598,693 TEUs, i.e. 45.9% of its current capacity. But the most aggressive company in the newbuilding scene appears to be China’s Cosco Container Lines, with has on order 73 ships of 527,803 TEUs, which represents 115.9% of its current capacity, standing at 455,541 TEUs, divided into 148 ships, 98 of which are owned, while the rest are chartered. Cosco is currently the sixth largest liner in the world.

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Shell freezes Beaufort start-up

Anglo-Dutch supermajor Shell said that it is delaying drilling on its Sivulliq prospect in the Beaufort Sea off northern Alaska for a year because of an environmental lawsuit.

The company, which spent $44 million on leases in the area in 2005, had planned to begin drilling at the prospect later this year. A group of environmentalists filed a lawsuit with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to stop the drilling project due to concerns about its impact on marine mammals.

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Scania delivers the engines to Finnish Border Guard's new vessels

Scania's twelve-litre engines will be used in 13 vessels, which Marine AluTech will deliver to the Finnish Border Guard.

In early June, the Finnish Border Guard signed an agreement with Marine Alutech concerning the delivery of 13 Watercat 1300 Patrol vessels during 2009 and 2011. The two 12-litre Scania engines of 478kW and water jet propulsion give the vessel a top speed of over 40 knots. The concept is the ideal solution for border patrolling, sea rescue and other activities performed by authorities, such as the Finnish Border Guard and Sea Rescue Society.

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IHC Merwede opens new branch in Dordrecht

IHC Merwede has opened a new branch in Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

As a result of the rapid growth of IHC Parts & Services, the production halls in Kinderdijk were over-full and expansion was necessary. The new location in Dordrecht will concentrate exclusively on the production and delivery of stop valves, a part for dredging vessels that regulates the flow of dredged material on board. The valves vary from 1.5 to 6 metres high and they can weigh as much as 10,000kg and more. The new branch consists of two linked halls measuring 290 square metres and 400 square metres, and a large outside area where the office units are also located. Thirteen people are at work at this branch at present.
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Containership Launched in Germany

The christening ceremony for the first of a series of three 2,700 TEU container ships took place on June 20 in Kiel at HDW-Gaarden, a company of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.

All three ships are ordered by the Buss Group. The Donau Trader officially got her name from the godmother Brunhild Buss, the wife of Hermann Buss, Managing Partner of the Buss Group. The Donau Trader will be initially operated by the shipping line Hamburg Süd. The ship will leave the shipyard on Monday, June 23, to be employed worldwide. The container ship has been built in compliance with the rules and regulations of Germanischer Lloyd.

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Containership Launched in Germany

The christening ceremony for the first of a series of three 2,700 TEU container ships took place on June 20 in Kiel at HDW-Gaarden, a company of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.

All three ships are ordered by the Buss Group. The Donau Trader officially got her name from the godmother Brunhild Buss, the wife of Hermann Buss, Managing Partner of the Buss Group. The Donau Trader will be initially operated by the shipping line Hamburg Süd. The ship will leave the shipyard on Monday, June 23, to be employed worldwide. The container ship has been built in compliance with the rules and regulations of Germanischer Lloyd.

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Daehan Shipbuilding christens its first vessel

Daehan Shipbuilding has celebrated today the christening of its first vessel at its shipyard located in Haenam, Korea.

This 170,500dwt vessel, which is 289m L.O.A. and 45m beam, is the first in the series of eight capesize bulk carriers ordered from the Norwegian Golden Ocean Group in November 2006. It shall be delivered to the owner on June 27th since its keel-laying ceremony was held back to August 2007. Currently the second vessel is completed up to 70% and shall be delivered at the end of August. Daehan Shipbuilding's second block factory, Taejon Heavy Industries, capable of producing 150,000 tons of blocks annually, shall start its operation from the end of July. The company believes that having this second factory will help supply itself with 250,000 tons of blocks every year. Daehan Shipbuilding has received refund guarantees for a total of 19 capesizes.

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Daehan Shipbuilding christens its first vessel

Daehan Shipbuilding has celebrated today the christening of its first vessel at its shipyard located in Haenam, Korea.

This 170,500dwt vessel, which is 289m L.O.A. and 45m beam, is the first in the series of eight capesize bulk carriers ordered from the Norwegian Golden Ocean Group in November 2006. It shall be delivered to the owner on June 27th since its keel-laying ceremony was held back to August 2007. Currently the second vessel is completed up to 70% and shall be delivered at the end of August. Daehan Shipbuilding's second block factory, Taejon Heavy Industries, capable of producing 150,000 tons of blocks annually, shall start its operation from the end of July. The company believes that having this second factory will help supply itself with 250,000 tons of blocks every year. Daehan Shipbuilding has received refund guarantees for a total of 19 capesizes.

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Transocean to operate drillship for duo

Transocean will operate a new deep-water drillship currently being built under a joint venture between Japan's Mitsui and Brazil's state-controlled Petrobras.

The dynamically positioned Samsung TBN-1 drillship is being built at Samsung Heavy Industries' Geoje yard in South Korea. It will provide drilling services under a 50/50 joint venture called P&M Drilling International. The drillship, costing $750 million, has been dubbed the Petrobras 10,000 and is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2009. The unit will start its life working for Petrobras in Angolan and Nigerian waters, and will be operated by a subsidiary of Transocean. The question of which company will operate the rig has been under negotiation for several months. At one time, Brazilian rig company Schahin Engenharia seemed close to an equity agreement, but no deal was concluded. Petrobras will build a second rig in its 10,000 series at the same yard, but does not have an equity partner in place. The second rig will be used in the Gulf of Mexico, but is not yet clear which rig company will operate the unit and under which terms.

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'Brasil Maru' named ship of the year for 2007

The Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers has selected Mitsui OSK Lines' iron ore carrier ‘Brasil Maru' as the Ship of The Year for 2007.

The selection committee noted that the ‘Brasil Maru' is a pioneering vessel in reducing iron ore transport cost which will have a great effect on steel production. 2008 marks the centennial anniversary of Japanese emigration to Brazil, and the vessel is the third generation to carry the ‘Brasil Maru' name, following two cargo and passenger liners. The new ‘Brasil Maru' is a historical vessel, worthy of the centennial anniversary. Starting with the 320,000DWT ‘Brasil Maru', more than 50 iron ore carriers in the 300,000DWT class have now been ordered around the world. The vessel's design relied on advanced computer simulation to optimize environmental protection and safe operation. It offers high-performance course stability that takes water flow into account, and excellent manoeuvrability. At the same time, its environmental burden per unit load is reduced by making the vessel larger, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent compared to currently Cape-size bulkers. The ‘Brasil Maru' also adopts double-hull fuel tanks, an engine that meets International Marine Organization (IMO) exhaust emission standards, and the energy-saving Mitsui Integrated Propeller Boss (MIPB).

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New vessel deployed in container liner service between Europe, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent

The German containership newbuild 'Cap Gabriel' recently made its first visit to Hamburg when it docked at the HHLA Container Terminal Burchardkai.

'Cap Gabriel' is operated by German shipping company Hamburg Süd, and, together with vessels of the Hapag-Lloyd shipping company's tonnage, is being deployed in the Indian Ocean Service (IOS) linking Europe, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. The port rotation in the IOS service is: Hamburg, Tilbury, Antwerp, Gioia Tauro, Jebel Ali, Karachi, Mundra, Nhava Sheva (Mumbai), Gioia Tauro, Hamburg. The new service was created following the termination of the co-operative venture with CMA CGM in the Europe Pakistan India Consortium (EPIC) in May. The CMA CGM shipping line will continue as the sole operator of this service. The port rotation in the EPIC service is: Tilbury, Hamburg, Antwerp, Le Havre, Port Said, UAE (Khor Fakkan / Jebel Ali), Karachi, Nhava Sheva (Mumbai), Mundra, Marsaxlokk, Tilbury. 'Cap Gabriel' is 264 metres-long, 32.20 metres-wide and has a carrying capacity of 4,298TEU, including 600 slots for refrigerated containers (reefers). With a tonnage of 53,870 tonnes, the vessel has a maximum draught of 12.75 metres. The main engine is a MAN B&W rated at 36,525kW, giving the ship a cruising speed of 24 knots.
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HITS Selects AMOS for Six Ships

SpecTec Asia Pacific – Singapore won a contract with PT. Humpuss Intermoda Transportasi Tbk (HITS) Indonesia to supply AMOS Business Suite solutions for six vessels.

The six vessels comprise four product tankers, a chemical tanker and a dry bulker, as well as the office site. There is an option for another seven ships, based on the successful implementation on the initial six. The project was officially kicked off June 2, 2008, and entailed a two-week Requirement Study into PT. Humpuss’s Business Processes, Work Procedures and Requirements Study for each department. HITS is an international shipping company and part of Humpuss Group with fully integrated business lines covering a wide range of shipping transportation solutions including Technical Management, Crew Management and Ship Agency Services. Established in 1992, the company is one of Indonesia’s national shipping companies, and it owns and operates tankers for LNG, Oil, Chemical/Methanol, as well as container vessels, tugs and barges. The company has been listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange since 1997, and is preparing to expand in the region. HITS is exploring the expansion of its business in the shipping industry, while seeing to improve its service quality, adding and upgrading its fleet of vessels and improving on its crew management expertise. HITS concentrates on eight business sectors: Gas Transportation, Oil Transportation, Chemical Transportation, Industrial Coal Supply Chain, Dry Bulk Transportation, Crew Management Services, Ship Agency Services, and Technical Ship Management.

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Hapag-Lloyd prospectus out, NOL still favourite: FT

Hamburg: The prospectus of the most keenly sought boxline acquisition since P&O Nedlloyd was snapped up five years ago is now doing the rounds.

German transport and tourism group TUI is hawking its containerline Hapag-Lloyd as an instantaneous way for other shipping firms to close the gap with Maersk Line, the world's number one. Prospectuses are understood to have been dispatched to the top 15 boxlines this week. The paper continues to maintain NOL of Singapore is the frontrunner, a buyout that would catapult it from seventh to third in the global box rankings, squeezing past France's CMA CGM. However, various parties from within the city of Hamburg are expected to club together to try and counter any bid. TUI forecasts that the ongoing delivery of 14 new ships will raise Hapag-Lloyd's capacity from 5.5m teu in late 2008 to 6.7m teu in 2010, giving it a healthy 4.8 per cent share of global capacity. "The company forecasts that this 21.8 per cent increase in capacity will be matched by the growth of revenue and outpaced by profit growth, or underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. "The dollar-denominated prospectus restates Hapag-Lloyd's 2007 sales of just over €6bn as $8.1bn and forecasts they will rise 19.8 per cent to $9.7bn this year. This total is forecast to rise 20.6 per cent to $11.7bn by 2010,".
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'Saga Odyssey' calls at Port of Vancouver on maiden voyage

The Port of Vancouver, USA, recently welcomed the ‘Saga Odyssey' on its maiden voyage to the port.

The vessel is commanded by Captain Timothy J. Smith of Yorkshire, England, who has been sailing for 30 years. The ‘Saga Odyssey' was built in Japan and delivered in May 2008. It is nearly 200 metres in length, has deadweight of 46,550 tonnes, has ten holds and hatches and two 42-tonne gantry cranes. The crew of 23 people for the vessel's first visit to the Port of Vancouver USA, was from England, Scotland and the Philippines. The vessel discharged approximately 9,500 metric tonnes of steel from the Far East and Asian ports at Port of Vancouver's Terminal 3, stevedored by Ports America. The ‘Saga Odyssey' is owned by Saga Shipholding, Norway and operated by Saga Forest Carriers.

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'Earthrace' thunders into Oman for penultimate port stop of world record attempt

‘Earthrace', the world's fastest eco-boat, arrived at Salalah Port, in the Sultanate of Oman, for the penultimate port stop of its world record attempt.

‘Earthrace' is a 24-metre tri-hull wavepiercer that runs on biofuel, and is attempting to break the world record for the fastest powerboat to circumnavigate the globe. The crew is hoping for a speedy refueling, before setting off up the Red Sea to Suez, the last port stop before returning to Spain. If all goes to plan, the crew hopes to storm into Valencia on June 27, smashing the record by 13 days. However, they will be battling against adverse weather conditions as they head up the Eastern coast of Africa and later in the Mediterranean. ‘Earthrace' has overcome many obstacles during its journey, the most challenging of which being the replacement of the boat's driveshaft and propeller after hitting sea debris in Palau. A rapid turnaround during the last port stop in India helped the crew claw back valuable time which was lost during these repair works. "We're so close to the end of the race that I can almost taste the world record," said Skipper Pete Bethune.
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Multraship takes delivery of new multipurpose tug

Dutch company Multraship has taken delivery of a new multi-purpose Azimuth Stern Drive tug, ‘Multratug 17', from the Vega Shipyard in Bandirma, Turkey.

The vessel is 35.7 metres in overall length, with a moulded beam of 11.50 metres, and has a multi-role capability for harbour, escort and sea towage, as well as full fire-fighting and salvage roles. It has FiFi 1 fire-fighting, salvage, escort towage and oil recovery notations, and is powered by two Caterpillar engines, delivering 70 tonnes bollard pull. The ‘Multratug 17' has a double drum winch aft and a single drum winch forward and a free running speed of 13.5 knots. It is classed by Bureau Veritas and is registered under the Netherlands flag. Multraship's new tug is to start work straight away, going on charter to Offshore Marine Contractors. Initially, it will be involved in rig moves in the North Sea, and next month is scheduled to tow a jack-up platform from Rotterdam to the Robin Rigg windmill park in the Irish Sea.

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Panama Canal, Port of New Orleans Sign Deal

The alliance between the Panama Canal Authority and the Port of New Orleans has been renewed.

It has recently adopted a 2020 growth Master Plan of $1.04 billion, partially driven by the Canal’s expansion, which will help spur investment, increase trade and promote the “All-Water-Route” (the route from Asia to the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts via the Panama Canal). During an official ceremony yesterday in Panama, ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta reaffirmed the ACP’s commitment to mutual growth and cooperation with Port of New Orleans President and CEO Gary LaGrange and members of the Port’s Board of Commissioners, by renewing a Memorandum of Understanding. Renewable on a three-year basis, the agreement further enforces the strategic alliance between the two entities, which was first initiated in 2003. “Today’s renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Port of New Orleans underscores our strong economic and commercial bonds. Our common vision informs our strategy and creates new value based on information sharing and collaboration. As we embark on the next phases of the Panama Canal expansion project, we remain committed to providing solutions to the long-term needs of the shipping and maritime community,” said Mr. Alemán Zubieta. The Port of New Orleans, the only deepwater port in the United States served by six “Class One” railroads (the largest category of freight railroads), has been steadily moving past the Katrina recovery stage and is now looking toward future growth opportunities. Both the ACP and the Port of New Orleans are dedicated to further increasing capacity and fostering growth.

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Total bags CNOOC gas deal

French oil and gas group Total has signed a deal to sell up to one million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year from 2010 to China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

"Under the terms of this agreement, up to one million tonnes of LNG will be delivered annually to the Chinese oil group starting in 2010," Total said in a statement. "The gas will be sourced from Total's global LNG portfolio," it added. The deal is part of a wider MOU signed between the two companies to boost cooperation in upstream and downstream areas and new energies, Total said. CNOOC has a 45 percent stake in the Akpo oil project in Nigeria, operated by Total.

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Mitsubishi Heavy close to cruise return

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has announced it is in the hunt for large cruise ship orders, four years after it delivered its last cruise pair.

MHI told this week that it expects to snag a deal this year. It has opened negotiations with Carnival, though pricing remains an issue. Carnival is likely to order two more ships, as follow ons from the Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess that were delivered in 2004, late due to an enormous in dock fire. The new pair under discussion will be larger than the 116,000 grt pair delivered four years ago. The ships would be delivered in spring 2013 and early 2014. MHI met with Carnival in Tokyo in May, following stalled discussions last year. The Japanese yard's return to cruise shipbuilding comes as the Koreans eye the sector, which has been the last bastion of European yard dominance. Daewoo, Samsung and STX are all in discussions with cruise lines for deliveries from 2013 onwards.

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Mitsubishi Heavy close to cruise return

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has announced it is in the hunt for large cruise ship orders, four years after it delivered its last cruise pair.

MHI told this week that it expects to snag a deal this year. It has opened negotiations with Carnival, though pricing remains an issue. Carnival is likely to order two more ships, as follow ons from the Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess that were delivered in 2004, late due to an enormous in dock fire. The new pair under discussion will be larger than the 116,000 grt pair delivered four years ago. The ships would be delivered in spring 2013 and early 2014. MHI met with Carnival in Tokyo in May, following stalled discussions last year. The Japanese yard's return to cruise shipbuilding comes as the Koreans eye the sector, which has been the last bastion of European yard dominance. Daewoo, Samsung and STX are all in discussions with cruise lines for deliveries from 2013 onwards.

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18 Foss vessels awarded Jones F Delvin safety awards

The Chamber of Shipping of America has presented 18 Foss vessels with Jones F Devlin Awards at the Annual Safety Awards Luncheon in Houston, Texas.

Jones F Devlin Awards are awarded to self-propelled merchant vessels that have operated for two full years or more without a crewmember losing a full turn at watch because of an occupational injury. Altogether, the winning Foss ships have achieved the equivalent total of 82 years without a lost-time injury. "Safety is the keystone of our company's culture and the Chamber of Shipping of America awards certainly recognize that," said Gary Faber, Foss president and COO.
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Four mobile harbour cranes for the Port of Salalah

The Port of Salalah in the Sultanate of Oman, has recently ordered four Generation 5 G HMK 6407 Mobile Harbour Cranes from Gottwald Port Technology for its container terminal.

The order was as a part of its port expansion program. The Port of Salalah is one of the world's largest container terminals. The first two units will be delivered at the end of June, and the remaining two at the end of July. With lifting capacities of up to 100 tonnes each and equipped with twinlift spreaders, the cranes will be used for serving container ships up to the Post-Panamax class. The four G HMK 6407 cranes will be the first Gottwald cranes to be delivered to Oman. In the course of the port development, Salalah Port Services initially intends to increase its annual capacity to approximately 4.5 million TEU. "With the G HMK 6407 cranes from Gottwald, we are ideally equipped for the ambitious development plans for our container terminal," said Gary Lemke, CEO of Salalah Port Services.

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Greenland whale hunt 'commercial'

Animal welfare campaigners say Greenland's whaling, held under rules permitting subsistence hunting, has become too commercial in character.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) found that a quarter of last year's catch was traded for profit through a private food company. International Whaling Commission (IWC) rules allow hunting where there is a nutritional and cultural need. The IWC annual meeting gets underway next week in Santiago, Chile. WSPA campaigners are presenting their report this week to a preliminary meeting of the organization’s committee on aboriginal (or subsistence) whaling. Greenland has been on the slippery slope towards commercial whaling for years, and now, demonstrably, they've crossed the line," said WSPA's marine mammals manager Claire Bass. "The IWC has heard anecdotally about these processing operations, but this is the first time it's been quantified, so we're expecting it to be explosive," she told.

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