Al-Jurf field shuts down

Mabruk Oil Operations, a subsidiary of Total, has temporarily shut down production on the Al-Jurf field offshore Libya.

During drilling operations on the B18 gas injection well, a deviation occurred in the well trajectory, damaging the production pipe of adjacent well B12. For safety and security, all platform wells have been shut down and a team of specialists has been dispatched to evaluate and rectify the problem. Total reports no injuries or environmental damage. The Al-Jurf field is a wellhead platform that produces to an anchored floating production storage and offloading vessel around three kilometers (1.8 miles) away in water depths of around nine meters (29 ft). Production capacity of the field is around 45,000 b/d. Mabruk Oil Operations is the operator of the field, and Total holds a 37.5 percent working interest.

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Wärtsilä enters new service category - acquires Danish steam boiler service company

Wärtsilä has acquired the Danish company International Combustion Engineering A/S (I.C.E.).

I.C.E. specializes in project engineering and the service and repair of steam boilers and ancillary burner systems. The company has its headquarters in Aalborg, Denmark. The acquisition of I.C.E. will expand Wärtsilä’s service offering into the new category of boiler services. This new service category will further improve Wärtsilä’s competitiveness as a leading total services provider. I.C.E. has a strong market position, particularly with merchant vessels, while its major customers are shipping companies around the world. The company also has a trading division that supplies spare parts for boiler and burner systems. Furthermore, I.C.E. has the potential for strong global growth, and for expansion into segments such as offshore, cruise & ferry and special vessels, as well as to non-marine related industrial and land based power plant applications. The company’s annual net sales amounted to 46,8 million Danish crowns (EUR 6.3 million) in 2007. “I.C.E.’s excellent know-how of boiler services is a very welcome addition to Wärtsilä’s service offering. The acquisition will further expand Wärtsilä’s competitiveness and position as the number one global service provider”, says Mr Tage Blomberg, Group Vice President, Wärtsilä Services.

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Maersk Line wins “Best Shipping Line – Asia-Europe” and “Best Global Shipping Line”

Maersk Line, the core liner activity of the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group emerged winner of the “Best Shipping Line - Asia-Europe” Award for the 21st consecutive year at the 22nd Asian Freight and Supply Chain Awards (AFSCA).

Maersk Line also clinched the coveted “Best Global Shipping Line” Award for the 15th year running at the AFSCA ceremony held in Singapore. The awards are a reflection of the comprehensive and reliable end-to-end transportation solutions that Maersk Line offers to customers through its global service network. The Maersk Line fleet consists of more than 500 container vessels with a capacity of more than 1.7 million TEUs. Through a network of its own offices and third party agents in more than 125 countries, Maersk Line continues to provide consistent and high-quality service to customers worldwide. As winner of the “Best Shipping Line – Asia-Europe” Award, Maersk Line has eleven extensive strings on the Asia-Europe route, of which the latest Asia-Europe 11 or AE11 route was introduced to support shipments from Asia to Spain. Restructuring of the Asia-Europe routes has also brought enhanced coverage of markets in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea. Judging criteria for the two Awards included schedule reliability, efficient customer service, service network comprehensiveness, competitive pricing and information technology. The winners were voted by the readers of Cargonews Asia and the results audited by Ernst & Young. The 22nd AFSCA was held at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Singapore and marks one of the longest standing and most renowned maritime awards in Asia.

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Stolt-Nielsen to build Singapore chemical storage terminal

Stolt-Nielsen’s Stolt Tankers & Terminals division has been approved by the Singapore Economic Development Board to construct a chemical storage terminal on 15 hectares of vacant land on Jurong Island.

Upon scheduled completion in the second half of 2010, the terminal will the have a total bulk liquid storage capacity of 325,000 cubic meters. "We are pleased to have been chosen as the preferred chemical logistics service provider, which opens the way for the construction of a new state-of-the-art terminal to meet the growing needs for bulk-liquid storage of chemical manufacturers and customers in the South-East Asia region," said Asia Pacific MD Andrew Pickering. "Stolt-Nielsen already has a significant presence in the region with commercial and ship management offices, tank container depots, bulk-liquid storage terminals, and deep sea and regional shipping networks. Jurong Island is a vital link in the global supply chain for bulk-liquid chemicals and we look forward to expanding our relationships and presence there." The development of the site is subject to a number of additional agreements between local authorities and the company as well as Stolt-Nielsen board approval.

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STX to build new yard in Bangladesh

STX Shipbuilding has signed an agreement with Meghna Ship Builders and Dockyard to set up a $40m shipyard at Meghnaghat in Naryanganj, Bangladesh.

The facility will have an initial annual capacity of four 15,000-tonne ships and is expected to be the first robotic welding facility in Bangladesh. Investment in the project is slated to rise by $60m in a few months. The yard is expected to begin commercial operations within 15 months and has already reported a great deal of international interest.

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