Singapore Seizes ShipTek 2009

After the inaugural and successful run of Marine BizTV's flagship event ShipTek 2008, at Kochi, India, which was also the first ever maritime event to be telecast live globally through live.marinebiztv.com, Singapore is all set to host ShipTek 2009, in May.

ShipTek 2009 will explore the pivotal role of Technology Revolution in Marine and Offshore Industry on the 6th and 7th of May 2009, at Sing Expo, Singapore. ShipTek 2009 being the first ever maritime event organized in the region by an audio visual media, the mega event is a much awaited one by the South East Asian Maritime sector. The two day event will culminate with the glitzy and colorful Launch of Marine BizTV in South East Asia; at Swissotel- The Stamford right at the heart of Singapore, bringing the entire event to a memorable finale thus paving way for Marine BizTV operations in South East Asia.

Distinguished maritime organizations like Society of Maritime industries, Indian National Ship Owners Association and Royal Institution of Naval Architects have already declared their support to ShipTek 2009. Besides, the event is getting wide range of media publicity through well known media like Marine & Industrial Report, Maritime Today, The Naval Architect – RINA, Automate Magazine, Energy Asia, Marine Offshore & LNG Journal.

As ShipTek 2009 deals with one of hottest current issues of the maritime industry, ‘Technology Revolution in Marine and Offshore Industry’, it will be right podium to render knowledge, exchange information and strike deals with the best of the industry. The conference boasts of 21 speakers over the two days of keynote addresses, commercial and technical presentations, poster sessions and panel debates in seven sessions. The seven sessions designed to focus on separate topics related to ship design and new construction, ship repair and conversion, marine engineering and offshore engineering.

ShipTek 2009 will feature a maritime expo comprising of 30 stalls. Exhibitors participating in ShipTek Expo 2009 will have the fabulous opportunity to showcase their products. The new technological concept of Marine BizTV, Digital Show is also going to add glamour to this business rendezvous. The exhibitor can display all their corporate videos and sales presentations etc though this unique facility. Wide range of participation is expected from the renowned maritime regions like Middle East, South East Asia and Indian sub continent.

The second day of ShipTek 2009 will witness the 3^rd International Maritime Video Awards and the Launch of Marine BizTV in South East Asia. When Marine BizTV was launched on 7^th May 2007 at Hotel Crowne Plaza, Dubai, Middle East awed at the largest ever maritime convergence in the region. The moment also witnessed the first ever International Maritime Video Awards. Marine BizTV expects an unprecedented gathering of maritime professionals from across the globe to witness the remarkable evening at Swissotel – The Stamford. Undoubtedly ShipTek 2009 will be embossed in gold in the history of maritime annals. ShipTek 2009 will be covered by Marine BizTV and telecast globally ‘live’ on www.live.marinebiztv.com.

Newbuilding ship prices to decline further in 2009

Amid slack demand and contract cancellations, prices of new buildings are expected to continue their downward trend set from the fall of this year up until today.

This prediction was given by Clarksons at a latest report, where it is indicated that a significant drop in newbuilding prices should be expected for 2009, in fact such a fall is “inevitable”. This should happen, in order to generate newbuilding demand. “The yards can look forward to a very difficult year in which they can expect to spend more time addressing their clients’ problems than actually selling ships! It is at least some comfort to the yards in an otherwise gloomy environment that they can also expect to see their cost bases deflating as steel, equipment and labour costs all moderate so, they may well be able to protect their margins in the short term even if prices fall significantly” Clarksons said. Looking back in 2008, anyone involved in the shipping business can assert that it has been a year of mixed emotions. The first half of the year was a buoyant one, with high freight rates and a newbuilding market that was defying gravity in terms of pricing. According to Clarksons however, “the strength of prices disguised the looming problem that volume was thin and, although the yards were enjoying very high prices, demand was insufficient to replenish or extend their orderbooks as buyers baulked at ever higher prices.

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Eni acquires licenses in Gabon

Gabon: Italian oil and gas company Eni acquired two new offshore licenses and four onshore licenses in Gabon.

Together, the licenses cover 8,000 square kilometers (3,088 sq miles). Licenses D3 and D4 are in the conventional waters of the north Gabonese Basin. Licenses E2, F3, F4 and F7 are in the onshore basin. All the licenses have been attributed for a four-year exploratory phase, renewable for two periods of four and three years. The agreement, signed with the Gabonese government, is an application of Eni's cooperation model in West Africa. The model integrates sustainable activity in the area with traditional hydrocarbon exploration and production. Technical and operational investments will be supported by initiatives for local communities and projects for training, research and development.

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HPH pulls out Thessaloniki bidding process

Athens: Greece's second largest port has revealed that Hutchison Port Holdings and Greek pharmaceutical group Alapis, highest bidders for Thessaloniki port's (OLTH) cargo facilities have pulled out of the tender.

The port said the two sides were about to draft contracts after the joint venture led by HPH, the port operating arm of conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, prevailed in the tender to run and upgrade container facilities at OLTH. "The consortium of Hutchison Port Holdings, Hutchison Port Investments, Alapis and LYD informed OLTH that it is withdrawing its interest in the container facilities of the port," OLTH said in a bourse filing. "The reasons for the withdrawal have to do with the economic crisis which has affected many sectors, especially shipping, and the difficulty of banks to finance Hutchison's ambitious plans," OLTH spokesperson Chrysanthi Athanasiou said. Greece, with two of the largest harbours in the eastern Mediterranean, launched tenders earlier this year to privatise the outdated port facilities at the northern city of Thessaloniki and Piraeus Port, which serves Athens. Greece's conservative government wants to turn Piraeus and Thessaloniki ports into regional hubs and boost their cargo business.

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ISS and PT Perusahaan Pelayaran Equinox part ways

Jakarta: PT Perusahaan Pelayaran Equinox and Inchcape Shipping Services have announced that they are to pursue their agency activities in Indonesia independently from each other with effect from 1st January 2009.

The two companies, which have had a seven-year association, attribute the decision to “corporate development initiatives taken during the past two years by both organizations which dictated independence of operations”.

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ONGC Taps New Resources to Shape Its Future

Fifty-two-year-old Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC) has formed a 51-officer Think Tank to pump in young and innovative ideas for tackling issues facing the oil major.

The 51 officers are all brand new recruits, what the oil major terms Graduate Trainees (GTs). The 51 officers will now pitch in their ideas to the ONGC Board in a two-day meet being held near Delhi during December 29-30. ONGC’s Director (HR) Dr. A K Balyan and Chief of Employee Relations Sushant Vats are piloting this workshop, which is expected to see brainstorming on ways to enhance productivity, retain talent and speed up decision processes in the most valuable public enterprise in India. Manoj Barthwal, who is coordinating the exercise, said, “This unique initiative will not only attract some good ideas, but also foster a sense of belongingness to the young generation workforce, who has a long career for them in ONGC”. ONGC, currently ranked the number 1 Oil Exploration & Production Company as per an US agency Platts, is mandated to secure energy independence for India by 2030.

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