Marine BizTV adds new satellite ‘Eurobird’

A new satellite named Eurobird streams Marine BizTV making it available in Europe.

In addition to satellites, Thaicom-5 (C Band) and Hotbird 6 (Ku Band), a new satellite named Eurobird also covers Marine BizTV enabling its availability in Europe. The downlinking frequency to obtain the channel is 11919, Polarity: Vertical, Symbol Rate: 27.500, FEC:3/4. The channel has its coverage through satellite and cable TV in Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe, North and South America and parallel coverage on Web TV. Marine BizTV will be distributed to the target segment via DTH in areas where DTH platform is popular and through cable network in areas connected through cable distribution networks.

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Korean Navy’s new submarine makes deepest dive in its history

The Korean Navy has recently completed the final test dive during sea acceptance tests for its rescue submersible ROKS ‘DSRV II’.

Built by Scotland’s James Fisher Defence (JFD), this submarine is the first in Korea to be classed with Lloyd’s Register. During its final dive, the vessel achieved a depth of 507 metres, the deepest recorded dive in the history of the Korean Navy. ROKS ‘DSRV II’ was built to a design based on the Glasgow-based JFD's Deep Search and Rescue (DSAR) 500 Class submarine rescue vehicle platform. Its construction, which draws on the JFD's experience in global submarine rescue operations and participation in submarine rescue, was overseen by Lloyd's Register. Surveyor Paul Marshall from the Glasgow office, dealt with most of the production and testing during construction and Liz Kennedy from the hull office, coordinated the global involvement of Lloyd’s Register in the project. The test dives, from the Chung-Hae-Jin, the ROK Navy’s multipurpose salvage and submarine rescue ship, were monitored by Lloyd's Register Asia’s Korean surveyors Jae Sun Kim and Hein Leemhuis. The DSAR 500 Class rescue submersible is light, manoeuvrable and highly capable incorporating several significant advances in rescue technology.

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22 VLCCs utilised for oil storage: SSY

London: Voyage movements and shipping fixtures suggest as many as 22 Very Large Crude Carriers and one Suezmax may be currently used for storing crude oil.

A further 12-13 ships are potentially being utilized for floating storage, he added, although tanker fixtures could also indicate that these vessels may still be in the process of delivering or loading crude, and not simply employed as storage. If all the vessels identified by SSY are in fact storing crude oil, it would suggest just over 70 million barrels of crude is currently being stored afloat. Demand for VLCCs for use as floating storage has been rising since late last year, as a combination of lower freight rates and a wide contango in oil futures prices - where near term contracts trade at a discount to those further into the future - have allowed traders to turn a profit from buying spot crude and locking in a higher selling price for delivery further in the future. Last week, the International Energy Agency reported that the amount of crude oil currently being stored in oil tankers has swelled to between 50 million and 80 million barrels, highlighting weak demand for both oil and sea borne transport.

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Cosmo wins Abu Dhabi extension

Cosmo Oil Company, Japan's fourth-largest refiner, will be granted a 20-year extension of its stake in an offshore Abu Dhabi oilfield that is set to expire in 2012.

The move comes among increased efforts by Japanese companies to tie down stable crude production amid an ambitious aim by the government to produce 40% of the country's oil needs from Japanese-owned fields by 2030. A Cosmo subsidiary, Abu Dhabi Oil Company, which has been operating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) oilfield under a 45-year contract, may also be granted additional exploration rights when the agreement is renewed, the official said. Abu Dhabi Oil, which currently produces about 18,000 barrels per day, has the capacity to produce about 25,000 bpd. The Abu Dhabi government's investment arm, International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), owns one-fifth of Cosmo. The UAE is Cosmo's biggest crude supplier and the second-biggest supplier to Japan after Saudi Arabia.

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Keppel delivers first jackup rig of 2009 to Maersk Driling

Keppel FELS, Singapore, has delivered the third of four high efficiency jackup rigs to Maersk Drilling.

The rig was named ‘Maersk Resolve’, by Mrs Sun-hee Madsen, spouse of Mr Erik Madsen, Maersk Drilling’s Site Manager at a ceremony yesterday (January 21). Tong Chong Heong, Keppel Offshore and Marine’s newly appointed CEO said that beginning with ‘Maersk Resolve’, Keppel FELS would deliver as many as 14 rigs in 2009. The series of high efficiency rigs ordered by Maersk Drilling have a maximum operating depth of 105 metres and are suitable for drilling deep, high temperature/ high pressure wells of 9,145 metres. They are also highly automated for safe operations. The first rig, ‘Maersk Resilient’, was delivered in February 2008 and has commenced operations for Dubai Petroleum Establishment. The second rig, ‘Maersk Resolute’, was delivered in August 2008 and has been contracted to Dong Energy for operations in the Danish part of the North Sea over three years. Meanwhile, the fourth and final jackup rig of this fleet is on-track for delivery in the second quarter of 2009. Keppel FELS also recently delivered the ‘Maersk Developer’, the first of three semisubmersibles to Maersk Drilling.

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