Topaz to supply Agip with six vessels for Kashagan work

MUTTAH, OMAN: Topaz Energy and Marine, a subsidiary of Oman based Renaissance Services, has secured a OMR 38.5 million (US$100 million) long-term contract with Agip KCO through Topaz's BUE Kazakhstan firm.

Under the contract, Topaz will custom-build, own and operate six specialized barges over a 10-year period to support Agip KCO's development program in the Kashagan oil field in the northern Caspian Sea. The contract calls for six ice-class barges to be deployed in 2010. The vessels will be comprised of three cutting, one liquid-mud and two flat-top barges. Each will be specialized to handle icy conditions and are all low-draft when fully loaded. The contract award follows another Caspian win for Topaz of OMR 86.5 million (US$ 225 million) from with BP. Under that contract, the company will operate three vessels in support of BP's program in Azerbaijan over the next 10 years.

Read More

Final Monte-class boxship christened

The ‘Monte Aconcagua’, the last of a series of ten of Hamburg Süd's 5,552TEU Monte-class containerships was christened in Hong Kong on Friday May 29.

The container ship's sponsor was Luise Klus, daughter of Dr Ingeborg von Schubert, Chairlwoman of the Advisory Board of the Gundlach Group, Bielefeld.Following the naming ceremony, the ‘Monte Aconcagua’ was phased into Hamburg Süd's Asia - South Africa/South America East Coast Service (New Good Hope Express).The 45,765kW ‘Monte Aconcagua’ has a length of 272 metres, a beam of 40 metres, a maximum draught of 13.2 metres and a speed of 23.3 knots.

Read More

APL launches direct Vietnam-US service

Ho Chi Minh City: Global container shipping leader APL today launched a weekly direct container shipping service between Vietnam and the United States, which is Vietnam’s leading export partner, with about 20% of all outgoing freight heading across the Transpacific.

A gala event at the brand new Saigon Port-PSA (SP-PSA) deepwater container terminal located on the Cai Mep River in Ba Ria Vung Tau Province in southern Vietnam was attended by leading manufacturers, government officials and other senior industry figures.Speaking at the launch ceremony, APL’s Senior Vice President for Pan American Trade, Bob Sappio, said: “At a time when trade is contracting across the world, Vietnam is among a select few countries that expects to record export growth in 2009. The PS1 service will help Vietnam grow as a vibrant manufacturing and export centre with an increasingly vital role to play in global trade.” Goh Teik Poh, President of the South Asia region for APL, said: “It is a credit to the Vietnam Government’s vision and its commitment to change that a modern, integrated freight transportation system is fast becoming a reality. It is heartening that overseas companies such as PSA and NOL are welcomed here and are able to partner with local leaders such as Saigon Port and Vinalines to create facilities of this calibre.”

Read More

Higher piracy surcharges threatened for East Africa services

CMA CGM has confirmed it is one of the container lines levying a piracy surcharge.EAST African shippers face a further increase in piracy surcharges as the risk of attacks in the region worsens.

Local industry sources say container lines are considering doubling the average levy to $50 per teu from the start of next month. The warning comes after Kenyan shippers complained about the additional charge of between $20 and $25 per 20 ft box that most lines calling at Mombasa are already demanding. The fee is even higher for cargo moving through Djibouti, closer to the Somali border. CMA CGM has confirmed it is one of the container lines levying a piracy surcharge to cover the risk of operating in waters where attacks are commonplace. The French line said it applies a piracy risk surcharge of $20 per teu on its Swahili Express service that links Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique and on its on Asia-East Africa rotation between Singapore, Port Kelang, Kenya and Tanzania. Both call at Mombasa where cargo interests have vented their anger about the additional costs of shipping cargo.

Read More

ClassNK raises 'environmental standards' for ships

Ship classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) has revised its set of evaluation criteria for ships to meet a certain 'environmentally friendly' standard under the society's recently published 'Environmental Guideline'.

The revision came as awareness of the environment takes greater importance in areas of reducing air and marine pollution, global warming and the destruction of ecosystems, according to ClassNK. Such measures go beyond the ''minimum requirements based on international conventions and standards, but also to more advanced technology or to more strict criteria,'' it said in its May 2009 Environmental Guideline. ''In order to make the above evaluation process easier to understand and implement, relevant requirements have been amended so that evaluations of environmental measures adopted onboard are indicated as a notation affixed to ship classification characters,'' ClassNK said. The evaluation criteria have been revised and published in the Environmental Guideline.

Read More