AWD Alliance signs procurement contracts

Greg Combet, Minister for Defence Science, Personnel and Materiel, yesterday announced that the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance has signed several procurement contracts relating to the combat system of the new Hobart-class AWDs.

These procurements for the combat system on the destroyers and for shipbuilding work and supplies were recently completed by the AWD Alliance. “These procurements demonstrate the… continuing transition… from planning and decision-making to execution of this national building project,” Mr Combet said. Among the more significant of these procurements are combat system contracts to provide a very short range-surface capability, an electro optical system and a number of contracts relating to the valves and flanges required for the project. “[The] announcement builds on the more than A$850 million (US$685 million) of contracts signed by the AWD Alliance since December last year,” said Mr Combet. “This includes A$450 million (US$363 million) for the hull block construction. In addition, a number of ship building contracts have also been signed, including the provision of the AWD turbines, the helicopter handling system, reduction gears, steering system, gas turbines, the ships‚ engines, generators and propellers.”

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Stolt Tankers cancels newbuilding at South Korean yard

Seoul: Stolt Tankers, a subsidiary of Stolt-Nielsen, has cancelled a contract with SLS Shipbuilding of South Korea for the construction of a parcel tanker, citing extended delivery delays, writes news site Tanker operator.

The cancelled contract was for a 44,000 dwt coated parcel tanker, which was the second in a series of four ships. On 30th March, Stolt Tankers had entered into arbitration with SLS Shipbuilding disputing the builder’s claim for ‘force majeure’ to justify delays on the hull. The ship was originally scheduled for delivery in September 2008. All progress payments to date were covered by bank refund guarantees.This move follows the cancellation of a hull for the first ship in the series from SLS Shipyard on 18th March. The yard had also disputed this cancellation and the parties entered into arbitration on 26th March.

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New Ultra-Luxury Vessel, Seaborne Odyssey

The Yachts of Seabourn launched Seabourn Odyssey from Venice as the first ultra-luxury vessel to debut in six years.

The 32,000-ton vessel built by T. Mariotti of Genoa, Italy, accommodates 450 guests in 225 luxury suites, ninety percent with verandas, offering one of the highest space-per-guest ratios in the industry with highly personalized service. Odyssey features the largest spa on any luxury yacht, four restaurants and a host of luxury amenities. Odyssey is the first of three new vessels Seabourn is building, a 216% increase in capacity for the line, with Seabourn Sojourn launching in June 2010 and a third new-build in 2011.

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Ships sail towards scrapheap

More ships have been scrapped so far this year than in the whole of 2008 as owners decide to cash in on their ageing fleets rather than have them sit unused amid the slowdown in global trade brought on by the recession.

Ship owners who had been receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars a day for their vessels are now having to accept a fraction of that, often not enough to make it worthwhile running the ship, especially given that they can get $200 a tonne for the scrap metal.“For container ships, there’s no employment — or what owners do get is less than it costs to run,” Quentin Soanes, director of Braemar Shipping Services, a ship broker, said. “If an owner ... can’t afford to lay off a ship, [he] turns to demolition.” Almost every part of a ship can be recycled, with equipment often resold and the steel used in construction. Mr Soanes said that scrapping started to pick up in November last year and that the first three months of 2009 were extremely busy.Tom Peter Blankestijn, who looks after ship recycling for A.P. Moller Maersk, said that he expected to scrap more than 20 ships this year, compared with 27 over the past eight years.

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PGS completes processing of MEO's Artemis 3-D survey

MELBOURNE: Petroleum Geo-Services Australia Pty Ltd (PGS) has completed the processing of MEO Australia Ltd.'s (ASX: MEO) 97-square-mile (250-sq-km) Artemis 3-D seismic survey in WA-360-P in the Carnarvon Basin offshore Western Australia.

The processing has been completed on schedule and the dataset is expected in house on June 30. The survey was acquired in March of 2009 using PGS seismic vessel Orient Explorer to help delineate the northern extent of the Artemis prospect identified on MEO's existing 2007 3-D seismic survey, in preparation for the drilling of an exploration well, currently scheduled for 2010. Interpretation of the Artemis 3-D seismic survey is a component of de-risking the Artemis prospect ahead of the drilling commitment. MEO launched a formal farm-out process in late April to attract a partner to fund the drilling of the exploration well. The company has advised prospective parties that indicative farm-in offers are due by July 31, 2009.

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