New double-ended ferry 'La Gironde' crosses namesake river

The Bordeaux region is situated in the Department Gironde, directly on the Atlantic coast where a ferry service runs across a six-kilometre stretch between the picturesque towns of Verdon sur Mer and Royan.

This ferry connection saves passengers a detour of approximately 155 kilometres and/or a car trip lasting some three hours. The double-ended ferry 'La Gironde', fitted with Voith Schneider Propellers (VSP), entered service in 2002. It will receive a sister ship, also installed with VSPs. Owing to large tidal differences, strong currents characterize the river mouth of the Gironde into the Gulf of Biscay. Varying flow directions and fierce, blustery winds aggravate ferry traffic. During the construction of 'La Gironde', criteria such as high sailing stability and reliability proved to be the main incentive for the ship owner to decide in favor of the Voith Schneider Propeller as the ferry's propulsion system. Just like the first ferry, the new ship specifies a draught limit of only 2.60 meters. The new ferry will be built at the French shipyard Chantier Piriou in Concarneau, Brittany, and is expected to take up service in spring 2010. The public authority Conseil Général de la Gironde, which also operates the sister, owns it ship 'La Gironde'. The vessel offers room for 600 passengers and 138 cars or alternatively 6 trucks plus 93 cars. It measures 78 metres long and 18.3 meters wide. The ship is designed for a target speed of 13.6 knots.
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“K” Line to join in on WHL’s JCV service

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” Line) and Wan Hai Lines Ltd (WHL) have signed an agreement to co-operate on the latter’s current weekly Japan-China-Vietnam Service (JCV).

Starting May 8, “K” Line will replace one of WHL’s vessels on the route. Three 770teu vessels and call on the following ports on its 21-day rotation will operate the fixed-day service: Tokyo - Yokohama - Shanghai - Hong Kong - Huangpu - Da Nang - Hochiminh City (Cat Lai & VICT) - Hong Kong - Shekou – Tokyo. The service will also drop southbound Shekou calling and add southbound Huangpu. The changes to the current JCV service are seen as a further enhancement to each carrier’s present service network.

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World’s Largest Cruise Ship Delivered

The third in the series of the world´s largest cruise vessels for Royal Caribbean was delivered in Aker Yards, Turku.

The “Independence of the Seas” has all of the signature elements of her sister ships “Freedom of the Seas” and “Liberty of the Seas”, making the Freedom-class ships the most innovative and forward-looking class of ships in the cruise industry for the time being. The vessel is like a small city with lots of service: many restaurants, theatres, cafés, shopping mall, hospital, hair dressers´ and bakers. Already the mindset behind the vessel’s name is in giving the the passengers the independence to create their own unique adventure by choosing multiple onboard options - from rock climbing, surfing or ice skating to spa treatments, fine dining or world-class entertainment. “Independence of the Seas is an evidence of that Aker Yards is continuously delivering in schedule large cruise vessels which are state-of-the-art regarding both design and functionality”, says Juha Heikinheimo, President of Aker Yards, Cruise & Ferries. In addition to the innovative comfort amenities there is lots of technical improvement onboard the Independence, e.g. advanced water purification: The state-of-the-art AWP-plant purifies all of the ship’s grey and black waters into a degree of being virtually pure drinking water. The vessel is 339 m long, 38.6 m wide, and takes 4,375 passengers and 1,365 crew. It has diesel-electric propulsion. In order to ensure a best possible fuel economy and subsequently environmentally friendly operation a series of different hydrodynamic improvements including a new ducktail design were carefully studied and taken into use.

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Shanghai surges to second spot

Shanghai has leapt over Hong Kong to become the world's second busiest container port, with 26.15 million TEU crossing its wharves last year.

Hong Kong handled 23.99 million boxes. The Yangtze River Delta port remains behind Singapore, which handled 27.9 million containers in 2007. However, significant expansion at Shanghai's giant Yangshan port complex means its move into number one spot is a matter of time. The 20.4 percent increase in throughput helped Shanghai International Port grow its net profit by 22.75 percent to US$518.77 million. Cargo volume handled stood at 353 million tonnes, up 13.1 percent, while operating revenue rose 27.6 percent to $2.32 billion. The port expects container throughput to reach 30 million TEU this year, although the National Reform and Development Commission, China’s top economic planning agency, have raised concerns over the slowing US economy.

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Mexico's Lakach field has 308 MMcf reserves

Mexico's state oil company Pemex has announced large natural gas reserves at its Lakach gas field, located 70 miles (113 km) northeast of Veracruz.

Pemex calls Lakach, the fourth most important field in Mexico in terms of total reserves of unassociated gas. Lakach is said to contain proved reserves of 308 MMcf of gas, proved and probable reserves of 673 MMcf and proved, probable and possible reserves of 1,302 MMcf. Initial tests from wells there indicate a production rate of 25 MMcf/d to 30 MMcf/d. The Lakach wells are in water depths of 3,241 feet (988 m) feet of water, one of the deepest water depths in which Pemex has drilled. The gas deposits are located around 9,842 feet to 10,498 feet (3,000 to 3,200 m) deep. Production from Lakach is expected to begin in 2013. The large amount of reserves in relatively deep water have encouraged Pemex to look towards deepwater oil and gas to reverse Mexico's declining oil reserves. However, the energy reform bill that would allow Pemex to partner with foreign companies for exploration and production, giving Pemex access to the knowledge and technology needed to fully exploit deepwater reserves, has been heavily contested.

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Unithai enters SE Asian energy transportation arena

Unithai, the Thai arm of IMC Corp Group, has unveiled plans to provide transportation-based supply-chain solution services to South East Asia, primarily for Thailand’s oil and gas industry.

Singapore-based Unithai Energy Pte Ltd will operate the new business in collaboration with oil instrument diversified broker PVM Oil Associates. “Unithai has provided supply-chain services for the energy industry since 1999, when it commenced its offshore logistics business,” said Kim Kyung Soo, IMC Corp Group deputy ceo and Unithai Energy md. “Now, it is forming Thailand’s largest fleet of the supply and support vessels for the oil and gas industry in Thailand. In collaboration with PVM,” said Mr Kim, “we will be able to expand our energy transportation and supply chain solutions to support further energy development in the midst of the region’s continued economic growth and rapid industrialization.” Unithai is part of an energy supply chain that includes parent company IMC Corp Group, an Asia-focused firm that provides integrated industrial solutions, and sister company Aurora Tankers, a regional operator in liquid bulk transportation.

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LNG arrives at two new US terminals

Two LNG tankers arriving along the upper US Texas Gulf Coast within five days of each other are delivering commissioning cargoes for two new LNG terminals, one in Louisiana and one in Texas.

The 145,000cu m 'Celestine River' docked at Cheniere Energy's Sabine Pass terminal, in Cameron Parish, along the Sabine River border near Port Arthur. The tanker had loaded its cargo at Nigeria LNG. On April 15, the 138,000cu m LNG regasification tanker 'Excelsior' arrived at Freeport LNG Development LP's Quintana terminal, about 110 kilometres south of Houston. The LNGR tanker had loaded its cargo in Trinidad and Tobago, historically the largest LNG shipper to the US. These two terminals, which will undergo cool down over the next several weeks, and receive two or three more cargoes each in the process, will be the first land-based LNG terminals to open in the US in more than 25 years. Two more US terminals, also in Louisiana and Texas, are in final stages of construction and expect to start up later this year or in first quarter 2009. ExxonMobil Golden Pass terminal lies across the Sabine River from Cheniere's terminal. And east of Sabine Pass, near Hackberry, 28 kilometres from the Gulf of Mexico, Sempra Energy subsidiary Sempra LNG is in the final months of building its Cameron LNG terminal.

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