The Lake Carriers' Association says the US-Flag Great Lakes fleet moved 11.4 million net tons of cargo on the Great Lakes in June, an increase of about 80,000 tons compared to a year ago.
The June float was, however, 220,000 tons below the month’s five-year average. "Higher water levels have helped increase payloads, but the dredging crisis remains real," said the company. "Vessels transiting the St Marys River, for example, were able to load another 10-12 inches deeper than a year ago, but were still losing more than a foot of draft compared to 1997, a period of near record high water levels." "As a result, while top cargos this June were roughly 2,000 tons greater than a year ago, the month’s largest cargos were still 5,000 tons or more below what vessels were able to carrying during the period of high water." For the year, US-Flag carriage stands at 39.1 million tons, a slight decrease from a year ago, but more than 700,000 tons off the five-year average from the first half of the year.
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Saturday, August 16, 2008
US rig count on the rise
The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and gas in the US rose by 23 this week to 1990.
Of the rigs running nationwide, 1586 were exploring for gas and 395 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes said. Nine were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago, the rig count stood at 1795. Colorado gained eight rigs, Alaska five, Wyoming four, Louisiana three and North Dakota two. New Mexico lost seven rigs, Arkansas lost two and Texas lost one. California and Oklahoma were unchanged.
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Of the rigs running nationwide, 1586 were exploring for gas and 395 for oil, Houston-based Baker Hughes said. Nine were listed as miscellaneous. A year ago, the rig count stood at 1795. Colorado gained eight rigs, Alaska five, Wyoming four, Louisiana three and North Dakota two. New Mexico lost seven rigs, Arkansas lost two and Texas lost one. California and Oklahoma were unchanged.
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Friday, August 15, 2008
India to scrap duty on crude oil import from Brunei
Mumbai: As a concession in the Free Trade Agreement with the 10-nation trading bloc ASEAN, India is willing to bind zero duty for crude oil imports only from Brunei, writes the Hindu Business Line.
“We have agreed to phase out duties on crude oil over a period of time for Brunei and not for any other country,” an official said. Though India has unilaterally scrapped duties on import of crude oil, it is not a binding commitment. Brunei's request to scrap duties on crude oil was acceded to since the commodity forms a bulk of its exports, the official said, adding this is not the case with Malaysia. India meets 75% of its crude oil requirements through imports. As an inflation control measure, the Government has scrapped import duty on the commodity. While it retains an option to levy the duty, Brunei will get a different treatment under the FTA even when India decides to restore the import duty. Under the FTA with ASEAN, negotiations for which have been concluded, India will eliminate or substantially reduce duties on 95.65% of the items it trades with the bloc. It would however continue to protect sensitive sectors like textiles and chemicals from the trade agreement. In all, India will keep 489 items out of the tariff cut by putting them in the negative list. Though running late by two years, the formal announcement for conclusion of the talks will be made in Singapore around the month-end by trade ministers from India and other leading ASEAN members. The agreement will finally be signed at the India-ASEAN summit in December in Bangkok, to be attended by the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.
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“We have agreed to phase out duties on crude oil over a period of time for Brunei and not for any other country,” an official said. Though India has unilaterally scrapped duties on import of crude oil, it is not a binding commitment. Brunei's request to scrap duties on crude oil was acceded to since the commodity forms a bulk of its exports, the official said, adding this is not the case with Malaysia. India meets 75% of its crude oil requirements through imports. As an inflation control measure, the Government has scrapped import duty on the commodity. While it retains an option to levy the duty, Brunei will get a different treatment under the FTA even when India decides to restore the import duty. Under the FTA with ASEAN, negotiations for which have been concluded, India will eliminate or substantially reduce duties on 95.65% of the items it trades with the bloc. It would however continue to protect sensitive sectors like textiles and chemicals from the trade agreement. In all, India will keep 489 items out of the tariff cut by putting them in the negative list. Though running late by two years, the formal announcement for conclusion of the talks will be made in Singapore around the month-end by trade ministers from India and other leading ASEAN members. The agreement will finally be signed at the India-ASEAN summit in December in Bangkok, to be attended by the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.
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Keppel FELS to build seventh ENSCO deepwater rig
Keppel FELS, USA, has won a contract to build the seventh ENSCO 8500 Series deepwater semisubmersible worth US$560 million.
To be delivered in the second half of 2012, the ENSCO 8506 will be the seventh consecutive semi that Keppel FELS is constructing for ENSCO International Incorporated (ENSCO). The contract follows shortly after the award of the sixth semi, ENSCO 8505, that was announced on June 1, 2008. The first unit in the seven-strong fleet of 8500 Series semis was contracted in 2005 and is on track for shipyard delivery in the third quarter of this year. It has been chartered to Anadarko and Eni for operations in the US Gulf of Mexico. The ENSCO 8506 is capable of drilling in up to 2,590 metres of water. Features include a two million pound quad derrick, offline pipe handling capability, 10,660-metre drilling capacity, and station keeping capabilities meeting DP2 requirements. With these features, the 8500 Series rigs will be especially well-suited for deepwater development drilling. ENSCO, headquartered in Dallas, USA, owns and operates a fleet of offshore drilling rigs servicing the petroleum industry on a global basis.
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To be delivered in the second half of 2012, the ENSCO 8506 will be the seventh consecutive semi that Keppel FELS is constructing for ENSCO International Incorporated (ENSCO). The contract follows shortly after the award of the sixth semi, ENSCO 8505, that was announced on June 1, 2008. The first unit in the seven-strong fleet of 8500 Series semis was contracted in 2005 and is on track for shipyard delivery in the third quarter of this year. It has been chartered to Anadarko and Eni for operations in the US Gulf of Mexico. The ENSCO 8506 is capable of drilling in up to 2,590 metres of water. Features include a two million pound quad derrick, offline pipe handling capability, 10,660-metre drilling capacity, and station keeping capabilities meeting DP2 requirements. With these features, the 8500 Series rigs will be especially well-suited for deepwater development drilling. ENSCO, headquartered in Dallas, USA, owns and operates a fleet of offshore drilling rigs servicing the petroleum industry on a global basis.
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CSCL Sao Paulo is the Second of Six Newbuild Vessels Scheduled for Delivery in 2008
Seaspan Corporation (NYS announced today that it has accepted delivery of its 31st vessel, the CSCL Sao Paulo.
The 2500 TEU newbuilding, which was constructed by Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., is the second of its size in Seaspan's fleet. The CSCL Sao Paulo was delivered August 7, 2008, approximately sixteen weeks ahead of the original delivery schedule. The CSCL Sao Paulo is subject to a time charter with China Shipping Container Lines (Asia) Co., Ltd. for a twelve year period. CSCL Asia is a subsidiary of China Shipping Container Lines Co., Ltd., the world's seventh largest liner company in terms of shipping capacity. Under the terms of the fixed-rate time charter, CSCL Asia is responsible for fuel costs and all cargo operating and related expenses. Seaspan owns containerships and charters them pursuant to long-term fixed-rate charters. Seaspan's contracted fleet of 68 containerships consists of 31 containerships in operation and 37 containerships to be delivered over approximately the next three years. Seaspan's operating fleet of 31 vessels has an average age of approximately five years and an average remaining charter period of approximately seven years. All of the 37 vessels to be delivered to Seaspan are already committed to long-term time charters averaging approximately 11 years in duration from delivery. Seaspan's customer base consists of seven of the world's largest, publicly traded liner companies, including China Shipping Container Lines, A.P. Moller-Maersk, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Hapag-Lloyd, COSCO Container Lines, K-Line and CSAV.
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The 2500 TEU newbuilding, which was constructed by Jiangsu Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., is the second of its size in Seaspan's fleet. The CSCL Sao Paulo was delivered August 7, 2008, approximately sixteen weeks ahead of the original delivery schedule. The CSCL Sao Paulo is subject to a time charter with China Shipping Container Lines (Asia) Co., Ltd. for a twelve year period. CSCL Asia is a subsidiary of China Shipping Container Lines Co., Ltd., the world's seventh largest liner company in terms of shipping capacity. Under the terms of the fixed-rate time charter, CSCL Asia is responsible for fuel costs and all cargo operating and related expenses. Seaspan owns containerships and charters them pursuant to long-term fixed-rate charters. Seaspan's contracted fleet of 68 containerships consists of 31 containerships in operation and 37 containerships to be delivered over approximately the next three years. Seaspan's operating fleet of 31 vessels has an average age of approximately five years and an average remaining charter period of approximately seven years. All of the 37 vessels to be delivered to Seaspan are already committed to long-term time charters averaging approximately 11 years in duration from delivery. Seaspan's customer base consists of seven of the world's largest, publicly traded liner companies, including China Shipping Container Lines, A.P. Moller-Maersk, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Hapag-Lloyd, COSCO Container Lines, K-Line and CSAV.
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‘Drillbits aim for heart of the Amazon’
US scientists say approval of vast areas of the Amazon rain forest for oil and gas exploration presents a new threat to the forest and the people and animals it shelters.
Conservationists and researchers from Duke University unveiled a study which found that an area the size of Texas and stretching acrosee Blovia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and western Brazil had now been opened to drillbits, the Associated Press reported. The study, carried out with non-governmental groups Save America’s Forests and Landis Life, was published earlier this week in the online journal PLoS, the news services said. The study found that newly awarded oil and gas blocks were now concentrated on some of the most intact areas of the forest, threatening isolated indigenous groups and rare animal and plant species with new pipelines and roads. The study said exploitation of the rain forest is most intense in Peru, where 64 oil and gas blocks cover about 72% of the country’s share of the Amazon, while Brazil is also pressing ahead with exploration in the remote west of the country. "Filling up with a tank of gas could soon have devastating consequences to rain forests, their people and their species," Stuart Pimm, a professor of conservation ecology at Duke and one of the study's authors, was quoted as saying.
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Conservationists and researchers from Duke University unveiled a study which found that an area the size of Texas and stretching acrosee Blovia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and western Brazil had now been opened to drillbits, the Associated Press reported. The study, carried out with non-governmental groups Save America’s Forests and Landis Life, was published earlier this week in the online journal PLoS, the news services said. The study found that newly awarded oil and gas blocks were now concentrated on some of the most intact areas of the forest, threatening isolated indigenous groups and rare animal and plant species with new pipelines and roads. The study said exploitation of the rain forest is most intense in Peru, where 64 oil and gas blocks cover about 72% of the country’s share of the Amazon, while Brazil is also pressing ahead with exploration in the remote west of the country. "Filling up with a tank of gas could soon have devastating consequences to rain forests, their people and their species," Stuart Pimm, a professor of conservation ecology at Duke and one of the study's authors, was quoted as saying.
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MCS steps up for Volund
Subsea specialist MCS has landed a contract from Acergy to carry out work on Marathon’s Volund field offshore Norway.
MCS will perform detailed upheaval buckling analysis of a water injection flowline in the Volund Field at a depth of 120 metres. MCS said the project involves analysing a 12km water injection flexible flowline routed from a Choke and Metering Skid, adjacent to the Alvheim East Riser Base to the water injection wellhead at the Volund field in water depths of 120 metres. The analysis will be completed using Flexcom, MCS’ own software tool used by major oil companies, contractor, equipment manufacturers and engineering consultants to design and analyse riser systems and other critical subsea structures. MCS said the Flexcom technology will determine trench, backfill and rock requirements to prevent upheaval buckling of the flowline.
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MCS will perform detailed upheaval buckling analysis of a water injection flowline in the Volund Field at a depth of 120 metres. MCS said the project involves analysing a 12km water injection flexible flowline routed from a Choke and Metering Skid, adjacent to the Alvheim East Riser Base to the water injection wellhead at the Volund field in water depths of 120 metres. The analysis will be completed using Flexcom, MCS’ own software tool used by major oil companies, contractor, equipment manufacturers and engineering consultants to design and analyse riser systems and other critical subsea structures. MCS said the Flexcom technology will determine trench, backfill and rock requirements to prevent upheaval buckling of the flowline.
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