Gateway Terminals India (GTI) completed handling one million TEUs during the period from April till date.
Mr. Arvind Bhatnagar, CEO of GTI, said the target for 2008 (calendar year) set at 1.45 million TEUs, would be achieved. In 2007, the throughput was 1.17 million TEUs. Slowdown impact. Till October, as Mr. Bhatnagar said, the impact of the economic slowdown was not felt. “The impact is being felt only now, in November,” he said, pointing out that the drop in throughput so far in the current month had been around seven per cent. He was not sure of achieving the target for next year (2009) set at 1.8 million TEUs. “The impact might be more next year but we’re not sure; it is too early,” he observed. Meanwhile, GTI posted national record in operational productivity by doing 2,706 moves, comprising 1,461 discharges and 1,245 loading of the vessel MV Maersk Damietta. Mr. Bhatnagar informed that two high capacity quay cranes (RMQCs) from China would start arriving from December and start operation from the first quarter of next fiscal. Meanwhile, yard cranes, popularly known as RTGs (manufactured by Finnish company Kalmar in China), have started arriving.
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Sunday, November 23, 2008
MOL to develop box depot in Thailand despite low growth
Japanese shipping group MOL plans to invest in its first container depot to be built in Laem Chabang, Chon Buri, Thailand.
The Thai depot is slated for completion in April 2009. It will cover an area measuring 75,800 square metres and will be located about ten kilometers from the deep sea Port of Laem Chabang. This development comes despite the president of MOL (Thailand) Takao Furukawa saying that the business outlook next year was still unclear, although the company expected some growth, on expectations that Thailand's export and import trade would remain steady. "Many Japanese automakers are expanding in Thailand's manufacturing centres. That could bring growth of import-export activities," Mr. Furukawa stated. As a result MOL has revised downwards its growth forecast for the Thai unit to three percent this year, from ten percent earlier, owing to the slowdown in the global economy weakening demand for Thailand's exports. Mr. Furukawa said Thai volumes grew by 16 percent in 2007 and ten percent in 2006. The carrier controls about six percent of the import-export volume between Thailand and Japan that amounts to 4.9 million TEU annually. MOL Thailand anticipates it will handle 320,000TEU in Thailand this year, up from 300,000TEU last year.
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The Thai depot is slated for completion in April 2009. It will cover an area measuring 75,800 square metres and will be located about ten kilometers from the deep sea Port of Laem Chabang. This development comes despite the president of MOL (Thailand) Takao Furukawa saying that the business outlook next year was still unclear, although the company expected some growth, on expectations that Thailand's export and import trade would remain steady. "Many Japanese automakers are expanding in Thailand's manufacturing centres. That could bring growth of import-export activities," Mr. Furukawa stated. As a result MOL has revised downwards its growth forecast for the Thai unit to three percent this year, from ten percent earlier, owing to the slowdown in the global economy weakening demand for Thailand's exports. Mr. Furukawa said Thai volumes grew by 16 percent in 2007 and ten percent in 2006. The carrier controls about six percent of the import-export volume between Thailand and Japan that amounts to 4.9 million TEU annually. MOL Thailand anticipates it will handle 320,000TEU in Thailand this year, up from 300,000TEU last year.
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NOAA to modernize fleet
USA: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association will modernize its marine operations by replacing nine research ships and refurbishing a tenth in the next 15 years.
“Sea-going vessels are a key source of observational data used by NOAA scientists. A modern, more capable fleet will ensure we can meet the ever changing demands of the science community,” said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “When I arrived at NOAA in 2001, the average age of our fleet was 32 years. Today, it is 27, and at the end of this ambitious program the age will drop to 17.” NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations conducted an assessment of the 19 ships in the fleet, and determined that ten of those vessels will reach the end of their useful service life over the next 15 years. The fleet replacement plan is a comprehensive program to systematically replace or upgrade the fleet. The fleet supports a wide range of marine activities, including fisheries and coastal research, nautical charting, and long-range ocean and climate studies. NOAA's ships are specially equipped and designed to support the agency's programs, and have some capabilities not found in the commercial fleet. Nine vessels have entered into service since 2001, including ‘Okeanos Explorer’, the first NOAA vessel solely dedicated to ocean exploration.
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“Sea-going vessels are a key source of observational data used by NOAA scientists. A modern, more capable fleet will ensure we can meet the ever changing demands of the science community,” said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “When I arrived at NOAA in 2001, the average age of our fleet was 32 years. Today, it is 27, and at the end of this ambitious program the age will drop to 17.” NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations conducted an assessment of the 19 ships in the fleet, and determined that ten of those vessels will reach the end of their useful service life over the next 15 years. The fleet replacement plan is a comprehensive program to systematically replace or upgrade the fleet. The fleet supports a wide range of marine activities, including fisheries and coastal research, nautical charting, and long-range ocean and climate studies. NOAA's ships are specially equipped and designed to support the agency's programs, and have some capabilities not found in the commercial fleet. Nine vessels have entered into service since 2001, including ‘Okeanos Explorer’, the first NOAA vessel solely dedicated to ocean exploration.
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Saturday, November 22, 2008
DP World Southampton sets a new record
The arrival of the CMA CGM Vela set a new terminal record for the largest declared containership to call at DP World Southampton.
The 11,040 TEU capacity boxship, with a gross tonnage of 1,29,000 tons and a length of 347m, carries 14% more capacity than the terminal’s previous record holder, the CMA CGM Orfeo, which called at the terminal in August of this year. DP World Southampton is the UK's second largest container terminal, handling some 1.9m TEU last year, a 26% increase on the 2006 figure. Talking about the new record, DP World Southampton managing director Campbell Mason said, 'We are delighted to welcome yet another record breaker to the terminal. The fact that we were celebrating a record size vessel only a few months ago highlights the increasing trend within the industry toward ever larger, cost effective ships. With the terminal’s first two super post-panamax cranes now in full operation and an additional two super post-panamax cranes scheduled to arrive next summer, we are well positioned to meet that industry trend.'
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The 11,040 TEU capacity boxship, with a gross tonnage of 1,29,000 tons and a length of 347m, carries 14% more capacity than the terminal’s previous record holder, the CMA CGM Orfeo, which called at the terminal in August of this year. DP World Southampton is the UK's second largest container terminal, handling some 1.9m TEU last year, a 26% increase on the 2006 figure. Talking about the new record, DP World Southampton managing director Campbell Mason said, 'We are delighted to welcome yet another record breaker to the terminal. The fact that we were celebrating a record size vessel only a few months ago highlights the increasing trend within the industry toward ever larger, cost effective ships. With the terminal’s first two super post-panamax cranes now in full operation and an additional two super post-panamax cranes scheduled to arrive next summer, we are well positioned to meet that industry trend.'
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India may deploy more warships to fight pirates
The Indian navy may beef up its security presence significantly in the Gulf of Aden to counter the threat of rampant piracy to shipping companies.
Somali pirates have caused havoc in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes this year, hijacking dozens of ships including a Saudi Arabian supertanker loaded with $100 million worth of oil, the biggest hijacking in history. The Indian navy plans to "significantly augment" its presence off the Horn of Africa, and a proposal by the Ministry of Shipping to deploy up to four warships is under "active consideration". India deployed the Tabar, a naval warship, in October to escort Indian ships after the country's shipping firms said they were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a month on cost overruns and delays in meeting deadlines. India also renewed its call for greater cooperation between foreign navies to tackle the piracy threat. Piracy off Somalia is forcing shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal and send cargoes of oil and other goods on a longer and more expensive journey around southern Africa. Pirate attacks in Somali waters this year have driven up insurance costs for shipping firms and the decision to divert cargo risks pushing up prices for manufactured goods and commodities.
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Somali pirates have caused havoc in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes this year, hijacking dozens of ships including a Saudi Arabian supertanker loaded with $100 million worth of oil, the biggest hijacking in history. The Indian navy plans to "significantly augment" its presence off the Horn of Africa, and a proposal by the Ministry of Shipping to deploy up to four warships is under "active consideration". India deployed the Tabar, a naval warship, in October to escort Indian ships after the country's shipping firms said they were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a month on cost overruns and delays in meeting deadlines. India also renewed its call for greater cooperation between foreign navies to tackle the piracy threat. Piracy off Somalia is forcing shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal and send cargoes of oil and other goods on a longer and more expensive journey around southern Africa. Pirate attacks in Somali waters this year have driven up insurance costs for shipping firms and the decision to divert cargo risks pushing up prices for manufactured goods and commodities.
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Petrobras in new 2bn barrel pre-salt find
State-run Brazilian operator Petrobras has informed the National Petroleum Agency that it has made a huge 1.5 billion to 2 billion barrel of oil pre-salt discovery off the coast of Espirito Santo.
Petrobras completed the drilling of two new wells in pre-salt reservoirs under the Baleia Franca, Baleia Azul, and Jubarte heavy oil fields, where the light oil find was made. The 6-BFR-1-ESS and 6-BAZ-1DB-ESS wells were drilled nearly 80 kilometers off the coast and lie close to Jubarte discovery well 1-ESS-103A. The reservoirs in the wells lie under a layer of up to 700 meters of salt and are located 4200 meters to 4800 metres below sea level. So far, six wells have been drilled in the Espírito Santo pre-salt layer, all of which have proven successful. With the new discoveries, the total estimated volume of oil in the Parque das Baleias area, including the reservoirs located above and below the salt layer, add up to around 3.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent.
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Petrobras completed the drilling of two new wells in pre-salt reservoirs under the Baleia Franca, Baleia Azul, and Jubarte heavy oil fields, where the light oil find was made. The 6-BFR-1-ESS and 6-BAZ-1DB-ESS wells were drilled nearly 80 kilometers off the coast and lie close to Jubarte discovery well 1-ESS-103A. The reservoirs in the wells lie under a layer of up to 700 meters of salt and are located 4200 meters to 4800 metres below sea level. So far, six wells have been drilled in the Espírito Santo pre-salt layer, all of which have proven successful. With the new discoveries, the total estimated volume of oil in the Parque das Baleias area, including the reservoirs located above and below the salt layer, add up to around 3.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent.
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Strategic Marine - Floating Dry Dock
Strategic Marine has successfully launched the base of the floating dry dock it has on order from the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) on schedule from its Vietnamese shipyard.
The dock’s 4,400 tonne base was launched flawlessly from the company’s facility at Dong Xuyen Industrial Zone at Ba-Riang Vung Tau. The 99m long and 53m wide base was then lifted aboard a Dockside submersible vessel “The Teal” for its eight-day journey to the AMC at Henderson in Western Australia. The method employed for the launch used dozens of long sausage-shaped fenders which were inflated to their full diameter of 1.5m to lift the base of the dock off the 1m pedestal it was resting on. The dock, which was tethered firmly to prevent it, moving, was then rolled slowly down a ramp into the ocean. Five tugs were on hand to tow the dock base out to “The Teal” which was moored about six miles away through a narrow outlet. The submersible is expected to drop anchor off the Western Australian coastline before it gradually submerges, allowing the base pontoon to float off before being towed into position at the Common User Facility (CUP) at Henderson.
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The dock’s 4,400 tonne base was launched flawlessly from the company’s facility at Dong Xuyen Industrial Zone at Ba-Riang Vung Tau. The 99m long and 53m wide base was then lifted aboard a Dockside submersible vessel “The Teal” for its eight-day journey to the AMC at Henderson in Western Australia. The method employed for the launch used dozens of long sausage-shaped fenders which were inflated to their full diameter of 1.5m to lift the base of the dock off the 1m pedestal it was resting on. The dock, which was tethered firmly to prevent it, moving, was then rolled slowly down a ramp into the ocean. Five tugs were on hand to tow the dock base out to “The Teal” which was moored about six miles away through a narrow outlet. The submersible is expected to drop anchor off the Western Australian coastline before it gradually submerges, allowing the base pontoon to float off before being towed into position at the Common User Facility (CUP) at Henderson.
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