Russian gas set to flow through Ukraine

Russia's state-controlled gas company Gazprom said it would resume supplies to Europe via Ukraine at 0700 GMT today, nearly two weeks after a contract row cut flows to freezing European countries.

The order to start pumping gas again followed the signing of a 10-year gas contract between Moscow and Kiev and late-night talks between Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and officials from the Gazprom gas export monopoly. Officials have said it would take 36 hours or more after the restart for the pipeline system to become operational again and for gas to reach Europe, parts of which have had to ration supplies to households and business because of the dispute. "For the EU, the decisive moment will come when renewed supplies are registered at its borders," Martin Riman, industry minister for the Czech Republic, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, said after the new contract was signed yesterday. Russian media quoted Tymoshenko as saying after her talks in Moscow that under the new contract her country would pay about $230 per 1000 cubic metres of gas in 2009. That is a figure that officials in Ukraine, struggling with a deep economic slump, say they can just about afford to pay. The dispute follows a shorter disruption three years ago and has once again called into question the credibility of Russia and Ukraine as reliable energy suppliers for Europe.

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Shekou Container Terminal volume up 24 percent to 4.1 million TEU in 2008

Shenzhen's Shekou Container Terminal hit its annual throughput target of 4.1 million TEU, marking a 24 percent year-on-year increase in 2008.

SCT earlier took delivery of six new electricity-driven rubber tyre gantry cranes for its new No. 8 berth, marking the arrival of the last of ten new cranes. The No. 8 berth, which commenced operation in September 2008, has an annual capacity of 700,000TEU with a quay length of 455 metres and a depth of 17 metres. The berth, equipped with four quay cranes, can handle the world's largest containerships.

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Germanischer Lloyd acquires International Refinery Services

Singapore-based "International Refinery Services Pte Ltd" (IRS) is the latest addition to Germanischer Lloyd.

With the acquisition of the asset management expert company, the GL Group expands its service portfolio for the petroleum, oil and gas industry yet again. "With IRS, the GL Group adds substantial expertise in risk management and capacity of advanced inspection techniques," said Pekka Paasivaara, Member of the Executive Board Germanischer Lloyd in Singapore. Previous acquisitions in Great Britain, Canada, the U.S. and Malaysia over the past 18 months have strengthened the technical portfolio of the GL Group considerably. With its latest acquisition, GL will be able to provide extended services specifically to the oil and gas industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Germanischer Lloyd offers engineering consultancy, technical assurance, asset management, risk and safety consultancy, industrial inspections and software solutions to the oil & gas industry. The holistic service offering is directed at owners and operators of complex plants and installations. Complemented by the British Advantica Group, Canadian and U.S. PV Inspection, Kuala Lumpur-based Trident Consultants and U.S.-based Material Consulting Services, the GL Group's range of oil and gas services extends across the asset life cycle. With the additional expertise of IRS, Germanischer Lloyd will now be able to further extend its network and service portfolio especially in Australia, Singapore, the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region.

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DP World places large crane order, unveils plans for more piers and berths

Dubai Port World is purchasing 87 sets of container cranes for US$343 million from port machinery supplier, Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery Company, the world’s largest port equipment producer.

The cranes are to be delivered between 2009 and the first quarter of 2010. The deal comes amid plans by international container terminal operator DP World to build ten more piers over the next few years, with 13 berths currently under construction.
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Jurong polishes first Larsen semisub

Singapore’s Jurong Shipyard has wrapped up major construction work on Petrorig 1, the first of four ultra-deepwater semi-submersible drilling rigs the yard is building for Larsen Oil & Gas.

Jurong parent SembCorp Marine said turnkey work on the rig was wrapped on schedule and the rig was on track for delivery in March. Its maiden assignment is under a five-year charter with Petrobras in the Gulf of Mexico. The rig was named in a ceremony at the yard and will now move to an anchorage to allow thrusters to be installed. The Petrorig 1 is a sixth-generation rig built to the Friede & Goldman’s Ex-D Millennium design. The dynamically positioned rig will be capable of drilling in to depths of up to 37,500 feet in water up to 10,000 feet deep. The rig has an operational displacement of 46,750 tonnes and a deck-load capacity of up to 8000 tonnes. Petrorig 2 has landed a five-year charter with Petrobras off Brazil and Petrorig 3 has been handed a three-year gig with Pemex off Mexico.

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Port of Sohar joins Green Award certification initiative

The Port of Sohar has become the first port in the Middle East to enter the Green Award scheme — a certification system that encourages ships and ship-owners to embrace environment-friendly operational and management practices.

The scheme is supervised by the Rotterdam-based Bureau Green Award, the executive body of the autonomous, non-profit Green Award Foundation. The certification procedure consists of an office audit of each individual ship applying for certification. Green Award certified ships receive a significant reduction in port dues that are part of the scheme. Currently, 221 ships are Green Award certified. At present, only crude oil and product tankers, as well as dry bulk carriers of over 20,000 DWT, have applied for the certification. Plans are afoot to broaden the scope of the scheme to also include container ships and LNG carriers in the future, a senior representative of the Green Award Foundation stated here yesterday. As a Green Award partner, the Port of Sohar joins 30 ports and harbours around the world that support this initiative.

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Cambodia to build new port in Phnom Penh

Cambodia's government has announced a plan to build a new port in capital city Phnom Penh by the end of this year or in early 2010 to meet the increasing demand for waterway transportation.

The project, estimated at $25 million, was approved by the government in October 2008 and feasibility work is underway, said Keat Chhon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance. The port will be located south of the city in the lower Mekong River area and not far away from the current Phnom Penh port. The new facility will have a capacity of 300,000 containers a day, which is six times larger than the current Phnom Penh port, Minister Keat Chhon added.

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