Paragon takes delivery of ninth vessel

Paragon Shipping Inc. has taken delivery of the third of the three drybulk carriers that it had contracted to acquire.

The company took delivery on September 17, 2007 the Diamond Seas, a 74,274 dwt Panamax drybulk carrier built in 2001. The Diamond Seas has been chartered to Vespucci Marine C.V. pursuant to a time charter with a remaining period of approximately 32 to 34 months at the charterer's option, at an initial rate of $27,500 per day, gross of commissions. The charter commenced immediately upon the delivery of the vessel to the company. With the addition of this vessel, the company's fleet consists of five Panamax drybulk carriers, three Handymax drybulk carriers and one Supramax drybulk carrier, with an aggregate capacity of approximately 557,196 deadweight tons.

Read More

Grounded container ship re-floated

An 872-ft. container ship that went aground on the Columbia River near St. Helens, Ore., was re-floated.

The Korean flagged container ship, Hanjin Beijing, became grounded a few miles downstream, near Columbia City and St. Helens. There were 15 crew members aboard. The 872-foot container ship was carrying a full load of cargo. Coast Guard Investigators, Marine Inspectors and four tugboats were responding to assess the vessels situation when the vessel re-floated due to changing river and tide conditions. Tugs will escort the vessel to Kalama, Wash., where it will undergo a damage survey prior to departing for Japan, its next port of call.

There is no sign of pollution and initial tank soundings and damage assessments have determined that the vessel is not taking on water. No injuries have been reported.

Read More

APL to deliver LNG buoy system

APL (Advanced Production & Loading) Plc has entered into a contract for the design, engineering, and supply of an offshore liquefied natural gas buoy system for Neptune LNG LLC, a subsidiary of Suez.

The STL technology will be deployed for yet another offshore LNG receiving terminal. The value of the contract is approximately USD 60 million and represents APL’s third order for an offshore LNG buoy system in the U.S. Neptune LNG facility, which will be located approximately 10 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, will provide a substantial new supply of natural gas to New England. Final delivery of submerged turret loading (STL) buoy system is expected to take place in May 2009.

Read More

Evergreen names tenth 7,000TEU S-series ship

Evergreen has named the last of ten 7,024-TEU S-series vessels built in Japan at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Kobe shipyard.

Due for delivery in January 2008, the newly named Ever Salute, is scheduled to join Evergreen Line's transpacific services. The first eight vessels in the series are now operating on the company's new China Europe Shuttle (CES) that links Asia and North Europe, while the ninth vessel, Ever Safety, is scheduled for delivery in October and will also enter the transpacific trade.
The S-series ships have won global recognition for their advanced design features, which minimise their impact on the environment. With many of the world's leading manufacturers and retailers now seeking to work in partnership with ocean carriers who are committed to environment-friendly policies, Evergreen Line says it has been inundated with enquiries for more information on its S-series initiative.

Read More

DP World to build Rotterdam terminal

A consortium led by DP World signed a contract to develop and manage a new container terminal in Rotterdam that will increase the largest European port's current container handling capacity by 40 per cent.

DP World holds a 30 per cent stake in the 900-million euro Rotterdam World Gateway terminal, which is part of the large Maasvlakte-2 development unveiled by the Port of Rotterdam Authority. The Dubai firm's partners in the venture, announced earlier in July, are APL of Singapore, Mitsui OSK Lines of Japan, Hyundai Merchant Marine of South Korea and French shipping line CMA CGM. The agreement covers building the superstructure, equipping and operating the new terminal on the North Sea. The terminal will have a capacity of about four million TEUs per year. It will be phased into operation from 2013 onwards.

Read More

Non-availability of rigs halts RIL’s drilling operations

Non-availability of rigs has halted drilling operations in as many as nine deepwater blocks of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), awarded to it under various rounds of the New Exploration and Licensing Policy (NELP).

The nine blocks are located in major offshore basins including the Krishna Godavari, Mahanadi, Gujarat Saurashtra, Kerala-Konkan and Cauvery basins. Fearing that this may affect its exploration commitments leading to relinquishment of blocks, RIL has approached the government for a three-year exploratory holiday in these nine blocks.

In a recent letter to the petroleum ministry, RIL has said that the shortage of deepwater rigs is expected to continue until 2009-10 and non-availability of rigs was severely affecting its drilling operations. RIL is currently operating with two deepwater rigs - S Kirk Rhine and the Deepwater Frontier.

Read More

Two vessels collide in China's Bohai Sea

A Panama-registered cargo vessel "Chang Tong" collided into a Germany-registered container vessel "Hanjin Gothen Burg" in China's Bohai Sea on Saturday.

No casualties have been reported so far, the China Marine Rescue Center said. The accident happened at 41 sea miles north of Chinese city Yantai of Shandong Province, when the bow of the 274-meter-long German vessel cut into the fourth cabin of the larboard of the 182-meter-long "Chang Tong", and water ran into several cabins of the Panama vessel.

The two vessels were kept in such conditions with one inserted into the other to reduce water flowing into the cabins, and all the crew members on board, 26 on "Chang Tong" and 22 on "Hanjin Gothen Burg" were safe, informed the Center. Chinese officials in charge of maritime official have arrived at the scene to investigate the cause of the accident.

Read More