Konecranes wins more than $28M orders

Konecranes received orders totaling over $28.35m from four South Korean shipyards in September 2007.

Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co. Ltd, Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd, Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd and Daehan Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. ordered the design, project supervision and components for eight Goliath gantry cranes. Deliveries are scheduled for spring 2008. The largest of the cranes ordered has a lifting capacity of 1500 tonnes. The orders include crane design, project supervision and key components such as gears and electrical motors. All four shipyards already use Konecranes' Goliath gantry cranes. The rail span of a Goliath gantry crane can be up to 216 meters and the lifting height up to 98 meters, the crane itself can be over 100 meters high.

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Chile attracts suitors

Chile has received 14 offers from seven different companies and consortiums contending for oil and natural gas contracts in the remote southern region of Patagonia, the mining ministry said.

A statement released by the ministry stated that Total, Apache Canada, US-based Pan-American Energy, a consortium of Wintershall-Geopark-Methanex, Roch, Greymouth Petroleum in New Zealand and IPR-Manas were among the contenders. The companies bid on nine of the 10 blocks on offer in Chile's biggest tender of oil and natural gas contracts. The blocks are in the Magallanes basin in the extreme south of the country, covering 32,356 square kilometres.

Six of the blocks are onshore, three are offshore, and one straddles both. Three blocks require the bidder to enter a joint venture with Chilean state oil company Enap but in the remaining six blocks companies will have full exploration and production rights. The contracts have a maximum duration of 35 years with the exploration stage lasting between seven and 10 years. The ministry said the results of the tender would be announced on 15 November 2007.

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Dalian Shipbuilding stands at fourth position

Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corp Ltd., China's biggest shipyard, upped its rank to number four in the world in terms of orders at hand.

The company points to a combination of technical innovation and an expanded product range. Strong domestic and overseas demand was a source for the ship plant's new orders, 70 percent of which come from outside the country. Current order volumes mean Dalian Shipbuilding will work non-stop without taking any new orders until 2011.

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Astilleros to build two Voith tractors tugs for DPA

Astilleros Zamakona Pasaia has won the contract to build two Voith tractor tugs for the Dublin Port Authority (Ireland).

The tugs are fitted with a Fi Fi system and are configured to ensure they are environmentally friendly. The tugs will therefore have a low gas emission system, ecological paint, waste and sanitary systems, with special treatment when unloading, and their cutting edge engines include low consumption systems for conventional fuel and Biodiesel. These two new tugs will be operating in the Port of Dublin. Immersed in a restructuring process involving large investments, the shipyard is currently building eight tugs of various types, and has refitted out vessels such as the ‘Elai Alai' tuna fishing boat, and carried out the maintenance of other vessels as important as the ‘Juan De La Cosa' hospital ship.

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Mercator bets big on dredging

Marking its entry into the booming dredging sector, Mercator Lines (MLL), the second largest private shipping firm in India, has bought two dredgers and is in the process of acquiring four more in the current fiscal for a total investment of $300 million.

According to MLL sources, the acquisition of first two one-year-old trailer suction dredgers will be completed by October-end. These dredgers will be registered in India and will fly the national flag. The Mumbai-based shipping company has joined the increasing band of new players in the sector, including Essar group, Adani group and a consortium led by Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).

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Whitesea Shipping & Supply to build AHTS vessels

Whitesea Shipping & Supply (WSS) signed for the building of 3+3, 100 Bollard Pull Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels with Astillero Rio Santiago of Buenos Aires.

The vessels will be built with the highest specifications possible enabling them to deliver a BP of over 100 tons, will have a large carrying capacity for fuel, drill and fresh water, bulk and mud. It will also have a capacity for carrying 40 people and a large deck of 600 M2 for carrying about 2,000 tons of cargo. In addition, the vessel will have FIFI 1 capability and will be highly maneuverable due to their Dynamic Positioning (DP 2) capability. Based in Sharjah since 1981 WSS has a fleet of 30 vessels, which is one of largest independently, owned fleets of offshore vessels in the Gulf region. The above agreement follows an earlier order placed last year by WSS for another 5, 70 BP, AHTS vessels with Keppel Singmarine.

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China Shipping Development to buy four ships

China Shipping Development Co. said it would buy four very large ore carriers (VLOCs) from Chinese shipbuilders for $400m to develop its ore import business.

Each ship will have capacity of 230,000 deadweight tonnes, said the company. The purchase would be funded from the company's own resources or through bank loans, informed company sources. Last month, China Shipping Development said that in another deal, it would buy four large iron ore carriers for $460m.

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