A Greek-owned ship with 19 sailors on board, most of them Filipinos, has been attacked by pirates off Somalia, the Greek merchant marine ministry.
The ministry said it did not have any further information on the attack, which happened 250 nautical miles off Somalia, or the fate of the crew of 17 Filipinos, one Chinese and one Ukrainian. The freighter Captain Stephanos, flying the Bahamas flag, belongs to the ChartWorld Shipping Corporation, and was carrying a cargo of coal, the ministry said. It was the second attack on Greek shipping in a week. Last Thursday the Centauri, with 25 Filipino sailors on board was attacked off Somalia by pirates in a speed boat, armed with three rocket launchers. France on Friday circulated a draft resolution in the United Nations Security Council urging states to deploy naval vessels and military aircraft to join in the fight against rampant piracy off the coast of lawless Somalia. The waters off Somalia, which has not had an effective central government for more than 17 years and is plagued by insecurity -- are considered to be among the most dangerous in the world.
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Monday, September 22, 2008
Taiwan's CPC buys into Qatar LNG plant
Taiwan's state-run CPC Corporation has bought a five per cent stake in a liquefied natural gas processing facility in Qatar.
Qatar, the world's largest exporter of gas chilled to its liquid form, and CPC have also signed an agreement to invest together in other joint energy projects. CPC Corp bought the five per cent stake in Qatar's Rasgas train 5. The train, an industry term for an LNG production facility, has capacity to produce 4.7 million tonnes per year.CPC already has a 25-year agreement to purchase 3 million tonnes per year of LNG from Rasgas. CPC is Taiwan's sole gas importer. Taiwan's demand for LNG was expected to total some 9.4 million tonnes per year in 2008, and to rise to 16 million by 2020.Before the transaction, state-owned Qatar Petroleum held 70 per cent of Rasgas, while Exxon Mobil held the rest. Qatar sits on the world's third-largest gas reserves and plans to boost its LNG output capacity to 77 million tonnes per year in 2010 from around 38 million tonnes per year in 2008.Qatar's LNG is produced by two companies, Rasgas and Qatargas.
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Qatar, the world's largest exporter of gas chilled to its liquid form, and CPC have also signed an agreement to invest together in other joint energy projects. CPC Corp bought the five per cent stake in Qatar's Rasgas train 5. The train, an industry term for an LNG production facility, has capacity to produce 4.7 million tonnes per year.CPC already has a 25-year agreement to purchase 3 million tonnes per year of LNG from Rasgas. CPC is Taiwan's sole gas importer. Taiwan's demand for LNG was expected to total some 9.4 million tonnes per year in 2008, and to rise to 16 million by 2020.Before the transaction, state-owned Qatar Petroleum held 70 per cent of Rasgas, while Exxon Mobil held the rest. Qatar sits on the world's third-largest gas reserves and plans to boost its LNG output capacity to 77 million tonnes per year in 2010 from around 38 million tonnes per year in 2008.Qatar's LNG is produced by two companies, Rasgas and Qatargas.
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Aker Philadelphia delivers fifth vessel to American Shipping Company
Delivery comes six days after the shipyard’s ten-year anniversary celebration.
Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, USA, has delivered its fifth product tanker to American Shipping Company. The tanker is the fifth in a series of twelve that will be delivered to American Shipping Company and in turn, chartered to OSG America. In the coming days the vessel will take to the sea for use in transporting petroleum products for BP, and is the third vessel in the series to be utilized by BP. A traditional naming ceremony was held at the yard and attended by representatives from Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, American Shipping Company, OSG America and BP. The vessel’s sponsor, Mrs Jane Baldry formally christened the ship and gave her the name ‘Overseas Texas City’. The ‘Overseas Texas City’ is the first vessel built at the yard to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest Tier II requirements. The vessel was modified to incorporate three improved diesel powered electrical generating sets to run the vessel’s electrical system, which will result in lower levels of pollutants while in operation.
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Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, USA, has delivered its fifth product tanker to American Shipping Company. The tanker is the fifth in a series of twelve that will be delivered to American Shipping Company and in turn, chartered to OSG America. In the coming days the vessel will take to the sea for use in transporting petroleum products for BP, and is the third vessel in the series to be utilized by BP. A traditional naming ceremony was held at the yard and attended by representatives from Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, American Shipping Company, OSG America and BP. The vessel’s sponsor, Mrs Jane Baldry formally christened the ship and gave her the name ‘Overseas Texas City’. The ‘Overseas Texas City’ is the first vessel built at the yard to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest Tier II requirements. The vessel was modified to incorporate three improved diesel powered electrical generating sets to run the vessel’s electrical system, which will result in lower levels of pollutants while in operation.
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Sunday, September 21, 2008
Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Freedom
Cmdr. Walt Coppeans, Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast, officially accepted delivery of Freedom (LCS 1) on behalf of the Navy from the Lockheed Martin/Marinette.
Since Builder's and Acceptance Trials this summer, the Navy and the Lockheed Martin team have been working to prepare the ship for delivery, sail away and commissioning. With acceptance by the Navy, the LCS crew will move aboard and prepare the ship to depart Marinette Marine for Milwaukee, the location of the ship's Nov. 8 commissioning. Upon commissioning, the ship will sail out of the Great Lakes and down the East Coast for Norfolk, Va., making a number of port calls along the way. Prior to delivery, the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) conducted Acceptance Trials aboard LCS 1 Aug. 17-21. INSURV found the ship to be "capable, well-built and inspection-ready" and recommended that the Chief of Naval Operations authorize delivery of the ship. Because the trials were conducted in Lake Michigan, some ship systems, including aviation and combat systems, could not be demonstrated. Systems not demonstrated during recent trials will be presented to INSURV in early 2009 trials in Norfolk, Va., and in the open ocean.
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Since Builder's and Acceptance Trials this summer, the Navy and the Lockheed Martin team have been working to prepare the ship for delivery, sail away and commissioning. With acceptance by the Navy, the LCS crew will move aboard and prepare the ship to depart Marinette Marine for Milwaukee, the location of the ship's Nov. 8 commissioning. Upon commissioning, the ship will sail out of the Great Lakes and down the East Coast for Norfolk, Va., making a number of port calls along the way. Prior to delivery, the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) conducted Acceptance Trials aboard LCS 1 Aug. 17-21. INSURV found the ship to be "capable, well-built and inspection-ready" and recommended that the Chief of Naval Operations authorize delivery of the ship. Because the trials were conducted in Lake Michigan, some ship systems, including aviation and combat systems, could not be demonstrated. Systems not demonstrated during recent trials will be presented to INSURV in early 2009 trials in Norfolk, Va., and in the open ocean.
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BP may sell CPC stake
BP may sell its share in the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which pumps crude from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea, if it fails to agree with Russia on terms for expanding the line.
The move would trigger a further shareholding reshuffle at the consortium after another member; Gulf Arab state Oman, said it was also looking to sell its stake. Most of the shareholders of the Chevron-led pipeline, which runs to the major Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, have agreed on the expansion terms demanded by Russia, which owns 24% in the consortium as a host state. BP, the only shareholder that still opposes the terms, said it was considering selling the stake if no compromise was found. "This is one of the options to settle the current situation," Vladimir Buyanov, a BP spokesman told. He said BP may sell its stakes in Lukarco and Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures, which are members of the consortium. BP's stakes in the ventures bring its share in CPC to 6.6%, Buyanov said. Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft, which holds the country's stake in CPC, had long opposed the plan to double the pipeline's capacity from the current 700,000 barrels per day, but it has now dropped its objections. Transneft previously argued that the pipeline yielded low returns and that expansion would add pressure on the already congested Turkish Straits shipping route.
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The move would trigger a further shareholding reshuffle at the consortium after another member; Gulf Arab state Oman, said it was also looking to sell its stake. Most of the shareholders of the Chevron-led pipeline, which runs to the major Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, have agreed on the expansion terms demanded by Russia, which owns 24% in the consortium as a host state. BP, the only shareholder that still opposes the terms, said it was considering selling the stake if no compromise was found. "This is one of the options to settle the current situation," Vladimir Buyanov, a BP spokesman told. He said BP may sell its stakes in Lukarco and Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures, which are members of the consortium. BP's stakes in the ventures bring its share in CPC to 6.6%, Buyanov said. Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft, which holds the country's stake in CPC, had long opposed the plan to double the pipeline's capacity from the current 700,000 barrels per day, but it has now dropped its objections. Transneft previously argued that the pipeline yielded low returns and that expansion would add pressure on the already congested Turkish Straits shipping route.
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Korean shipowners join international piracy crisis call
The Korea Shipowners’ Association has spoken out over what it calls 'brutal' pirate activities in the Gulf of Aden, including vessels 'Bright Ruby'.
Bright Ruby was hijacked by Somali pirates on September 10 with 21 crews from Korea and Myanmar onboard, and the South Korean-flagged bulk carrier 'Samsun Elory', which was attacked in the region on September 16. In total over 30 vessels have been attacked by Somali pirates so far this year, it notes, and more than 130 seafarers taken as hostages for 'exorbitant ransom'. The KSA says it therefore fully supports the position of the Round Table of Shipping Associations (BIMCO, ICS, Intercargo and Intertanko), which has together with labour body ITF (the International Transport Workers' Federation ) has just issued a call to the UN and IMO for 'urgent action'. The KSA points out that even though coalition warships from the Combined Task Force 150 continue to maintain a presence off the coast of Somalia, 'acts of piracy and armed robbery have continued in one of the busiest shipping areas in the world, owing to its limited reinforcement.
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Bright Ruby was hijacked by Somali pirates on September 10 with 21 crews from Korea and Myanmar onboard, and the South Korean-flagged bulk carrier 'Samsun Elory', which was attacked in the region on September 16. In total over 30 vessels have been attacked by Somali pirates so far this year, it notes, and more than 130 seafarers taken as hostages for 'exorbitant ransom'. The KSA says it therefore fully supports the position of the Round Table of Shipping Associations (BIMCO, ICS, Intercargo and Intertanko), which has together with labour body ITF (the International Transport Workers' Federation ) has just issued a call to the UN and IMO for 'urgent action'. The KSA points out that even though coalition warships from the Combined Task Force 150 continue to maintain a presence off the coast of Somalia, 'acts of piracy and armed robbery have continued in one of the busiest shipping areas in the world, owing to its limited reinforcement.
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Passenger ships- In defence of the most advanced European shipbuilding industry
The members of ASSONAVE, the association of ship builders, repairers and suppliers, met in Rome to review the status of the European shipbuilding industry.
The chairman of the meeting, Corrado Antonini said that all Italian shipbuilding production indices grew in 2007. 32 ships were delivered, 49 were ordered, with an order book amounting to 95 units for a value of Eur 10.6 billion (US$15.21 billion) (Eur 6.8 billion (US$9.76 billion) in foreign transactions). However, Mr Antonini said that the increase of production costs, especially supplies, and the unfavourable evolution of the US dollar/Euro exchange rate have burdened, in Italy and in the rest of Europe, commercial activities and penalized the cost-effectiveness of new buildings. Such factors are affecting, to a decidedly lesser extent, also the Far East, where almost all standard merchant vessels and an increasing share of high-tech ships are now being built. Italy is still known for its quality cruise ship construction, with the highest “per unit” value. Conversely, it must be underlined that the Korean government has shown a totally opposite approach, in a market of global competition, preventing foreign capitals from taking part in the privatization process of the Daewoo shipyard. Within such an environment, the Chairman stated, Italian yards must increase their determination especially in the safeguard of the technological excellence of its products. This includes plant modernizing, industrial research, process and product innovation, protection and training of human resources.
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The chairman of the meeting, Corrado Antonini said that all Italian shipbuilding production indices grew in 2007. 32 ships were delivered, 49 were ordered, with an order book amounting to 95 units for a value of Eur 10.6 billion (US$15.21 billion) (Eur 6.8 billion (US$9.76 billion) in foreign transactions). However, Mr Antonini said that the increase of production costs, especially supplies, and the unfavourable evolution of the US dollar/Euro exchange rate have burdened, in Italy and in the rest of Europe, commercial activities and penalized the cost-effectiveness of new buildings. Such factors are affecting, to a decidedly lesser extent, also the Far East, where almost all standard merchant vessels and an increasing share of high-tech ships are now being built. Italy is still known for its quality cruise ship construction, with the highest “per unit” value. Conversely, it must be underlined that the Korean government has shown a totally opposite approach, in a market of global competition, preventing foreign capitals from taking part in the privatization process of the Daewoo shipyard. Within such an environment, the Chairman stated, Italian yards must increase their determination especially in the safeguard of the technological excellence of its products. This includes plant modernizing, industrial research, process and product innovation, protection and training of human resources.
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