New Delhi: Even as elite commando units from the Navy and the National Security Guard mounted operations to flush out terrorists from the Taj and Trident-Oberoi hotels on Thursday, security and intelligence agencies stressed on the vulnerability of India’s 7,516-km coastline along nine States and four Union Territories.
Though the “Coastal Security Scheme” was launched in March 2006 by the Union Home Ministry, the breach of coastline in Mumbai on Wednesday by terrorists showed they could enter through the gaps. As Mumbai’s nightmarish terror attacks began and the security and intelligence agencies apprehended its gravity, arrangements were made to fly the first lot of commandos in an IL-76 military transport aircraft, owned by the Aviation Research Centre of the Research and Analysis Wing, at 3 a.m. Along the coast from Mumbai to Gujarat, ships were being intercepted and checked by the Navy and the Coast Guard. Sources in the Home Ministry said the Coastal Security Scheme was being given top priority for setting up 73 coastal police stations, 97 check posts, 58 outposts and 30 barracks. About 50 of the 73 approved coastal police stations had already been made operational, the sources said. Under the scheme, the coastal police stations were to be equipped with 204 boats, 149 jeeps, 312 motorcycles for increasing mobility of the police personnel on the coasts and in close coastal waters. The scheme has been reviewed by the Home Ministry from time to time. The Coast Guard has also been imparting training to different State police personnel in mounting maritime vigil.
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Friday, November 28, 2008
Signal Dock - Thunder Hawk Hull Repair
Signal International announced that SBM-Atlantia’s Thunder Hawk is currently drydocked at the company’s Port Arthur Texas facility for hull repairs.
The huge structure arrived at Port Arthur after being transported from Singapore on a heavy lift dry-tow vessel. Drydocking of the newbuild semi will enable Signal to repair damage that was done to Thunder Hawk’s pontoons before leaving Southeast Asia. Repairs consist of: grit-blasting to bare metal the perimeter of the damaged outer hull, torch cutting to enable removal of the damaged hull segments, fitting and welding of the prefabricated replacement hull sections and restoring coatings in accordance with the design specifications. The on-dock work is expected to take 30 to 45 days and employ up to 200 additional craftsmen. Signal International, LLC, is a marine and fabrication companies in the Gulf of Mexico providing repair, upgrade, new construction and fabrication services to the offshore and marine industry. Headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, Signal currently employs over 4,000 workers in its six production facilities, two in Mississippi and four in Texas.
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The huge structure arrived at Port Arthur after being transported from Singapore on a heavy lift dry-tow vessel. Drydocking of the newbuild semi will enable Signal to repair damage that was done to Thunder Hawk’s pontoons before leaving Southeast Asia. Repairs consist of: grit-blasting to bare metal the perimeter of the damaged outer hull, torch cutting to enable removal of the damaged hull segments, fitting and welding of the prefabricated replacement hull sections and restoring coatings in accordance with the design specifications. The on-dock work is expected to take 30 to 45 days and employ up to 200 additional craftsmen. Signal International, LLC, is a marine and fabrication companies in the Gulf of Mexico providing repair, upgrade, new construction and fabrication services to the offshore and marine industry. Headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, Signal currently employs over 4,000 workers in its six production facilities, two in Mississippi and four in Texas.
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Maritime authorities of Singapore and Panama to strengthen ties
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) Chief Executive Tay Lim Heng said that his organization and the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) will strengthen ties to face the issue of piracy and further co-operation between flag states.
MPA's Tay Lim Heng, accompanied by Singapore Ambassador to Panama Ms. Mary Seet Cheng, was visiting Panama to meet the AMP Administrator Fernando Solorzano and AMP Merchant Marine Chief Alfonso Castillero, the Panama Canal Administrator and Panama's Chamber of Shipping president. The discussions between the two maritime authorities focused on the future signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between both countries to promote co-operation of Panama and Singapore as flag states, regional cooperation to combat piracy and armed robbery, updates on co-operative mechanisms, greenhouse Co2 emissions and synergy in maritime education and training. "It is a good start," said Tay who noted that both authorities face common challenges. "There is the potential to co-operate more closely," said Tay. Tay invited Panama to join the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (ReCAAP) and participate in the next Government Meeting in February in Singapore, whether Panama could play a role in the organization.
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MPA's Tay Lim Heng, accompanied by Singapore Ambassador to Panama Ms. Mary Seet Cheng, was visiting Panama to meet the AMP Administrator Fernando Solorzano and AMP Merchant Marine Chief Alfonso Castillero, the Panama Canal Administrator and Panama's Chamber of Shipping president. The discussions between the two maritime authorities focused on the future signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between both countries to promote co-operation of Panama and Singapore as flag states, regional cooperation to combat piracy and armed robbery, updates on co-operative mechanisms, greenhouse Co2 emissions and synergy in maritime education and training. "It is a good start," said Tay who noted that both authorities face common challenges. "There is the potential to co-operate more closely," said Tay. Tay invited Panama to join the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery (ReCAAP) and participate in the next Government Meeting in February in Singapore, whether Panama could play a role in the organization.
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Indonesia cracks down on cruise ship gambling
The Indonesian Government may take action against people who gamble when they arrive in Indonesia and transit to cruise ships that sail beyond Indonesian jurisdiction, as they might be breaking national laws that apply to Indonesian sovereign territory.
According to the Jakarta Post, gamblers arrive by ferry from Malaysia and Singapore and transit at either the Nongsa Pura or Harbor Bay Batam harbours, and then depart on a cruise ship that sails into international waters. “They usually come in groups of hundreds of people, using ferries from Singapore or Malaysia,” Riau Island police officer Brig Gen Indradi Thanos was quoted as saying in the Jakarta Post. But it seems that these people might be breaking national rules about gamblers in transit. While the cruise ships anchor at sea at a point which does not count as Indonesian territory, the police cannot take legal action against the gamblers; however Brig Gen Thanos said that the transit through Indonesian territory may be grounds for legal action as they may have broken rules on sovereignty.
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According to the Jakarta Post, gamblers arrive by ferry from Malaysia and Singapore and transit at either the Nongsa Pura or Harbor Bay Batam harbours, and then depart on a cruise ship that sails into international waters. “They usually come in groups of hundreds of people, using ferries from Singapore or Malaysia,” Riau Island police officer Brig Gen Indradi Thanos was quoted as saying in the Jakarta Post. But it seems that these people might be breaking national rules about gamblers in transit. While the cruise ships anchor at sea at a point which does not count as Indonesian territory, the police cannot take legal action against the gamblers; however Brig Gen Thanos said that the transit through Indonesian territory may be grounds for legal action as they may have broken rules on sovereignty.
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Dana Gas proceeds with Sharjah exploration, development
Dana Gas will proceed with exploration and development plans at the Western Offshore concession in the Emirate of Sharjah as part of a new 25-year agreement with the Government of Sharjah, UAE.
The deal will see Dana Gas’ entry in the GCC exploration sector. It also marks the company’s first offshore upstream asset. The concession covers some 1,000 square kilometres offshore, and will also include the development of the Zora offshore gas field by mid-2009. Dana Gas will complete the horizontal drilling of two wells which were drilled by Crescent Petroleum. The company will then install offshore platforms for processing and production.
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The deal will see Dana Gas’ entry in the GCC exploration sector. It also marks the company’s first offshore upstream asset. The concession covers some 1,000 square kilometres offshore, and will also include the development of the Zora offshore gas field by mid-2009. Dana Gas will complete the horizontal drilling of two wells which were drilled by Crescent Petroleum. The company will then install offshore platforms for processing and production.
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Thursday, November 27, 2008
Dry bulk trade keeps suffering
Just when everybody thought that the dry bulk market had stabilized a new plunge this week has brought freight rates to their lowest in almost 22 years, as demand for raw materials in China and other key countries continued to fall, mainly due to the global economic crisis.
The Baltic Dry Index fell to 762 points down 5.1 per cent on the day and the lowest level since January 1987. The index has fallen 93.5 per cent since its all-time high of 11,793 points in May. It’s clear that with freight rates so low, most vessels are losing money nowadays, while ship owners are forced to finance their operations even from their own pockets (public companies excluded), with banks still not keen on opening their credit lines. Fearnley’s report yesterday described the previous seven days in the market with words like “quiet week”. In the once famous capesize sector, comprised of bulkers over 150,000-dwt, the market took a turn for the worse, with a modern Caper being fixex at $1,000 for a Transatlantic round voyage and a similar unit fixing usd 5,750 for a front haul with a ballast bonus that does not cover the ballast costs, reported Fearnley’s. The broker also said that “in the Pacific, India has seized the opportunity to sell some ore and several fixtures have been reported. On steam coal, Korea is the only light we see with MoM volumes up by over 13%, though this only benefits the smaller Capesize vessels due to port restrictions at discharge port”. In the panamax segment, which had led the modest gains during the previous weeks, things don’t look rosy either. Things aren’t that different in the supramax market, where period chartering activity remains in the low teens for one year with charterers seeking tonnage willing optional years but it is tough to find owners on such terms at present. With conditions far from optimistic, owners are actively looking to weather the storm, which could take more than six months to rebound, at least in a sustainable way.
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The Baltic Dry Index fell to 762 points down 5.1 per cent on the day and the lowest level since January 1987. The index has fallen 93.5 per cent since its all-time high of 11,793 points in May. It’s clear that with freight rates so low, most vessels are losing money nowadays, while ship owners are forced to finance their operations even from their own pockets (public companies excluded), with banks still not keen on opening their credit lines. Fearnley’s report yesterday described the previous seven days in the market with words like “quiet week”. In the once famous capesize sector, comprised of bulkers over 150,000-dwt, the market took a turn for the worse, with a modern Caper being fixex at $1,000 for a Transatlantic round voyage and a similar unit fixing usd 5,750 for a front haul with a ballast bonus that does not cover the ballast costs, reported Fearnley’s. The broker also said that “in the Pacific, India has seized the opportunity to sell some ore and several fixtures have been reported. On steam coal, Korea is the only light we see with MoM volumes up by over 13%, though this only benefits the smaller Capesize vessels due to port restrictions at discharge port”. In the panamax segment, which had led the modest gains during the previous weeks, things don’t look rosy either. Things aren’t that different in the supramax market, where period chartering activity remains in the low teens for one year with charterers seeking tonnage willing optional years but it is tough to find owners on such terms at present. With conditions far from optimistic, owners are actively looking to weather the storm, which could take more than six months to rebound, at least in a sustainable way.
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K-Line announces delivery of 154,800m3 LNG Carrier
A consortium comprising Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (‘K’ Line) and P.T. Meratus Line (**) is pleased to announce the successful delivery of a brand new 154,800m3 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Carrier, ‘TANGGUH FOJA’, constructed at Samsung Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. in Korea.
The vessel will be chartered to the TANGGUH LNG operated by BP soon after her delivery as the first in a series of 3 vessels under ‘K’ Line operation. ‘K’ Line Ship Management Co., Ltd. will be responsible for the management of ‘TANGGUH FOJA’. This latest delivery will result in bringing the number of vessels in ‘K’ Line Group’s LNG carrier fleet to a total of 43. In 2005, ‘K’ Line and its Indonesian consortium partner, P.T. Meratus Line, were successfully awarded Time Charter Contracts for three vessels in a bidding process to procure seven LNG carriers by the TANGGUH LNG, with “TANGGUH FOJA” having the honor of being the first one of the seven. These newly-built vessels incorporate the most modern Dual Fuel Diesel Electric (DFDE) Engines, thereby achieving better fuel efficiency together with greater environmental benefits. The name of ‘FOJA’ together with ‘TANGGUH JAYA’ that will be our second vessel originate from the name of mountains in Papua, Indonesia where LNG Plant for the TANGGUH LNG is located, while the name of TANGGUH PALUNG for our third vessel comes from the mountain in Kalimantan where the first LNG plant in Indonesia was established. TANGGUH JAYA and TANGGUH PALUNG are scheduled for delivery at the end of this year and first quarter of 2009, respectively. ‘K’ Line is committed to maximizing the utilization of Indonesian crew onboard those 3 TANGGUH vessels. In keeping with a policy of always giving first priority to safety in its services, ‘K’ Line will continue committing itself to contributing to the expansion of energy transportation business.
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The vessel will be chartered to the TANGGUH LNG operated by BP soon after her delivery as the first in a series of 3 vessels under ‘K’ Line operation. ‘K’ Line Ship Management Co., Ltd. will be responsible for the management of ‘TANGGUH FOJA’. This latest delivery will result in bringing the number of vessels in ‘K’ Line Group’s LNG carrier fleet to a total of 43. In 2005, ‘K’ Line and its Indonesian consortium partner, P.T. Meratus Line, were successfully awarded Time Charter Contracts for three vessels in a bidding process to procure seven LNG carriers by the TANGGUH LNG, with “TANGGUH FOJA” having the honor of being the first one of the seven. These newly-built vessels incorporate the most modern Dual Fuel Diesel Electric (DFDE) Engines, thereby achieving better fuel efficiency together with greater environmental benefits. The name of ‘FOJA’ together with ‘TANGGUH JAYA’ that will be our second vessel originate from the name of mountains in Papua, Indonesia where LNG Plant for the TANGGUH LNG is located, while the name of TANGGUH PALUNG for our third vessel comes from the mountain in Kalimantan where the first LNG plant in Indonesia was established. TANGGUH JAYA and TANGGUH PALUNG are scheduled for delivery at the end of this year and first quarter of 2009, respectively. ‘K’ Line is committed to maximizing the utilization of Indonesian crew onboard those 3 TANGGUH vessels. In keeping with a policy of always giving first priority to safety in its services, ‘K’ Line will continue committing itself to contributing to the expansion of energy transportation business.
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