BigLift adds five heavylifts to its fleet

Five more heavylift vessels will be added to Amsterdam-based BigLift Shipping.

The 17,500DWT vessels will each have two 400-tonne cranes and one 12o-tonne crane. These “D-4” ships are further developments of the “D-gracht” vessels from BigLift’s parent company, Spliethoff. On board, the high allowable deck loads to stow heavy cargoes. Should visibility from the wheelhouse be obstructed by large deck loads, the vessels are easily maneuvered from a second command station forward. The vessels are being built at the Ohua Shipyard in China and will be delivered between mid 2010 and the end of 2010.

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FMC to build BP offshore gear

FMC Technologies has landed an $80 million job with BP for subsea equipment.

They are destined for the UK supermajor's deep-water projects off Angola. FMC's contract includes six subsea trees, control systems, wellheads, tubing hangers, well jumpers and flow bases. The equipment will be made and delivered this year from at FMC's Kongsberg, Norway and Dunfermline, Scotland facilities. Last week FMC announced it had won a $140 million job with BP at Block 18, off Angola. FMC and BP could not be immediately reached by Upstream for comment.

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Goal-based ship construction standards- Inherent objectives for a new generation of seaworthy ships

The world's largest floating drydock CS Ermei made by China Shipping Industry Co (CIC), a unit of China Shipping Group has been put into operation.

The facility operates at CIC's ship repair yard at Liaoning province's Changxing Island near Dalian, and is used for maintenance and refit on ships from all over the world, and has an annual repair capacity of 160 ships and output value of CYN10 billion (US$1.46 billion). The drydock, designed by Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI), is 410 metres long, 82 metres wide, 28 metres draught with a uplift force of 85,000 tonnes and a self weight of 42,000 tonnes. It is the largest and most advanced floating shipyard in the world. The above news indicates, that the industry requires a better, sophisticated and prolonged seaworthy duration ships that could be delivered sooner. With almost 80 percent of the dockyards overbooked for 2009, it is time that states should look into developing innovative inventions such as the CS Ermei. The notion of “goal-based ship construction standards” was introduced in IMO at the 89th session of the Council in November 2002 through a proposal by the Bahamas and Greece, suggesting that IMO should play a larger role in determining the standards to which new ships are built, traditionally the responsibility of classification societies and shipyards.

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UKHO opens Singapore office

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) opened an office in Singapore on January 23.

The office, based in the British High Commission, is an initiative backed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore – a key long-standing partner and influence in the region – and is staffed by a member of UKHO’s International Partnering team, Chris Thorne. The UKHO’s Singapore office is expected to serve as a springboard for capacity building in the region and delivery of training to foreign government hydrographic offices as well as a base for gaining an insight into the needs of mariners, distributors and product specialists in this busy maritime trading area. The training facility will be delivered and managed jointly with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

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Panama gears up for Panama Maritime IX exhibition

The maritime community is gearing up for the bi-annual Panama Maritime IX World Conference & Exhibition, which will take place in Panama February 9-11, 2009 and will be inaugurated by Panama’s President Martin Torrijos with the participation of IMO Secretary General Efthimios Mitropoulos.

Panama Maritime IX World Conference & Exhibition is jointly organized by Panama Maritime Law Association (PMLA) in association with Panama’s Chamber of Shipping and with the undivided support from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP). The conference is reputed for its ability to draw the key international players and provide a platform for discussion of important matters related to the maritime industry, both from a Latin American view point and from that of the industry as a whole. This year the conference-exhibition will focus on the main concerns of the maritime industry in the region and worldwide and will include: Port industry in Latin America; Green Shipping with its implications for the maritime industry; maritime insurance in the Latin American market; trends of international trade; Panama’s new legislation for the sector and the seafarers’ realities of today.

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Reflex Marine Launches Toro Transfer Device

Reflex Marine launched its revolutionary Toro personnel transfer capsule on Jan. 21 in Aberdeen, Scotland at the same time announcing the unit’s first sales.

The launch celebration at the Maritime Museum, followed a demonstration at Woollard & Henry, Aberdeen. Following purchases by Chevron and BG Group, the crew transfer device will soon be operating in the North Sea and North Africa. Enquiries have also been received from operators in Asia-Pacific, Middle East and USA. The Aberdeen launch and demonstration was the first leg of a world tour which will see similar events taking place in key growth areas such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Abu Dhabi and Houston. Following close consultation within the industry, the company set out to develop a low cost transfer device, which maintains high levels of passenger protection and operational performance, established with earlier designs.

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New generation RAmparts 3200B design from Robert Allan

In 2007 Norwegian vessel owners, Østensjø Rederi approached Turkish shipyard Sanmar Denizcilik Makin eve Ticaret, of Istanbul, to build a tug similar to the standard 32-metre RAmparts 3200 class tug, designed by Canadian naval architecture firm Robert Allan.

This requirement led to a close collaboration between owner, builder and designer to develop a revised, beamier design. The result is a new generation of ASD tug, known as the RAmparts 3200B Class. This is built under the “Escort 80” series name at Sanmar. The vessel is suitable for a wide range of duties including harbour towage and ship-handling, coastal towing, and escort operations. It is also equipped for firefighting and oil spill response duties. The hull form reflects the now very well-proven double chine form with a sweeping "chined" stern. A large escort skeg is fitted forward to enhance the indirect towing capability and to provide enhanced roll stability. Particulars of the first of the 4,800kW Vivax class tugs are: an overall length of 32 metres, a moulded beam of twelve metres, moulded depth of 5.36 metres and maximum overall draught of 6.11 metres. The vessel is classed by ABS under Towage Service, Escort Vessel, ABCU, Fi-Fi 1, Oil Recovery Class 1, Unrestricted Service.

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