InterManager to Tackle Industry Challenges
Low freight rates and a challenging market are concerns for ship managers as they begin 2013. A survey of members of InterManager, the international trade association for the ship and crew management industry, has identified the main concerns affecting the industry as it begins the New Year. In addition to fears about how challenging market conditions impact on operating budgets, ship and crew managers…
Maritime World Announces Reduced DMC, Jadaf Tariffs
Reduction in rates aimed to benefit small vessel owners. Maritime World has announced the reduction of tariff rates along all aspects of the business at Dubai Maritime City (DMC) and Jadaf from January 2013. This is in light of Drydocks World – Dubai’s 30th Anniversary celebrations in 2013. The reduction by from 2012 rates is aimed at facilitating the growth of the industry at the micro-level and increasing the repair and maintenance options available to small to medium size vessel-owners.
Oil Platform Hook-up, Commissioning Contract for Kvaerner
ConocoPhillips confirms options in the Eldfisk 2/7 S topside contract for Kvaerner to perform offshore hook-up & commissioning assistance. In March 2011, Kvaerner…
STX Europe Sells Norwegian Shipyard
STX Europe AS sells STX Norway Florø AS and STX Norway Design Florø AS to Westcon Group AS. STX Europe completes the sale of all of the shares in its wholly owned subsidiaries STX Norway Florø AS and STX Norway Design Florø AS to Westcon Group AS. The order backlog of STX Norway Florø AS was NOK 59 million at the end of Q3 2012 and the order book consisted mainly of one offshore pipelay vessel, the "Deep Energy".
Seismic 3D Vessel Charter by Seabird Exploration
SeaBird Exploration, through a subsidiary of Ordinat Shipping AS, charters the 3D vessel 'Geo Pacific' from Fugro. The vessel has been fixed on a 4 month time charter, intended to be converted into a 3 year bareboat charter with four one-year options to extend the contract. Furthermore, SeaBird will also have purchase options on the vessel in year three and, to the extent the lease is extended, year four. The vessel is fully equipped and will be a valuable addition to SeaBird's 3D capacity.
Ezra Holdings Chairman Steps Down
Mr. Lee Kian Soo, Executive Chairman of the Company, steps down to be replaced by Mr. Koh Poh Tiong. Ezra is a leading offshore contractor and provider of integrated…
Nam Cheong Sells PSV & Two AHTS
Nam Cheong, Malaysia’s largest Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) builder, ends year with record number of sales. Sales of the Platform Support Vessel (PSV) and the two…
Rig Breaks Adrift, Pounds Alaskan Island Foreshore
Shelll's drill rig 'Kulluk' broke towlines again in the storm & finally washed up on Sitkalidak Island, near Kodiak, on New Year's Eve. Salvage crews are on stand-by until the weather moderates (the National Weather Service reports seas in the area of being up to 30 feet high, though they're expected to drop down to 22 feet by Tuesday afternoon). Meanwhile the rig appeared sound so far, with no breach in the hull and no discharge of any pollutants into the water, reports the 'Alaska Dispatch'.
Mercator Lines (Singapore) Terminate Ship Charters Early
Mercator Lines (Singapore) agree early termination & settlement agreements with owners of bulkships 'Chaitali Prem' & 'Chanchal Prem'. Briefly, the existing charter of M.V.
World's First LNG Fuelled PSV Charter Extended
Statoil Petroleum grants Eidesvik Offshore ASA a 2-year extension charter for the LNG fuelled Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) 'Viking Energy'. The Viking Energy was the first LNG fueled PSV in the world when it was delivered in 2003, and has been on contract for Statoil since delivery. The new contract has a further two by two years options for extension included in its terms. "Eidesvik have worked for Statoil for more than 30 years.
China Eximbank & CCS Ink Cooperation Agreement
The Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) joins hands with China Classification Society (CCS) to support the country's shipping industry. China Eximbank and CCS…
Electronic Fuel Monitoring Alliance
Macsea's Fuel Vision announces that its system now works with KRAL rotary displacement flow meters for high-accuracy fuel monitoring. By combining Dexter Fuel Vision with the KRAL flowmeter, fuel data acquired aboard ships can be displayed in real-time throughout the vessel and also sent ashore to track fleet-wide energy conservation and emissions reduction efforts. Energy saving is a mandate in today’s shipping business climate and will likely continue well into the foreseeable future.
US Warship Raps in New Year
QM3 Patrick Cunliffe, USN, posted the ship’s traditional New Year’s midnight log entry in 'Rap-style' aboard 'USS Reuben James'. On New Year's Eve the ship was on routine patrol in the South China Sea. Continued the watch underway as before, 
with warship Five Seven on her final tour. The crew lay asleep in their comfy racks,
entrusting their shipmates would have their backs. The night was so peaceful, like many before,
as the watch teams waited for what lie in store.
Staten Island Ferry LNG Conversion Planned
Plans are in hand to convert one of the two diesel oil-fuelled 'Austen-class' ferries to use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). A pilot program conducted on one Staten Island Ferry, if successful, could save the city nearly half the boat's fueling cost annually, reports the 'Staten Island Advance'. An unspecified Austen Class ferry will be converted from using ultra-low-sulfur diesel to liquefied natural gas (LNG) during a routine dry docking in 2013.
Deep Profiling Float Descends to 4000-meters
Teledyne Webb Research's new version of its Autonomous Profiling Explorer (APEX®) makes a record 13,123 ft dive off Hawaii. APEX floats are based on a buoyancy engine and have been commercially available since founder Doug Webb started Webb Research in 1982. APEX floats descend to a programmed depth where they become neutrally buoyant and drift. After some interval, usually five to ten days, the buoyancy engine makes the float positively buoyant and it rises to the surface…
Floating 2013 e-Navigation Conference
e-Navigation Underway Conference 2013 will be held aboard Denmark's largest cruise ship 'Pearl Seaways'. • IMO E-Navigation Strategy Implementation Plan in 2014 – where are we now? • How do we benefit from industrial innovation? • What are the benefits and risks of electronic devices in shipping? • Costs of e-Navigation: necessary infrastructure, services, communications ... Who will pay? • E-Navigation drivers – regulation or market forces?
Statoil Expands Brazil Offshore Exploration
Statoil expands its exploration portfolio with the acquisition of 25% participating interest from Vale SA in BM-ES-22A in the Espirito Santo Basin offshore Brazil. BM-ES-22A is comprised of the two Blocks ES-M-468 and ES-M-527. Petrobras is the operator with 75% equity and Vale holds a 25% share. It is located in the Outer Espirito Santo Basin partially adjacent to the BM-ES-32 license where Statoil is partner and which holds the Indra discovery.
STX Group Seeks 2013 Turnaround
Korea-based conglomorate STX saw tough times the past year due to severe cash shortage, but is seeking a turnaround in 2013 after offloading some assests. Market analysts have mixed views for STX.
US Offshore Wind Survey Contract for Fugro Atlantic
Fugro Atlantic to undertake a geological and geophysical survey for the Virginia Wind Energy Area for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The survey area covers over 45…
Hi-speed Ferry Hits Beacon: 26 Injured
A Macau to Hong Kong jetfoil hit a marker beacon in poor visibility while exiting the Macau Outer Harbour entrance channel. The ferry with 177 passengers and 8 crew on board at the time of the incident was towed back to the terminal with reportedly minor structural damage. Twenty-six injured passengers aged between four and sixty were admitted to the Centro Hospitalar Conde de São Januário for treatment. Ferry services from Macau were suspended for 45 minutes.
