CLIFFS DRILLING

R&B Falcon Reports 3Q Results

R&B Falcon Corporation reported a loss from continuing operations of $22.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 1999, compared with a loss from continuing operations of $28.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 1998. The loss for the quarter is directly attributable to reduced demand for drilling services, particularly in the shallow and inland water segments. Average fleet utilization for the third quarter of 1999 was 39 percent compared to 64 percent for the same quarter in the preceding year. For the nine months ended September 30, 1999 average fleet utilization was 40 percent compared to 77 percent for the same period in 1998. Revenues were $29.3 million lower in the third quarter of 1999 compared to the same quarter in the preceding year despite contributions of $62 million from Cliffs Drilling Company which was acquired in December, 1998. Revenue decreases were primarily related to the shallow water and inland water segments and resulted from lower dayrates and rig utilization. Operating expenses were $56.4 million lower in the current quarter than in the same quarter of the prior year. Excluding $57.4 million of third quarter operating expenses attributable to Cliffs Drilling Company, operating expenses were $113.8 million lower in the third quarter of 1999 compared to the same quarter of the prior year and reflects cost reductions, lower rig utilization and the cold stacking of some units

Quick Modification of Offshore Jack-Up Drilling Rigs

Bollinger Fourchon, LLC, a subsidiary of Bollinger Shipyards, demonstrated its ability to modify or repair offshore jack-up drilling rigs quickly and cost effectively, with three recently completed projects. One project, for R&B Falcon Drilling, Inc., involved the replacement of jet piping (which blows away sand and mud around the rig legs for easier movement) and the fabrication and erection of an interior bulkhead on the Cliffs 150 rig in just eight days.

Passenger Vessels:To the North, South —And A Little Island Sheltered

To those not familiar with the New York metropolitan area — the eastern end of Long Island is demographically multi-faceted. Traveling east on the Long Island Expressway, (the Island' main thoroughfare), the 118-mile long island, splits into two "forks," the North and the South. With the hamlets of Greenport and Orient Point situated on the easternmost points of the island on the north, the South Fork boasts the tony Hampton villages and the historical village of Montauk Point — literally the

Titan Salvage Caps Busy First Quarter

With the arrival of calmer springtime weather, Titan Salvage has resumed wreck removal operations in Gibraltar on the New Flame following a busy first quarter in which the company responded to eight salvage opportunities. Among them were the re-floating of the bulk carrier Fedra's forward section in Gibraltar, the re-floating of a general cargo vessel grounded on environmentally-sensitive coral reefs of southern Belize; and the safe delivery of a tank ship involved in a collision and fire off

McDermott, Bay Begin Alliance at Harbor Island Facility

J. Ray McDermott, Inc., a subsidiary of McDermott International, Inc., and Bay Ltd. have formed a strategic alliance to pursue fabrication projects in the offshore oil and gas industry, using McDermott's Harbor Island facility near Corpus Christi, Texas. Under the alliance, J. Ray McDermott will provide overall project management, engineering and procurement services, as well as the assembly areas, lifting equipment dredged slip and bulkhead at Harbor Island.

M/Y Ronin Begins Refit at Knight & Carver

M/Y Ronin, the 192 ft. Lurssen owned by Oracle Corporation founder/CEO Larry Ellison, has arrived at Knight & Carver Yacht Center and is now undergoing a refit project scheduled for completion by August 2005. According to Captain Steven Bates, the project's emphasis will be on extensive audio/visual and IT upgrades, cabinet carpentry throughout all state rooms, re-caulking of the teak decks and hull paintwork. A full-time crew of Knight & Carver's tradesmen has been assigned to Ronin

GSSC Shipfitter Boot Camp Produces 18 for Industry

12 Graduate from GSSC Shipfitter Boot Camp and Have Jobs Waiting for Them. In November 2011, 18 individuals started an intensive 10-week shipfitter boot camp that was developed by the Gulf States Shipbuilders Consortium (GSSC) to prepare workers for entry-level employment in the maritime industry.  Before an invitation was extended to participate in the training program, candidates completed prequalification activities that included drug testing, WorkKeys® assessments

Container Cliff’ Imminent as Contract Negotiations Break Down

NRF Calls on President Obama to Immediately Intervene to Prevent Port Strike.   The National Retail Federation has issued the following statement from NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold on the breakdown of contract negotiations between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd.: “It is extremely disheartening to learn that the two sides failed to reach an agreement during today’s

Bill Allowing Offshore Drilling Introduced in Congress

An effort to open Virginia's coast to offshore drilling gained new momentum in Congress when Virginia's senators introduced legislation giving states the option to drill for natural gas. The bill would give governors of coastal states the power to opt out of a federal moratorium that prohibits offshore drilling in most U.S. coastal waters. The new legislation comes one week after the Bush administration signaled its support for such proposals by calling for a study of potential gas and oil

Alaska Drill Rig Refit Contract Terminated

Buccaneer Energy contextualizes termination of its contract with Archer Drilling as project manager of work on one of its jack-up rigs. The contract was for Archer Drilling to act as project manager of modifications and repairs to the Endeavour-Spirit of Independence jack-up rig owned by Kenai Offshore Ventures, LLC, which is a joint venture between Buccaneer, Singapore based Ezion Holdings Limited and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (“AIDEA”)