OCCIDENTAL CHEMICAL

Chemical Release Contained Within Vessel

Coast Guard boat crews from Station Port Aransas have set up a 1 mile safety zone around vessel VENUSGAS within the La Quinta marine channel in Ingleside, Texas until 4:30 p.m. today while a space inside the vessel is being ventilated. Alarms reported the release of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) early yesterday morning at the Occidental chemical facility.  The source of the release was the VENUSGAS which was moored at the end of their pier.  After a hazardous materials inspection team entered the vessel this morning and began ventilating the space, all levels of VCM are reported to be negligible and contained within the vessel.  The ventilation of the space has no impact on the outlying community. The Coast Guard is working closely with the Occidental chemical facility and the Portland Fire Chief to monitor the situation.

Global Firms Compete for Awali Oilfield Contract

Eleven international oil firms have expressed an interest in efforts to boost production at Bahrain's onshore Awali field, the Oil and Gas Affairs Minister revealed recently. Dr. Abdulhussain Mirza’s statement followed the announcement that US firm Occidental and Thailand's PTT Exploration and Production have been awarded the right to explore for oil and gas off the shores of the country. Some reports have suggested that new technologies could double the amount of oil produced at the

MarAd Announces More Disposal Contracts

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) has signed contracts for the disposal of four ships from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet at Benicia, CA, bringing to nine the number that have left the facility for recycling since October 2005. The four ships are World War II-vintage Victory ships: Hannibal Victory, the Barnard Victory, the Occidental Victory and the Sioux Falls Victory. When ships are no longer considered useful for defense or aid missions

More Oil Coming from Sunken Tanker

The Solar 1 tanker that sank off Guimaras Island is leaking more bunker fuel, thus adding to the spill that has already devastated the marine environment and affected coastal communities in the island and nearby provinces of Iloilo and Negros Occidental. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the leakage started Monday night. According to official estimates, the tanker has already leaked 50,000 gallons of fuel and still has 450,000 gallons on several tanks on board

DoTC Forms Team to Conduct Probe on Oil Spill

On recommendations of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant Vice Admiral Arthur N. Gosingan, Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro P. Mendoza formed yesterday a national board of marine inquiry (BMI) to conduct a thorough fact-finding investigation on the oil spill off Guimaras Island in Western Visayas — so far the biggest ever reported environmental disaster in the country. In a press conference held at the PCG headquarters in Port Area, Manila

Unitor Chemicals Now Wilhelmsen Chemicals

Unitor Chemicals AS, part of Wilhelmsen Ships Service, is changing its name to Wilhelmsen Chemicals AS. Wilhelmsen Ships Service acquired Nalfleet earlier this year. In future, Wilhelmsen Chemicals AS will supply both the Unitor range of chemicals, as well as the new Nalfleet marine chemicals portfolio. Existing company agreements will not be affected by the name change which took place on 1 April, and the company will continue to operate from its Norwegian office in

Gadot Chemicals Tankers Considers Floating GCT

Gadot Chemicals Tankers and Terminals Ltd. is considering floating its subsidiary, Gadot Chemical Terminals (1985) Ltd. (GCT). According to reports, GCT currently has a company value of NIS 250 million, and that an IPO would be held during the first half of the year. Gadot Chemicals Tankers and Terminals comprises of two main businesses: GCT and its shipping business, as well as a number of other subsidiaries in a range of fields

Smiths Detection Installation at Port of Providence

Smiths Detection announced the award of a contract for its FirstView early warning chemical threat detection and video management system to be installed at the Port of Providence, R.I. Funded through a competitive Department of Homeland Security grant, the system will alert authorities to chemical hazards in the port area and provide real-time video and sensor data to first responders and emergency personnel. It combines Smiths Detection’s chemical detection capabilities (Centurion

MISC Investing to Increase Fleet

MISC Bhd is investing to increase its fleet size by an additional 23 energy and chemical tankers and a containership, the company said The tankers include seven liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers, eight chemical tankers, eight Aframax-class and very large crude carriers (VLCCs). The shipping company, which owns and operates the world’s largest LNG tanker fleet with 22 units, also has in its fleet 21 container vessels, 13 chemical tankers and 49 oil tankers.

INTERTANKO: Study Gauges Effect on Tanker Fleet of MARPOL Annex II Cargo Reclassification

Impending revisions to MARPOL Annex II effecting the reclassification of chemicals and vegetable oils and fats will bring about changes in the trading possibilities for the chemical and products tanker fleets. INTERTANKO has made a study of these trades and of the availability of tonnage, involving over 1,100 vessels. It concludes that there will be a significant impact on both the product tanker and chemical tanker trades, and that there will be a nominal surplus of about 5