SEA WITCH
CDI Installs First Reeled Riser In The Gulf Of Mexico
Houston-based Cal Dive International established another Gulf of Mexico first when it installed a reeled flowline/riser combination for Kerr-McGee in East High Island block A-379 in 350 ft. of water. Cal Dive utilized its newly established Pipe Spool Base at their Morgan City, Louisiana operational headquarters to: weld, x-ray, sand blast and coat 14,000 ft. of 4.5 in. 337 wall pipe with fusion bonded epoxy. The pipe was reeled directly onto an 28.2 ft. installation reel provided by CDI's strategic alliance partner Coflexip Stena Offshore. CDI's procedure is to secure reels on a barge during the spooling process, in order to expedite transportation to the staging area. The flowline was laid by DP DSV Witch Queen from a subsea tree in East HI A-378B to the platform in East HI A-379 then hung in place as a conventional riser system utilizing standard riser clamps to secure it to the jacket leg. Catenary risers systems are not new to the Gulf; however, this is the first time a flowline has been reeled off and hung in place with riser clamps. CDI vessel Cal Diver I completed the tie-in at the subsea tree and commissioned the flowline.
Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Meets Legend of the Seas in Singapore
Royal Caribbean International’s two Asian-based cruise ships Voyager of the Seas and Legend of the Seas both arrived at Marina Bay Cruise Center Singapore in the morning and were berthed side by side for the first time here. Voyager of the Seas, the largest cruise ship based in Asia, was starting on her eight-night cruise to Shanghai while her sister ship Legend of the Seas was leaving for a two-night Malacca weekend cruise as part of her Singapore season. www.royalcaribbean.com
Barents Sea 3D Seismic Survey Contracts for TGS
Norway-based TGS will commence the Europe 2013 acquisition season with two 3D multi-client surveys in the Norwegian Barents Sea. The two surveys, both supported by industry funding, involve the Finnmark Platform 2013 (FP13) covering 3,500 km2 and the Hoop to Fingerdjupet 2013 (HF13) covering 8,600 km2. Both 3D seismic surveys cover areas of complex geology and are designed to address specific customer imaging requirements
North Sea Seismic Survey Contracts for Dolphin
Dolphin Group ASA, headquartered in Norway, awarded multiple North Sea 3D seismic contracts for 2013. Dolphin has been awarded several contracts for the upcoming North Sea season. The awards are for both 3D and 4D seismic services and will involve three of its 3D seismic vessels with a total duration in the range of 8-12 months. Dolphin sat they will revert with further contract details when they present their 2013 guidance on or about 8 January 2013.
Sea Trials Prove SEEMP NAPA Software Does Save Fuel
Electronic SEEMP solution from NAPA proves almost 6% annual reduction in fuel consumption for a 2860 lane meter Bore RoFlex vessel, In advance of International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) ship energy efficiency management plan (SEEMP) legislation becoming mandatory from January 2013, Finnish shipping company Bore has announced the results of its trial of electronic SEEMP software, which has verified a 5.8% reduction in fuel consumption.
British Warship Back to Sea After US$32.5-million Refit
Royal Navy Type 23 frigate 'HMS Somerset' returns to sea for the first time in 9 months following an extensive modernization. The Type 23 frigate has a new lease of life as one of the most advanced fighting ships in the fleet due following docking and upgrade in her home port, Devonport Naval Base, in partnership with Babcock Marine. The warship’s fighting capability is now among the most advanced in the world
South China Sea Energy Exploration by Chevron
Chevron Corporation's China subsidiary signs production sharing contracts for exploration blocks in the Pearl River Estuary, South China Sea. Chevron's agreement is with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC). Under the PSC agreements, Chevron China Energy Company will hold a 100 percent interest in blocks 15/10 and 15/28 in the Pearl River Mouth Basin. During the exploration phase Chevron China Energy Company will be the operator of the two shallow water blocks
China Navy Beefs Up South China Sea Presence
A People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet has entered territorial waters in the South China Sea for patrol and training missions. Comprising the missile destroyer Qingdao and the missile frigates Yantai and Yancheng, the fleet entered the South China Sea after a five-hour passage through the Bashi Channel (between Taiwan and the Philippines' Luzon Island). The three ships, all from the North China Sea Fleet of the PLA Navy
Northern Sea Route International Conference
The upcoming conference will concern itself with problems and prospects for the NSR with its huge potential. The Central Research Institute of the [Russian] Navy and the magazine “News of Maritime Petersburg" with the support of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation will organize the international conference 'The Northern Sea Route: State, Problems and Prospects' in St. Petersburg (Concert Complex 'Novoizmaylovsky', Novoizmaylovsky pr., 48) on 11, April 2013.
Barents Sea Drill Rig Stability Incident to be Investigated
The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) will investigate the recent stability incident on the mobile rig 'Scarabeo 8'. Scarabeo 8 is a semi-submersible drilling facility owned by Saipem SpA Norwegian Branch (Saipem). The facility is currently engaged in exploration drilling for Eni Norge on well 7220/10 in the Barents Sea. Just after 15:00 hours on Tuesday, 4 September, the Scarabeo 8 developed a 5.7-degree list due to unintentional filling of a ballast tank
Teekay Offshore Partners Sign FSO Contract
The contract with Statoil is to provide a floating storage and offtake (FSO) unit for the Gina Krog oil & gas field located in North Sea. The contract will be serviced by a new FSO unit converted from the 1995-built shuttle tanker, Randgrid
P&O Ferries Appoints New Irish Sea Director
P&O Ferries has appointed Neal Mernock to the role of Sector Director Irish Sea. Neal is an experienced chief executive and managing director of various household name businesses, including Silentnight and United Biscuits, and brings a wealth of business acumen and a strong track record of
GAC Pushes Further into the Arctic with Polar Logistics Group
GAC Norway AS and Polar Logistics Group ApS (POLOG) formed a strategic partnership to further strengthen GAC's network within the Arctic Circle. The move is the latest stage in the company's Arctic strategy to better serve the region by bringing together organizations and individuals to create
HoOk Offshore Crane R&D Project Launched
With funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology and supported by "Projektträger Jülich" (PTJ) (project sponsors Jülich), over the next three years Hamburg University of Technology, Mareval AG Hamburg and the maritime engineering company
Bifab Contracted to Build GDF SUEZ Platform
The Rt Hon Edward Davey MP, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, joined GDF SUEZ E&P U.K. in Aberdeen yesterday to witness the signing of another major contract with the U.K. supply chain for the Cygnus project. The deal with Burntisland Fabrication Ltd (BiFab) to construct
Damen Stan Patrols 5509 for Guardia di Finanza Corp
Together with its Italian partner yard Cantiere Navale Vittoria S.p.a., Damen Shipyards are building two Stan Patrols 5509 to the Italian Guardia di Finanza. This Italian law enforcement agency deals with financial crime, smuggling, illegal immigration and narcotics traffic and maintains a fleet
Chemical Kills 4,000 Sea Birds: Conservationists Seek Ban
Wildlife conservation charities are calling for an urgent review of the marine hazard classification of the chemical (Polyisobutene) PIB. Timed to coincide with the recent IMO MEPC meeting, leading wildlife conservation charities, animal welfare charities and the UK Chamber of Shipping
Three MacGregor Offshore Cranes Specified for New DSV
A new dive support vessel (DSV), optimized for operations in the North Sea, will feature three MacGregor offshore cranes, enabling efficient load-handling in the subsea environment. MacGregor, part of Cargotec, secured a new contract for one 120-ton active heave-compensated (AHC) MacGregor
Seaward Provides Bridge Officers for LCS and JHSV Sea Trials
Seaward Services provides bridge officers, including the master and chief engineer, for Builder and Acceptance Trials of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV). USNS Choctaw County, the Navy's second Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV 2)
Admiral Papp to Explain USCG Arctic Strategy at CSIS Forum
Admiral Robert J. Papp, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, to address the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) forum on May 21, 2013. CSIS Europe Program will host a Military Strategy Forum on the Coast Guard's strategic vision for its future role in the Arctic
Shipwrecks Pose US Sea Pollution Threat
New NOAA report presented to the US Coast Guard examines national oil pollution threat from shipwrecks in US waters. The report finds that 36 sunken vessels scattered across the U.S. seafloor could pose an oil pollution threat to the nation's coastal marine resources
Sea Star Line Appoint Tim Nolan Executive VP
Tim Nolan, as Executive Vice President, will report to Peter Keller, President and be domiciled at Sea Star headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida. Tim has a broad background in liner shipping to include management accountabilities in Chile, as well as, the Latin America and Caribbean trades
Ro-Ro Specific EEDI Approval Welcomed by Interferry
A sector-specific Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for new ro-ro cargo & ro-pax vessels has been agreed by the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee – MEPC 65. Formal approval was confirmed late on Friday (May 17) for an Interferry-backed modification that will take effect
Coast Guard Cadets Navigate 'Eagle' by Sextant
US Coast Guard cadet training barque ‘Eagle’ completes its first week of the cadet summer training deployment in the Atlantic Ocean. Eagle left its homeport in New London, Conn., and sailed more than 600 miles headed to the Caribbean while under sail power and using celestial
Korean Shipyard Delivers Container Ship ‘Hanjin Argentina’
The 3600 TEU container ship, built under the supervision of Navgathi Marine by Hyundai Sambo delivered to Pacific International Lines. Hanjin Argentina is the third of a series of four such vessels ordered by Pacific International Lines of Singapore from the S. Korea shipbuilders.