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31 Jan 2024

Ship Carrying 16,000 Sheep and Cattle Stranded off Australia

FILE PHOTO: Livestock carrier Bahijah berthed at North Quay, in the inner harbour of the Port of Fremantle, Western Australia, in 2018. (Credit: Bahnfrend / CC BY-SA)

A ship carrying around 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle is marooned off the coast of Australia in sweltering heat after it was forced to abandon a trip through the Red Sea, causing outcry from people concerned about the animals' welfare.The vessel left Australia on Jan. 5 for Israel, where it was to unload, but diverted from its course in mid-January due to the threat of attack by Yemen's Houthi militia before being ordered home by the Australian government.The animals are now in limbo and could be discharged in Australia…

21 Jan 2024

Australia Recalls Livestock Carrier Destined for Middle East

Source: Animals Australia

The Australian Government has recalled the livestock carrier Bahijah after it diverted from the Red Sea over a week into its voyage to the Middle East.The Bahijah loaded cattle and sheep in Fremantle, Western Australia, and departed for the Middle East on January 5, 2024. The vessel has an Israeli company name painted in large letters along the side of the hull.At the time of departure, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) said it was satisfied that the arrangements for the transport of the livestock were appropriate to ensure their health and welfare.

28 Nov 2023

LNG Carrier Loses Power, Unable to Leave Terminal

Historical image courtesy of Bechtel, designer of the natural gas complex.

Shipments of LNG from Australia Pacific LNG have come to a halt after a loaded tanker docked at the site lost power, operator ConocoPhillips and co-owner Origin Energy said on Tuesday.So far two LNG cargoes have been delayed, and Origin warned "it expected that more LNG cargoes will be deferred", as the stricken vessel was blocking other tankers from entering the facility on Curtis Island off Australia's east coast.APLNG, which has a capacity of 9 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG…

27 Nov 2023

Shell's Prelude LNG Facility Expected to Resume Exports Next Month

(Photo: Shelll)

Shell has almost finished extensive maintenance at its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility off Australia and is set to resume exports next month, according to industry sources and shipping data.The timing of the giant floating facility's return to operations is likely to coincide with peak consumption in major markets, including China and Europe, as winter in the northern hemisphere drives demand, although high inventories have limited buying so far this year.In a sign that the work…

26 Nov 2023

Australian Climate Change Activists Disrupt Shipping at Coal Port

Source: Rising Tide

A climate change protest off Australia's east coast disrupted operations at the country's biggest coal export port on Saturday, the port operator said.Climate activist group Rising Tide, which claimed responsibility for the action, said around 1,500 people were at the protest, 300 of them in the shipping channel near the Port of Newcastle, as part of a 30-hour blockade set to run until 4 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Sunday.Climate change is a divisive issue in Australia, the world's biggest exporter of thermal coal behind Indonesia…

18 Oct 2023

Shell's Australian FLNG Facility Poised for Mid-November Restart

Shell is expected to complete maintenance at its flagship Prelude liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility off Australia by mid-November, two sources close to the project told Reuters on Wednesday.The British energy giant started maintenance work at the 3.6-million metric ton a year floating LNG plant in August. A top Shell executive then said in September it was a "major turnaround" work that would last roughly two months.The maintenance is now expected to be completed by mid-November, slightly longer than initially planned after several new issues were discovered and fixed, one of the sources said."The first LNG delivery cargo is now expected by mid-November," the second source said.The last cargo to have left the facility was on Aug.

12 Sep 2023

Mounting Evidence Shows Seismic Surveys Can Harm Marine Life

© Sean / Adobe Stock

Woodside Energy last week announced it would start seismic testing for its Scarborough gas project off Australia’s west coast, before reversing the decision in the face of a legal challenge from Traditional Owners.Seismic testing is highly controversial in marine environments. Australia’s federal regulator (the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority) is currently examining a proposal for seismic testing in the Otway Basin in Bass Strait, which conservationists say has attracted more than 30…

24 Jul 2023

US Commissions First Navy Warship in Foreign Port

The Independence variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) arrives in Sydney, Australia July 18, 2023. The ship was commissioned July 22 in Sydney. (Photo: Julie Ann Ripley / U.S. Navy)

The United States commissioned a warship in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday, the first time a U.S. Navy vessel joined active service at a foreign port, as the two close allies step up their military ties in response to China's expanding regional reach.The Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS-30)—named after a Royal Australian Navy cruiser that was sunk while supporting the U.S. Marine landings on Guadalcanal in 1942—was commissioned at a ceremony at an Australian naval base on Sydney Harbour, officially joining the U.S.

29 May 2023

Cruise Ship Balcony Fire Extinguished

Thousands of cruise passengers were mustered to lifeboat stations at around 0300 on May 28 after a fire broke out on the Pacific Adventure.The vessel was sailing off Australia’s New South Wales coast at the time.In an official statement, P&O Cruises Australia said “A fire on a balcony was detected and extinguished in the early hours of Sunday morning on board Pacific Adventure. This fire activated our emergency response procedures including a full muster of guests and crew and we thank everyone on board for their cooperation.“No one was injured and the fire damage was contained to one room and balcony. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.”The ship is scheduled to return to Sydney on Tuesday.

13 Apr 2023

World's Largest Iron Ore Export Hub Braces for Strongest Cyclone in a Decade

Cyclone Ilsa - 16:30 AEST on Thursday, 13 April 2023 | Cloud/surface composite, Australia - Credit: Australian Government / Bureau of Meteorology

Australia's northwest region, home to the world's largest export hub for iron ore, could be hit by the most powerful tropical cyclone there in a decade as ports cleared ships and residents rushed to stock up on essential supplies. Cyclone Ilsa, located about 300 km (186 miles) off Australia's coast in the Indian Ocean, is expected to make landfall as early as Thursday night as a category four storm - one rung below strongest category five - packing winds of up to 275 km per hour, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

05 Mar 2023

Drug Bust Nets $677 Million of Cocaine from Vessel Off Australia

(Photo: Western Australia Police Force)

A joint U.S. and Australian law enforcement operation busted an international drug ring after intercepting 2.4 tonnes of cocaine aboard a vessel off the coast of South America that had been bound for Australia.The cocaine, linked to a Mexican drug cartel, had a street value of around A$1 billion ($677 million), and was equivalent to half of Australia's estimated annual consumption, making the seizure one of the biggest that Australian police have been involved in.Twelve suspects have been arrested and charged in the case…

24 Oct 2022

Containership Loses Power Off Australian Coast

(Photo: Svitzer Australia / AMSA)

A Singaporean-flagged containership went adrift after suffering a power failure before midnight on October 20 off Australia's New South Wales coast.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it tasked the specialized emergency towing vessel ETV Svitzer Glenrock from Newcastle to provide towing assistance to the disabled box ship Rio Madeira, which was en route from Singapore with 27 crewmembers on board. The Svitzer Glenrock arrived at the location of the stricken containership about 75 kilometers south of Narooma at 3 p.m.

18 Aug 2022

Shell's Giant Prelude FLNG Unit to Remain Shut for Longer as Pay Dispute Continues

Unions at Shell Plc's Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) site off Australia have extended industrial action to Sept. 1 over a long-running pay dispute, the company said on Thursday. Shell shut down the 3.6-million-tonne-a-year site in July and told customers it would be unable to supply LNG cargoes for the duration of work stoppages approved by Australia's Fair Work Commission, or Protected Industrial Action (PIA). "We can confirm it's been renewed until Sept. 1," a Shell spokesperson said of the protected industrial action. The work stoppages began on June 10 and no cargoes have been shipped from the site in about five weeks, worsening a global LNG supply crunch amid the Ukraine conflict.

27 Jul 2022

Attention Turns to Extra Large Unmanned Underwater Vessels

Photo courtesy Anduril Industries

In August, 2021, after years of delays, cost overruns, and rising tensions, the Australian government canceled a A$90 billion order with France’s Naval Group for 12 conventionally powered submarines intended to replace the Royal Australian Navy (RAN)’s aging fleet of six Collins-class attack subs. Overnight, the future of the RAN’s undersea warfare capability was cast into uncertainty. The very next month, however, the United States and the United Kingdom announced a plan to help Australia fill the void…

06 Jul 2022

Disabled Bulk Carrier Towed into Botany Bay

(Photo: AMSA)

A bulk carrier that lost power in bad weather off Australia's east coast has been towed into Botany Bay, near Sydney, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.The Hong Kong-registered Portland Bay left Port Kembla on Sunday and experienced engine failure with 21 people on board, about 1.2 kilometers east of Garie Beach, NSW on Monday morning.The vessel had been anchored off Cronulla Beach since early Monday evening after breaking free from towing cables attached to smaller tugs which had been attempting to move the vessel away from the shore.AMSA…

13 May 2022

Australia Says Chinese Spy Ship's Presence off West Coast 'Concerning'

People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) Intelligence Collection Vessel Haiwangxing operating off the north-west shelf of Australia. (Photo: Australia Department of Defense)

A Chinese intelligence ship was tracked off Australia's west coast within 50 nautical miles of a sensitive defense facility, Australia said on Friday, raising concern amid an election campaign about China's behavior in the region.Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Chinese navy vessel was not in Australian territorial waters but its presence was "concerning"."It is clearly an intelligence ship and they are looking at us and we're keeping a close eye on them," he told reporters.Australia…

09 Jun 2021

Need a Survey? There’s a USV for That

Blue Essence hybrid USV. Image courtesy Fugro

While the adoption of unmanned/uncrewed surfaces vessels (USVs) was initially in defence, use of these low footprint systems has spread into other sectors, not least survey, and now the race is on for greater capability, endurance and autonomy. Elaine Maslin reports.After starting small, in inland waterways, use of USVs for survey operations has moved into coastal and now offshore waters. Given the extensive amount of seabed and rapid growth in offshore wind, there’s plenty of work out there for them to do.With the travel restrictions posed by Covid and increasing awareness of climate change…

03 May 2021

Subsea Discovery: SOI Releases Images from Study of NW Australian Deep Corals

All images courtesy Schmidt Ocean Institute

Scientists circumnavigate and map the seafloor of the entire mesophotic (deep water) zone in Ashmore Reef Marine Park.Scientists discovered a sea snake thought to be locally extinct and saw several species such as the great spotted cowrie (Perissersoa guttata) for the first time in the Ashmore Reef Marine Park, off Australia, during Schmidt Ocean Institute's 18-day expedition that concluded this week.A team of scientists, led by Dr. Karen Miller of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)…

16 Nov 2020

Tanker Held Off Australia for COVID-19 Testing

An oil tanker is being held off the coast of Australia pending the results of crew COVID-19 tests.The Hong Kong-flagged Haruna Express was denied permission to enter Sydney's Port Botany and ordered to remain offshore following reports stating a number of crew members on board had been displaying coronavirus symptoms. The vessel will not be allowed entry into the New South Wales port until negative results are confirmed for all crew members, local authorities said.On Thursday, NSW Police Force’s Marine Area Command deployed Police Launch WP25 to deliver COVID-19 test kits to the 28,000-tonne tanker, which was situated 3 nautical miles off the coast of Sydney and awaiting clearance to dock.The ship…

03 Nov 2020

Australia Aids Listing Livestock Carrier

(Photo: AMSA)

A Marshall Islands flagged livestock carrier listing from hull damage off Australia's western coast was directed to the Port of Geraldton.On Monday night, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) tasked its Challenger search and rescue jet to fly over the vessel Barkly Pearl, and it was able to confirm damage to the starboard side of the vessel, which was listing to port.AMSA General Manager of Response Mark Morrow said there were significant concerns for the integrity of the vessel and its ability to safely reach Indonesia, its planned destination.

16 Oct 2020

Prelude FLNG Won't Restart in 2020

Royal Dutch Shell said on Thursday its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project off Australia, off line since early February, is working on restarting operations but would not resume full production this year. The troubled Prelude FLNG platform was shut down following an electrical trip and Shell has faced a number of issues over the past few months in trying to restart full production and now does not expect to ship any LNG before next year.Full production is not expected to resume before year-end. Prelude is a multi-decade project, and our focus is on delivering sustained performance over the long term,” Shell said in a statement.The company hopes to resume shipping LNG from Prelude in the first quarter of 2021…

29 Jun 2020

Containership Navos Unite Drops Boxes off Australia

At lest three shipping containers were lost overboard from the containership Navios Unite last week off the coast of Australia, the country's maritime safety agency said.The ship reported losing the containers overboard in rough weather about 33 kilometers southwest of Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia at 8 p.m. AWST, Thursday.The Liberian-flagged vessel, which had been traveling from Fremantle to Adelaide in South Australia at the time of the incident, is currently at berth in Port Adelaide, AIS ship tracking data shows.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) tasked its Challenger jet from Perth to search an area of about 1…

28 May 2020

APL England Detained After Dropping Containers off Australia

(Photo: AMSA)

A Singapore-flagged containership that lost at least 40 containers overboard off the coast of Sydney has been detained by authorities in the Port of Brisbane after Australian inspectors found inadequate lashing arrangements for cargo and heavily corroded securing points for containers on deck.APL England had been en route from Ningbo, China to Melbourne on Sunday when it rerouted to Brisbane after a temporary propulsion loss left the 277-meter vessel rolling in heavy seas and caused several container stacks to topple over about 73 kilometers south east of Sydney.

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