Year High
Oil Price Just Down From Two-Year Highs Set Last Week
Oil markets placed another bet on tightening supply, supporting prices in the vicinity of 22-month highs touched last week. Benchmark Brent for September hit $20.87 a barrel today, just 13 cents off a Friday peak of $21 that was the crude's highest value in almost two years.
Is The Tanker Top Near?
Oil tanker markets are again knocking at price barriers with year-highs expected to tumble as demand exceeds supply of modern ships, brokers were reporting. Shortages of high quality oil company approved vessels were causing rates to peak for Suezmaxes in the Mediterranean and West Africa and for Suezmaxes in the North Sea. July cargo demand for VLCCs in the Middle East was also seen possibly puncturing previous highs for the year
Tanker Rates Continue To Soar
Modern vessel shortages in the North Sea are pushing Aframax and Suezmax tanker rates to year high levels. Rates for Aframax 80,000 ton vessels have repeated the year-high of W217.5($8.00 per ton) for late month U.K./Continent liftings, but brokers said June business was now played out. One million barrel Suezmax tankers were benefiting strongly from bouyant North Sea markets with transatlantic rates climbing steeply to W165-W180
Big Oil Profits Expected To Fly High
The near record oil prices have left U.S. oil majors as the envy of industry during the third quarter reporting period, according to many industry analysts. "This is clearly a sector that investors shouldn't worry about having disappointing earnings surprises," said one. "The question is not whether they will beat consensus estimates, but by how much they'll beat estimates," said another. Such expectations from analysts and investors come as crude oil prices in the third-quarter hit
Offshore Rig Count At 2-Year High
The offshore rig count in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico rose by four this week to 175, or an 85.9 percent utilization rate, the highest drilling activity in nearly two years, the Offshore Data Services (ODS) said. In its report for the week ending July 21, the Houston-based ODS said that of the 203 mobile offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, 175 were under contract. In the European/Mediterranean region the rigs under contract remained steady at 89 of the 102 mobile offshore drilling rigs
Defense Companies Poised For Growth Under Bush
Despite the uncertainty of new government policy, the defense industry presents a picture of renewed growth, boosted by higher spending and technology funding under the George W. Bush administration. Makers of the nation's warfare technologies along with Wall Street analysts and industry consultants spent a week bragging about new opportunities and the likelihood of changes to Pentagon policy that would foster growth after 15 years of strained budgets.
Dredging, Marine Experts, Boskalis Trading Update
Boskalis issues its trading update following approval at its AGM, reporting higher revenue, increased order book Selected highlights are as follows: The developments at Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) in 2012 to date are in line with expectations. • Revenue level slightly higher than in the same period last year • Higher fleet utilization compared to 2011
Offshore Oil & Gas NPT Benchmarking Report
Crew shortage & integration issues identified as major contributors to control systems-related NPT (Non Productive Time) in Athens Group report. Athens Group has published its fourth annual international benchmarking report on control systems software-related non-productive time (NPT) in the oil & gas industry. The report, subtitled Focus on Metrics, is based on the results of Athens Group’s annual industry surveys. Highlights from the Focus on Metrics report include:
Depressed Rates Take Toll On Older Vessels
Low tanker rates are pushing increasing numbers of old VLCCs to the scrapyard, but not enough to counter deliveries of new vessels, shipping brokers said. "Depressed VLCC rates seem finally to be taking a toll on the mid 70s built fleet of large tankers," Norwegian broker Bssoe said in a report for November. Nine VLCCs were sold for demolition during November, taking the total this year to 29 units, compared with 14 by the same time last year, the broker said.
Ship Loading Indiana Steel For Export to Spain
About 11,000 tons of Indiana-made steel will set sail for Spain. The Julietta arrived at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor and was being loaded with hot-rolled steel coils from Mittal Steel in East Chicago, Ind. This is the first export shipment of steel through the Port of Indiana since 2005. There were a few export steel shipments between 2003 and 2005 – just over 55,000 tons total. In 1995, the port handled an all-time high 243,000 tons of exported steel.
104,800 Attendees at OTC 2013
Experts from the offshore energy industry around the world came together May 6-9 for the 2013 Offshore Technology Conference at Reliant Park in Houston. Attendance at the conference reached a 30-year high of 104,800, the second highest in show history and up 17% from last year.
UK Offshore Oil & Gas Sector: Investment Hits 30-year High
Tax changes to encourage growth in the UK oil & gas sector have led the industry to make its highest investment for more than 30 years. According to the recently published Oil & Gas UK, 2013 Activity Survey, thousands of jobs are now being created across Britain and the production of
Drilling Activity Resurgance on UK Continental Shelf
Increased UK drilling and deal activity leads the way back to health in North West Europe says new report. A broader range of tax allowances and a sustained high oil price boosted drilling activity on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) by one third in 2012, according to a new report by Deloitte
‘Super-sized’ Seaway Cargoes to U.S Ports
Economic conditions and severe weather conditions have formed the perfect storm to slow some traditional trade at U.S. ports along the St. Lawrence Seaway System. The St. Lawrence Seaway reported that year-to-date total cargo shipments for the period March 22 to July 31 was 17
Global Marine Energy Gets UK Offshore Wind Farm Maintenance Contract
Global Marine Energy contracted by Transmission Capital Partners to maintain transmission link at Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm The cable maintenance agreement is designed to ensure that the transmission link is inspected and maintained properly over its service life
Ships Vie With Japan Utilities as Fuel Supplies Dwindle
Oil refiners’ investment in more-efficient refinery facilities is leaving shipping lines competing with Japanese power producers for a fuel no one wants to make. Refiners are upgrading plants to cut output of fuel oil, a byproduct of making gasoline and diesel
US Rig Count Hits 25-Year High
Tally of oil-directed rigs shows increase In its weekly release, Houston-based oiilfield services company BHI reported a record rise in the number of rigs searching for oil and gas. The Baker Hughes North American Rotary Rig Count is a weekly census of the number of drilling rigs actively
Indiana Port Tonnage at Five Year High
The Ports of Indiana handled 8.1 million tons of cargo in 2011, the largest annual tonnage since 2006. New ethanol and dried distillers grains (DDGs) shipments combined with gains in limestone, salt and steel cargoes fueled a 5 percent increase in total shipments moving through Indiana's three
Report: DSME Targets $11b Orders in 2011
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering aims to secure $11 billion in orders next year, according to a Reuters report. The global news service quoted Sang-tae, chief executive of the South Korean shipbuilder, that the firm took $11,2 billion in orders this year
Japan Shipbuilders Take More Orders in Dollars
According to a Dec. 16 report from The Wall Street Journal, as the yen remains near a 15-year high, Japanese shipbuilders are coming under pressure to settle a bigger chunk of their contracts in dollars as their mainly domestic customers increasingly demand it.
GAC, Nat'l Maritime College of Ireland Initiative
GAC, provider of shipping, logistics and marine services, announced the launch of GAC Training & Service Solutions Limited (GTSS), a new initiative that will provide training solutions for the LNG and tanker markets, as well as other commodity and maritime sectors
Ports of Indiana Handled $1.89b cargo in 2006
Steel shipments helped the Ports of Indiana set a new record of $1.89b of cargo handled in 2006. This was a 23-percent increase from 2005, which had been the previous 36-year high. Steel accounted for $955 million of the 2006 shipments, a 45 percent increase from the previous year
General Dynamics Sets High for the Year on Pentagon Spending Approvals
Shares in military contractor General Dynamics Corp. rose to a fresh 52-week high Monday after Congress approved on Friday a supplemental spending bill with money earmarked for the company's main products. Two analysts reiterated bullish forecasts on Monday, citing the budget approvals
North Sea Drilling Applications Reach High
Stv is reporting that the number of applications for companies applying to drill for oil in the north sea is at a 30 year high. Government ministers say fields are clearly not in their twilight years and so far it seems that oil companies have not been put off by recent tax rises.
Seaway Traffic Hits 5-Year High
Richard Corfe, President of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, today announced that the Seaway traffic results for the year to date have risen to levels not seen since the late 1990s. "Traffic has been brisk since the beginning of the year," stated Corfe