Northeastern Us News

The growing U.S. offshore wind industry will offer "a substantial number of opportunities" for the local fishermen and mariners to supplement their income, a study commissioned by the New York State Economic Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), has found.The study – compiled by The Renewables Consulting Group (RCG) – concluded that as the offshore wind industry grows, the option for mariners to supplement their income will become available during all phases of a project’s lifecycle.Based on current Northeastern US offshore wind commitments alone…

In recent years the U.S. Coast Guard has identified an increasing trend in the use of cellular phones by the maritime public when communicating distress. In 2018, leadership in the Office of Search and Rescue (SAR) at Coast Guard Headquarters asked the Research and Development Center (RDC) to investigate available technologies that could assist Coast Guard responders in adapting to this trend by leveraging the cellphone’s internal GPS. The RDC, located in New London, Conn., has been serving the Coast Guard for nearly 50 years through research…

Vineyard Wind, the developer of the first major U.S. offshore wind farm, said on Tuesday it will miss its target to start sending power to Massachusetts by 2022 due to lengthy federal permitting delays.The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, part of the U.S. Department of Interior, posted a revised permitting timeline on its website on Tuesday that said it will issue a final decision on the project by Dec. 18, more than a year after its previous target of August 2019."While we need to analyze what a longer permitting timeline will mean for beginning construction…

A U.S. government auction for three wind leases off the coast of Massachusetts ended on Friday with record-setting bids totaling more than $400 million from European energy giants including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Equinor ASA.The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the sale's three winners - Equinor Wind US LLC, Mayflower Wind Energy LLC, and Vineyard Wind LLC, at the conclusion of the two-day sale that attracted 11 bidders and lasted 32 rounds.Mayflower is a joint venture owned by Shell and EDP Renewables, a division of Portugal's EDP.

National Response Corporation (“NRC”) announced today it has acquired ENPRO Services, Inc., adding to its national footprint and expanding its full line of environmental, emergency response, and industrial services. Since 1983, ENPRO has been providing essential environmental, emergency response, and industrial services to the energy, transportation, industrial, insurance, and municipal sectors. Employing over 250 personnel, ENPRO is a customer-focused services company with 9 offices and 2 waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (“TSDF”) throughout the Northeastern U.S. NRC provides a broad range of environmental, emergency response…

President Barack Obama is traveling to Alaska in late August to visit the front lines of climate change, which he called "one of the greatest challenges we face this century". He'll speak to a global Arctic leadership summit in Anchorage and also travel north to the Arctic. The White House says it's the first visit by a sitting president to the Alaskan Arctic, says the Associated Press. Obama says in a video posted to social media that he's going because Alaskans are on the front lines of climate change. He's pointing to melting glaciers and permafrost and says entire villages and ways of life are threatened. The White House described Obama’s trip as part of an “all-out push” on climate-change issues during the final 18 months of his second term, says WSJ.

With its black hull rumbling against a field of broken ice, the Warren Jr. slowly eased away from a dock in the Boston suburb of Hingham on Tuesday, aiming to clear a path for some of the four ferries that carry commuters from here into the city each day. But in a sign of how long Massachusetts has been gripped by freezing temperatures, no other vessels followed, as the tide narrowed the channel behind the oceangoing supply boat pressed into service as an icebreaker. It was the…

A U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Boston pollution response crew is responding to an oil spill from the USNS Fisher, drydocked at the Boston Ship Repair facility. The spill, estimated at approximately 11,000 gallons, is self-contained in drydock and there is currently no oil in the water. At approximately 9 p.m., Wednesday, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Boston received a report of an oil spill in the vicinity of Drydock Avenue, in Boston. Responders include a Coast Guard Sector Boston facility and pollution response team, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and the Boston Fire Department. Response teams placed 600 feet of double boom around the drydock to ensure no oil enters the water and six commercial vacuum trucks were deployed to clean up the spill.

This being the “Yearbook” edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, it would be remiss to not have coverage of LNG, one of the hottest fueling trends in maritime circles, particularly in North America. For a unique insight on a rapidly evolving market, MR caught up with Edward Scott, COO, Excelerate Energy, which is making big strides in the LNG Regasification sector, and recently received on the of the world’s largest and most capable units, the FSRU Experience which he touts as the world’s largest and most capable FSRU.

Cal Dive International says it has sold its U.S. Gulf of Mexico shallow water surface diving fleet to a privately held company for cash of US$18.5-million and a 19.9% minority interest in the entity acquiring the assets. Cal Dive explains that the assets sold are comprised of eight surface diving vessels and miscellaneous inventory and equipment and it anticipates recording a gain during the second quarter as a result of the transaction. Net proceeds from the sale were used to repay a portion of the Cal Dive’s revolving credit facility. The Company also entered into a multi-year alliance agreement with the buyer under which the buyer will have the exclusive right to provide any surface diving services required by Cal Dive in the U.S.

Houston's Cal Dive International, Inc. has  reported a first quarter 2014 loss of $13.1 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, on revenues of $119.1 million. This compares to a loss of $17.7 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, on revenues of $80.9 million for the first quarter 2013. For the first quarter 2014, the Company reported EBITDA of positive $2.0 million compared to negative $6.5 million for the first quarter 2013. Commenting on the results, Cal Dive’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Quinn Hébert, stated, “The improvement in our first quarter results reflects our increased activity levels in Mexico. While we did experience harsher weather conditions during the month of March than anticipated…

Company plans to supply LNG to the northeastern U.S. GDF SUEZ Gas NA has announced  the advanceLNG Project, an initiative to provide attractively priced LNG to a wide array of customers in the U.S. Northeast. Starting today through December 31, 2013, GDF SUEZ Gas NA is accepting non-binding bids for LNG supply from the proposed project. While LNG from GDF SUEZ Gas NA's facility in Everett, Massachusetts has helped for more than 40 years to assure sufficient supplies of natural gas in New England, particularly during the coldest winter periods, the LNG market has vastly expanded.

PortVision® announce that its third complimentary educational luncheon for marine terminal management will take place on Tuesday, September 10, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District Hotel. The educational event is the first to be hosted by PortVision in the northeastern U.S. “We are looking forward to meeting with marine terminal managers in the Philadelphia area who are responsible for operations, management or performance improvement,” said Dean Rosenberg, president. PortVision’s educational series provides attendees with an opportunity to hear about industry trends and challenges, and how to meet these challenges while streamlining operations, reducing costs, increasing visibility and enhancing business intelligence.

Hornbeck Offshore To Issue $450,000,000 Of 5.000% Senior Notes Due 2021. Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE: HOS) (the "Company") announced today that it has agreed to sell $450,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 5.000% Senior Notes due 2021 (the "Senior Notes") pursuant to exemptions from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The closing is expected to occur March 28, 2013, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company intends to use net proceeds from the Senior Notes offering to fund all of its obligations under its pending cash tender offer (the "Tender Offer") for any and all of its outstanding 8.000% senior notes due 2017 (the "8.000% Notes") and related consent solicitation.

Cal Dive International charters out diving vessel & also wins 3 Australian saturation diving contracts. The company's diving vessel Kestrel is chartered to a major contractor in Mexico to perform repair and maintenance work for Pemex. The charter started in mid-October and has a fixed term of two years with an additional one-year option. The charter is expected to result in EBITDA of approximately $10 million per year during the two-year charter term. The vessel is expected to generate approximately break-even EBITDA in 2012.

Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. announced today that the previous cash tender offer (the "Offer") for any and all $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 6.125 percent Senior Notes, due 2014 (CUSIP 440543 AB 2), (the "2004 Notes"), expired as scheduled at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on March 29, 2012 (the "Expiration Time"). Including the tendered 2004 Notes the Company had announced receiving on March 15, 2012, the Company accepted and made payment for $252,205,000 in aggregate principal amount of 2004 Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Offer. The Company also announced that, on April 30, 2012, it will redeem the entire balance of $47…

Statoil ASA (STO, STL.OS), which built its oil and gas expertise in Norway's offshore waters, is stretching its land legs in the U.S., where it seeks to partake of the shale bounty. Like many international oil and gas companies, Norway's Statoil has poured billions into joint ventures with some of the North American independents that in the last decade figured out how to profitably unlock the oil and gas trapped in shale, bankrolling their drilling while hoping to learn some of their techniques. But peering over its partners' shoulders is not enough: Statoil plans to run its own U.S. shale operation in South Texas's Eagle Ford Shale by early 2013, said the company's executive vice president for North America, Bill Maloney.

COVINGTON, La., April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE: HOS) announced today that it will release its first quarter 2011 financial results at approximately 6:00 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, May 5, 2011. In conjunction with the release, the Company has scheduled a conference call, which will be broadcast live over the Internet, on Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern (9:00 a.m. Central). Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern (9:00 a.m.

American Commercial Lines Inc. announced that William A. Braman, II has been appointed to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Transportation Services. Braman joined ACL in February 2009 as Vice President and General Manager, Transportation Services. Prior to joining ACL, Braman held the position of Division Manager for CSX Transportation (CSXT), in which he led more than 2,000 employees in operations and customer service for the northeastern U.S. A transportation industry veteran, Braman began his career with CSXT in 1971 as a switchman and worked his way up through the ranks to a series of senior positions, including Assistant Vice President Automotive Operations and Assistant Vice President Service Design.

Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE:HOS) announced that it intends to offer, subject to market and other conditions, approximately $200m aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2017 through an offering within the United States to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The company intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of the senior notes to repay debt under its revolving credit facility, which may be reborrowed. Any remaining net proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include the retirement of other debt. Because the senior notes will not be registered under the securities act or applicable state securities laws…

American Commercial Lines Inc. (NASDAQ: ACLI) announced that Bill Braman has joined the company as Vice President and General Manager of Transportation Services. In Braman's most recent position as Division Manager for CSX Transportation (CSXT), he was responsible for operational productivity and customer service for the northeastern U.S., directing more than 2,000 employees. Braman is a transportation industry veteran who began his career with CSXT as a switchman. He has held a series of positions of increasing responsibility during his tenure at CSXT…

Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE:HOS) announced that Todd M. Hornbeck, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, and James O. Harp, Jr., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will be participating in the Bank of America 2008 Energy Conference being held November 13-14, 2008 in Key Biscayne, Florida. The Company's presentation at the conference will be webcast live with an accompanying slideshow on Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. Eastern Time. To listen to the live audio webcast and to view Hornbeck's slideshow, visit the Company's website at http://www.hornbeckoffshore.com/. A replay of this webcast…

Southeastern New England Shipbuilding Corporation (SENESCO) of North Kingstown, R.I., signed a major contract with Barges Unlimited, a subsidiary of Seaboats, Inc., of Fall River, Mass., to build an 80,000-bbl, 320-ft. double hull barge. The contract value is in excess of $6.5 million. With this contract signing, SENESCO will manufacture the largest double-hull barge ever constructed in the northeastern U.S. Work on the project is expected to take up to one year to complete. When finished, the barge will be used by Seaboats for the transportation and delivery of light oil products. SENESCO currently employs 110 people. However, with the addition of this contract and other business, the shipyard expects to add 40 to 50 new skilled workers to the staff.