Marine Link
Thursday, March 28, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Northern Star News

20 Sep 2019

Port Nelson Reports Continued Steady Growth

New Zealand Port Nelson said that continued growth in cargo volume has contributed to the port's delivering an operating profit of $30.5 million for the 2018/2019 financial year.This is an increase of $3.4 million compared to the $27.1 million reported in 2018. Net Profit After Tax, including a $2.6 million increase in the valuation of investment property, was $15.3 million.In consideration of the steady growth of the region’s exports through the port and the promising returns on investments, Port Nelson’s Chair, Phil Lough, announced an additional $800,000 dividend payment would be made to shareholders, this is on top of the full-year…

01 Nov 2018

NZ Harbour Welcomes its Largest Container Ship

The largest Port in the South Island of New Zealand, Lyttelton Port, has welcomed its largest ever container ship.The Singapore–flagged Rio de Janeiro, which can carry nearly 6000 containers and is the length of about three rugby fields, arrived early Saturday.Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) Chief Executive, Peter Davie said, “The Rio de Janeiro is a new class of ship to call at Lyttelton. She can carry 5,905 twenty-foot equivalent containers (TEUs), while the largest container vessels currently visiting Lyttelton commonly carry 4,500 to 5,000 TEUs.“This is an important milestone for Lyttelton Port and our customers. We are delighted to welcome the Rio de Janeiro to Canterbury…

15 Jul 2016

Maersk Upgrades 'Triple Star' Service

Maersk Line is upgrading  its  ‘Triple Star’ service by launching direct, weekly northbound connections between New Zealand and North East Asian ports. "We are optimising our ‘Triple Star’ service with the launch of direct, weekly connections between New Zealand and North East Asian ports. Starting from late September 2016, Kiwi exporters can enjoy all the benefits of direct access to Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan," says a statement from Maersk Line. With unmatched transit times to a number of strategic ports, this superior service has been tailormade to offer New Zealand businesses fast and reliable access to these important markets.

26 Sep 2014

Bibby Offshore Scoops Two Business Awards

Howard Woodcock (Photo courtesy of Bibby Offshore)

Bibby Offshore, a provider of subsea installation, inspection, repair and maintenance services to the offshore oil and gas industry, has been recognized at the 2014 Northern Star Business Awards winning in the categories Commitment to People Development and Outstanding Contribution to the Energy Sector. The awards were announced September 25 at the AECC. The Commitment to People Development award recognizes the company that has shown the most commitment to developing its staff through skills and personal development, investment and achievement programs and outcomes.

21 Oct 2008

WA Petitions Against LNG Terminal License

In this case, Ecology argues the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) prematurely awarded a license in September to Northern Star Natural Gas for a liquefied natural gas terminal and pipeline that impacts Washington and communities. The proposed pipeline route for the Bradwood Landing project would cross the Columbia River and extend 17 miles underground through . Federal law requires FERC to perform a detailed environmental impact review. Ecology takes issue with the adequacy of FERC's review which guided the Commission's license decision. Rather than wait for FERC's decision on the request for rehearing, Gov. Chris Gregoire directed Ecology to help conduct a thorough environmental review through the State Environmental Policy Act.

18 Dec 2003

Repair & Conversion: Gaming Boat to Live Again

The building of commercial vessels is very much a boom and bust business. Those of you that have been around for a while remembers the oil and gas boom days of the late 1970's and the bust that followed in the 1980's. Most of the southern shipyards did not actually recover from those dog days until the late 1980's when passenger vessel owners started ordering excursion/dinner boats in significant numbers. Typically these vessels had two or even three enclosed passenger decks with passenger capacities in the 450-600 range. Following on this mini-boom was the emergence of the gaming boat, actually an excursion boat with slot machines.

02 Jan 2002

Harrah’s Gets New Barge Mounted Casino

Harrah’s recently opened a new barge mounted casino at their Joilet, Illinois property on the Des Plaines River near Chicago. The building on a barge replaces two USCG certified vessels that have been at the facility since 1993, the M/V Northern Star, a cruise-ship type vessel, and M/C Southern Star, a sternwheeler. The barges for the new facility were designed by DeJong & Lebet, Inc. Naval Architects, Jacksonville, Florida. DeJong & Lebet, Inc. also designed the two casino vessels that were replaced by the barge-mounted casino. The casino is mounted on two barges, which were built at Halter Marine in Port Bienville, Miss. Each barge measures approximately 200 x 100 x 16 ft. The barges are constructed of steel, except for the main deck, which is a 10.5 in. thick concrete slab.

24 Jan 2002

Ferries Lead the Way

There are several quick conclusions you can draw about passenger boat construction in the new millennium. First it is a smaller market than 10 years ago with far fewer boats being built today than a decade ago. Secondly almost all of these vessels are built on the east or west coast. There are virtually no passenger boats being built in the south. Third, the number one vessel type being built is the ferryboat and more specifically the all-passenger ferry that shuttles people at 25 knots or better. In the years between 1987 and 1993 shipyards all over the country were building 600-passenger excursion-dinner boats in great numbers as sightseeing and dining vessels on America’s great rivers, lakes and bays became increasingly popular.

09 Nov 2007

USCG Suspends Approval Process for New LNG Project

With eyes on more than 400 environmental and safety concerns, the U.S. Coast Guard officially stopped the clock last week on the approval process for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project planned for the southern stretches of the Santa Barbara Channel. A proposal from Texas-based NorthernStar Energy to convert the Platform Grace oil rig — some 10 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara and directly adjacent to the boundaries of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary — into an LNG facility had been on a fast-tracked review process that could have seen the Clearwater Port project approved as soon as next June — until now, that is. In a letter sent directly to NorthernStar on October 30, the Coast Guard, in conjunction with the U.S.

20 Mar 2007

Coast Guard Releases Report on LNG Ships

The Coast Guard has completed a review of the Waterway Suitability Assessment for the Bradwood Landing Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal project submitted by Northern Star Natural Gas, LLC. The Captain of the Port (COTP) Sector Portland has recommended to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that in order to make the Columbia River suitable for the type and frequency of LNG marine traffic, additional measures will be necessary to manage the navigation, safety and security risks responsibly. Northern Star is proposing to build an LNG terminal at the old mill site of Bradwood on the Columbia River at approximately river mile 38, about 15 miles west of Clatskanie, and opposite the west end of Puget Island.

09 Sep 2002

Odds are Improving for Riverboat Casino Employees Seeking Jones Act Seaman Status

In 1991, casinos were legalized in the state of Louisiana through the passage of the Louisiana Gaming Act. Riverboat casinos have been operational in the state since 1993. The Louisiana Gaming Act allows for fifteen riverboat licenses with mandatory Coast Guard certification of the vessels. The Act allows for both dockside and riverboat gaming. Five other states have riverboat casino gambling: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Mississippi. Although riverboat gaming has gained legal recognition in these states, riverboat casino employees have not had the same success in gaining seaman status under the Jones Act. The Jones Act (46 U.S.C. sec.

06 Sep 2005

USCG to Evaluate LNG suitability of Columbia River

The Coast Guard received official notification of Northern Star Natural Gas LLC’s plans on January 18, 2005. U.S. Coast Guard Sector Portland will assess safety and security issues associated with liquefied natural gas tankers traveling on the Columbia River in order to make a recommendation to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regarding Northern Star Natural Gas LLC’s proposal to build a liquefied natural gas terminal in Bradwood, Oregon at Columbia River mile 38. “We plan to work very closely with local officials, our Ports and Waterways Safety Committee and the Area Maritime Security Committee in evaluating this proposal,” said Patrick G. Gerrity, Coast Guard Captain of the Port at Portland, OR.

11 Oct 2005

FERC Requires Pre-Filing Process for New LNG Projects

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission adopted a final rule requiring potential developers of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals to initiate pre-filing procedures at least six months prior to filing a formal application with the Commission. Initiating the rulemaking was the Commission’s first formal action under the recently enacted Energy Policy Act of 2005. The new law requires the Commission to issue within 60 days of the law’s August 8, 2005, enactment rules mandating the Commission’s previously voluntary pre-filing process for LNG facility proposals. Commission Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher said: “Congress set a lot of ambitious targets for implementation of the Energy Policy Act.