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Lube Oil News

05 Feb 2024

Bisso's New Tractor Tug to Enter Service This Spring

(Photo: Caterpillar Marine)

A new tugboat is slated to enter service for Bisso Towboat this Spring.The Luling, La. based marine towage provider has been working with Main Iron Works to update its fleet, replacing a conventional tug with a tractor tug about every 18 months. In late 2022, the Houma, La. shipbuilder began building a new tractor tug Mr. Brian—the sixth azimuth stern drive (ASD) tractor tug built by Main Iron Works for Bisso in the past eight years.Named after Bisso’s vice president of operations Brian Cyprowski…

30 Nov 2023

Maintenance Error Led to Chemical Tanker Engine Room Fire

Tank vessel Endo Breeze underway after the fire. (Source: Martine Klingsick, Shipspotting.com - via NTSB)

A maintenance error caused an engine room fire aboard the Endo Breeze last year, resulting in $1.2 million in damages, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) analysis has shown.On April 29, 2022, the Endo Breeze was transiting outbound through the Raritan Bay West Reach channel near Staten Island, New York, when oil spray from a fuel injector pump on the starboard main engine ignited off nearby hot surfaces, causing a fire. The crew of the Endo Breeze contained the spread of the fire by removing fuel and oxygen sources…

27 Nov 2023

MAN Unveils Dual-fuel Methanol 175D Engine

The MAN 175D engine will be available both as newbuild and retrofit variants – designated MAN 175DF-M – from end-2026. (Image: MAN Energy Solutions)

MAN Energy Solutions has unveiled a dual-fuel version of its MAN 175D high-speed engine, capable of operating on methanol, that's scheduled to become available to the market by the end of 2026. The new variant, designated MAN 175DF-M, will be available both as newbuild and retrofit variants.MAN Energy Solutions states that the 175DF-M will be optimized for diesel-mechanical and diesel-electric propulsion to achieve the largest methanol share and best efficiency for various applications and load profiles.

02 Nov 2023

Cargo Ship Catches Fire Off the Philippines

(Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

A fire that broke out Thursday aboard the cargo ship Ken off the Philippines has been extinguished, the Philippine Coast Guard said.The vessel, owned by Pherwin Shipping Corp., reportedly caught fire near Castilla Anchorage Area in Sorsogon at around 11 a.m. local time.The Coast Guard said it coordinated with the Philippine Navy and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for joint search and rescue and firefighting operations.According to the eight crewmembers on board, the fire started in the vessel's mess hall. No injuries were reported.

31 Oct 2023

Grounded Cargo Ship Refloated in the Caribbean

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

A cargo ship that ran aground off St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands earlier this month has been refloated and towed to a safe mooring location at the Crown Bay Sandfill dock, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Vessel owners and salvors will now coordinate further operations to remove the damaged cargo, remaining oil and conduct further salvage or repair operations for the Bonnie G.The Vanuatu-flagged vessel began taking on water and ran aground on October 4, leading the 12 people on board to be rescued after abandoning ship. No injuries were reported.To refloat the Bonnie G, DonJon-SMIT, Inc.

16 Oct 2023

MAN Provides Gensets for Hybrid Cable-Laying Vessel

The MAN 12V175D-MEM engine (Source: MAN Energy Solutions)

Shipbuilder and designer VARD has ordered 4 × MAN 12V175D-MEM gensets in connection with the building of a new purpose-built, cable-laying vessel (CLV) for Danish subsea specialit NCT Offshore.The gensets will form part of the vessel’s diesel-electric DP2 propulsion system, which also includes a hybrid battery package.The high-speed 175D gensets will each come accompanied by compact MAN selective catalytic reduction systems. Furthermore, MAN Energy Solutions states that the engines…

04 Oct 2023

Close Call: US Coast Guard Rescues 12 as Bonnie G Ro-Ro Ship Runs Aground

Credit: USCG

A U.S. Coast Guard boat crew rescued 12 people, Wednesday morning, after they were forced to abandon the Bonnie G vessel that was taking on water and ran aground just south of the airport in St. Thomas.All 12 people aboard the Bonnie G, a 195-foot Vanuatu-flagged “ro-ro” cargo vessel, are safe, and no injuries have been reported to the Coast Guard. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received VHF marine radio communication from the Bonnie G at 3:41 a.m., Wednesday, reporting…

17 Aug 2023

False Alarm, Loss of Propulsion Leads to Cargo Ships Colliding

Damaged stern area of the AP Revelin after the collision. (Photo: NTSB)

A loss of propulsion due to a false alarm led to cargo vessels colliding near Port Arthur, Texas last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.While transiting the Sabine Pass on August 21, 2022, the general cargo ship Damgracht lost propulsion when the vessel’s main engine shut down due to “high oil mist density” sensed by its oil mist detector (OMD). Due to the abrupt loss of propulsion, the Damgracht began veering into the path of the bulk carrier AP Revelin.

21 Jun 2023

CSM Signs Agreement with Oceanly

Columbia Group's CEO, Mark O'Neil, and Oceanly's Managing Director, Giampiero Soncini (Photo: Columbia Shipmanagement)

Columbia Shipmanagement has agreed to install Oceanly Performance solution on board of its ships."Oceanly is a perfect fit for the services that Columbia wants to provide to its customers. The software will allow our technical managers to have a very intimate control of all technical aspects of our managed vessels, while at the same time ensuring complete compliance on all the emission and reporting regulations" says Mark O'Neil, Columbia Group CEO, who was visiting Norshipping and passed by Oceanly’s stand to seal the deal with the company Managing Director, Giampiero Soncini.

25 May 2023

Wrong Size Bearing Led to Engine Failure and Fire on Supply Vessel

Ocean Guardian pictured before the fire. (Source: Stabbert Maritime Group)​

An incorrectly sized bearing led to an engine failure and fire last year onboard the offshore supply vessel Ocean Guardian, reports the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).On May 27, 2022, the vessel was conducting a sea trial in Shilshole Bay when its no. 3 diesel generator engine suffered a mechanical failure, resulting in an engine room fire that caused $1.1 million in damages.After maintenance was completed on all four main diesel generator engines in January and February 2022, full-function tests of vessel systems were conducted in open waters.

03 Apr 2023

FMD's New High-speed Engine to be Tested for US Navy’s LUSV Platform

(Image: Fairbanks Morse Defense)

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) announced it has been contracted to provide and test one nForcer high-speed engine to qualify for the Navy’s large unmanned surface vessel (LUSV) platform. To qualify, the engine must perform for a minimum of 720 hours in a land-based test environment without human intervention. Testing will begin in Q3 2023.“The LUSV platform has unprecedented power and propulsion requirements, which means that the Navy needs a power-dense engine with a reliable track record,” said FMD CEO George Whittier.

04 Nov 2022

Bisso Towboat Orders Tug from Main Iron Works

Luling, La. based marine towage provider Bisso Towboat said it has ordered a new tractor tug from Houma, La. shipbuilder Main Iron Works. Construction is scheduled to commence in late 2022 with delivery in early 2024, Bisso revealed in an announcement.The 5,000 BHP ASD tug will feature two Caterpillar 3516E Tier 4F main propulsion engines generating 2,500 BHP each at 1,600 RPM. The engines will drive a pair of Kongsberg US205S azimuthing thrusters with 2,400 mm diameter stainless steel propellers in stainless steel nozzles. Estimated bollard pull will be 66 tons.Other onboard equipment will include a JonRie Series 240 escort winch, Caterpillar C4.4 118 KW generator sets and a full complement of safety, monitoring and electronic equipment, Bisso said.

14 Oct 2022

Missing Engine Parts Lead to Ohio River Towboat Fire -NTSB

​​​Capt. Kirby Dupuis doc​ked after the fire. (Photo: NTSB)

A missing retaining ring and mounting bracket on the port main diesel engine led to an engine-room fire on a towing vessel near Belleview, Ky., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.Florida Marine Transporters' (FMT) towing vessel Capt. Kirby Dupuis was pushing loaded dry cargo barges on the Ohio River when a fire broke out on its portside engine on November 9, 2021. The crewmembers fought the fire using portable extinguishers and attempted to activate the vessel’s fixed fire-extinguishing system. The fire was eventually extinguished by local firefighters.

08 Sep 2022

Chevron Supplies First Stem of 40 BN Category II Lube Oil

Pat McCloud, General Manager, Chevron Global Marine Lubricants (Photo: Chevron Global Marine Lubricants)

Chevron Marine Lubricants said it made its first delivery of a 40 BN Category II lube oil on August 30, in a breakthrough moment for operators of MAN ES Mk9 and above two-stroke engines, when it supplied a stem of its new Taro Ultra Advanced 40 to SIEM Car Carriers.“We are very pleased that Taro Ultra Advanced 40 is now available to our customers and that we have successfully made the first delivery,” said Pat McCloud, General Manager, Chevron Global Marine Lubricants. “From September, it will be available at major ports across Europe and Asia Pacific, including Singapore and Rotterdam.

01 Sep 2022

Divers Seal Tank Vents Leaking Oil from Bulk Carrier off Gibraltar

(Photo: HM Government of Gibraltar)

Divers sealed two tank vents that leaked fuel from a bulk carrier that was damaged and beached after a collision off the British enclave of Gibraltar on the southern tip of Spain, local authorities said on Thursday.The hull of the bulk carrier OS 35 broke after the collision with an LNG tanker and started leaking fuel oil on Wednesday, but the vessel has not broken into two parts."The Captain of the Port confirmed that the leak of low sulphur fuel oil from the tank vents is fully under control," the Gibraltar government said in a statement.The LNG tanker was not significantly affected by the c

31 Aug 2022

Bulker Breaking Up and Leaking Oil After Collision off Gibraltar

(Photo: HM Government of Gibraltar)

A bulk carrier that collided with an LNG tanker off Gibraltar started leaking fuel oil, authorities in the British overseas territory on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula said on Wednesday.The collision on Tuesday forced the closure of the Gibraltar port for four hours. It was later fully reopened.The hull of the bulk carrier OS 35 broke, authorities said, but the vessel has not separated into two parts."There has been a substance leak from the vessel as a result of the movement arising from its break.

28 Jun 2022

Cook Inlet Tug & Barge Adds Harbor Tug in Alaska

Dr Hank Kaplan (Photo: Cook Inlet Tug & Barge)

Alaska-based marine services frim Cook Inlet Tug & Barge said it has added another harbor tug to its fleet. The Dr Hank Kaplan is now homeported in Anchorage, where it entered service earlier this month.Built in 2017 by Diversified Marine Incorporated of Portland, Ore., the vessel is a RAmparts-2400 series tugboat designed by Robert Allan Ltd. The 5,350-hp tug is the first RAmparts-2400 built in North America with Caterpillar integrated propulsion systems featuring CAT engines and z-drives.

27 Jun 2022

Boatbuilding: Pivoting to the Market Demand at Breaux Bay Craft for 65 Years

Photo courtesy Breaux’s Bay Craft/Cummins

In the 65 years, since Roy Breaux, Sr. founded Breaux’s Bay Craft and on down through three generations, the yard has built over 1700 hulls. Through the regular expansion and contraction of the oil industry, they learned to pivot from market demand to market demand.As the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico moved farther offshore, the demand for larger and faster crew boats, was met by Breaux. The fine-hulled aluminum crew boats grew to 125-foot vessels powered by up to five 700 hp Cummins KTA19 engines…

02 Jun 2022

Overpressurized Fuel System Led to Towboat Fire -NTSB

(Photo: American River Transportation Company​ / NTSB)

The engine room fire aboard a towing vessel was caused by overpressurization of the fuel day tank and a main engine fuel return system when a fatigued chief engineer inadvertently left the day tank overflow valves to the storage tanks closed, the National Transportation Safety Board said in Marine Investigation Report 22/17 released Wednesday.On May 18, 2021, the towing vessel Mary Lynn was pushing two barges near mile 176 on the Upper Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri when a fire broke out in the engine room. A Good Samaritan towing vessel and a St.

25 May 2022

Incorrectly Installed Fuel Tubing Led to Containership Fire Off California -NTSB

An incorrectly installed section of main engine fuel oil return tubing led to an engine room fire aboard a containership off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.Marine Investigation Report 22/15 details the NTSB’s investigation of the April 28, 2021, fire aboard the containership President Eisenhower while transiting through the Santa Barbara Channel. The vessel was transiting to Oakland, California with a crew of 22. The crew extinguished the fire using the engine room’s fixed carbon dioxide fire-extinguishing system. As a result of the fire, the vessel lost propulsion and drifted for several hours before being towed to the Port of Los Angeles. No pollution or injuries were reported.

15 Mar 2022

Maintenance Error Led to $3.8 Million Ferry Casualty in Washington -NTSB

Wenatchee under way before the accident. (Photo: Washington State Department of Transportation​)

An improperly tightened fastener led to a diesel engine failure on the passenger and car ferry Wenatchee near Bainbridge Island, Wash., resulting in nearly $3.8 million in damages, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.On April 22, 2021, the catastrophic failure of the no. 3 main engine aboard the Wenatchee during a sea trial in Puget Sound led to the ejection of components from the engine and resulted in a fire in the no. 2 engine room. No injuries or pollution were reported.In November 2020…

15 Dec 2021

Catastrophic Engine Damage Led to OSV Fire -NTSB

Ocean Intervention underway before the accident (Photo: Oceaneering International / NTSB)

Catastrophic engine damage led to the fire aboard the U.S. -flagged offshore supply vessel Ocean Intervention near Honolulu, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.No pollution or injuries to the 16 crewmembers were reported in connection with the mechanical failure, which resulted in a fire in the engine room on December 19, 2020. The crew isolated the fire before it could spread throughout the vessel.The Ocean Intervention, a 243-foot-long, steel-hulled vessel, was built in 1998 and operated by Oceaneering International, Inc.

27 Oct 2021

TotalEnergies and Columbia Shipmanagement Partner on Green Shipping

(Photo: TotalEnergies)

TotalEnergies and Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore various collaborative opportunities to foster energy transition, especially in transportation, with a focus on shipping.The parties are developing in partnership a lube oil monitoring, optimization and supply platform utilizing the existing capabilities of CSM’s Performance Optimization Control Room (POCR). These developments aim at bringing value to final customers.In addition…