A2 News

The SMM 2024 trade show will run from September 3-6 this year, and organizers are expecting more visitors and exhibitors than last time; the exhibition halls are nearly fully booked.“We are expecting more than 2,000 international exhibitors from 70 nations,” says Claus Ulrich Selbach, Business Unit Director Maritime and Technology Fairs & Exhibitions at Hamburg Messe und Congress. “We are overwhelmed by the response. We are actually setting-up an additional hall to accommodate all requests.

The United Arab Emirates' Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has taken delivery of ADNOC MD 01, the first in a series of two new dive support vessels.The aluminum catamaran was designed by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd. and built by Grandweld Shipyards in Dubai for local diving operations in the UAE.ADNOC MD 01 and its to-be-delivered sister vessel were designed and constructed to the following notation: BUREAU VERITAS 1 ✠ HULL • MACH, SPECIAL SERVICE, FAST DIVING SUPPORT…

In an era of great power competition, navies – by virtue of their ability to span the globe and effectively deliver combat power – are likely to be the sine qua non of military power. This leads, naturally, to the tendency to count numbers of ship hulls when comparing the strength of navies. Lost on no one is the fact that the size of China’s Navy now exceeds that of the U.S. Navy, and the gap in ship numbers is growing.During the Cold War, while the quality of their ships might not have been equal to that of the U.S.

My first visit in 2007 to the American Society of Naval Engineers’ (ASNE) Multi-Agency Craft Conference (MACC) was an eye-opener. Having built a naval architecture career with frigates, destroyers and other large naval and commercial ships, I was eager to learn of the smaller craft used by the U.S. Navy and other government and military bodies. As my flight into Norfolk, Va. descended over Chesapeake Bay, I gazed in amazement as a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) raced toward Virginia Beach, slowed, glided up the beach and into its shore base.

Five workers were killed and six injured in Sunday's fire on an offshore platform in the southern Gulf of Mexico operated by Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) that cut about a quarter of Mexico's oil production, the company said on Monday.The fire broke out as crews were performing maintenance on the platform, and a search for missing workers continues, Pemex Chief Executive Octavio Romero told a news conference.The platform remains out of operation, with about 421,000 barrels per day of oil lost and 125 wells offline, he said.

One person died and five went missing after a fire broke out Sunday on a Pemex offshore platform in the Campeche Bay, Mexico.The fire broke out at the E-Ku-A2 platform at Pemex's Ku-Maloob-Zaap oil field at 3:10 pm Sunday and was brought under control an hour later.Pemex said that one person died, six people were injured, and five went missing. Pemex said it was conducting a search and rescue operation, as well as working damage assessment and stabilization of the integrity of…

Caspian Offshore Construction has recently taken delivery of a Damen Stan Tug 1606 ICE class in Kazakhstan. The company turned to Damen when a contract they secured required fast delivery of a small ice class vessel.Damen was able to have the vessel – named Caspian Flora – underway to the client just six weeks following contract signing.The vessel was built at Damen Shipyards Changde in China, to a design that has proven enormously successful, with over 80 sold in the last fifteen years alone.

Moody’s Investors Service upgraded the 20-year $450 million Senior Unsecured Bonds issued by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to A1 from A2, with a stable outlook, based on the waterway's strong performance since the expansion's inauguration.Moody's noted that the Expanded Canal has increased overall tonnage and attracted new market segments, contributing to the waterway's strong performance. According to Moody's, "stronger cash flow generation coupled with a relatively low leverage…

Moody's Investors Service reaffirmed the Panama Canal Authority's (ACP) A2 long-term rating with a stable outlook, based on its distinctive position as an infrastructure asset with a unique geographic advantage and business model, and its strong historical operational and financial performance.According to Moody's, the ACP's strong financial performance has resulted in better than anticipated financial metrics, driven by the successful operations of the Expanded Panama Canal. The credit rating agency noted the Canal's strong operating track record and robust growth after the Expansion.Factoring into its decision, Moody's cited "the Canal's…

The SMM 2018 scheduled to take place September 4-7, 2018, in Hamburg, Germany, is held every two years and is the traditional launching platform for a variety of commercial shipping and shipbuilding technologies. Five new marine technologies to look for in Hamburg include:Company: CM Technologies GmbHBooth: A3.204Product: New Performance Indicator to save fuelThe PREMET X measuring device presented by CM Technologies GmbH makes it possible to precisely determine the cylinder pressure at every cylinder position…

Moody's Investors Service says that the announcement by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of a cut in the handling tariff for import and export containers is credit negative for Shanghai International Port (Group) Co., Ltd (SIPG), but will not immediately affect SIPG's A1 issuer rating or the A2 backed senior unsecured bond ratings of Shanghai Port Group (BVI) Holding Co., Ltd. The ratings outlook remains stable. "The reduction in tariff will negatively impact SIPG's profitability and cash flow generation capability from 2018 onwards, and reduce the financial headroom for its standalone credit profile," says Osbert Tang, a Moody's Vice President and Senior Analyst, and the Local Market Analyst for SIPG.

Today, Moody's credit rating agency announced that it has assigned an A2 rating to the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) for its business model, unique geographic advantage, and historically strong operational and financial performance. Moody's expects this performance to continue into the future, supported by the robust institutional framework and corporate governance under which the ACP operates. In its report, the credit rating agency highlighted that one of the ACP's largest financial strengths is its “clear legal and institutional framework,” which supports a reliable and stable operating environment for the entity moving forward. They also noted that the ACP's assigned rating is just above Panama’s country ceiling of A3…

Hiab, part of Cargotec, will bring its latest forestry crane innovations to KWF exhibition in Rodin, Germany on 9-12 June. We welcome you to our stand A2-150 to meet the LOGLIFT and JONSERED specialists and familiarise with our innovations. In KWF, LOGLIFT and JONSERED forestry and recycling cranes celebrate their 50th and 55th anniversary in the market and will launch the new LOGLIFT 140Z and 150Z forestry cranes with several new features including Hydraulic Pilot Control, SafetyPlusTM system as well as a new seat with better safety, ergonomics and visibility. The lifting capacity of the new crane series varies between 14 and 15 tonne metres. Hiab's HiVisionTM 3D control system is also presented in KWF together with a simulator.

Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition – AeroVironment, Inc. has announced the United States Navy plans to deploy its “Blackwing,” a small, tube-launched unmanned aircraft system that deploys from under the surface of the sea, on manned submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles. Blackwing builds on AeroVironment’s extensive operational experience with small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and its Switchblade Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) to provide the Navy with a low cost, submarine launched unmanned aircraft system optimized for Anti-Access/Aerial Denial (A2/AD) environments. AeroVironment developed the Blackwing…

Scott Bergeron, CEO of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), has agreed to serve as a keynote speaker at the SHIPPINGInsight 2015 Fleet Optimization Conference & Exhibition, which takes place in Stamford, Conn., Oct. 13-14. Bergeron joins four other distinguished keynoters at the annual maritime technology event. He will lead off the roundtable on “The Role of Class & Flag” in the “Efficient Ships” session on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Other keynote speakers are Gary Vogel, partner and group CEO of Clipper Group (USA), Inc.; Paal Jacobsen, vice president and director of operations maritime for DNV GL; Angus Campbell, managing director, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement; and Ronald Spithout, president, maritime, Inmarsat. The conference chairman is Capt.

The nuclear powered aircraft carrier (CVN), with its embarked carrier air wing (CVW), is the only maritime force capable of executing the full range of military operations necessary to protect our national interests. From deterrence, to humanitarian assistance, to large-scale combat operations, Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) stand ready to answer the call in all phases of conflict. Navies across the globe aspire to extend their influence by building aircraft carriers and developing deployment models that mirror what the United States has been doing for more than eighty years.

Viking Supply Ships informed that the company has been elected as a winner of this year’s “Spotlight on Arctic Technology” award at the Arctic Technology conference in Copenhagen. During the winter of 2013, Viking Supply Ships performed Ice-trials of our Icebreaker Loke Viking-class Ice 1A AHTS. The tests showed that the vessel performed good at ice-breaking, ridge penetration, maneuvering and channel clearing. Results showed that the Loke Viking class' performance in light/moderate ice conditions is at the same level as that of Arctic purpose built supply Ice-breakers. Viking Supply Ships has, during the last 15-20 years spent large resources on improving our competence and expertise within arctic offshore, in order to provide our clients with even better services.

The US Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard have revised America's maritime strategy to add "all domain access" to its traditional sea-based defense functions, a Navy report says. "This [all domain access] function assures appropriate freedom of action in any domain -- the sea, air, land, space, and cyber-space, as well as in the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum," says the report, titled "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower."  It also emphasized the growing importance of the Asia-Pacific region. The document emphatically stresses the need for a fleet of at least 300 ships including 11 carriers, 33 amphibious ships, and 14 ballistic missile subs for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. It is important to note that this white paper is an unclassified public strategy.

Ithaca Energy Provided its operations update ahead of today’s Shareholders Meeting. The details are as follows. The third development well on the Stella field, well 30/06a-B1X (“B1”), has been successfully drilled to a total measured depth subsea of 16,185 feet. A 2,147 foot gross horizontal reservoir section was drilled in the Palaeocene Andrew sandstone reservoir, within the targeted oil rim. The well intersected high quality sands across a net reservoir interval of 2,034 feet, equating to 95% net pay. This compares to 1,312 feet and 2,514 feet in Stella wells A1 and A2, respectively. Operations are currently on-going to run the well completion assembly, following which a clean-up flow test will be performed.

Ithaca Energy Inc. announced completion of flow test operations on the third development well on the Stella field, with the well achieving a flow rate of 12,492 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Well 30/6a-B1Z (“B1”) is the third development well drilled on the Stella field. The well was drilled to a total measured depth subsea of 16,185 feet, with a 2,147 foot gross horizontal reservoir section completed in the Palaeocene Andrew sandstone reservoir. The well intersected high quality sands across a net reservoir interval of 2,034 feet, equating to 95% net pay. This compares to 1,312 feet and 2,514 feet in Stella wells A1 and A2, respectively.

Statoil’s fast-track development projects are increasing the company’s and partners’ oil and gas production through a combination of standardised subsea development solutions and utilisation of infrastructure in a manner which helps extend the lifetime of existing fields. Production start-up on Fram H-North and Svalin C marks the eighth and ninth fast-track development projects for Statoil. "Together with partners, authorities and suppliers we have been able to develop standardised technical solutions and methods of interaction that yield increased production from the Norwegian shelf," says Statoil’s head of field development on the Norwegian shelf, Ivar Aasheim. "We have achieved a lot with regard to costs, development time and HSE.

Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Canaveral Port Authority’s $30.2 million in outstanding revenue bonds to A2 from A3 and rated its financial outlook stable. The upgrade was attributed to low leverage, cruise growth, stable finances and proactive capital plan management. Port Canaveral’s five-year capital plan totals nearly $600 million, which will be financed with a combination of grants, matching funds, cash flow and unrestricted cash balances. The major current project is a new cruise terminal for Royal Caribbean, which is paying half of the $105 million total cost.

RWE Dea doubled its oil and gas production in Egypt and drawn up expansion plans. North Africa is a strategic core region for Dea. The company is one of the leading foreign investors in Egypt and produces oil and gas in the country for 30 years by now. RWE Dea is presenting applied technology highlights and recent projects at the MOC 2014 in Alexandria. At the company’s own booth (Central Hall, Stand A2) and the technical program, Dea will present technology highlights and case studies of its exploration and field development work in the onshore Nile Delta and the Gulf of Suez. The MOC, taking place from 9th to 11th December in Alexandria, is Egypt’s most important international oil and gas meeting of the year.