Bass Strait News

2023 was the first year of real recovery for owners in the offshore supply market and yet we have barely skimmed the surface of what’s to come.The market is still on an upward trajectory with charter rates accelerating month-by-month, availability changing day-by-day, leading to earnings doubling and, in some segments, tripling since the lows of 2020. Current rates will remind many of the glory days of pre-2014 with the demand for OSVs projected to remain elevated for years to come.In general…

Rauma Marine Constructions celebrated the launch and christening of Spirit of Tasmania IV, the first of two identical car and passenger ferries the Finnish shipyard is building for Tasmania's TT-Line.Built to replace similarly Finnish-built sister ships, the new vessels are specially designed to operate on a challenging route across the Bass Strait between Geelong, Victoria, and Devonport, Tasmania.The Spirit of Tasmania IV was christened at the RMC shipyard. The vessel’s godmother…

Woodside Energy last week announced it would start seismic testing for its Scarborough gas project off Australia’s west coast, before reversing the decision in the face of a legal challenge from Traditional Owners.Seismic testing is highly controversial in marine environments. Australia’s federal regulator (the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority) is currently examining a proposal for seismic testing in the Otway Basin in Bass Strait, which conservationists say has attracted more than 30…

German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) on Monday held a keel laying ceremony for a new new roll-on / roll-off (RoRo) vessel currently under construction Tasmanian shipping and logistics company SeaRoad. It was announced during the ceremony that the vessel will be named SeaRoad I.During the ceremony, the first module for the newbuild, weighing more than 154 tonnes, was lowered by crane onto the blocks, and a coin was placed under the keel in accordance with maritime tradition.At 210 meters long and over 43,000 gross tonnes, the ship will be the largest in SeaRoad’s history.

Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions held a steel cutting ceremony to mark the official start of construction for Spirit of Tasmania V, the second liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered car and passenger ferry for the world’s southernmost open sea route between mainland Australia and Tasmania.The production of the first vessel began in February 2022 and its keel-laying ceremony was held in late October. The design and construction of both vessels have proceeded according to schedule.

Finnish shipyard Rauma Marine Constructions held a keel laying ceremony of Spirit of Tasmania IV, a car and passenger ferry being built for the Tasmanian TT-Line Company.TT-Line, which operates between mainland Australia and Tasmania, has commissioned two identical Spirit of Tasmania vessels from RMC. The large-scale project is the biggest individual foreign sale between Australia and Finland.”Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the design and production of the Spirit of Tasmania vessels have proceeded according to the agreed schedule.

Australian offshore vessel owner MMA Offshore has secured a vessel contract with the oil and gas company Beach Energy.The MMA Coral will provide vessel support to Beach Energy’s two production platforms located in the Bass Strait, offshore Australia. The vessel will also provide subsea inspection and survey services and will support planned drilling operations.Starting in late November 2022, the contract is for a firm period of one year with an additional one-year option. The vessel will also be marketed to the broader region for ad hoc work scopes in addition to Beach Energy’s operations…

German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) has cut first steel for a new new roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) freight vessel being constructed for Australian shipping company SeaRoad.A May 20 steel cutting event involved the ceremonial ‘pushing of the button’ to start the laser cutting machine with SeaRoad Technical Marine Manager, Tony Johnson, and FSG CEO Philipp Maracke doing the honors. Johnson is currently on the ground in Germany overseeing the newbuild project.The 210-meter-long newbuild was ordered in 2021 at a cost of more than €100 million.

Survival Technology solutions provider Survitec has won a contract to supply advanced fire-fighting systems to a pair of 48,000grt LNG dual-fuelled eco ferries under construction at Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions  (RMC) for Australian shipowner Spirit of Tasmania."This is a major order from a returning customer,” said Michal Peruga,  General Manager, Survitec, Poland. “This contract win demonstrates our  ability to go beyond simple equipment supply to being able to provide a  complete bespoke fire safety solution for all areas of the ship…

Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions said it has started building the first of two new car and passenger ferries for Spirit of Tasmania (TT-Line Company). The construction of the Spirit of Tasmania IV, set to operate between mainland Australia and Tasmania, kicked off with a traditional steel cutting ceremony.“Although the actual construction of the first ferry started today, RMC and Spirit of Tasmania already have a long history. The pandemic, among other things, disrupted our plans, but the agreement for the vessels was re-signed in 2021.

Finland-based marine engine maker Wärtsilä said Tuesday it would deliver main and auxiliary engines, fuel storage tanks, gas handling equipment and electrical systems for a new RoRo being built for Australian operator SeaRoad Shipping.The 210 meter-long vessel is being built at the Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) shipyard in Germany. The RoRo vessel will operate primarily on LNG fuel.The vessel will be powered by two Wärtsilä 46DF dual-fuel main engines and three Wärtsilä 20DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines.

Kongsberg Maritime (KM) announced it has been awarded a contract with Finnish shipyard Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) to deliver propulsion and steering equipment for two new car and passenger ferries. The vessels will be operated by the Australian company TT-Line for the regular Spirit of Tasmania ferry service – a 10.5-hour journey across the Bass Strait between Melbourne, Victoria and Devonport, Tasmania.Each vessel will be fitted with two of KM’s Promas combined propulsion and steering systems…

Australian shipping company SeaRoad said it has finalized an agreement with German shipbuilding yard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) to construct a new roll-on /roll-off (RoRo) vessel with liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion worth more than 100 million euros.Construction on the 210-meter-long vessel will commence in late 2021. The ship will have a capacity of 4,227 lane meters and capability to transport heavy cargo with a unit weight of up to 100 tonnes. At over 40…

Toll Group’s new freighter, the Tasmanian Achiever II, has berthed in Burnie ahead of its official naming ceremony.Tasmanian Achiever II is the largest general cargo ship to fly the Australian flag and is set to enter service on 1 March, carrying goods between the Port of Melbourne and the Tasmanian Port of Burnie, said Toll Group, part of Japan Post Holdings, is a transportation and logistics company with operations in road, rail, sea, air and warehousing.The 210-metre vessel is the first of two new ships commissioned by Toll to carry freight between the Australian mainland and Tasmania, increasing Toll’s Bass Strait cargo capacity…

Norway's Hoegh LNG has won a tender to supply a floating LNG import terminal for a consortium aiming to import liquefied natural gas to Australia's east coast from 2020 in a push to boost local supply.Australian Industrial Energy, a consortium that includes Japan's JERA and Marubeni Corp, said on Monday it signed an agreement giving it the right to lease one of Hoegh LNG's floating storage and regasification units (FSRU), to be docked at Port Kembla.The project needs approvals from the state of New South Wales, which is evaluating the proposal on a fast track as "critical state significant inf

Norwegian ship owner Solstad Farstad ASA said it has secured new contracts and contract extensions for six vessels.BP Egypt has declared the one-year option on the platform supply vessel (PSV) Sea Swift resulting in continuous utilization of the vessel through to August 2019.Equinor Brasil has extended present contracts for the PSVs Far Scotsman and Far Serenade with three months each to December 2018.In addition, SolstadFarstad secured ongoing charters in the Bass Strait, Australia, for the anchor handling tug supply vessels (AHTS) Far Senator and Far Saracen and the PSV Sea Swan.

While orders for new vessels have continued to decline worldwide in 2017, the situation in the German and European shipbuilding market is different, with an increase of incoming orders. As shipping experts state: “…this is not a trend but a snapshot, but it indicates a high competitiveness of the German shipbuilding industry, particularly on technologically advanced projects.”The global mood barometer of the maritime industry had reached its lowest point in 2016. From the abyss confidence and order have carefully increased…

TT-Line Company and European shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) have signed a letter of intent (LoI) for the construction of two new ships to replace the current Spirit of Tasmania vessels. TT-Line chairman Mike Grainger said the companies would now commence contract negotiations and agree to final design specifications. “FSG was endorsed by the Board after the company short listed a number of international shipyards to build the new tailor-made vessels,” he said. FSG is a highly respected and experienced ship builder that has constructed more than 750 vessels  since it was established in 1872. It is currently building cruise ferries for Irish Ferries and Brittany Ferries as well as RoRo vessels for the Siem Group.

A brand new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled roll-on-roll-off freight vessel, Searoad Mersey II, has commenced service from its home port Devonport, in northern Tasmania, Australia. Touted by Bass Strait shipping and logistics firm SeaRoad as the “cleanest, greenest freight ship ever to trade in Australian waters”, Searoad Mersey II is the first coastal ship in Australia to use LNG fuel-and-power technology and the first pure dry cargo ship in the world to use a roll-on roll-off LNG supply system.

Early in January HMAS Leeuwin set sail from Cairns to begin a transit to conduct military data gathering operations in the Bass Strait. A number of Australian Navy Cadets and family members for ship's company joined the ship for the first day of the deployment. The visitors were treated to a precise navigation pilotage from HMAS Cairns, through the Cairns channel and out to sea. Once the ship had made it to sea a man overboard drill was undertaken with the 'man' recovered by the ship’s seaboat, and a blank firing demonstration took place to illustrate the procedure undertaken in case of a potential shark attack on personnel in the water.

Norway’s offshore vessel provider SolstadFarstad has secured a contract with Australian energy company Cooper Energy to support drilling operations within the Bass Strait region of Australia. The contract consists of the  two anchor handling tug and supply vessels - Far Statesman and Far Senator - towing the Ocean Monarch from the North West Shelf of Australia to the Bass Strait, and then continuing with rig support duties for a firm period of 120 days, and two lots of 60-day optional periods. Both vessels are of a UT 731 CD design built in 2013. The tow of the Ocean Monarch is anticipated to begin late December 2017 or January 2018. The value of the contract was not disclosed.

SolstadFarstad ASA (SOFF) has been awarded several new contracts for the provision of vessels within Australia. McDermott International Inc. affiliated company, MAPL have awarded the provision of a General Purpose Support Vessel, Far Stream, and pipe-haul PSV’s performing services for work Offshore Western Australia. The contract is due to commence during Q1/Q2 2018 and the combined vessels utilization is approx. 200 days. Cooper Energy has supplemented their earlier award of Far Saracen and Far Senator for their upcoming Bass Strait drilling campaign, by awarding a third anchor handler, Far Statesman, for a period of 100 days firm with commencement during 1Q 2018.

Warships, submarines and aircraft from all over the country are converging on Bass Strait for the final week of Exercise OCEAN RAIDER, one of the Royal Australian Navy’s largest maritime warfare activities. HMAS Adelaide lead six ships south from Sydney, while HMAS Warramunga and two submarines sailed from Western Australia. HMAS Darwin is also en route after completing her disaster relief duties in New Zealand. Under the exercise scenario, the assets will be split into two forces on arrival and then commence a series of free play war games. Commander Mark Sirois is the Commanding Officer of HMAS Newcastle, one of the guided missile frigates sailing to the strait with Adelaide.