Boc News

The Port of Manila decongested its yard space by removing some overstaying containers said a port representative.The collaborative synergy between Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI), port authorities and international shipping lines has yielded positive gains in significantly freeing up yard space and further easing cargo flows at the international gateway port Manila South Harbor.As of March 4, yard utilization at Manila South Harbor has reached optimal levels at 65 percent from high 90s in preceding weeks, owing largely to concrete steps taken by its stakeholders, the cooperation of importers and the support of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).In mid-February…

Singapore’s containership operator Pacific International Lines (PIL) collaborates with IBM Singapore in another blockchain trial to design and create an electronic bill of lading which will significantly enhance the documentation process in supply chain management.The PIL-IBM collaboration was supported by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Singapore Shipping Association, Infocomm Media Development Authority, Singapore Customs (National Trade Platform), and Bank of China Limited Singapore Branch (BOC).A Bill of Lading is the crucial piece of documentation in the facilitation of international trade as it contains legal and commercial information such as: Evidence of contract of carriage…

The offer by Cosco Shipping International (Singapore) Co. to acquire all the issued ordinary shares of Cogent Holdings has turned unconditional. The former had launched a cash buyout of the latter recently. Bank of China (Singapore Branch), acting on behalf of Cosco Shipping International, says , the offeror has received valid acceptances representing 440.5 million shares or 92.05% of Cogent. "BOC wishes to announce that the Offeror has received valid acceptances (which have not been withdrawn) in respect of such number of Shares which, when taken together with Shares owned, controlled or agreed to be acquired by the Offeror and parties acting in concert with it (either before or during the Offer…

Subic Bay International Container Terminal Corp. (SBITC) recently received and commissioned three new reach stackers and 16 new Kalmar Ottawa terminal tractors. The additional capacity has increased the terminal tractor fleet to 23 units or 128 percent. The reach stacker fleet, meanwhile, increased by 100 percent. Each terminal tractor is equipped with a vehicle mounted terminal that communicates directly with the terminal operating system, Navis. This results in a state of the art network of signals that allow all equipment to handle containers with pinpoint accuracy. Roberto Locsin, SBITC General Manager, says:  “The new equipment…

International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) Subic Bay Freeport unit, Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC), in partnership with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC), recently opened a one stop shop (OSS) to fast track documentary transactions in Subic Bay’s container terminals. Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras led the launching of the OSS together with SBMA chairman and administrator Roberto Garcia and SBITC general manager Roberto Locsin. Located inside the New Container Terminal 1, the OSS is next to the administration offices of SBITC and several satellite offices of shipping lines. With the OSS, port users can expect shorter document and cargo processing times as SBITC, BOC and SBMA are housed in one location.

UK-based Chesterfield Special Cylinders (CSC) has launched a new integrity management team to work with owners and operators of high pressure gas storage vessels as installed in rigs and ships, and with gas majors and classification bodies to maximize vessels’ lifetime performance and safety. The integrity team is now managing periodic inspections and tests at its Sheffield, England factory as well as delivering them worldwide while the vessels remain installed. It is also delivering vessel life extension support services to high pressure gas users globally.

Foster Wheeler AG announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has signed an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) services agreement with BOC, a member of the Linde Group, for the installation of replacement heat exchangers at BOC’s Teesport facility, Teesside, in northeast England. The Foster Wheeler contract value was not disclosed and was included in the company’s first-quarter 2014 bookings. Under this agreement, Foster Wheeler will provide project management, front-end engineering design, detailed engineering design, procurement services, construction supervision and quality assurance for the replacement of existing aluminium plate fin exchangers in the 1,300 tons per day air separation plant.

Inventive steel processing companies provide the backbone for infrastructure, transport, shipping and consumer goods sectors. One such company, Ferrocut Australia, was called on by the Royal Australian Navy’s Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC) Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Shipbuilder program, to provide steel plate cutting services and support for the life of the warship-building project. Ferrocut, a South Australian plate profiling business, specializes in offering oxy, plasma and laser cutting…

The 13,208 TEU containership  was christened 'OOCL Chongqing' at a ceremony in the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard on Geoje Island, South Korea. The OOCL Chongqing will be serving the Asia-Europe trade on the Loop 5 service where her port rotation is: Kwangyang / Busan / Shanghai / Ningbo / Yantian / Shekou / Singapore / Suez Canal / Rotterdam / Hamburg / Southampton / Suez Canal / Singapore and back to Kwangyang in a 77-day round trip. Among distinguished guests was the vessel Sponsor Mr. He Guangbei, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Ltd.

Attractive payback periods from the additional investments required for LNG fuelled shipping, along with no significant legal restrictions hindering development of LNG bunkering in Australia. This is the conclusion of a Joint Industry Project (JIP) focusing on LNG fuelled tugs and OSVs, managed by DNV with nine partners in Australia. The use of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) as a fuel for ships is seen as one of the options to address the future environmental and commercial challenges in the shipping industry. With proper combinations of bunkering solutions such as tank trucks, permanent tanks and barges in the different ports, efficient LNG bunkering can be established. The partners of the JIP, Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), BOC Limited (Linde Group), Farstad Shipping Pty.

A DNV-led Joint Industry Project (JIP) concludes attractive payback periods on the required investment are likely. Attractive payback periods from the additional investments required for LNG fuelled shipping, along with no significant legal restrictions hindering development of LNG bunkering in Australia. This is the conclusion of a Joint Industry Project (JIP) focusing on LNG fuelled tugs and OSVs, managed by DNV with nine partners in Australia. The use of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) as a fuel for ships is seen as one of the options to address the future environmental and commercial challenges in the shipping industry. With proper combinations of bunkering solutions such as tank trucks, permanent tanks and barges in the different ports, efficient LNG bunkering can be established.

Det Norske Veritas (DNV) & nine key members of the Australian maritime, port and energy sectors have established the four-month study. The Joint Industry Project (JIP) is to facilitate the adoption of LNG fuelled vessels in Australian waters. The use of LNG as marine fuel eliminates SOx and particulate matter emissions, nets a 15% reduction in GHG emissions and diminishes that of NOx by 85-90%, which addresses both local and global pollution issues. The study aims to cover the infrastructure and regulatory requirements as well as the potential benefits and risks faced by energy majors, ports and ship-owners considering LNG fuelled vessels.

Salvors, Resolve Salvage & Fire report a highly productive past week. The past seven days has been highly productive for Resolve Salvage & Fire - wreck reduction has progressed through the removal of 85 individual pieces of steel, with the total steel weight removed now 300 tonnes. The reduction has mainly occurred in the forecastle deck area. Joseph Farrell III, Resolve’s Naval Architect who manages all day-to-day operations on board the Rena, says “progress is particularly encouraging considering the challenging weather that has prevented work for one and a half full days over the past week”. Maritime New Zealand officials have visited the wreck to see how work is progressing and review safety arrangements.

PD Ports has recently appointed Geoff Lippitt as Business Development Director. Geoff also joins the Company’s Executive Committee team, reporting to Chief Executive Officer, David Robinson. Geoff’s remit is to lead the commercial business development activities across the Company, which includes assuming responsibility for PD Ports’ commercial personnel reporting lines. In keeping with PD Ports’ core business strategy, this will allow for a more streamlined approach to the business’ customer relations activities and will enhance value for its stakeholders.

The Philippine government has taken custody of the MV Philippine Dream, also known as the Floating Casino, following its recent auction to a Singaporean firm, an official said. Neri Yu, legal officer of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR-7) in Central Visayas, said a Philippine Coast Guard vessel secured the ship while the bureau is still waiting for the payment from Aston PTE Ltd., the winning bidder. Yu said Aston PTE Ltd. is already preparing $1.34m, which will be wired from a bank in Singapore to a bank in Mandaue City. Once payment is made, the bureau can execute a certificate of sale and the winning bidder can take custody of the vessel. The Singaporean firm, however, has asked if it would shoulder the $272,707 lien of the Bureau of Customs.

For years, general manufacturing companies have enjoyed the benefit of laser cutting systems for producing complex or simple parts in batch volumes as low as one, and as high as tens of thousands. The laser is an incredibly powerful tool that remains unsurpassed in manufacturing activities across the world. As flexible and reconfigurable production tool that provides welding, cutting and machining capabilities in a single device, lasers are readily automated and have demonstrated that they can easily operate in "lights-out" mode for even greater productivity. With all this said, why aren't there any laser shipyards? Why hasn't one of the worlds largest and most important transportation industries rushed to implement laser cutting and welding technology?

The National Shipbuilding Research Program Advanced Shipbuilding Enterprise (NSRP ASE) announced last month the selection of four new research projects as part of the Navy/Industry co-funded portfolio of 33 projects. The four new projects are valued at $10.3M, including industry cost share. Project: A Lean Enterprise Model for U.S. Participants: Atlantic Marine Holding Co., Todd Pacific Shipyards, Bath Iron Works, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and five others. Funding: 3.8M NSRP ASE, $3.8M industry cost share. Description: The principal objective of this project is to complete a comprehensive model for the application of lean manufacturing concepts to multiple market segments of the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry.

RigBase, a web-based resource for the offshore drilling industry, is launched today by Bassoe Offshore Consultants. RigBase is a rig market information system that provides subscribers with continuous, rolling worldwide rig market news -- all taken from primary sources, access to Bassoe Offshore Consultants' (BOC) comprehensive offshorerig database, regular regional email newsletters and professional opinion and analysis. RigBase is available by subscription. Users of RigBase receive regular updates of a personal choice of news stories and database queries by email. Users also have options including rig market analysis and feature stories, oil and gas prices, access to Bassoe's rig market database as well as reports and publications.