Mega Valemax Enteres China for First Time in Two Years
Mega-ore carrier Valemax Yuan Zhuo Hai, which is owned by China Ore Shipping, has arrived Dongjiakou Port in Qingdao for unloading iron ore. This is the first entry of such a bulk carrier tonnage in the sea port of China for the past two years. Yuan Zhuo Hai is one of four 400,000dwt VLOCs acquired by China Ore Shipping from Brazilian ore giant Vale. The 400,000 dwt Valemax is expected to be part-laden, having called at Vale's Subic Bay iron ore transhipment terminal in Philippines after loading its initial cargo at the miner's Brazilian Itaqui port, according to Platts vessel tracking tool, cFlow. While China’s ministry of transport has yet to officially announce that valemaxes will be allowed to call at Chinese ports…
ABS Reports Record Fleet, Successful Year
A very active newbuilding market, an expanding fleet and a significant number of older vessels undergoing survey to extend their service life in the buoyant market, led to 2006 being the most active year ever in the long history of ABS, the world's third largest classification society. At the Annual Meeting of the 145 year old society, held in New York, members were given details of the continuing growth in the ABS fleet and the positive outlook for the society based on its record orderbook. Reporting on the society's performance in 2006, ABS President and COO Christopher J. Wiernicki told the meeting that, by year's end, the classed fleet had reached 126.5m gt, the third consecutive record year.
