Chad Verret News

Chad Verret, a former executive in the offshore marine services business, has started a new marine consultancy called Verret Marine Consulting, LLC. The Louisiana-based company has offices in the Houston area and in Morgan City, La. and will be focused on areas such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel, alternative fuels and marine based liquefaction projects.Verret got his start in the offshore industry nearly 40 years ago, signing on with Tidewater Marine as a deckhand in 1985…

Bunkering ports around the world have long used a variety of small tankers or tug and barge combinations to deliver fuel to visiting ships. Mostly this was heavy oil, but recently a new breed of bunkering vessels is emerging to deliver clean burning liquefied natural gas (LNG) to modern ships with dual-fuel capabilities.The fall of 2020 will see a new addition to this fleet servicing ships in Florida and the Caribbean. As an articulated tug barge (ATB) combination, the vessel will have a cargo capacity of 4,000 cubic meters of LNG.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions of up to 21% are achievable now from LNG as a marine fuel, compared with current oil-based marine fuels over the entire life-cycle from Well-to-Wake (WtW).An independent study report confirms that emissions of other local pollutants, such as sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), are close to zero when using LNG compared with current conventional oil-based marine fuels.The study, commissioned by SEA\LNG and SGMF, was conducted by leading data and consultancy provider thinkstep according to ISO standards. The report, which has been reviewed by a panel of independent academic experts…

ABS, a leading provider of classification and technical services to the marine and offshore industries, was selected by Q-LNG, LLC, to class an Articulated Tug Barge (ATB) for LNG bunkering in North America. The vessel is scheduled to begin construction at VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula, Mississippi, in early 2018. “This project represents another significant milestone for the region in the continued development of LNG infrastructure in North America, helping the maritime industry meet stricter emissions requirements,” says ABS Chairman, President and CEO, Christopher J. Wiernicki. “We chose ABS as our class partner for this project because of their extensive understanding of LNG as fuel and LNG bunkering applications,” says Q-LNG Transport President Chad Verret.

Low energy prices, depressed day rates and slow growth of bunkering infrastructure has dampened progress for the marine industry’s ‘white knight’ of environmentally friendly fuels. LNG, nevertheless, is here to stay. Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) is a clean fuel in abundant supply. The green advantages of LNG are well known: Class Society DNV-GL, a pioneer in the commercialization of LNG fueling for maritime applications, offers that use of LNG fuel provides “the complete removal of SOX and particle PM emissions and a reduction of NOX emission of up to 85 percent ...

Harvey Gulf International Marine (HGIM) announced it has received both ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) class functional approval and USCG (United States Coast Guard) design bases approval on a 4,000 cubic meter LNG articulating tug barge (ATB) construction drawing package; the design accounts for ship-to-ship transfer and shore side resupply transfers. Working closely with its design partner Waller Marine, and in conjunction with ABS and USCG HGIM has developed the design package…

The United States Maritime Resource announced that its training partner, Harvey Gulf International Marine, recently launched the PSV Harvey Energy, the first LNG-fueled vessel to enter service in North America. In March, the PSV Harvey Energy began working on charter to Shell in the Gulf of Mexico shortly after the vessel’s first successful LNG bunkering operation. Middletown, R.I.-based USMRC developed the LNG bunkering safety training course for Harvey Gulf in 2014 as it prepared to launch its first dual fuel offshore supply vessel.

Despite its unquestionable allure, LNG as a fuel carries with it as many risks as it does answers to the problems it promises to solve. As industry and OEM’s work to remove any doubt, the collaborative effort outpaces the slow-moving regulatory machine. Even as Lloyds Register predicts that LNG will reach a maximum 11% share of marine propulsion solutions in 2030, it also says that segments with higher proportion of small ships will see the highest LNG uptake. And, at the same time, says the global classification society in its recent paper entitled, Global Marine Fuel Trends 2030, the marine fuel mix for bulk, containers and tankers…

The Maritime Simulation Institute in Middletown, R.I., is developing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering safety training course, with the first session to begin in June for Harvey Gulf International Marine. The 45-hour bunkering course for Harvey’s LNG bunkering persons-in-charge (PIC) will be offered ahead of any U.S. Coast Guard regulations governing LNG bunkering. The first course likely will include Harvey Gulf master’s, mates and engineers. Courses will be offered at MSI facilities at Texas A&M outside Houston and at MFA, the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow, west of Boston.

At the 151st Annual Meeting of the Members of ABS, and the subsequent meeting of the ABS Council, industry leaders were elected to serve on a number of bodies that contribute to the operation of the classification society as it fulfills its mission of promoting the security of life and property and preserving the natural environment. "ABS' strength as a global classification society is drawn from its membership and the many regional, national and technical committees that contribute to the process of developing practical, impartial and authoritative standards," said ABS Chairman Robert D. Somerville. •    Robert G. •    James G. •    Maria F. •    Chow Yew Yuen, Keppel Offshore & Marine USA Inc. •    Dr. Jen-Hwa Chen, Chevron Shipping Co. •    Dr.

Wärtsilä contracted for a complete (LNG) package, including propulsion, auxiliaries & controls, for a new OSV designed by STX Marine. The ship has been ordered by Harvey Gulf International Marine as a part of the company’s ‘Going Green’ initiative. The vessel will operate in the Gulf of Mexico’s offshore oilfields. Wärtsilä will supply the steerable thrusters, an Integrated Automation System, the Power Management System, a complete Low Loss Concept for the electrical distribution and drive architecture.

Offshore vessels in the Gulf of Mexico have become more energy efficient in recent years and are polluting less because of changes in engines, bunker fuels and building materials. At the same time, Gulf of Mexico builders have responded to meet new regulations, customer needs. At Harvey Gulf International Marine in New Orleans, Environmental Compliance Coordinator Nicole Eddlemon said “adoption of energy-saving vessels in the U.S. is driven by North American Emission Control Area or ECA regulations, initiated by the Obama Administration and the U.S.

In a contract worth $110 million, Trinity to build two dual fuel LNG-powered PSV’s for Harvey Gulf. Wartsila to supply integrated system that includes the dual-fuel machinery. 7 October 2011: Harvey Gulf International Marine has signed a deal with Trinity Offshore which will eventually produce the first two dual fuel LNG-powered offshore  vessels under U.S. flag. The deal, reportedly worth at least $110 million, calls for the delivery of the first vessel in November 2013 with the second hull to follow about 4 months later. The vessels will be built in Trinity’s Gulfport location. Initially, Signal International was  the frontrunner for the contract, but ultimately, Harvey Gulf chose Trinity.