Cowan News

The catastrophic bridge collapse that closed the Port of Baltimore to ship traffic is unlikely to trigger a major new U.S. supply chain crisis or spike goods prices, due to ample and growing spare capacity at competing East Coast ports, economists and logistics experts say.With six people still missing after a container ship collision destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, it remained unclear how long the span's twisted superstructure would block the harbor's mouth.But port officials…

The U.S. House of Representatives easily passed a bill on Friday to bolster sanctions on Iranian oil in a strong bipartisan vote.The Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) bill, which passed 342-69, would impose measures on foreign ports and refineries that process petroleum exported from Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.U.S. lawmakers are debating several pieces of legislation to pressure Iran after the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by Hamas that killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians.

Lithuanian ship designer Western Baltic Engineering (WBE) has unveiled its latest trawler design, engineered to meet the demands of the modern fishing industry with an emphasis on high performance, large cargo capacity and crew comfort.WBE’s senior sales manager, Chris Cowan, said, “We’ve created a ‘workhorse’ of a trawler that doesn’t sacrifice crew comfort.”The trawler has a large cargo capacity of 1300m3, LOA of 49,50m and a speed of 12 knots. Designed for 16 crew members, all have single cabins…

Lithuanian ship designer Western Baltic Engineering (WBE) is to unveil two new models of its electric 'pusher' vessel series, known as the Electric Eel, at the WorkBoat trade show in New Orleans.The vessels are the latest editions to the first series of battery powered 'pushers' ever designed. Known as EE20 and EE26 the latest vessels are being adapted from the original model EE27 launched by WBE in August. According to WBE, they offer different functionality including the ability to ‘pull’ as well as greater power and range capabilities.

The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill to improve oversight of ocean shipping, a step supporters say will help ease export backlogs.The Ocean Shipping Reform Act, led by Senators John Thune and Amy Klobuchar, would strengthen the investigatory authority of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), the U.S. agency that oversees ocean shipping, and boost transparency of industry practices.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the legislation "will reduce costs for the American people…

The U.S. Senate will vote on Thursday on a bill being pushed by Republican Ted Cruz to slap sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline in Europe, although it is not expected to garner enough support to pass.The bill is scheduled for a vote at around 2:45 p.m. ET (1945 GMT), according to Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff.Cruz struck a deal with Democrats last month to get a vote before Jan. 14 on the Russia-to-Germany natural gas pipeline in exchange for lifting his hold on dozens of Democratic President Joe Biden's ambassador nominations.Under the deal…

Several Democratic U.S. senators said late on Monday, after meeting with Biden administration officials, that they believe sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline backed by Republican Senator Ted Cruz could harm relations with Germany.Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and President Joe Biden's global energy security adviser Amos Hochstein met on Monday behind closed doors with about 10 Democratic senators who have been undecided on the Cruz bill.The legislation is expected to get a Senate vote this week after both parties struck a deal last month…

Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) hosted commencement exercises on Saturday, April 17, 2021, for 154 graduates of the company’s Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding. Due to the COVID-19 environment, and in an effort to keep all employees, staff, graduates and their guests safe, the ceremony was held outdoors at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton.“A drive-in movie-style graduation is likely not what you expected, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that the past year in many ways isn’t what any of us expected…

The U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was launched Monday at Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding yard in Virginia.Following the launch, the Ford Class aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), was guided with help from six tugboats down the James River about a mile from Newport News Shipbuilding’s Dry Dock 12, where it has been under construction, to the shipyard’s Pier 3. There, the ship will undergo additional outfitting and begin…

The U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) was christened Saturday during a ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division.The second aircraft carrier in the Ford Class, John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is also the second aircraft carrier built by Newport News Shipbuilding named for JFK. Like its forerunner CVN 78, Kennedy is a truly electric aircraft carrier, with many of the systems powered by steam on Nimitz-class carriers now powered by electricity.

The Council of American Master Mariners is holding its annual Professional Development Conference. CAMM has issued "a call for papers."The event takes place on 25 April 2019. Details to follow:Where: Island Palms Hotel & Marina, 2051 Shelter Island Drive in San Diego, California 92106 United StatesTheme: Who is Really in Command of the Ship?Benefits for Presenters: Presenters get one night free with meals on day of Conference. Ten minutes from San Diego Airport.For more Details…

Teekay Offshore GP LLC, the general partner of Teekay Offshore Partners L.P., announced today that Jan Rune Steinsland has been appointed the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Teekay Offshore Group Ltd., a management services company that provides services to the Partnership’s subsidiaries (together with the Partnership, the Teekay Offshore Group) effective September 3, 2018. The Partnership’s interim CFO, Tim Cowan, will step down effective September 3, 2018, but will remain with the Partnership for a period of time to ensure a smooth transition.Steinsland brings approximately 30 years of energy and offshore industry experience, including most recently serving as CFO of drilling contractor Songa Offshore SE…

Dueling tariffs raise fears of long A U.S.-China trade fight resulting in duties on $34 billion worth of each other's imports was seen dragging on for a potentially prolonged period, as Washington and Beijing flexed their muscles with no sign of negotiations to ease tensions.Friday marked the start of the U.S. duties that were promptly met with retribution by China, as Beijing accused the United States of triggering the "largest-scale trade war."The escalating fight between the…

The challenges and opportunities posed by alternative fuels, safety management and social media dominated Interferry’s 42nd annual conference in Split, Croatia, where a record 370 delegates shared insights on ship technologies, safety issues including cyber security and the customer experience. Attendance at last week’s conference represented 210 ferry operators and suppliers from 27 countries. Mediterranean ferry operators voiced their concerns on meeting the 0.5 percent sulphur emissions cap due in 2020. Minoan Lines managing director Antonios Maniadakis complained that using low sulphur fuel would increase costs by €2 million per year.

Was the closing of the Houston Ship Channel for over three days in March 2015 due to the use of Ultra Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (ULSFO)? After reviewing the testimony, and evidentiary material presented by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the 2015 Conti Peridot’s collision with the Carla Maersk, it is the authors' opinion the report fails to address significant contributing factors. The NTSB has overlooked a serious threat to vessel operations throughout the world.

U.S. oil drilling has seen its best quarter since crude prices tumbled two years ago mainly due to small operators returning to the well pad, but analysts say the continued recovery in the rig count depends on whether OPEC's output reduction plan can bring the market back to $50 a barrel. Since May, drillers have added 100 oil rigs with the rig count rising to 416 rigs last week, that included the most additions in a quarter since the first quarter of 2014, according to oil service firm Baker Hughes Inc. The number of rigs had plunged from a record high of 1,609 in October 2014 to a low of 316 in May after crude prices collapsed in the biggest price rout in a generation, in part due to U.S. shale producers adding to a global oil glut.

InterMoor said it has completed the final tensioning and chain cutting operations on the FPSO Turritella for the Shell Stones project, located in the Walker Ridge protraction area in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The FPSO Turritella will connect to subsea infrastructure located beneath approximately 9,500 ft (2,896 m) of water, breaking the existing water depth record for an oil and gas production facility. This ultra-deepwater project marks the first FPSO for Shell in the GoM, and the second FPSO in the GoM.

Tension over the South China Sea highlights the need for the United States to maintain a strong navy to serve as a deterrent, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday, criticizing the Obama administration for proposals he said would reduce the U.S. naval fleet. "This just shows that we need to have a strong navy," Ryan said at a news briefing. "We should not have a president proposing to lower our ship count to pre World War One levels.

The U.S. Senate agreed on Tuesday to advance a bipartisan energy efficiency bill, but it could die unless lawmakers end a stalemate on how to proceed with the long-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline project. The Senate voted 79-20 to move toward a debate on the energy bill, making it the first big energy legislation to reach the Senate floor since 2007. Sponsored by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, the White House-backed bill would save energy through tougher building codes and by making the federal governmentinstall new technologies. Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat…

International accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens said shipping companies should explore leasing opportunities as a way of adjusting their self-owned and chartered-in tonnage balance in response to the radical changes that have taken place in ship financing in recent years. Phil Cowan, the firm’s Head of Corporate Finance, said, “The traditional thinking of a company needing to own all the resources it uses to operate has been successfully challenged for many years in the shipping industry by the use of extensive outsourcing.

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) ANNEX VI Regulation 14 requires ships with Marine Compression-Ignition Engines at or Above 30 Liters per Cylinder use fuel with sulfur content less than 0.1%, after 01 January 2015 within the Baltic Sea area – as defined in Annex I of MARPOL, North Sea area – as defined in Annex V of MARPOL; within 200 miles of the North American area and when operating in the United States Caribbean Sea area – as defined in Appendix VII of Annex VI of MARPOL.

MarineNews contributor (Captain) Jeff Cowan handicaps the current system of medical evaluations and credentialing by the U.S. Coast Guard. It’s not all smooth sailing. “While the U.S. Coast Guard regrets any hardship merchant mariners may experience to maintain their credentials, we must maintain the safety of the Marine Transportation System through a comprehensive MMC (Merchant Marine Credential) evaluation process. This allows the U.S. The U.S. Coast Guard issued these words in response to a query made by a congressional representative on behalf of a prospective mariner regarding incorrect Medical Credential date of expiration after three weeks of no response from the National Mariner Center (NMC) in Martinsburg, WV.

Twelve Pacific Rim countries on Monday reached the most ambitious trade pact in a generation, aiming to liberalize commerce in 40 percent of the world's economy in a deal that faces skepticism from U.S. lawmakers. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact struck in Atlanta after marathon talks could reshape industries, change the cost of products from cheese to cancer treatments and have repercussions for drug companies and automakers. Tired negotiators worked round the clock over the weekend to settle tough issues such as monopoly rights for new biotech drugs.