Early Start News

Daily ship crossings on the Panama Canal, one of the world's main maritime trade routes, will be reduced to 31 from 32 to soften the impact from a severe drought that is expected to last until next year, the authorities managing the canal said.The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) in recent months has imposed various passage restrictions to conserve water, including cutting vessel draft and daily passage authorizations, which are normally 36 per day.ACP said late on Friday that due to the ongoing water crisis…

The Panama Canal could further reduce the maximum number of authorized daily vessel transits if this year's drought continues, the waterway's administrator said on Tuesday.A backlog of ships is waiting to pass through the trans-oceanic canal, which handles an estimated 5% of world trade. It began restricting vessel draft and daily passage authorizations this year to conserve water.Many vessels have had to lighten cargoes before passing, and freight costs have risen ahead of the Christmas shopping season.Up to 32 ships are currently authorized to transit every day…

The Panama Canal's water levels have not recovered enough as the end of the rainy season approaches and limits on daily transit and vessel draft will stay in place for the rest of the year and throughout 2024, the waterway's authority said on Tuesday.The restrictions, implemented earlier this year to conserve water amid prolonged drought, triggered a backlog of ships waiting to pass the key global waterway, which handles an estimated 5% of world trade, contributing to more expensive…

Before the Ever Max ship carrying lava lamps, sofas, Halloween costumes and artificial Christmas trees could make its inaugural Panama Canal voyage this month, a historic drought forced it to drop weight by offloading hundreds of containers.Weather-related disruptions denied the vessel, owned by Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine, a chance on Aug. 1 to set a record for carrying the most containers through the vital maritime shortcut that connects the Pacific and Atlantic…

The recently approved federal work plan contains the final piece of funding for The Port of Virginia’s dredging project that will create the deepest and widest shipping channels on the U.S. East Coast by late 2024.The work plan, released last week by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, allocates funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) and contains $72 million for the dredging project. The federal government and the port agreed to a 50-50 cost share of the project at its outset in 2015 when the U.S.

The U.S. government on Thursday forecast an above-normal 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, which is already off to an early start with a storm expected to form off Bermuda this week.The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast between three and five major hurricanes, with sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour (178 kph), will form in 2021.Between six and 10 hurricanes with winds of at least 74 mph (119 kph) are expected out of 13-20 tropical storms in 2021, NOAA forecasters said.

The Nordic energy company Gasum said its LNG bunkering vessel Coralius has successfully performed its 200th ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation.The vessel receiving the LNG fuel was Fjord Line’s MS Stavangerfjord. The bunkering took place while Stavangerfjord underwent periodical maintenance at the Fayard yard in Odense, Denmark.“We normally supply LNG to Stavangerfjord by a loading arm on a regular basis directly from our LNG plant in Risavika,” said Gunnar Helmen, Sales Manager at Gasum.“It’s great to get this opportunity to supply the cruise ferry with LNG in dock in Denmark. Having been fueled with fresh LNG, Stavangerfjord will return to her regular Stavanger-Bergen-Hirtshals route.

U.S. total oil production, which is already off to an amazing start in 2019,  is on track to set another record for this year.New records are expected both when the final numbers for May emerge and at the end of the year, said Rystad Energy.The energy research and business intelligence company is raising its forecast for US crude output to 13.4 million barrels per day (bpd) by December 2019. For May 2019, our research and calculations point to crude oil production averaging 12.5 million bpd. Both are new all-time highs.“Our US supply projections have been revised up yet again. US oil production is already higher than many in the market believe…

Ulstein, now a century old, has spent the last 100 years looking to the future. Since its formation on August 9, 1917 in Ulsteinvik, Norway, the family-owned shipbuilder, designer and systems supplier said it has focused on tomorrow’s opportunities today. Over the years, Ulstein has evolved through innovation and pioneered trailblazing solutions, driven by its desire to meet shifting customer demands, commercial openings and market challenges head-on. There isn’t much that remains the same in a century of operation…

Norwegian Marine Transportation Service Company I.M. Skaugen SE reported interim losses but cautiously positive and expecting a gradual recovery of trading opportunities for long routes the petrochemical market. The gas carrier owner reported profit before and after tax of minus $ 5.1 million (loss) in Q2 2016. The same quarter a year ago profit before and after tax minus $ 0.5 million. Freight revenues amounted to $ 18.5 million in this year's 2nd quarter, against 15.7 million in last year. I.M. Skaugen SE’s (IMSK) core business is liquefied gas transportation. The fleet of 15 advanced gas carriers is operated in a revenue sharing pool managed by Norgas Carriers Pte Ltd.

Höegh LNG is upbeat on the group’s FSRU prospects as its profit rise comes on the back of an almost tripled average regasification flow rate on Höegh LNG’s FSRU fleet compared with the same quarter last year, owing to increased imports driven by ample supplies of LNG being available at low prices. All five FSRUs in Höegh LNG’s fleet operated in accordance with contract and without incidents during the quarter, the company said. "As a consequence of ample LNG being available at low prices, the average regasification flow rate on Höegh LNG's FSRU fleet has almost tripled compared with the same quarter last year," says the statement. It adds:"This clearly demonstrates that demand for LNG into new markets continues to increase…

Japan's highest-ranking military officer on Friday urged an early start to a "crisis management" mechanism with China amid conflicting claims to a group of tiny East China Sea islands. Relations between China and Japan, the world's second- and third-largest economies, have also been strained by the legacy of Japan's wartime occupation of its larger Asian neighbour. Patrol ships and fighter jets from both countries have shadowed each other regularly near the uninhabited islands, prompting fears an accidental collision or other incident could escalate into a larger conflict. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed this month to start work on maritime crisis management.

The arrival of the cruise ship Norwegian Star at Lerwick Harbour today (Thursday 25 September) marks the end of the Shetland port's best season yet, with two records achieved. Passenger numbers reached a new high at 43,056, topping the previous record of 37,572 in 2012, with the vessel tonnage figure of 1,682,985 gross tonnes exceeding the record of 1,531,097 gross tonnes two years ago. Making her second visit to Lerwick after a maiden call last year, the 294-metre, 91,740 gross tonne Norwegian Star arrived from Bergen, Norway, this morning with 2,282 passengers on board, leaving later in the day for Reykjavik, Iceland. She was the 49th cruise ship of the year at Lerwick where the early start to the season in March was delayed by bad weather in the North Sea.

Lerwick Harbour recorded strong performances across various key sectors in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2013. However, seasonal factors impacted negatively on passenger traffic in particular. • Cargo across the near-4,000 metres of quays increased 19% to 282,060 tonnes. • It included 43,388 tonnes of oil-related shipments, up 60% due to movement of heavy items, such as offshore anchor chains, and increased supplies. • Fish landings totalled 32,577 tonnes, valued at £33 million – up 40% on volume and 57% on value. Bad weather in the North Sea hit the scheduled month-early start to the cruise season, with only one of three vessels due in March reaching Lerwick, bringing 609 passengers.

Three heroic teams of oarsmen from Thomas Miller P&I in London as well as sister team at Thomas Miller Asia-Pacific have all successfully completed their legs of the Big Row charity event. In total some eighty teams from the international maritime community took part in a 'virtual' row of the length of Lake Malawi to raise funds for the ongoing refurbishment of the 'MV Chauncy Maples' as a medical clinic ship. The main event took place in Spitalfields Market in the City of London on the evening of the 11th September.

In a climate of both seemingly fat backlogs and at the same time uncertainty for domestic shipyards, Vigor Industrial is one company that continues to make news in the shipbuilding and repair merger and acquisition markets. After acquiring Todd Pacific Shipyards in 2011 for $130 million, Vigor also diversified its geographic offerings when it scooped up Alaska Ship and Drydock in Ketchikan after raising $75 million through private equity firm Endeavour Capital. Vigor CEO Frank Foti continues to build scale through acquisitions, while diversifying the company’s construction and repair capabilities to include cargo fleets, barges and workboats, ferries, and US Navy and Coast Guard vessels, among others.

On February 6, 2013, President Obama traveled to Newport News, Virginia to tour the shipbuilding site and address the impact of the looming sequester. The President:  Hello, Newport News! Well, it is good to see all of you here today. I want to thank your CEO, Mike Petters, for showing me around. I usually don’t get a chance to hang out with nuclear submarines, especially submarines that my wife has sponsored. (Applause.)  So right there, that was worth the trip. But most importantly…

Coldharbour Marine Ltd., UK-based marine inert gas and ballast water treatment specialists, has joined the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) Marine Partner scheme as a Marine Affiliate, able to draw on the numerous advantages of corporate partnership with IMarEST, a professional body for the global marine community. “We are delighted to welcome Coldharbour Marine as Marine Affiliates, which offers them a package of services, employee engagement, professional development opportunities, networking, technical support and information opportunities, providing them with a platform to demonstrate their strong commitment to developing employee skills,” said IMarEST’s Chief Executive, David Loosley.

The St. Lawrence Seaway opened for the 2001 navigation season on Friday, March 23, 2001, the earliest start in the 43-year history of the waterway that connects the middle of North America with the Atlantic Ocean. "The outlook is good for the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 2001 navigation year," said Guy Veronneau, president of Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. "Regardless of the softening of the North American economy, goods still need to be moved, and marine transportation remains the most cost-competitive and environmentally friendly way to do so," he added. Despite a late winter storm that hit the Seaway nexus of Montreal with heavy snow and freezing temperatures this week…

Dragon, the fourth Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyer built by BAE Systems for the Royal Navy, has set sail from the Clyde for the final time this week. Dragon set off from the company’s Scotstoun yard this morning, with a combined BAE Systems and Royal Navy crew, as she embarked on the journey to her new home port of Portsmouth. The vessel will be formally handed over to the Royal Navy at a ceremony on Wednesday 31 August. Despite the early start, around 100 employees came to watch as the ship they have worked on since in December 2005 made its final journey down the Clyde.

The St. Lawrence Seaway opened for the 2001 navigation season on March 23, 2001, the earliest start in the 43-year history of the waterway that connects the middle of North America with the Atlantic Ocean. "The outlook is good for the St. Lawrence Seaway in the 2001 navigation year," said Guy Veronneau, president of Canadian St. Regardless of the softening of the North American economy, goods still need to be moved, and marine transportation remains the most cost-competitive and environmentally friendly way to do so," he added. Despite a late winter storm that hit the Seaway nexus of Montreal with heavy snow and freezing temperatures this week, Seaway officials complied with requests from shippers for an early start to the season, clearing some sections with icebreakers.

In order to manage wind generation in its real-time and day-ahead markets, the system operator for the New England area of the U.S., ISO New England Inc., has awarded GL Garrad Hassan a two-year contract to provide wind power forecasting services to all wind in the ISO’s footprint, including generation within the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. GL Garrad Hassan is in the beginning stages of this project for the ISO, with plans to begin first forecast delivery in 2012. Accurate forecasting is the key to the management of any generation source that inherently depends on the variability of the weather, requiring advanced short-term prediction of  generation to make it approach the manageability of conventional electricity sources.

Crowley's petroleum transportation group recently made history, as its 155,000-barrel ATB, Sea Reliance/550-1, became the largest of its kind to have ever transited Alaskan waters. Under the watchful command of Capt. Scott Murdock, Sea Reliance/550-1 completed a voyage from Martinez, Calif., to Anchorage, Alaska carrying a full load of jet fuel. The journey, which occurred without incident, was met with several weather concerns because of an early start to the winter storm season.