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First Ocean News

18 Dec 2023

China to Conduct Sea Trials for Its First Ultra-deepwater Drilling Ship

© robinimages / Adobe Stock

China will on Friday conduct sea trials for its first ocean research drilling vessel, capable of drilling at depths of more than 10,000 meters (32,800 feet), a key step towards beefing up the country's deep-sea oil and gas exploration capabilities.It is China's first vessel capable of ultra-deepwater research and drilling, Chinese state media reported on Monday. It can travel 15,000 nautical miles (27,780 kilometers) and operate for 120 consecutive days without returning to port.

07 Jun 2023

DNV Presents AIP for NoGAPS Ammonia-powered Gas Carrier Design

Rendering of the M/S NoGAPS ammonia-powered gas carrier. (Image: Breeze Ship Design)

Classification society DNV has awarded the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping in collaboration with Nordic Green Ammonia Powered Ships (NoGAPS) partners BW Epic Kosan, Yara, MAN Energy Solutions, Wärtsilä, Global Maritime Forum and Breeze Ship Design an Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design of an ammonia-powered gas carrier – the M/S NoGAPS. The certificate was presented during the Nor-Shipping trade fair at the DNV stand.The maritime industry is accelerating in its drive towards a multi-fuel zero carbon future.

26 May 2023

Cargo Vessel Completes Complex Autonomous Journey Off Coast of Norway

Eidsvaag Pioner vessel  ©Martin Giskegjerde via Kongsberg Maritime

Norway's Kongsberg Maritime said Friday it had successfully demonstrated a range of remote and autonomous technologies on a cargo vessel operating off the coast of Norway.The test cruise has been named one of the most complex autonomous journeys at sea so far, Kongsberg Maritime said.The Eidsvaag Pioner is one of the two vessels that are equipped for remote-operated and autonomous transport demonstrations for the AUTOSHIP project, which is part of Horizon 2020, an EU research program.Owned by the Eidsvaag shipping company…

29 Mar 2021

Seaspan Shipyards Begins Building Canada's New Research Ship

The Canadian Coast Guard’s Heather McDonald cuts the first steel at Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyard, marking the start of construction of Canada’s most modern science research ship. (Photo: Seaspan Shipyards)

Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan Shipyards announced on Monday it has cut steel and started full-rate construction of the newest oceanographic science research vessel for the Canadian Coast Guard and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.The 88-meter Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV) is being built under Canada's National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) at Seaspan’s multi-program Vancouver Shipyard concurrently with the first Joint Support Ship (JSS) for the Royal Canadian Navy.The OOSV will support oceanographic…

13 Apr 2020

Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor Kicks Off 2020 International Season

(Photo: Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor)

The first ocean-going vessel of 2020 arrived Monday at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, thereby commencing this year's international shipping season at the Great Lakes port.Port officials welcomed the M/V Muntgracht, a 466-foot general cargo carrier, after her five-day voyage through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the deepwater port on Lake Michigan. Due to the current global pandemic precautions, the ceremonial Steel Stein, a long-running tradition at the port, was canceled this…

19 Mar 2018

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises to name HANSEATIC inspiration

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will hold the naming ceremony for its second expedition ship, the HANSEATIC inspiration on October 13, 2019 against the backdrop of the Belgian port city of Antwerp. It will be the first time in the city’s history that an ocean-going cruise ship has been christened in Antwerp. The announcement was made at lunchtime today by the CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Karl J. Pojer, who spoke to invited representatives of the press and the Deputy Mayor of Antwerp, Koen Kennis. Once she has been christened, the HANSEATIC inspiration will set sail from Antwerp the following day for her 15-day maiden voyage to Tenerife. Karl J. Pojer…

07 Mar 2018

Viking Order for Six More Ocean Ships with Fincantieri

Viking Cruises has announced a new agreement with Fincantieri that could see the delivery of six additional ocean ships by 2027. The new understanding expands Viking's partnership with Fincantieri, raising the company's total ocean ship order and options to 16 – the highest-ever for a shipyard from a single owner. The agreement for the six additional ships, which will be delivered in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027, is subject to specific conditions. "When we launched our first ocean ship in 2015, we set out to reinvent ocean cruising. We focus on the destination, and we do not cram our ships with gimmicks and waterslides. Our understated, elegant, award-winning ships are designed to simply enable our guests to better explore their destination," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.

01 Jan 2018

Ottawa Express First Ship in Port of Montreal in 2018

By crossing the downstream limits of the Port of Montreal at Sorel at 11:55 a.m., the Ottawa Express became the first ocean-going vessel to reach the Port of Montreal without a stopover in 2018. The Ottawa Express under the command of Captain Rakesh Kumar, is a container ship operated by Hapag-Lloyd and represented in Montreal by the Robert Reford Agency. The Ottawa Express left the Port of Liverpool, England, on December 21st. It docked late afternoon at Berth 77 at Cast Terminal operated by Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership, after braving the freezing weather of this beginning of the year. On Wednesday, January 3, as part of an official ceremony…

16 Oct 2017

First Ocean Voyage of the Training Ship Unión

View of the Training Ship. (Photo: SENER)

On its first ocean voyage to Europe, the training ship ‘Unión’ – a large sailed vessel belonging to the Peruvian Navy – called on the port of Cádiz, as part of its second training mission and its first mission with a stop in Europe. On the request of the shipbuilder SIMA and the Peruvian Navy, the engineering and technology group SENER has developed the ship’s complete stability booklet, which required conducting advanced studies of its weights and ballast under various loads.

13 Apr 2017

First Ocean Vessel of 2017 Arrives at Port of Indiana

Photo: Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor

The first ocean vessel of the year arrived at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor marking the official opening of the international shipping season. Port officials welcomed the 413-foot general cargo carrier BBC Mont Blanc and presented the captain with the Ports of Indiana Steel Stein. "The arrival of the first ocean ship of the new year is an exciting time not only for our port, but also for our port companies and numerous other regional businesses that rely on the cargoes these vessels carry," said Port Director Ian Hirt. "For northwest Indiana, the opening of the St.

03 Mar 2017

New Tug for Vane Brothers

Fishing Creek (Photo: Vane Brothers)

Vane Brothers has taken delivery of the 3,000‐horsepower Fishing Creek, the 13th Maryland-built tugboat to join the Baltimore-based company’s expanding fleet in the last 10 years. Designed by Frank Basile, P.E., of Entech Designs, LLC, Fishing Creek is the latest of 20 Sassafras Class tugboats contracted through Chesapeake Shipbuilding of Salisbury, Md. Construction began in 2007 on the first-in‐series tugboat Sassafras, which, when delivered to Vane Brothers in 2008, was considered…

08 Jan 2017

First into Montreal gets Gold-Headed Cane

The President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), M me Sylvie Vachon, today presented the Gold-Headed Cane to the shipping agent Denis Blondeau SMK Tanker Agency for the captain Danel Ju. Mr. Danel Ju of South Korean nationality and is the commander of Chem Sirius , going vessel to enter the Port of Montreal without a stopover in 2017. The Chem Sirius left the port of Antwerp, Belgium, on 19 December. He spent the limits of the Port of Montreal on 1 st January to March h 16. M me Sylvie Vachon turned to the audience saying: "Just arrived in Antwerp, Belgium, Captain Ju had to start the same day to Charleston, South Carolina, on the vessel Chem Sirius .

17 Oct 2016

Florida's First Ocean-to-Air Transhipment

Already the busiest port of entry in America for international air freight, Miami International Airport will soon be able to receive perishable freight imports by sea as well – a first for any Florida airport – through a permit approved in September by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The first ocean-to-air trans-shipment is expected at MIA before the end of the year. “Congratulations to MIA and Port Miami, our County’s two largest economic engines, on collaborating to generate new revenue and better serve our local cargo industry,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. Customized Brokers, a subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corp.…

22 Jun 2016

Ocean Cleanup Prototype Set for a Test Run

The first ocean cleanup system ever tested at sea will soon be deployed for trials 23 kilometers (12 NM) off the Dutch coast. The goal of the test is to see how the floating barrier design is able to cope in extreme weather at sea during a 12-month period. The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch foundation developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic, unveiled its North Sea prototype today in the presence of The Netherlands government, as well as the main sponsor Boskalis, who will transport and install the prototype this week. “It has been inspiring to work with The Ocean Cleanup team to optimize the engineering of the barrier,” said Peter Berdowski, CEO of Boskalis.

25 Apr 2016

First Ocean Ship of 2016 Docks into Indiana Port

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor opened the 2016 international shipping season today with the arrival of the M.V. Lubie , a 623-foot bulk carrier from Europe. "Our port handles lakers and river barges year-round, but the first ocean vessel is always energizing for businesses and our workforce at the port," said Port Director Rick Heimann. "The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway provide a global connection for Indiana companies to ship goods to and from world markets. Having access to this international trade route is vitally important for the U.S. Owned and operated by the Polsteam Shipping Co., and built in 2011, the Bahamas-flagged Lubie picked up its steel cargo in Ijmuiden, Holland, and stopped in Cleveland before coming to the Port of Indiana.

18 Feb 2016

Hapag Lloyd to Test XVELA

Hapag-Lloyd has announced it has signed a cooperation agreement with XVELA’s Oakland based partner company XVELA to pilot test the new XVELA platform. With Cargotec in the process of acquiring the CAPSTAN stowage planning software used by Hapag-Lloyd, Cargotec company XVELA has signed up the German carrier to a pilot project. Hapag-Lloyd is the first ocean carrier to sign on for the pilot program of XVELA’s next-generation solution, underscoring the company’s long-standing commitment to innovation. The XVELA platform allows carriers and terminals to work together to improve visibility and increase efficiency throughout the vessel stowage planning and execution process.

28 Jan 2016

Port of Beaumont Celebrates Centennial

Photo courtesy of Port of Beaumont

2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the Port of Beaumont, a major deepwater port in Southeast Texas. A series of celebrations and public events began October 20th, when the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce presented the port with its Spindletop Award for outstanding corporate citizenship. A record crowd of 800 people were on hand for the 112th annual Chamber meeting, where keynote speaker, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, saluted the port for 100 years of service. Port officials have planned a number of events over the next six months to commemorate the Centennial.

24 Sep 2015

United Technologies: Joint Maritime Approach

Bart Otten

Maritime Reporter talks with Bart Otten, President, United Technologies Corporation Fire & Security EMEA, at this year’s biggest maritime trade show, the Nor-Shipping Exhibition, regarding the company’s Joint Maritime Approach. Bart Otten heads the Fire and Security Business Unit of UTC in Europe, Middle-East and Africa both for the land and marine business sides. He is also in charge of United Technologies’ entire Marine business initiative. Based in the Europe head office in Brussels, Otten, a Dutch citizen himself, has worked within the UTC Group since 2007.

29 Apr 2014

Offshore Energy Timeline:1806-2014

1806  - Spring pole cable drilling developed in US. 1844  - Fluid circulating rotary well drilling patented in England. 1845  - Circulated fluid used to remove drill cuttings for first time. 1860  - Fluid circulation rotary diamond coring drill developed in France. 1869 – T homas Fitch Rowland  patents  a “submarine drilling apparatus,” a fixed, working platform for drilling offshore to a depth of almost 50 feet. The anchored tower had telescoping legs, similar to modern offshore platforms. 1878  - First bulk oil tanker begins operation in the Caspian Sea. 1891  - First ocean-going tanker launched. 1897  - Wells drilled off piers in Summerland, Calif. 1905 – Oil discovered in the Caddo Pine Island field in Lousiana. 1911  -  Gulf Refining Co.

02 Apr 2015

“AIDAcara” Opens Kiel’s 2015 Cruise Shipping Season

AIDAcara (Photo: Port of Kiel)

Kiel’s 2015 cruise shipping season gets under way on Easter Saturday, April 4th. That’s when the first ocean-going cruise ship of the year, “AIDAcara”, ties up at the Ostseekai Terminal after calling at Lisbon, Le Havre and Dover. During the coming season Kiel expects a total of 127 calls by 23 different luxury cruise liners, many of them very big ships of more than 250 m in length. The Managing Director of the Port of Kiel (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG) Dr. Dirk Claus said: “The trend towards ever bigger cruise ships continues.

20 Apr 2015

First Ocean Vessel of 2015 Arrives at Port of Indiana

M/V Irma (Photo courtesy of Ports of Indiana)

The arrival of the 655-foot bulk carrier M/V Irma at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor signals the official opening of the port’s international shipping season. Port officials welcomed 2015's first ocean vessel on Monday with a ceremony presenting the Ports of Indiana "Steel Stein" to the ship's captain. "Our port is open year-round handling Great Lakes ships and river barges, but the first ocean vessel of the year signifies the opening of Northwest Indiana's gateway to the world," said Port Director Rick Heimann.

27 Jun 2015

Viking Sea Floated Out From Drydock

Viking Ocean Cruises has announced its second ship—the 930-passenger Viking Sea —was floated out from Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard, marking a major construction milestone and the first time that the new ship touches water. Viking marked the occasion with a traditional ceremony at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard, where the ship is under construction. Karine Hagen, Viking’s senior vice president of product and daughter of Torstein Hagen, will be godmother to Viking Sea and will officially “name” the ship during the christening ceremony in early 2016. “The day that new ship first touches water is always a special day, and today is indeed a proud one for our Viking family,” said Torstein Hagen, founder and chairman of Viking Cruises.

11 Feb 2014

Atlantic Offshore Charters Nexen Rescue Vessel

Ocean Tay

Aberdeen-based standby vessel operator Atlantic Offshore Rescue has commissioned a £6 million vessel for a long-term charter with Nexen Petroleum UK Ltd. (Nexen). Thirty new jobs have been created as a result of the new vessel, Ocean Tay, a Class A Emergency Response and Rescue Vessel (ERRV), which will provide emergency vessel cover for Nexen’s flagship Golden Eagle Area Development in the North Sea. The charter will last a minimum of two years. Atlantic Offshore Rescue is part of the Atlantic Offshore Group, which is based in Norway. Atlantic Offshore Rescue Ltd.