Industrial Service News

Eqva, an owner of industrial service companies, said Monday it would divest Havyard Leirvik Yard in Norway to a Turkish buyer.“The sale of Havyard Leirvik will free up important resources, both human and financial, enabling a concentrated focus on further development of Eqva’s current industrial portfolio, and look for new investment opportunities,” said Even Matre Ellingsen, Chair of the Board of Eqva. Havyard Leirvik is being sold to Tersan Shipyard, a Turkish-based shipbuilder.

Zero emission is a nice idea, but who’s going to pay for it? The U.S. EPA is readying big money for zero emission ports.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working on two high-profile port initiatives that it hopes will move the needle in a big way towards U.S. ports’ zero emissions (ZE) operations and clean air goals.The first initiative started last May when EPA published a request for information and comments that would help the Agency develop Guidance it could use to evaluate funding requests for projects for zero-emission vehicles, port equipment and related infrastructure.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Vice Chairman Ga Sam-hyeon has received the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit for his contribution to national industrial development.The award was made in recognition of his achievements as a manager who contributed to the development and take-off of Korea's shipbuilding industry.The award was presented at the 20th Shipbuilding and Maritime Day Ceremony held in Seoul on September 20.Ka joined the ship sales division of HD…

Batteries for maritime power have been picking up big momentum, benefiting from the most basic concept within Econ 101: supply and demand.On May 19 Corvus Energy announced it would establish a lithium ion battery manufacturing facility in Port Bellingham, Wash., just north of Seattle. Corvus Energy is a leading supplier of battery energy storage systems (BESS) for marine applications. Its systems already power more than 30 North American vessels, as well as 29 hybrid port cranes and 11 land-based drilling rigs.Geir Bjørkeli…

Houston-based Industrial Service Solutions (ISS) announced Thursday it is seeking bids from U.S. shipyards to build up to four hulls for what will become North America's first fully-electric towboats.The zero-emissions vessels, which will be constructed for New York-based Zeeboat and available for charter from 2025, will run entirely on battery power, without the use of diesel engines—a first for towboats in North America. Vancouver, B.C.-based Shift Clean Energy will deliver the battery energy storage systems.ISS…

A series of four fully-electric, zero-emissions towboats announced this week are set to become the first built in North America as vessel owners and operators continue to explore new avenues to decarbonize.The new towboats, designed to support cleaner container transport in America's ports and inland waterways, will be built for New York-based Zeeboat and available for charter from 2025. Notably, they'll run entirely on battery power, without the use of diesel engines—a first…

The oilfield trucking provider Mullen Group has announced the closing of the acquisition of  hydro excavation company Canadian Hydrovac (CHL). CHL is a private company owned by Dan Shemanchuk which is based in Sherwood Park, Alberta. CHL is an industry leader in providing hydrovac services to the midstream, pipeline, construction and municipal sectors of western Canada. In addition to operating from its head office in the refinery complex of the greater Edmonton region and Alberta's Industrial Heartland, CHL has additional operating branches in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and Saskatchewan. The Company's workforce consists of approximately 80 skilled employees and its fleet consists of over 50 specialized pieces of equipment including: hydrovac units…

ASA Sets the Record Straight. The U.S. salvage industry came under attack at a recent Congressional hearing on May 3 by a special commercial interest that is promoting its own agenda. The American Salvage Association (ASA) intends to set the record straight. At the hearing, the attacking group made false allegations that the Salvage and Marine Firefighting (SMFF) resource providers are not willing or contractually obligated to respond and lack the resources to meet regulated response requirements. At the same hearing, this group also criticized the U.S.

In a recent statement at a U.S. Congressional hearing, American Salvage Association (ASA) President, Todd Schauer, defended the response capabilities of the industry, and, by extension, the implementation of regulations themselves by the U.S. Coast Guard. “It has come to the attention of the American Salvage Association leadership that the resource and response capabilities of the four national salvage and marine firefighting (SMFF) resource providers have been questioned recently,” he said.

GE Marine’s LM6000 aeroderivative marine gas turbine PC and PG models have received Lloyd’s Register’s Design Appraisal Document to the Marine Naval Vessel Rules (NVR). According to Ge, the fuel-efficient LM6000 simple-cycle gas turbine delivers over 40% thermal efficiency. The GE LM6000PC marine produces 42 megawatts (MW)/59,900 shaft horsepower (shp) and the more powerful PG model has an output of 52 MW/70,275 shp. “With the LM6000 Lloyd’s Register’s Design Appraisal to Naval Vessel Rules obtained…

This month’s featured INSIGHTS executive is Steven A. Candito, President and CEO of the National Response Corporation (NRC). He has extensive experience with OPA 90 compliance issues with particular focus on vessel owner and insurance matters. Candito was previously an attorney with Haight Gardner Poor & Havens, specializing in maritime litigation and environmental law. He also served as a marine engineer aboard Exxon USA’s domestic tanker fleet from 1980 to 1985. Candito is a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE: HOS) announced results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009. Third quarter 2009 revenues decreased 17.4% to $90.1 million compared to $109.1 million for the third quarter of 2008. Operating income was $27.1 million, or 30.1% of revenues, for the third quarter of 2009 compared to $52.6 million, or 48.2% of revenues, for the prior-year quarter. Net income for the third quarter of 2009 was $13.8 million, or $0.51 per diluted share, compared to $33.3 million, or $1.23 per diluted share for the year-ago quarter. EBITDA for the third quarter of 2009 was $43.6 million compared to third quarter 2008 EBITDA of $65.5 million.

While it would be foolhardy to classify Leevac as a cutting-edge ship and boatbuilder, the Jennings, La.-based company quietly goes about its business of building high quality vessels in an efficient manner. Unassuming president Fred Stokes sits at the helm of the company that has weathered markets good and bad, and watched as competitors and colleagues have been oftentimes swept overboard by financial maelstroms. The secret to Leevac's success lies not in its physical facilities, though the company is not hesitant to invest should a proven technology help to make its operations more efficient. Its success lies in, trite as it sounds, relationships with its customers, offering a known quantity with little or no surprises.

Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. of Mandeville La. delivered its first Classed DP II PSV, HOS Innovator, for service. Leevac Industries of Jennings, La. constructed the vessel to Hornbeck's design. Upon delivery, the vessel began a three-year charter with Sonsub Inc. of Houston, Texas as a multi functional ROV Support Vessel. Measuring 240 x 54 x 18 ft. (73.1 x 16.4 x 5.4 m), this vessel is the first of six DP II classed vessels to be delivered to Hornbeck Offshore during the next eight months. The latest of the HOS "New Breed" has been uniquely engineered to offer numerous advantages over existing tonnage in the U.S flag fleet. The unique hull form assists in making the Innovator a very DP capable and fuel-efficient vessel.

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico region is again poised to prosper, spurred by the buzz of activity surrounding the oil patch, and specifically the renewed vigor with which companies will explore and develop deepwater fields for the production of natural resources. Though the resumption of business at "full throttle" has taken perhaps a bit longer than many observers would have initially predicted, particularly given the continued high price of oil and gas and the "pro" oil industry political team occupying the White House, it is a safe bet that, at least for the next several years, the offshore oil business will ensure that the marine business in the GOM region is a prosperous one.

On March 16, 2003, Hornbeck Offshore Services (HOS) took delivery of the HOS Bluewater from LEEVAC Industries LLC. The vessel was delivered to Hornbeck Offshore two weeks ahead of schedule and immediately began a term charter for an unnamed operator. The HOS Bluewater is the first of four deepwater OSV's that will be delivered to Hornbeck Offshore by year's end. Designed by and built for Hornbeck Offshore Services, LLC, the HOS BLUEWATER is the company's seventh DP-2 vessel. HOS Bluewater measures 240 x 54 x 19-ft. The latest of the HOS "New Breed" has been uniquely engineered to offer numerous advantages over existing tonnage. The unique hull form assists in making the Bluewater a very DP capable and fuel-efficient vessel.