Luzon News

As tankers, car-carriers and other merchant vessels pass through the Malacca Strait, unlit fishing boats criss-cross the shipping lanes at night, making it one of the most challenging sea areas of the world to transit, even during peacetime.Should a major war ever come to Asia, those challenges could be magnified spectacularly, with hundreds of vessels abruptly leaving the international waters in the middle of the Strait for what they hope might be the relative safety of the national territorial waters of nearby neutral nations.The Strait – between Thailand…

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) was racing against time to rescue more passengers from a vessel that capsized near Manila in strong winds on Thursday with the loss of at least 25 lives, officials said.It was not immediately clear how many people were on board, but disaster official Neil Ferrer told DZRH radio that 40 people had been rescued and a search is ongoing for six missing people.Members of the coast guard were seen pulling a body of what looked like a woman without a life vest from choppy waters as they carried out search and rescue operations, a video shared by the PCG showed.The boa

Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday that the wreck of a Japanese merchant ship, sunk in World War Two with 864 Australian soldiers on board, had been found in the South China Sea, ending a tragic chapter of the country's history.Marles said the SS Montevideo Maru, an unmarked prisoner of war transport vessel missing since being sunk off the Philippines' coast in July 1942, had been discovered northwest of Luzon island.The ship was torpedoed en route from what is now Papua New Guinea to China's Hainan by a U.S. submarine, unaware of the POWs onboard.

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier and Philippine-flagged motor tanker collided off Luzon Point, Mariveles, Bataan at around 12:15 a.m.

U.S. oil major Chevron has completed the exit from the Shell-operated Malampaya gas project offshore the Philippines with the sale of its 45% non-operating interest in the field to Udenna Corporation. The sale deal was signed in October 2019.The Malampaya natural gas field lies about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of the Philippine island of Palawan. Net daily production during 2019 averaged 136 million cubic feet of natural gas and 3,000 barrels of condensate.Produced from fields at water depths of about 2…

Philippine authorities have given Excelerate Energy LP permission to proceed on plans to develop a floating natural gas import terminal to supply existing and new power generation.Texas-headquartered player in floating LNG regasification solutions, received a notice to proceed (NTP) from the Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) to develop Luzon LNG, which would be a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) terminal in the Bay of Batangas.The project, Luzon LNG, will supply natural gas, sourced from LNG, to existing and new gas-fired power plants in the region that provide electricity to Luzon including the area of Metro Manila. This abundant and secure source of gas supply will augment the existing gas production from the domestic Malampaya fields…

Japanese shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) said that its liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier 'Energy Advance' rescued a castaway in the Pacific Ocean about 970km off Luzon Island in the Philippines.The vessel was underway from the port of Ogishima, Japan to Dampier, Australia on July 1 when it received a rescue request.The rescue assistance request was issued by the Guam Rescue Coordination Centre, it said.The LNG carrier rushed to the scene and at around 11:10 the same day, one castaway was safely rescued from the yacht Shuten Dohji Ⅱ.Energy Advance, a Japan registry ship, has 119,233 ton gross tonnage and has 31 crew including Japanese and Indonesian.

French cable company Nexans said that  it has been awarded a full turnkey contract worth more than $113m  for the manufacturing, delivery and installation of 350 kV HVDC submarine cable in the Philippines.Nexans has been awarded a full turnkey contract for the submarine link of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) launched by National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).To optimise the delivery of the submarine cabling system for the MVIP to connect the three power grids of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao into one unified national grid, Nexans will leverage on its global manufacturing footprint.The 350 kV submarine MI cable will be manufactured in Nexans' Nippon High Voltage Cable Corporation plant in Futtsu, Japan as well as in Nexans Norway plant in Halden.

The Batangas International Port or locally known as the Batangas Pier in Philippines said that  Batangas Container Terminal (BCT), managed by listed Asian Terminals Inc.(ATI), has continuously stepped up its role as international trade facilitator in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and has effectively helped decongest Metro Manila roads.Early in November, BCT achieved a new operations milestone as it broke through the 200,000-TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) cargo volume mark for the first time in a single year since its start-up in 2010.With this achievement and still a month to go before 2018 ends, BCT already surpassed its full-year cargo throughput of over 197,000 teus in 2017.

Philippine fuel retailer Phoenix Petroleum said it had agreed to partner with a subsidiary of state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) to explore building a receiving terminal for liquefied natural gas in the country.The Philippines is seeking investors to build a storage and distribution facility for imported LNG as it moves to replace its Malampaya gas reserves, expected to be depleted by 2024.Phoenix Petroleum, owned by a local businessman who helped bankroll President Rodrigo Duterte's 2016 election campaign…

In celebration of its 100th anniversary in the Philippines, APL today renewed its commitment to keep pioneering shipping solutions for the development of the Philippines’ shipping industry. Part of APL’s plan is to identify local partnerships to extend its reach to more outports in the Philippines, facilitate trading by opening new service routes and keep engaging industry stakeholders for the development of the sector. APL Chief Executive Officer, Nicolas Sartini said, “APL has laid a firm foundation in the Philippines since we established our presence here in 1917. Now, we are a leading ocean carrier in the market because of the trust of our customers and the reliable service that we deliver.

International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) new Container Freight Station (CFS) at the Subic Bay Freeport is at the forefront of ensuring the faster movement of goods in the Northern and Central Luzon markets. The two regions continue to grow, driven by industrial centers like Subic, Clark, Bataan, and Tarlac. Launched last year, the CFS is one of Subic Bay International Corp.’s (SBITC) value-added services. The CFS, envisioned to serve as a regional distribution center (RDC), makes the more efficient movement of goods possible because of its quicker clearing periods compared to other RDCs. It saves time, cuts costs, thereby helping improve margins for companies doing business with other countries.

China on Friday dismissed concerns expressed by the Philippine defence minister over what he believed to be survey missions by its ships deep into the southeast Asian nation's 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Amid a warming relationship, President Rodrigo Duterte has frequently praised China, but Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has remained openly suspicious, saying it has continued its fortification of manmade islands inside the Philippine EEZ. Lorenzana said Chinese ships were monitored in recent months at locations near the Philippines, with a warship spotted 70 miles off its western coast in the South China Sea and survey ships seen to the north and south of its eastern seaboard.

Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation (SBITC) recently opened its Dock Container Freight Station (CFS) at the New Container Terminal 2 (NCT 2) of the Subic Bay Freeport in Zambales. Inaugurated last 7 November, the CFS is the first and only facility of its kind to serve the Central Luzon Market. Roberto Locsin, SBITC General Manager, led the ribbon-cutting and welcomed partners from Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Bureau of Customs, and ECU Worldwide. “For the past two years, we have been working to improve our services here in Subic to attract more clients. We have the strategic location, manpower and infrastructure to sustain the market in Manila and the growing trade Central Luzon. With the completion of the CFS, SBITC adds more value to the services we offer,” said Mr. Locsin.

1942 - USS Wasp (CV 7) is torpedoed by a Japanese submarine while operating in the Southwestern Pacific in support of forces on Guadalcanal. USS O'Brien (DD 415) and USS North Carolina (BB 55) are also struck by torpedoes from the same submarine. 1943 - USS Saufley (DD 465) and a Catalina Patrol Bomber piloted by Lt. W. J. Geritz from Patrol Squadron Twenty Three (VP 23) sinks the Japanese submarine RO-101 100 miles southeast of San Cristobal, Solomons. 1944 - USS Pampanito (SS 383) and USS Sealion (SS 315) rescue 73 British and 54 Australian POWs who survive the loss of Japanese freighter…

The Philippines, eager to resume development of vital oil and gas reserves off its coast, will likely need to reach an accord with a Chinese government infuriated by last week's ruling that granted Manila a big victory in the South China Sea. The Philippines relies overwhelmingly on imports to fuel its fast-growing economy. That reliance will grow further in a few years when the main source of domestic natural gas runs out, so the clock is ticking for it to develop offshore fields that China shows no sign of loosening its grip on. Beijing has refused to recognise the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration that granted the Philippines sovereign rights to access offshore oil and gas fields, including the Reed Bank, a shallow tablemount some 85 nautical miles off its coast.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Thursday accused China of breaking a U.S.-brokered deal between the two nations on the Scarborough Shoal, an uninhabited rocky outcrop in the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim the waterway, through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne goods pass every year. Beijing seized control of Scarborough Shoal, near the main Philippine island of Luzon, in June 2012, following a three-month standoff after a Philippine Navy vessel tried to arrest Chinese fishermen found illegally hauling giant clams there.

1775 - American forces under Gen. Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen cross Lake Champlain and capture the British fort at Ticonderoga, New York. The US Navy has honored this action by naming five ships after the battle. 1862 - The Norfolk Navy Yard is burned before being evacuated by Confederate forces in a general withdrawal up the peninsula to defend Richmond. Also on this date, Pensacola is re-occupied by Union Army and Navy forces. Confederate forces destroyed the Navy Yard the day before. 1944 - USS Cod (SS 224) attacks a large Japanese convoy and destroyer off the west coast of Luzon.

Carter says U.S. promoting Asian peace and security. The chief U.S. defense official visited an American aircraft carrier transiting the disputed South China Sea on Friday, as China said one of its top military officers had visited islands and reefs in the region to oversee building work. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter flew to the nuclear-powered USS John C. Stennis for a two-hour visit as it sailed 60 to 70 miles west of the Philippines island of Luzon. While there, he dismissed China's characterization of a more robust U.S. military presence in the region as being the cause of heightened tensions. "What's new is not an American carrier in this region," Carter said aboard the Stennis, where he met U.S. troops and observed flight operations.

The John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG) is conducting routine operations in the South China Sea. The ships transited the Luzon Strait March 1 and have maintained a location in the eastern half of these international waters for four days. USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93), USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) all conducted a replenishment-at-sea today receiving advanced biofuel, aviation fuel and supplies from USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7). Flight operations have occurred daily with Carrier Airwing (CVW) 9 conducting 266 sorties. Numerous People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA(N)) vessels have remained in JCSSG's vicinity during this time period. "We have Chinese ships around us that we normally didn't see in my past experience," said Capt.

Waller Marine, Inc, (WMI), of Houston, Texas, has been contracted by Vires Energy Corporation of the Philippines to produce the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) of a nominal 400 MW Floating Power Plant (FPP) that will be installed in Southern Luzon for supply of power into the Luzon grid. Generating technology selected for the vessel will be Siemens Industrial Trent 60 WLE ISI dual fuel packaged gas turbine generator sets operating in simple cycle mode. The Project will be supplied with natural gas from a project specific offshore floating LNG storage…

A Panamanian cargo vessel MV Fortune Life sank off the coast 130 nautical off Vigan City in Ilocos Sur, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), uthorities said. The Coast Guard received a distress signal from Hong Kong about the maritime incident. According to the Public Information Office of PCG,   the search for 13 missing crew members is continuing. PCG Northwestern Luzon district commander and Captain Leovigildo Panopio said that they have dispatched two search and rescue (SAR) vessels to find the crew of  Fortune Life, which sank Friday past 8 pm. “Under the SAR plan, the search is perpendicular. We are looking for the survivors who were able to float,” he said.

A typhoon swept across the northern Philippines killing at least nine people as trees, power lines and walls were toppled and flood waters spread far from riverbeds, but tens of thousands of people were evacuated in time. Officials fear the death toll may rise after Typhoon Koppu tore through the main island of Luzon on Sunday leaving several remote towns and villages isolated due to flash floods and toppled trees and boulders blocking roads. Power was down in many areas. The storm, downgraded to a category 1 typhoon from category 4, was moving slowly north on Monday and was forecast to weaken to a tropical storm within hours. "We haven't reached many areas. About 60 to 70 percent of our town is flooded, some as deep as 10 feet (3 metres).