Marine Management Services News

Marine Professionals Inc. (MPI) is marking its 20th year in business, kicking off a year-long commemoration with a new celebratory logo and a secondary, complementary visual. The anniversary logo symbolizes MPI’s success over the past 20 years, as well as its commitment to its longstanding clients and overall philosophy of customer loyalty and care. The secondary logo rounds out new visual identifiers with a universally recognizable compass rose. Over the past two decades, MPI has sailed from expanding its ongoing yacht maintenance and management business, to charting the deeper waters of Marine Electronics, AV & Networking, and Emergency Crisis expertise, providing full-scale marine management services at its flagship location at Bahia Mar, Fort Lauderdale.

International marine risk management consultancy HudsonAnalytix has become the first U.S. company to be named an Incentive Provider for the international Green Award. The Green Award Foundation certifies maritime shipping companies and vessels that exceed legally required standards in terms of environment, safety and quality of operations. Incentive Providers recognize and reward the efforts of Green Award certificate holders by offering them an exclusive savings on services.

Crowley Maritime Corp. has formalized two new groups, Government Services and Global Ship Management, in a move that aims to better streamline its offerings to the growing government services sector and to continue expanding its global ship management business. The two new, standalone business segments, which were previously imbedded in other company business units, will allow Crowley and its personnel to better serve customers in these contracting segments. Leading the new business units are industry veterans Mike Golonka…

After being stuck in legal limbo for six months, a tanker loaded with 1 million barrels of Kurdish crude headed east on Tuesday to leave U.S. waters after Baghdad and the Kurds reached a deal to share oil revenue. The United Kalavrvta tanker, which had been anchored in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico since July, was headed across the Atlantic to Gibraltar, said the vessel's operator, Marine Management Services, based in Greece. It added that is has not received any orders to discharge the cargo. Last week, motions filed in a Houston court by lawyers for Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government showed the vessel would soon have to move to another destination in order to pass special surveys designed to maintain its class certification.

China's Unipec is taking two very large crude carriers with around 4 million barrels of Urals crude to Asia in a move to support Russia's main export grade, traders said on Thursday. Traders said Unipec had booked two VLCCs - Front Tina and British Vintage - and will fill it with the Russian crude after actively buying smaller cargoes in the Platts window in recent days. On Thursday, Unipec bought a 100,000 Urals tonnes cargo from Eni in the Baltic at dated Brent minus $1.45 a barrel for Sept 25-29 delivery, traders said. Unipec has become one of the most active players in the Urals market in recent years. The company used to take most…

Iraq said it filed a lawsuit against Greek shipping company Marine Management Services (MMS) for its role in the export of crude from the Kurdistan region, which Baghdad says is illegal. The case is the latest move by Baghdad to deter customers and thwart independent exports of crude from the autonomous Kurdistan region. The federal government claims sole authority to manage sales of all the oil in Iraq. The Iraqi oil ministry said on Thursday that MMS operated five vessels that had transported oil on behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) from a Turkish port.

Iraq has filed a case against Greek shipping company Marine Management Services (MMS) for its role in the "illegal" export of crude from the autonomous Kurdistan region, the oil ministry in Baghdad said in a statement on Thursday. The lawsuit is the latest move by Baghdad to deter customers and thwart independent exports of crude from Kurdistan. The federal government claims sole authority to manage sales of all the oil in Iraq. The statement said MMS operated five vessels that had transported crude oil on behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) from a Turkish port. "MMS is liable for damages of at least $318 million, and possibly significantly more, as a result of its willing and active participation in the KRG's illegal crude oil export scheme," the statement read.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Port State Control (PSC) updated its list of vessels and ship management companies that are prohibited from carrying U.S. government impelled cargos. Americas Marine Management Services, Inc. Caribbean Ship Services, Inc. Elicla Maritime Advisor & Broker Inc. Enterprises Shipping & Trading S.A. Fusion Holdings International S.A. Held Bereederungs Gmbh & Co. Jutha Maritime Public Co. Ltd. Labris Co Ltd. Norbulk Shipping UK, Ltd. Nordana Line (Singapore) Inc. Nordica Schifahrts GmbH & Co. Northway Marine Corp. Sea Trader International Co., Inc. Seatrade Groningen B.V. V Ships (UK) Ltd. Valencia Shipping Corp. Wavecrest Shipmanagement, Inc.

Part of a Kurdish oil cargo has been offloaded from a Greek-managed tanker into another tanker in the South China Sea, but mystery surrounds the identity of the buyer and where the two tankers are headed. The United Emblem, which is carrying more than 1 million barrels of oil, is one of three tankers loaded with oil from the autonomous Kurdish region, which is trying to sell oil independently. Iraqi Kurdistan is locked in a bitter legal and diplomatic struggle with Baghdad over international oil sales. A U.S. judge on Tuesday refused a request by Baghdad, citing a lack of jurisdiction, to seize 1 million barrels of oil aboard the United Kalavrvta tanker, which has been anchored off the port of Galveston since the weekend.

Miami River Compnay Sen tenced to Five Years Probation and $1,000,000 Fine for Oil Pollution and Ballast Water Crimes. Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner, Commander, 7th Coast Guard District, and John Sall, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, announced the sentencing of defendant Americas Marine Management Services, Inc., d/b/a Antillean Marine, a Florida corporation, for oil pollution and ballast water crimes.

Globe Wireless, a leading provider of communications, operational and IT solutions to the maritime industry, today announced Marine Management Services (MMS) of Piraeus, Greece has selected the Globe iFusion as the communication solution for its fleet. Globe iFusion incorporates an Inmarsat FleetBroadband 250, a dual firewall, highly optimized IP connections and multiple least cost route gateways, allowing the user to make voice calls using GSM, send and receive email, and browse the Internet.

Marine Management Services Selects Globe iFusion for their Fleet. Globe Wireless, a leading provider of communications, operational and IT solutions to the maritime industry, today announced Marine Management Services (MMS) of Piraeus, Greece has selected the Globe iFusion as the communication solution for its fleet. Globe iFusion incorporates an Inmarsat FleetBroadband 250, a dual firewall, highly optimized IP connections and multiple least cost route gateways, allowing the user to make voice calls using GSM, send and receive email, and browse the Internet.

Aberdeen-based SeaHold GEOSHIPS Limited (GEOSHIPS) has announced the acquisition of marine management services company Brooklyn Shipping Ltd (BSL). The acquisition is expected to lead to BSL’s staff numbers more than doubling to 80 this year and also contribute to a significant increase in GEOSHIPS’ pre-tax earnings on its projected turnover of nearly £50million for 2012. Formed in 2003, GEOSHIPS has a strong focus on offshore renewable energy projects, whilst also being able to offer services in support of subsea oil and gas related projects. It chartered its first multi-purpose offshore vessel, the Stril Explorer, from Mokster A/S until 31st August 2012 to support the growing offshore renewable energy market and the subsea sector.

Agents for the owner of a cargo ship that dumped oil into San Francisco Bay have agreed to pay $2 million to the city of San Francisco, the AP reported Thousands of birds died, beaches closed and the crabbing season was delayed after the 900-ft. Cosco Busan sideswiped the Bay Bridge. The crash cut a gash in the hull, and 54,000 gallons of oil were spilled. The agreement was reached with Hudson Marine Management Services of Pennsauken, N.J., acting on behalf of the ship's Hong Kong-based owner, Regal Stone Ltd. Source: AP

The U.S. Department of Transportation has selected TRW Inc. to assess the vulnerability of the nation's most critical commercial and military seaports, under a 5-year contract worth up to $31 million. "Securing our nation's ports and maritime transportation system is a vital component of our overarching transportation security mission," said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta in announcing TRW's selection. Under contract to the Coast Guard, TRW will develop model port security guidelines, conduct assessments of at least 55 U.S. ports, and develop a port vulnerability self-assessment methodology to help local port stakeholders evaluate and improve security conditions.

The satellite communications sector of the marine market has not been immune from the corporate consolidations that have swept all other corners of the industry, and while this particular niche has been widely regarded as fragmented, it is yet to be seen what the end effect will be for the communication users. However, it can be assumed that competition is still keen, and the name of the communication game continues to center on quality, reliability and capabilities. With an increasing emphasis on the transmission of data rather than traditional voice or fax, it can be assumed that continued efforts will center on widening the information "pipeline" between vessel and shore.