Ods News

A new EU agreement on waste shipments is set to remove a legal roadblock to make it possible for a raft of non-OECD ship recycling yards to be included on an EU-approved list, which would unleash much-needed shipbreaking capacity for a massive wave of tonnage due to be scrapped over the coming years, according to green recycling consultancy Sea Sentinels.The European Parliament and Council have agreed to allow exports of hazardous waste, including that contained in EU-flagged ships…

More than remote witnessing, more than remote data analysis, remote survey techniques are now going to aid the shift to full vessel autonomy.The technology that enables a robot to safely navigate an environment it has no prior knowledge of is called Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). “It is the key to autonomy for any aspiring can-do inspection robot.” That’s according to ScoutDI, a participant in the REDHUS project led by DNV which is developing a prototype inspection drone.SLAM is not a specific, copyrighted piece of technology.

International Maritime Organization (IMO) said that reducing atmospheric pollution from ships and improving air quality is an integral part of its work. "This principle is clearly enshrined Under MARPOL Annex VI," the UN body said in a press release.IMO recently held a workshop on MARPOL Annex VI in Bangkok, Thailand (24-26 June).The workshop, aimed at shipping stakeholders, strongly encouraged ratification and implementation of MARPOL Annex VI including regulations on ships' energy efficiency.Participants were reminded that proper implementation of the convention would have a significant beneficial impact on the atmospheric environment and on human health…

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the latest State to accede to the International Maritime Organization (IMO)instrument providing rules for the prevention of air pollution from ships and energy efficiency requirements.This brings the total number of ratifications of MARPOL Annex VI to 93, representing 96.6% of world merchant shipping tonnage, said the UN body in a release.MARPOL Annex VI limits the main air pollutants contained in ships exhaust gas, including sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides, and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances. It also includes energy-efficiency measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships.Ms.

Hartmann Reederei, the German ship-management company, has confirmed that two of its vessels – the 36,000 m3 LEG (liquefied ethylene gas) carriers Gaschem Beluga and Gaschem Orca – powered by the world’s first ME-GIE (-Gas Injection Ethane) two-stroke engines have collectively accumulated 10,000 hours of operations since entering operation at the end of 2017.The carriers were ordered by Hartmann and Ocean Yield of Norway, and constructed at Sinopacific Offshore Engineering (SOE)…

Monaco has acceded to the  International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaty covering emissions from ship exhausts and energy efficiency (MARPOL Annex VI). The instrument limits the main air pollutants contained in ships exhaust gas, including sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides, and prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances. It also includes energy-efficiency measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships. Mrs. Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Permanent Representative of Monaco to IMO, met IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters, London, to deposit the instrument of accession (14 May). Although air pollution from ships does not have the direct cause and effect associated with…

Lloyd's Register (LR) unveils a refreshed brand identity, with the introduction of a new logo that celebrates the culture of innovation built over the company’s 253-year history. LR explains that the organisation has undergone significant change and growth over recent years, having grown to a £1-billion-turnover service provider with over 9,000 employees worldwide and undertaken the acquisitions of ODS, Human Engineering, ModuSpec, Scandpower and West Engineering. The group has also restructured to create the Lloyd’s Register Foundation as the organisation’s parent entity…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) announced a significant investment in global services company Senergy to create an industry-leading offering - from the reservoir to refinery and beyond. The deal will see LR and Senergy provide a unique and comprehensive portfolio of services to the upstream sectors of exploration, production and transportation through to refinery and beyond. The combined business will also provide life of field services from inception to decommissioning and offer unparalleled…

ESSI Corporation and Hughes team up to address the unique requirement of this hardworking maritime sector. When ESSI Corporation and Hughes teamed in 2009 to deliver broadband VSAT services to the workboat industry, they quickly discovered that not only was this a unique industry, but also that when it came satellite communications, several important requirements had to be satisfied to keep these customers happy. As a service provider, a customized service tailored to those needs evolved. According to ESSI Corporation’s Emil Regard, offshore workboats and OSV’s first and foremost demand a certainty that the bandwidth ordered will be available, anytime, especially in the worst of conditions.

Lloyd's Register acquires WEST Engineering Services to become the top independent provider of technical services to the offshore drilling sector. Acquisition of WEST, subsea systems specialists, builds support for exploration and production activities. Lloyd’s Register has acquired Houston-based WEST Engineering Services in a move that secures the Group's position as the premier independent risk-management organisation supporting the global offshore drilling industry. WEST Engineering Services…

As seen in the August edition of MarineNews, Susan Buchanan updates readers on the GOM oil production situation. BP's gushing well was capped more than a year ago but life is hardly back to normal in the U.S. Gulf--where rigs and vessels remain underutilized. At least ten rigs have moved overseas since last summer. Gulf oil production is below pre-spill levels and won't recover anytime soon, analysts say. Issuance of drilling permits picked up this spring as operators agreed to use oil-containment systems but permitting lags earlier rates.

DFDS, the Danish shipping company and one of the world's largest ferry operators, recently signed a contract for the construction of two identical RoRo vessels, each to be powered by two MAN B&W 8S40ME-B9 engines with many extra MAN Diesel & Turbo specifications. Scheduled for delivery in 2012, the ships’ design is tailored towards operation on DFDS’ commercial network, but will also meet parameters laid down by the Danish-German ARK military project for the deployment of military material. Each RoRo will be powered by two MAN B&W 8S40ME-B9 type main engines.

All U.S. Navy aircraft carriers are now chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-free. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)’s Shipboard Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Elimination Program marked a major environmental milestone April 2 with the elimination of the final ozone depleting CFC refrigerants aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). “NAVSEA is eliminating these CFC refrigerants because they deplete the earth’s protective ozone layer which screens out potentially harmful radiation from the sun,” said Gregory Toms, NAVSEA ODS elimination program manager. NAVSEA strives to be a good steward of the environment while building the future Navy and sustaining the current fleet. Currently Carl Vinson is nearing completion of a Refueling Complex Overhaul.

According to ODS-Petrodata, the cost of operating a highly automated rig in the Gulf of Mexico has almost tripled in the last four years. Accordingly, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) recently funded a three-year Joint Industry Project (JIP) to determine the historical failure rates (and resulting non-productive time) associated with subsea Blowout Prevention Equipment (BOPE). Athens Group CTO and drilling technology expert, Don Shafer will be presenting the findings of that study at the AADE 2009 National Technical Conference March 31 in New Orleans, LA. “With an understanding of the causes of their failure, BOPE and control systems reliability can be increased,” said Shafer. According to the study, many stack configurations exceed minimum requirements and are redundant.

WRONG! With oil prices reaching record highs and declines in production showing everywhere, there has never been a time that we needed to explore and produce the vast reserves in the Eastern Outer-Continental Shelf. President Bush ordered the lifting of the White House ban on offshore drilling on June 14, 2008. Assuming that Congress does what it should do, and finally lifts the ban on offshore drilling along US Coasts, one would think that we would be set to drill away. However, there is a serious hump that we have to overcome in order to be able to explore the deep-water regions of the Outer Continental Shelf. We simply do not have enough offshore platforms, drill-ships and rigs to do the job. The drill ships that are currently built are not available, and will not be for some time.

It seems to be a soap opera without an end. "It is crazy…makes no sense at all," is a common observation. If you are in the oil and gas business, the number one question is, "When is the drilling going to pickup?" It is a question without an answer…at least through the first quarter of 2004. "Normally when prices are low and oil rises about $25 a barrel and gas goes above $2.50 per million cubic foot, everybody goes back to work," noted Roy Breaux, Jr., president of Breaux Bay Craft, Loreauville, La. a leading builder of crew/supply boats. "We drill ourselves out of recessions, but not this time, at least not yet" Breaux said. Breaux echoes the sentiment of almost everyone in the industry "The answer must lie in Houston because that's where the decisions on when to drill come…

Worldwide demand for mobile offshore drilling units remains essentially flat, according to Houston-based offshore industry analyst ODS-Petrodata, although offshore drilling activity is expected to increase modestly in certain areas as the year progresses. U.S. Gulf of Mexico rig demand has fallen by eight rigs since December, but some indicators point to an increase in Gulf rig demand over the summer months. North Sea rig owners are facing a tough year, and more rigs are expected to leave the area. Other rig markets present a mixed outlook, with only West Africa likely to show a clear, sustained trend to increased rig demand over the next three to six months. U.S. The most encouraging sign for U.S.

The U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore rig count rose by one from last week, continuing its rise, with 166 of the region's 200 mobile offshore drilling units under contract, according to Offshore Data Services Inc. (ODS). Gulf of Mexico utilization rose to 83 percent, its highest level in 22 months. The worldwide rig count remained steady. ODS said there were 641 rigs worldwide with 525 under contract. Fleet utilization rate was at 81.9 percent. In the European/Mediterranean region, the offshore rig count was unchanged from a week ago with 89 of the region's mobile offshore drilling units under contract and fleet utilization in the region at 84.8 percent.

The offshore rig count in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico rose by four this week to 175, or an 85.9 percent utilization rate, the highest drilling activity in nearly two years, the Offshore Data Services (ODS) said. In its report for the week ending July 21, the Houston-based ODS said that of the 203 mobile offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, 175 were under contract. In the European/Mediterranean region the rigs under contract remained steady at 89 of the 102 mobile offshore drilling rigs. European offshore rig utilization is 87.3 percent. In the worldwide offshore rig count five more rigs are under contract compared to a week ago. In addition, one rig was retired from the drilling fleet to work in a specialized non-drilling mode.

The number of offshore rigs drilling in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico remained the same during the week ended September 29, according to Offshore Data Services (ODS). Of the region's 205 available rigs, 173, or 84.4 percent were under contract, ODS said in its weekly rig count report. The gains in the Gulf were reflected in worldwide utilization, which increase by two to 549 out of the total 643, bringing the rate of use to 85.4 percent, the report said. European offshore rig utilization remained steady for the fourth consecutive week at 88.5 percent, with 92 in use out of 104 available, according to ODS. ODS' total worldwide offshore rig count includes changes in utilization and fleet size in regions beyond just the Gulf of Mexico and Europe.

Worldwide rig utilization decreased the week ending December 15, according to Offshore Data Services (ODS). With 560 of the world's 647 mobile offshore drilling rigs under contract, worldwide offshore rig utilization fell 0.6 percent to 86.6 percent. The rig utilization rate in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico fell because of a one-rig decrease, bringing the number of mobile offshore drilling rigs in the Gulf under contract to 181 out of 207, bringing utilization down 0.9 percent to 87.4 percent. The European offshore rig count fell by one, with 87 of the 101 mobile offshore drilling rigs in the region under contract, pressuring utilization to down one percent to 86.1 percent, ODS said.

Worldwide offshore rig utilization fell slightly during the week ending January 12, but ticked higher in the U.S. Gulf, according to Offshore Data Services (ODS). The number of worldwide mobile offshore drilling rigs under contract fell by one to 556 of the world's 648. Worldwide offshore rig utilization fell to 85.8 percent. The number of rigs being used in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico fell to 179 under contract out of 208, with utilization down to 86.1 percent. The European offshore rig count remained unchanged for the fifth consecutive week. It stood at 88 of the 101 mobile offshore drilling rigs in the region under contract, with utilization at 87.1 percent, ODS said.

Worldwide offshore rig utilization rose this week due to increased drilling rig demand in Europe and the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, according to Offshore Data Services (ODS). The European offshore rig count increased by three rigs, with 92 of the 101 rigs in the region under contract, boosting utilization to 91.1 percent, ODS said. The number of rigs being used in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico remained rose by two to 182 under contract out of 210, putting utilization at 86.7 percent. There were 563 rigs under contract worldwide out of 649. Worldwide offshore rig utilization increased 0.9 percent to 86.7 percent. ODS' total worldwide offshore rig count includes changes in utilization and fleet size in regions beyond just the Gulf of Mexico and Europe.