Omm News

Leading specialist marine contractor, Offshore Marine Management (OMM) is calling on companies and associations from across the EU to engage with UK businesses and to have that tough conversation on the future of the industry beyond Brexit.The call comes as OMM and many other European companies operating in the offshore wind sector prepare to attend the Global Wind Summit in Hamburg, which is one of the biggest industry events worldwide.The event takes place between 25th and 28th September and will provide the opportunity for EU and UK business leaders to come together to discuss their future relationships.OMM Director, Rob Grimmond…

The United Nations Security Council lifted North Korean sanctions on five ships after China secured assurances that the vessels would no longer use North Korean crews, a council diplomat said on Sunday. The ships were among 31 vessels sanctioned by the 15-member council on March 2 because they were linked to Ocean Maritime Management (OMM), a North Korean shipping firm known to transport arms and other illicit goods for the secretive state. A U.N. Security Council diplomat elaborated further on Sunday, saying that China had secured assurances that the vessels would no longer use North Korean crews and that was why the ships were removed from the blacklist. The Chinese mission to the United Nations was not immediately available to comment.

The United Nations Security Council said on Saturday it had lifted sanctions on five ships that were blacklisted in March for ties to North Korea's arms trade. The ships were among 31 vessels sanctioned by the 15-member council on March 2 because they were linked to Ocean Maritime Management (OMM), a North Korean shipping firm known to transport arms and other illicit goods for the secretive state. The ships removed from the blacklist are Dawnlight, Every Bright, Gold Star 3, Orion Star and South Hill 5. The Security Council listed the vessels as part of sweeping sanctions adopted in March, following North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January. Just a few weeks later the council removed four ships from the list at China's request.

According to a Reuters report, the UN Security Council agreed to a Chinese request to remove sanctions on four ships that had been blacklisted for ties to Pyongyang after China secured assurances the vessels would not use North Korean crews. The ships were among 31 vessels sanctioned by the 15-member council on March 2 because they were owned by North Korean shipping firm Ocean Maritime Management Company (OMM). The four ships include the Jin Teng, a cargo ship detained by the Philippines days after the sanctions took effect. Chinese U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyi said that the UN agency discovered that they were not OMM ships. The basis for the listing of the ships is basically that they belong to OMM, "so if you make a mistake then you correct the mistake," Liu Jieyi said. A U.S.

Chinese maritime authorities must "blacklist" 31 boats operated by a North Korean firm that came under U.N. Security Council sanctions this week, according to a Ministry of Transport document reviewed by Reuters - a signal that China is enforcing tough new curbs aimed at Pyongyang's banned nuclear program. The notice, dated March 3, says maritime safety agencies must "urgently" determine whether 31 vessels belonging to Ocean Maritime Management Co (OMM) are in Chinese harbors or waters, and notify the ministry. The latest U.N. sanctions, drafted by the United States and China, blacklist the vessels. The ministry's notice says authorities must not allow the vessels to enter Chinese harbors, adding the measures were part of the "exceedingly sensitive" work of enforcing the U.N. sanctions.

A U.N.-blacklisted North Korean shipping company continues to evade sanctions through its use of foreign-flagged ships, name changes and other means of obfuscation, according to a new report by United Nations monitors. The U.N. Security Council's Panel of Experts on North Korea, which monitors implementation of sanctions on Pyongyang, also said the reclusive communist nation has continued to export ballistic-missile technology to the Middle East and ship arms and materiel to Africa in violation of U.N. restrictions. "Given the stated intentions of (North Korea), it continued efforts to enhance the scope of its nuclear and missile programs ...

Chinpo Shipping Company was fined a total of $180,000 on Friday (Jan 29) for transferring funds that could reasonably have been used to contribute to North Korea's nuclear programme and for running a remittance business without a valid licence. The company paid a Panamanian shipping agent $72,000 (£50,000) for the passage of North Korean ship the Chong Chon Gang through the Panama Canal. The arms shipment was hidden under more than 10,000 tonnes of sugar. The Chong Chon Gang was stopped while navigating the Panama Canal, by officials who suspected it was being used to smuggle drugs. "The haul, hidden under heaps of sugar and discovered by Panamanian authorities…

North Korean vessels owned by Ocean Maritime Management (OMM) have been seen using Russian ports, says the NK News vessel tracker. OMM was sanctioned for its involvement in smuggling weapons through the Panama Canal in 2013. While the vessel was seen visiting the Russian port of Vanino in early July, data from Marine Traffic and ship inspection records indicate the sanctioned Hui Chon (formerly the Hwan Gum San 2) is now a regular visitor to ports in the Russian far east. The Hui Chon was inspected six times in two different Russian ports since early July. Port inspections are usually to ascertain if a vessel is meeting safety and environmental standards. Earlier this month, the M/V Kang Gye was seen transiting back to North Korea after calling Port Nakhodka in Russia.

Singapore-based Senat Shipping said on Friday it had done nothing illegal and that it was unreasonable to be put on a U.S. sanctions list for alleged connection with a blacklisted North Korean shipping company. The U.S. Department of Treasury on Thursday listed Senat, arguing it had supported Ocean Maritime Management Company (OMMC), which had arranged an illegal shipment of arms on the Chong Chon Gang ship that was seized in Panama in 2013. The sanctions will also target Senat's president, Leonard Lai, and a company vessel, the department said. "The US Treasury's move to put Senat and Leonard Lai on the OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) list is a misguided measure purely based on Senat's historical dealings with OMM," said the company in a statement emailed to Reuters.

North Korea has accused Mexico of illegally holding one of its ships and warned it would take “necessary measures” to release the vessel. The 6,700-tonne freighter "Mu Du Bong," which had come from Cuba, ran aground on a reef, 13 kilometres northeast of Tuxpan in Mexico's Veracruz state. Satellite shipping data shows the ship is still in the port of Tuxpan. But the United Nations said that the ship, the Mu Du Bong, was owned by a North Korean company that was under United Nations sanctions and should be “frozen” and that the panel had received excellent cooperation from Mexico in tracking the company and its assets. "The Mu Du Bong is a peaceful merchant ship," North Korea's deputy representative An Myong Hun told reporters at the North Korean mission.

A North Korea shipping company has been renaming and reflagging its vessels so it can evade an arms embargo, a UN report has said. The effort by Pyongyang-headquartered Ocean Maritime Management Company, Ltd. is detailed in the report by a panel of experts that monitors sanctions on North Korea. The report makes clear the challenge of keeping banned arms and luxury goods from a nuclear-armed country with a history of using front companies to duck detection. North Korea is under United Nations sanctions because of its nuclear tests and missile launches. In addition to arms, Pyongyang is banned from importing and exporting nuclear and missile technology and is not allowed to import luxury goods.

A U.N. Security Council committee on Monday blacklisted the operator of a North Korean ship, which was seized near the Panama Canal last year for smuggling Soviet-era arms, and raised concerns about Cuba's military cooperation with Pyongyang. The North Korea (DPRK) sanctions committee designated Ocean Maritime Management, which operated the Chong Chon Gang, the ship detained a year ago carrying arms, including two MiG-21 jet fighters, under thousands of tonnes of sugar. The company is now subject to an international asset freeze and travel ban. North Korea is under an array of United Nations and U.S. and other countries' sanctions for nuclear and ballistic missile tests since 2006 in defiance of global demands to stop.

The Harwich Dock Company (HDC) and Offshore Marine Management (OMM) have secured a significant long term contract with DONG Energy, one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe, to provide cable storage and management services at the Harwich Navyard in Essex. The first project of this long-term agreement will see OMM providing cable engineering, commissioning, consultancy and general cables services at Harwich Navyard to support DONG Energy’s wind farm operations and maintenance works. HDC enlisted the expertise of OMM as cable industry specialists when the opportunity arose to provide a cable storage O&M hub for DONG Energy. HDC worked successfully with OMM in 2011, providing local facilities to OMM during the installation of array cables for the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm.

Software specialists The Acclaimed Software Company Ltd. announced the development of EPOCH , a marine management system on behalf of Offshore Marine Management Limited (OMM). EPOCH is an ESRI-GIS, web-based management system, providing reporting from offshore sites to onshore bases. For example, OMM’s German subsidiary uses EPOCH to manage and control guard vessel operations for offshore wind interconnector installations in the German sector of the North Sea. The Acclaimed are inviting visitors to Oceanology International in March at London’s Excel Center to try out this novel management tool on their Stand Number H555. EPOCH allows operators to manage their offshore assets, vessels, operations, personnel and data from  one comprehensive system.

UK-based Offshore Marine Management (OMM) say that its Guard Vessels business has shown a strong performance in 2013 with 4,728 vessel management days recorded and a number of key industry relationships forged. The company informs it has been working closely with its vessel partner has provided guard vessels for a number of high profile wind farm interconnectors, including Borwin 2, Helwin 1, Dolwin 1 and Sylwin 1. This has allowed Offshore Marine Management (OMM) to build strong relationships with TenneT, Prysmian, ABB and EMAS including other market leaders.

Offshore Marine Management Ltd (OMM) to keep the fishing community advised about the new 96 fibre subsea telecom cable linking Ireland and Wales. Offshore Marine Management Ltd (OMM), the UK’s independent services provider to the renewables, telecoms and hydrocarbon industries, is to provide fisheries liaison services to Emerald Bridge Fibres Ltd (EBFL), a joint venture between Geo Networks Ltd (Geo), and Ireland’s wholesale telecom provider ESB Telecoms Ltd. OMM was responsible for the delivery of the marine phase of this challenging project, which provides a 96 fibre subsea telecoms link between Portmarnock, Ireland and Porth y Post, Wales.

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) completes a feasibility study for Forewind’s planned North Sea wind energy development. The study was undertaken to assess route feasibility options along one of the development’s 160km long export cable corridors. The scope of work required OMM to analyse survey data, establish a Burial Protection Index (BPI) and carry out a burial assessment to recommend cable burial depths along the route. This was used to advise on the potential need for corridor widening and cable protection measures, including advising on appropriate techniques for cable burial and protection along the route. OMM used its in-house Esri GIS facilities to assess the data provided for geology…

Offshore Marine Management Limited (OMM) to sell its  agency Main Source Offshore People Limited (MSOP) to Atlas Services Group Energy Limited. Atlas Services Group Energy has been operating in the Energy and Marine industry for more than 30 years. The company has established an excellent reputation and holds important home market positions both inside and outside of Europe. Atlas Services Group works with professionals in the Energy and Marine industry and will further support the good work of Main Source Offshore People. Through the acquisition, all existing MSOP management and staff will transfer to Atlas. However, the team will continue to operate from the current Bristol site in order to minimise disruption to both clients and contractors.

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has completed a contract with Fluor for the installation of 36 inter-array cables at the Greater Gabbard wind farm. Originally contracted to install 29 cables, the remit of OMM’s work was expanded during the course of the project to encompass provision of a full range of installation services for 36 inter-array cables, including front end pre-engineering support, installation and the delivery of a final report using in-house survey capabilities. Work was completed using the 122m vessel Deep Cygnus. Greater Gabbard is a 504MW offshore wind farm, located 25 kilometres off the Suffolk coast. OMM’s Managing Director, Rob Grimmond said:  “I’m delighted to announce the project’s successful completion.

The first group of trainees to complete the inaugural 12-month training program with the UK’s only dedicated academy for the offshore wind industry have all successfully started work in new roles within the industry. In testament to the Offshore Marine Academy’s aim to take people with a familiarity with the marine and coastal environment and prepare them for a new career in the expanding offshore wind industry, each of the four trainees have been snapped up by employers. Now working with developers Centrica…

Offshore Marine Management (OMM) has launched a new maintenance support service for offshore renewables operators. With little existing guidance and no legislation currently in place, operators may not be conducting the maintenance they need in order to guarantee the integrity of their assets – or they might be spending too much on completing unnecessary routine servicing. OMM’s new Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (‘IMR’) service can give operators the confidence they need in every aspect of their installation. By studying best practice approaches to maintenance that exist in other markets, including the oil and gas industry, and building in a stage where maintenance plans are verified by a third party…

Offshore Marine Management Limited (OMM) will sell the assets of its recently-rebranded personnel supply business, Main Source Offshore People Limited (MSOP) to Atlas Services Group Energy Limited (Atlas). The acquisition will see the transfer of assets including contracts and staff. Atlas Services Group Energy has been operating in the energy and marine industry for more than 30 years. The company has established an excellent reputation and holds important home market positions both inside and outside of Europe. Atlas Services Group works with professionals in the energy and marine industry and will further support the good work of Main Source Offshore People. Through the acquisition, all existing MSOP management and staff will transfer to Atlas.

Offshore Marine Management GmbH (OMM GmbH) has announced the appointment of Managing Director Klaus Klingelhöller to the company. Klaus joined OMM GmbH in early July of this year, bringing to the role over 25 years’ experience of working within the renewables industry both on and offshore. Klaus has worked in senior management roles with a number of offshore companies, most recently at RWE Offshore Logistics Company from where he joined OMM GmbH. In his role at OMM GmbH Klaus will head up the company’s operations in Germany…