Orinoco River News

Around midnight on February 23, Eulalio Bravo, a marine electrician, was dozing in his rack aboard the San Ramon, an oil tanker anchored off the coast of Venezuela.Suddenly, he heard footsteps pounding along the passageway outside. His captain, Jaime Herrera, cried for help."Be still!" an unfamiliar voice ordered.A gun fired.By the time Bravo and eight other shipmates emerged to see what had happened, the captain lay dead, a gunshot in the back of his head. Herrera's stateroom had been pillaged, drawers flung open, his bunk overturned. The killers were gone, as were thousands of dollars the captain kept under lock and key, according to crew members interviewed by Reuters.The murder…

The Amazon river dolphin is an intelligent and friendly mammal that appears to grin and flush like a human blushing when it gets excited.But some are concerned about the world's largest freshwater dolphin coming under threat again in Brazil, where fishermen hunt and kill it illegally to make bait for a catfish called piracatinga.A legal moratorium on fishing the piracatinga ended last month, prompting calls for its renewal from environmentalists and researchers such as biologist Vera da Silva…

Techcrane Global Corporation is a Covington, La.-based marine crane manufacturer/distributor who recently installed Techcrane Model F250-100 onboard Torch Offshore L.L.C.'s Midnight Wrangler. This was a crane custom-designed for Torch with a maximum capacity of 125 tons at 30-ft. reach. Time lapse between design conceptions to fabrication in Covington, La., was less than six months. The bid was awarded to Techcrane in December of 2002 for delivery in mid 2003 and is a part of the project to convert the Midnight Wrangler into a deepwater pipelaying vessel. In order to accommodate these deepwater arenas, a winch was specially designed by Lantec on behalf of Techcrane for the F250 to handle 8,000 ft. of two-in. wire rope.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded the ratings of American Commercial Lines LLC's $535 million senior secured bank facility to B1 from Ba2 and the $300 million 10.25% senior unsecured notes to B3 from B1. The Senior Implied rating was lowered to B2 from Ba3 and the issuer rating was lowered to Caa1 from B2. The rating outlook was changed to stable from negative. The ratings downgrades is prompted by the substantial deterioration in operating performance resulting from a reduction in grain exports to Asia, higher fuel costs, and low water levels and unusual ice conditions on its U.S. transport routes which severely impacted the fourth quarter of 2000.

SMIT Salvage has been busy responding and providing emergency pollution prevention services to casualties off the South African coast and in the Orinoco River. SMIT is currently assisting the products carrier Nino and the general cargo vessel TMP Sagitarius. Both vessels went aground on rocks off the coast of East London, between Durban and Port Elizabeth, on July 18 within hours of each other. During June, SMIT was awarded three LOF contracts involving a grounding in Venezuela and two casualties with engine problems off the South African coast. On June 22, the 39,607 dwt Grigoroussa 1 dragged her anchors in the Orinoco River, Puerto Ordaz. The 1976-built vessel was nearly fully laden, carrying 35,000 tonnes of coal upriver.

American Commercial Lines Inc. (ACL) announced that it has closed the previously announced sale of its interest in ACBL Venezuela, LTD and GMS Venezuela, C.A. . The sale results in the divestiture of the Company’s barge, towboat and related assets that were used to provide barging services on the Orinoco River in Venezuela. The sales proceeds are approximately thirty-two million United States dollars (US $32,000,000), subject to post-closing adjustments. The ownership interest was sold to a consortium of businessmen.

Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) announced that Venezuela and Iran have agreed to explore setting up a joint shipbuilding operation. The preliminary agreement looks towards jointly building oil tankers, liquid natural gas tankers and other vessels. It would also train Venezuelans in shipbuilding technology. The deal was signed in Caracas between PDVSA and Sadra Iran Marine Industrial Company. Ties between the two oil-producing countries have become closer as Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez has sought to build international alliances to counter US economic and political dominance. The moves come as the Bush administration has clashed with Iran over its nuclear program.

Reports have indicated that Venezuela and Iran have agreed to explore setting up a joint shipbuilding operation in the South American country, state-run Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) said. The preliminary agreement signed last week envisions jointly building oil tankers, liquid natural gas tankers and other vessels, and training Venezuelans in shipbuilding technology. The deal was signed last week in Caracas between PDVSA and Sadra Iran Marine Industrial Company, PDVSA said Friday. Ties between the two oil-producing countries have tightened as President Hugo Chávez has sought to build international alliances to counter U.S. economic and political dominance. Chávez, a self-defined socialist revolutionary, frequently accuses the U.S. government of wanting to overthrow him.