Packer News

A former heavyweight boxer from Montenegro was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday with trafficking in 22 tons of cocaine worth over $1 billion, most of which was part of one of the largest cocaine seizures in American history.Goran Gogic, 43, was arrested on Sunday night while trying to board a flight to Zurich from Miami International Airport, after being indicted by a grand jury in New York.Prosecutors charged Gogic with three counts of violating the federal Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, and one count of conspiracy.

Starting from his father’s basement in Bayport, New York, John DiMartino and his brother Bill have built a custom, heavy lift powerhouse in Tandemloc. It’s a story of building something from nothing; a story of plotting a path and adjusting for multiple course changes along the way. Ultimately, it’s a story of engineering ingenuity and heavy lift success.When John DiMartino graduated from SUNY Maritime in 1980 with a BS Marine Transportation Management, his career path started as projected…

A crew member from the containership MSC Gayane pleaded guilty to cocaine trafficking stemming from a $1 billion bust in the Port of Philadelphia, one of the largest drug seizures in U.S. history.The 27-year-old Montenegrin Vladimir Penda entered a plea of guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Harvey Bartle III on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine on a vessel subject to U.S. jurisdiction, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced Monday.

The M/V Zhen Hua 25 departed Shanghai, China last month with two new super post-Panamax container cranes bound for South Philadelphia.The two behemoths will navigate a lengthy global trek before reaching the Delaware River for an expected mid-March arrival to the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, said a press note from the Port of Philadelphia."The arrival will mark another important milestone in the comprehensive modernization project underway at Packer, and highlights a key competitive advantage for shippers looking to improve time to market on the East Coast of the United States," it said.“Our terminal is currently under capacity, meaning we could handle rerouted surplus bound for nearby congested terminals immediately without blinking an eye…

The provider of motion and vibration control solutions for the oil and gas industry LORD Corporation is now certified to the American Petroleum Institute's (API) standard 16F testing for telescopic joint (TJ) packers. Testing was conducted to the second edition of API standard 16F, effective May 1, 2018, a harsher standard than the first edition in that the inner barrel must not be lubricated during testing. The TJ packers now experience more friction than in the first edition test regimen. “Receiving the API 16F certification is a testament to the demanding conditions our TJ packers can endure,” says Maggie Demicco, LORD Product Manager.

Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. said it has designed, manufactured, tested and delivered its 350th rotational torque (RT) torque machine to TAM International, a globally recognized downhole inflatable packer leader. The torque machine, or bucking unit as it is commonly referred, was manufactured at the Forum AMC facility in Aberdeen, U.K. This represents the sixth unit that TAM has purchased from Forum in three years, and is a testament to TAM’s growth plans, as well as their trust in Forum’s equipment and global support network.

The first of a new class of “Neo-Panamax” shipping vessels called the Port of Philadelphia to begin a new phase of transport along the Delaware River. The MSC Sofia Celeste, an 8,800 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) vessel operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, docked at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in South Philadelphia for the first time, making it the largest ship to ever call the Port of Philadelphia. “This new service comes as a direct result of the opening of the Panama Canal Expansion,” said David Whene, President of Greenwich Terminals LLC, operator of the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. The MSC Sofia Celeste was completed in 2014 and has an on-board capacity of 8…

The North American spat pitting Canada and Mexico against the United States over meat labels has sown confusion among producers and shippers in all three countries, with a trade war potentially just weeks away. The World Trade Organization on Monday authorized Canada and Mexico, the biggest markets for exported U.S. goods, to retaliate against the United States' meat-labeling rules, setting the annual level at C$1.055 billion for Canada and $228 million for Mexico. The United States took a step towards defusing the row on Wednesday when the U.S. Congress approved a spending bill that includes the repeal of federal laws mandating meatpackers identify where animals are raised and slaughtered.

Over the past several months, FVF Chenega, a high-speed car ferry in the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) fleet, was repowered with four new MTU Series 4000 engines. In April, the project was completed with two days of successful sea trials in Seattle. Engineers from MTU America Inc., a Rolls-Royce Power Systems company, along with members of the Chenega’s crew and other AMHS representatives ran the ship through a series of extensive performance and endurance tests on Puget Sound. The results of the tests were positive, according to the crew and the engineering team.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures will likely edge upward on Monday on short-covering and last weekend's West Coast labor dispute agreement, traders said. Cargo loading and unloading resumed full operations on Saturday after shipping companies and union dock workers reached a tentative deal late on Friday. It could take several weeks to clear the backlog, which includes meat, an analyst said. Still, investors should view the news as bullish, which may help neutralize two mildly bearish U.S. Department of Agriculture reports last Friday, he said. Friday's USDA cold storage report showed weak demand on the U.S. West and East Coasts boosted pork and beef stocks to their highest levels in years. A separate government report showed the number of cattle placed in U.S.

Governor Bobby Jindal appointed south Louisiana businessman and entrepreneur Laney J. Chouest to the Board of the Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans. Chouest, who was sworn in during today’s Board meeting, will serve a five-year term, succeeding Joseph F. Toomy, one of two Jefferson Parish representatives on the regional Board that governs Port operations in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes. A native of Galliano, La. and resident of New Orleans, Chouest is the owner and developer of NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, La.

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans unveiled a new modern, streamlined logo today to kick-off the 6th annual Critical Commodities Conference. The rebranding effort represents the culmination of work of an internal committee consisting of staff from a variety of port departments and two members representing the Board of Commissioners. Port officials advertised nationally for a design firm and ultimately selected Edelman – the world’s largest public relations firm – to design the new brand.

On Wednesday, March 12, an eight-person delegation of transportation and economic development officials from Lithuania visited the Port of New Orleans to sign a memorandum of understanding to exchange market and operational information. The agreement hopes to grow trade and investment between the Port and Lithuania’s Klaipeda Seaport. The group participated in a roundtable discussion regarding trade and transportation issues and toured Port cargo facilities. The roundtable discussion focused on how Louisiana can support the largest commodity exported to Lithuania annually…

Crowley Maritime Corp.’s Miami-based subsidiary Customized Brokers recently cleared the first shipment of Uruguayan citrus to enter the U.S. in nearly 20 years, a major agricultural milestone made possible by the combined, dedicated efforts of the importer, USDA and Uruguayan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. To mark the historic occasion, Customized Brokers’ John Donohue, trade development specialist, joined the importer, U.S. agricultural representatives, Uruguayan dignitaries…

The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans has elected Daniel F. Packer chairman; also Gregory Rusovich as Vice Chairman, and Scott Cooper as Secretary-Treasurer. Gov. Bobby Jindal appointed Mr. Packer to the Board in January of 2010. He succeeds Mr. Joseph F. Toomy, whose term as chairman expired this month but will continue to serve as a commissioner. Mr. Packer, who will serve a nine-month term as chairman, is a native of Mobile, Ala. He earned a bachelor’s degree…

Horizon Lines relocated its Northeast port of call from Elizabeth, New Jersey to Philadelphia, to mark another milestone for the Port of Philadelphia. Led by Governor Tom Corbett and political and business leaders from across the region, the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal welcomed Horizon Lines, Inc., one of  the nation's premier containerized cargo shipping lines, to Philadelphia. Under terms of the agreement between Horizon and Packer, reached with the assistance of Governor Corbett and other Commonwealth officials, Horizon will call Packer 52 times a year, providing weekly service between the Northeast U.S. and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Less than three months after seeking proposals from interested parties to design, operate and maintain a major new marine terminal in South Philadelphia, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced on July 23 the shortlist of teams that will continue in the solicitation process developing a public-private partnership that is expected to bring millions of dollars of investment to the region. One of the teams selected was a consortium comprising Delaware River Stevedores (DRS) and Hyundai Merchant Marine America (HMMA). DRS is a joint venture between Carrix Inc., and Ports America Group, the two largest independent terminal operating companies in the United States. DRS has vast stevedoring experience at several major U.S. ports, including the Port of Philadelphia.

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) announces 15 winners for its inaugural Spotlight on New Technology Program. These winners are recognized before, during and after the 35th annual OTC, 3-6 May, Reliant Center at Reliant Park in Houston. New Technology program, " said Rod Allan, OTC .04 Chairman. Applications for the Spotlight on New Technology were distributed at OTC .03 and were due 9 January 2004. Submissions had to meet four criteria: new and innovative, proven, broad interest, and significant impact. Winners will be recognized on site at this year's conference, scheduled May 3-6, on the exhibition floor and in the registration area. Spotlight on New Technology will continue as an annual recognition program coinciding with OTC.

Lloyd’s Register Americas, Inc. has strengthened its marine business organization to enhance the support it provides to clients throughout North and South America. With approximately 200 employees and a growing presence in the Americas, the strategically aligned management structure will help Lloyd’s Register sharpen its focus on client relationships and better facilitate the services it provides. Tim Protheroe has been appointed Senior Vice President - Americas Marine Business. He will have full executive responsibility for marine activities in the Americas and for implementing Lloyd’s Register’s global marine strategies in the region.

Maersk Contractors has awarded Aker Kvaerner a contract to deliver a spare riser for their ongoing semi-submersible drilling rig building program. The spare riser comes in addition to orders received in 2005 and 2006 for three complete riser systems to be delivered from 2008 to 2010. All risers are equipped with an industry leading connector technology designed for safe and reliable operation in ultra-deep water. The first riser of four riser systems will be delivered in January 2008 and manufacturing of riser joints for Maersk starts in May this year. The projects are on schedule and included in the deliveries are the new Aker Kvearner telescopic joint / tension ring systems which provide enhanced environmental protection with a triple packer system.

Halliburton Energy Services' well vessel, M/V Stim Star, was used to stimulate production from one well at Shell Offshore Inc.'s Ursa deepwater development in the Gulf of Mexico, southeast of New Orleans. Bettering the previously set record, which was also a Halliburton completion, one of the wells at the Ursa tension leg platform has produced more than 50,000 bpd to become the Gulf of Mexico's highest production rate well in history. Located in 3,800 ft. of water, the well has out-produced the previous record-setting well by almost 4,000 bpd. Using Halliburton's seawater-based Delta FracPac service, Stim Star personnel performed the treatment at a rate of 38 bbl/min through two flexible hoses connected to the rig, putting 95,000 lbs. of proppant into the formation.

Schlumberger Oilfield Services successfully drilled and completed the first horizontal well in the Gulf of Mexico with CoilDRILL coiled drilling technology. Working in conjunction with the Spirit Energy 76 drilling team, Schlumberger Integrated Project Management (IPM) designed and drilled and completed the well. An exit window was milled through two strings of pipe, 1,390 ft. of 4.75 in. open hole was drilled with 750 ft. of this hole above 80 degrees. The well was then completed by conveying a horizontal completion assembly consisting of sand control screens, an inflatable packer for zonal isolation, and Dowell's QUANTUM gravel packer open hole isolation assembly on coiled tubing to 8,100 ft.