Pi News

Cuban state-run media said at the weekend that 90,000 metric tons of Russian oil had arrived in the cash and fuel-short country to help alleviate power outages and gasoline shortages.In 2022, Russia resumed some oil shipments to the Communist-run Caribbean island after they ceased with the collapse of the Soviet Union.However, according to shipping data no Russian oil left the country for Cuba last year even as Russian media reported in June an agreement was reached between the two governments to supply 1.64 million metric tons of oil and derivatives annually.Jorge Piñón…

Four times the tonnage of the original Open Arms rescue tugboat and with a capacity to carry up to 1,000 people, the Open Arms Uno made its first rescue on Wednesday, picking up 101 migrants stranded on a wooden boat off the Tunisian coast."Sit down, if you don't sit down we don't continue," a crew member shouted to the excited migrants from a speed boat launched from the vessel operated by the Spanish charity Open Arms before all were taken aboard.One had jumped into the water to try to reach the speed boat…

MidAtlantic Engineering Partners (MidAtlantic), a civil, environmental, and marine engineering and surveying firm, is pleased to announce that W. Stuart Lewis, P.E. is a partner in the firm. Since joining MidAtlantic, he has successfully led the company’s Marine Services Division. Lewis joined MidAtlantic in February 2017, and since that time has developed and grown the Marine Services Division into a multi-disciplinary infrastructure group providing in-water and waterfront engineering and consulting services including dive services, structural design, permitting oversight, and inspections.

Who do you call when you need a job done on short notice, in total darkness, under 100-percent ice cover, thousands of meters at the bottom of the sea? In the case of the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR), you call your friends in Norway.That is exactly what the Chief of Naval Research Rear Admiral Lorin C. Selby did when he enlisted the help of the Norwegian Coast Guard icebreaker and offshore patrol vessel, the CGV Svalbard, to retrieve oceanographic moorings containing irreplaceable data.

Seafarers are left unprotected by systemic failures in the implementation of the regulatory regime for work and rest hours at sea, a newly published report finds.The World Maritime University's (WMU) new report,  "A Culture of Adjustment", by Dr. Raphael Baumler, Yvette deKlerk, Dr. Michael Ekow Manuel and Dr. Laura Carballo Piñeiro confirms previous research that suggested recording malpractices are widespread, which seriously questions the capacity of the current regulatory…

The shipping & logistics company GAC is tapping into the growing contract logistics business potential of the Asia Pacific, Indian Subcontinent and Middle East, with plans to further develop and expand in its operations in the regions.That was the message Lars Bergström, GAC’s Group Vice President for Asia Pacific & Indian Subcontinent, had for the Group’s Contract Logistics Solutions experts who gathered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to chart GAC’s strategy to increase its share of the business in their regions. They discussed growing demand as a result of the rise of e-commerce, last mile deliveries and technological advancements, as well as the challenges the contract logistics sector faces.According to Transport Intelligence’s Global Contract Logistics 2018 report…

The construction of a 600-tonne Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol ship by  the Taiwan-based shipbuilding company Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Corporation (JSSC) began in Kaohsiung.An official statement from Taiwan coast guard said that the ship is the first of a dozen to be produced by the company for the agency.According to Taipei Times, CGA Fleet Branch head Hsieh Ching-chin and JSSC Chairman Han Pi-hsiang presided over the initiation ceremony Friday to mark the start of the ship's construction.The report quoted Hsieh saying that the construction of the patrol ship symbolized a new milestone in the country's shipbuilding capabilities…

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has been awarded Highly Commended at the STEM Inspiration Awards, in recognition of their outstanding commitment to encouraging young people into science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.According to a press statement, held at the House of Lords on November 1, and attended by guests across industry, education and government, the STEM Inspiration Awards, organised by STEM Learning, celebrated the work of individuals and organisations in inspiring young people into STEM careers. Finalists in the large employer category included Nissan, Just Eat, Legrand Electrical Ltd and Amey.Speaking at the event…

Gibraltar-based Gibdock has been gearing up to meet increased shipowner demand for ballast water treatment system (BWTS) retrofits and has recently completed a complex BWTS retrofit on board the 179m, 34,500dwt bulk carrier Zambesi.The 2013-built, DNV GL classed vessel, owned by Hamburg-based John T. Essberger, arrived in Gibraltar on June 4 for a month-long overhaul program. The vessel departed the yard on July 5 with its new ballast water treatment installed and ready for commissioning, having spent 16 days in Gibdock’s No.

Combat, Patrol and Law Enforcement Vessels Meet Multiple Missions with varied business plans. U.S. firms building patrol, combat and law enforcement craft are weathering government budget cuts by strengthening ties with clients and public agencies. These unique boats remain in demand because of terrorism, crime, wars, piracy and fire, and most serve multiple missions. As maritime nations beef up their defense capabilities, U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) programs help builders do business overseas.

The 11th annual Norm Manly Puget Sound Maritime (PSM) / Youth Maritime Training Association (YMTA) Maritime Educational Scholarship competition was held on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at Compass Course Maritime Training. Bethany Shimasaki from Des Moines and attended Seattle Christian School, volunteers at Seattle Aquarium, and is planning to attend the University of California San Diego, majoring in marine science received a $2,000 scholarship  sponsored by Ocean Peace, Inc. Rosie Wilcox from Chimacum Pi Program…

The government of Taiwan is planning to open another two lighthouses to the public since such structures have become major tourism attractions in the country, the Maritime and Port Bureau informed. By 2015-end Chimei Yu Lighthouse on Penghu and Fukwei Chiao Lighthouse in New Taipei City will be added to the country's list of lighthouse tourist attractions. Taiwan has 35 lighthouses, 10 of which are currently open to visitors. The most recent additions to the list of lighthouse tourist sites were Paisha Chia, Lu Tao, Fong Yuan, and Kaomei lighthouses, which were opened to the public over the past two years. Prior to 2013, visitors were allowed into only six of the country's lighthouses -- Eluan Pi, Santiao Chiao, Kaohsiung, Yuweng Tao, Tungchu Tao and Tungyin Tao.

The international expert organisation DEKRA has taken over the Plant Integrity (PI), Non Destructive Testing (NDT) and Microsopy operations from DNV GL (formerly KEMA) and as such is expanding its industrial operations in the Netherlands. A respective purchase agreement was signed by DEKRA and DNV GL on 8th of August 2014. The three units, employing together 24 experts, will be operating under the name DEKRA Material Testing & Inspection (MTI) in the new DEKRA buildings in Arnhem. MTI is concerned with the inspection and testing of capital-intensive and business-critical systems and materials. Customers include a large number of petrochemical, industrial and energy companies.

Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (LNGL) informs that the US   Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has accepted Kinder Morgan  Louisiana Pipeline LLC’s (KMLP) application pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act for the Lake Charles  Expansion  Project,  establishing  1  August  2014  as the  deadline  by  which  interested parties must formally intervene and/or submit comments on the filing. Kinder Morgan, Inc. As detailed in the ASX release on 1 July 2014, KMLP’s application seeks FERC’s authorisation to construct and operate the Lake Charles Expansion Project, which would include the installation of  compression and other related facilities on the existing KMLP Pipeline…

Building patrol boats is big business, especially for foreign defense needs. U.S. yards compete on a global stage in the all-important maritime security workboat arena. Patrol boats have continued to enhance bottom lines at many U.S. vessel builders this year through sales that are usually government directed or assisted. Budget cuts are a concern, but the sector’s federal funding remains high. Patrol boats are sold to other nations under the U.S. Foreign Military Sales or FMS program, authorized by the Arms Export Control Act to provide defense items.

Hill Dickinson is pleased to announce the promotion of Kamal Mukhi of its commodities team to the position of Legal Director, with effect from October 1, 2013.   In addition, seven members of its marine, trade and energy team have been promoted to the position of Associate. They include: Rebecca Maddison (shipping), Francesco Tundo (shipping) and Fedra Koulle (PI Regulatory) in the London City office and Alex Teji of the London yachts team; Timon Karamanos (shipping) based in Piraeus and Richard Allingham (cargo and logistics) in our Manchester office

ABS Nautical Systems continually enhances its NS5 Enterprise software suite of products to meet ever-changing industry demands. Currently in development for release in 2013 are a mobility platform, a new warehouse and inventory management module, as well as a new Hull Inspection 3D module. The mobility platform supports portable devices including scanners, tablet PCs and smartphones. Features will include alert view notifications and mobile calendaring. Any customer with mobility support within the organization’s infrastructure can take advantage of this upcoming technology.

Many marine service companies are acquiring boat-towed metal detectors and magnetometers to assist in salvage operations and geophysical surveys. These devices can locate a variety of targets including sunken vessels, ship anchors and propellers, pipelines, cables and metal debris which must be removed from an area before dredging. The two primary pieces of equipment used in these operations are a magnetometer and the pulse induction (PI) metal detector. Magnetometers are super sensitive instruments that can detect iron and steel objects at hundreds of feet away.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) has released a report on a bureau-funded study of new and more effective methods of predicting, detecting and mapping the occurrence of gas hydrates in deepwater environments. The study, Multicomponent and Multifrequency Seismic for Assessment of Fluid-Gas Expulsion Geology and Gas Hydrate Deposits: Gulf of Mexico Hydrates, examined the various methods used to locate gas hydrate deposits. If such deposits occur in sufficiently high concentrations, they can be a potential new source of natural gas. “This study is critical to furthering our ability to assess deepwater gas hydrates as a future energy resource,” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich.

KS Associates, Inc., a civil engineering and land surveying firm located in Elyria, Ohio, has appointed Mark P. Cencer, P.E., to the firm’s Coastal Engineering Group. The Group provides engineering solutions for all types of waterfront and water-related infrastructure, helping clients plan, design and manage the construction of projects along Lake Erie and its watershed. Cencer is a Professional Engineer licensed in Ohio and Florida and has more than eight years of experience in marine engineering.

Euro Marine Ltd. answers the call for small, Long-range offshore High-Speed Patrol, Interdiction and Surveillance Vessels, capable of operating in severe sea and weather conditions. These hulls come with an added propulsion twist. The PI-65 is a tactically sized Coastal and Offshore Craft, designed to be a highly reliable combatant craft capable of operating from land or maritime platforms. The general mission of PI-65 is to provide the operational capability to persistently patrol in shallow littoral areas beyond sheltered harbors and bays…

Kongsberg Maritime to embed OSIsoft PI system in new Kongsberg information management system for marine operations. OSIsoft, provider of the PI System, provider of real-time data and events management systems and Kongsberg Maritime, a maritime and offshore technology provider, announce a strategic partnership. As a result, users of the sophisticated new Kongsberg Information Management System (K-IMS) will benefit from the PI System’s ability to process data and events. The K-IMS solution is a new development program from Kongsberg Maritime, which uniquely, facilitates consolidation of all control system data into a single, role-based secure web-portal.

A number of archaeological groups and marine service companies are acquiring boat-towed metal detectors to assist in locating shipwrecks and to perform geophysical surveys. These devices can locate a variety of targets including the piles of magnetic ballast stones found on many old wrecks, gold and silver bars, cannons, anchors, pipelines, cables, and various metal debris which must be removed from an area before dredging. The two primary pieces of equipment used in these operations are a magnetometer and pulse induction (PI) metal detectors.