Ship Blocking Suez Canal Could Be Stuck for Weeks
A containership blocking the Suez Canal like a "beached whale" may take weeks to free, the salvage company said, as officials stopped all ships entering the channel on Thursday in a new setback for global trade.The 400-meter Ever Given, almost as long as the Empire State Building is high, is blocking transit in both directions through one of the world's busiest shipping channels for oil and grain and other trade linking Asia and Europe.The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said eight tugs were working to move the vessel…
Suez Canal Traffic Suspended as Efforts Continue to Dislodge Grounded Ship
The Suez Canal temporarily suspended traffic on Thursday as efforts to dislodge a 400 m (430 yard) long container vessel that has blocked the waterway continued for a third day, with eight tugs working to straighten the ship.The Ever Given vessel, almost as long as the Empire State Building is high, ran aground diagonally across the single-lane stretch of the southern canal on Tuesday morning after losing the ability to steer amid high winds and a dust storm.It is now blocking transit in both directions through one of the world's busiest shipping channels for goods…
Megacore Shipping New Product Tankers
Omega Navigation Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONAV, SGX: ONAV50), a provider of global marine transportation services focusing on product tankers, announced that it has formed an equal partnership (50/50) joint venture company with Topley Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore International AG (Glencore). The name of the joint venture company is Megacore Shipping Ltd. Companies owned by Omega and the Glencore group have novated their respective original shipbuilding contracts entered into with Hyundai Mipo, consisting in total of 10 newbuilding 37,000 dwt product/chemical carriers (MR1s) (5 vessels each partner), to companies wholly owned by Megacore. This order has now been converted to two 37,000 dwt product/chemical tankers (MR1s) and seven 75,000 dwt.
Global Carriers Awards Contracts to Ningbo Shipyard
Global Carriers Bhd has awarded two shipbuilding contracts worth a combined $21.76m to Ningbo Shipyard Co Ltd. The contracts are for Ningbo Shipyard to build two double-hull product oil tankers for Global Carriers, the company said. The first vessel will be delivered in late 2008 and the second will be delivered about four months after the first, it said. Source: Thomson Financial
MISC Orders Tankers
Malaysian shipping line MISC Bhd has ordered eight chemical/product oil tankers worth $430m from South Korea's SLS Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, MISC said. The first three tankers will be delivered in 2009 and the remaining five in 2010, it said in a statement. Source: Reuters
Sumatec Orders Two Tankers
According to reports, Sumatec Resources Bhd, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Semua Shipping Sdn Bhd, has entered into two shipbuilding contracts with Yangzhou Kejin Shipyard Co Ltd and Jiangsu Guotai International Group Co Ltd for the construction of two 8,000-ton product oil tankers. The purchase will be funded by internally generated fund and bank borrowings. Delivery of the first vessel is expected in August 2008 while the second will be delivered in October 2008.
