Shipbuilding: Med Marine Tapped to Build Buoy Tender for Port Qasim
Earlier this year Med Marine signed a contract with the Port Qasim Authority of Pakistan (PQA) for the delivery of a Conventional Twin Screw Buoy Tender Vessel, MED-B4500, for buoy-laying in the port located in the city of Karachi. MED-B4500 is a 45 x 11.8 meter vessel built to facilitate a crew of 16.
Pakistan's Port Qasim Orders Four Tugs and Two Pilot Boats
Turkey's Sanmar Shipyards said it has won contracts worth $33.46 million to supply four new tugs and two new pilot boats for the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) in Pakistan. The tugs are scheduled to be delivered in 12 months and the pilot boats in 10.The contracts were awarded following an international tendering process during which Sanmar championed its new Kocacay range of escort and harbor tugs, based on the exclusive-to-Sanmar RAstar 3200SX design from Canada-based naval architects Robert Allan Ltd.
Pakistan's Port Qasim to Receive First Cargo of LNG from Qatargas
The first load of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) traded by Qatari supplier, Qatargas, is planned to reach the Port Qasim LNG terminal on March 26, says a report in Reuters. Qatargas is providing the LNG to Pakistan at $8 to $9 per Million British Thermal Units (MMBTU), according to sources. According to official sources at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, the first cargo of LNG will arrive in Karachi on March 26. However, the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) has also raised operational, technical and regulatory constraints over LNG imports. The Port Qasim authorities said that other shipping traffic will be hampered and delayed by nine to 10 hours which will result in heavy financial claims on PQA by other port terminal operators. Hence government should undertake required dredging.
Port Qasim Authority Bans Ships over 20 years old
Intertanko received notification that following a port meeting on the June 16, 2004, the Port of Qasim Authority (PQA) in Pakistan has decided not to accept vessels more than 20 years old for berthing at the port, with effect from 1 January 2005. It is also stated that this matter is being referred to a higher governmental authority for final approval. The PQA states that it has taken this action because older vessels are " a security risk and a hazard to safety", since "ships over 20 years of age not only have greater dwelling time due to low loading/discharging operations but slow pumping as well in the case of Tankers". INTERTANKO will be strongly protesting against this unilateral action, as well as the reasoning behind it. (Source: Intertanko)
