Rona News

Offshore vessel owner DOF said Tuesday it had won vessel charter extensions with Norway's Equinor and Shell in the UK.Equinor has exercised options to extend the firm periods of the contracts for 2008-built Skandi Mongstad PSV for three years, and 2010-built Skandi Vega AHTS vessel for two years. Both vessels have worked continuously with Equinor since delivery from the yard in 2008 and 2010, respectively.Also, Shell UK Ltd has exercised an option to extend the contract for the platform supply vessel Skandi Kvitsøy for one year firm, from end March 2022.Furthermore, DOF's subsidiary DOF Rederi has sold Skandi Rona, a platform supply vessel built in 2002, with delivery in April. DOF did not share the financial details.

Vancouver Shipyards (VSY) has started design work under the Construction Engineering Contract for the Canadian Coast Guard’s Offshore Fisheries Science Vessel (OFSV). This contract will take a total of ten months to complete and lead to a build contract in early 2014. 1. Initial Design Phase – elements of the design will be matured and an initial cost model developed. 2. Functional Design Phase – design for spaces and systems will be completed, equipment identified, suppliers engaged and regulatory approval for the design obtained. 3. Production Design Phase – a detailed 3D model of the ship will be started to define final requirements for material and layout of spaces and systems.

Canadian Government ministers attend the shipyard to mark start of work on the design of new Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOCS). Irving Shipbuilding welcomed the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, and the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence to Halifax Shipyard today to mark the start of the Definition (Design) phase of work for the first set of new naval combat vessels for Canada, the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS).

Irving Shipbuilding welcomed Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, and Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defense, to Halifax Shipyard to mark the start of the Definition (Design) phase of work for the first set of new naval combat vessels for Canada, the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS). Under the Definition Contract Irving Shipbuilding will refine and complete the AOPS vessel design to the high degree of detail for Canada and for those who will cut steel, assemble, complete and test the ships, as well as complete various phases of design review, analysis and testing, plan how to integrate all of the complex systems and equipment on the ship and do detailed cost estimates for the build phase of the project…

Progress continues under Canada's National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy  (NSPS) with contracts to Vancouver Shipyards. The Harper Government today announced a series of preliminary contracts valued at a total of $15.7 million for  joint support ships, the CCGS polar icebreaker John G. Diefenbaker and offshore fisheries science vessels. “The Harper Government created the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy to support Canadian jobs and industries, while bolstering the Canadian economy by building ships right here in Canada…

A groundbreaking ceremony today at Vancouver Shipyards, in North Vancouver marks a significant milestone in the re-development of the shipyard into a world-class facility that will build a new generation of vessels for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. Construction will result in the completion of four new fabrication buildings, a shipbuilding gantry crane and a load-out pier. Seaspan will invest approximately $200 million into the yard to deliver outstanding value to the Federal Government and efficiently build the new Non-Combat ships.

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, welcomed the signing of a preliminary contract with Irving Shipbuilding Inc. as part of the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) project being implemented under the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS). This preliminary $9.3-million contract will enable Irving Shipbuilding Inc. to conduct a review of the existing AOPS design and specifications and create an execution strategy for the AOPS project. The AOPS will provide the Royal Canadian Navy with the flexibility to operate in Arctic and other offshore environments year-round…

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) refused the German registered cargo ship Tatiana Schulte permission to enter Australia on Feb. 5. AQIS took the action following reports by the vessel master of burnt pine longicorn beetle on the ship. The burnt pine longicorn beetle is an exotic timber pest that poses a serious threat to Australia’s timber industries and native forests. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Deputy Secretary Rona Mellor said it was a clear example that Australia’s quarantine systems work to protect our country’s biosecurity. The pest causes damage to pine tree timber commonly used for construction, by tunnelling in the wood, which significantly reduces the quality.

A 128 ft. commercial tug working for British Aerospace, on contract to the Royal Navy, ran aground in the Hebrides on Tuesday, September 7. Stornoway Coastguard received a call from the Liverpool registered tug ‘Vanguard’ at 5:36 p.m. informing them they had an ingress of water and were going to attempt to beach the vessel. There were eight persons aboard. Their position was half a mile north of Rona, near Skye. The Coastguard helicopter ‘Mike Uniform’ from Stornoway was scrambled and the Portree RNLI lifeboat was requested to launch by the Coastguard. A broadcast was issued to shipping and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel ‘Fort George’ responded.