Sheens News

Responders have called off a search for two fisherman missing following a fatal ship collision near Galveston, Texas, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday.One crew member has been rescued, one is deceased and two remain missing at the conclusion of a three-day search involving the Coast Guard and local responders that covered more than 49 square miles by aerial flights, shore patrols and maritime searches.“It is never an easy decision to suspend a search," said Cmdr. Jordan Baldueza, Sector Houston-Galveston search and rescue mission coordinator.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is warning people in the waters off the Rockaways to stay away from any tar balls or oil sheens they might see and is investigating to see if they're related to an oil leak from a vessel a few days ago.USCG, along with partner agencies, are responding to reports of oil sheen and tar balls, on the ocean side of Coney Island and Long Island, from Norton Point to Atlantic Beach.Members of the Unified Command for Goethals Oil Spill continue responding to a report of sheening and tar balls received Saturday from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC).During shoreline assessments conducted Sunday afternoon…

A U.S. Coast Guard marine science technician and an environmental quality analyst for Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality surveyed the Straits of Mackinac onboard a vessel Thursday. The responders did not identify any mineral oil sheens, signs of pollution, or adverse impacts to the environment or wildlife. Earlier this week, hundreds of gallons of mineral oil has been released from a leaking underwater utility line in Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac. Members of the U.S.

Emergency personnel continue their response to the tug boat Samson Mariner which ran aground and spilled fuel while towing a barge in the vicinity of Rosa Reef in north Tongass Narrows, Alaska, Wednesday evening. Approximately 1,100 gallons of diesel spilled from the tug prior to being patched by Alaska Commercial Divers Wednesday night. The Samson Mariner has been refloated and is anchored in Ward Cove alongside the barge it was towing. A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew conducted an overflight with Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Ketchikan personnel aboard to determine the extent of any possible sheen or environmental impacts. A sheen has been reported in the area and SEAPRO has been tasked with fuel containment and recovery using boom and absorbent pads.

Kvichak’s Rapid Response Skimmers (RRS) are perhaps best known for their use by the U.S. Navy, but the design of these robust and well-designed units has evolved over time and today boasts placement in virtually every major spill organization. When, just this past October, Kvichak Marine won a U.S. Navy contract for 12 30-foot Rapid Response Skimmers (RRS) for delivery over the next 18 months, with options for up to 30 additional skimmers to be delivered through 2019, that wasn’t necessarily earthshaking news. That’s because the aluminum Kvichak RRS is already the Navy’s tier one response asset. The new craft will supplement the Navy’s current fleet of over 85 units in operation in Navy ports worldwide since 1994.

Kvichak Marine won a US Navy contract for 12 30-ft.Rapid Response Skimmers (RRS) for delivery over the next 18 months, with options for up to 30 additional skimmers to be delivered through 2019. The Kvichak RRS is Navy’s tier one response asset, and these craft will supplement the Navy’s current fleet of over 85 units in operation in Navy ports worldwide since 1994. With over 20 years of continuous production and development, the Kvichak RRS is an extraordinarily well proven technology with an exceptional record for safety, performance and durability.

The U.S. Coast Guard and California Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel continue to respond to a fuel spill that occurred near Pier 45 at Fishman's Wharf in the San Francisco Bay Saturday. At 10:56 a.m., Saturday, Coast Guard Sector San Francisco personnel received a report that an undetermined amount of fuel oil was discharged into the water from the SS Jeremiah O'Brien. Coast Guard Incident Management Division personnel immediately dispatched a pollution response Federal On-scene Coordinator's Representative to confirm the report and assess on-scene conditions. Once on scene, the FOSCR confirmed the source of the fuel spill had been secured…

The Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) announced an exclusive contract with Ocean Imaging Corporation for cutting edge remote sensing capability. Ocean Imaging will provide its proprietary aerial surveillance technology as part of MSRC’s overall strategy for enhancing the ability to tactically position response resources in the optimal areas of oil migration for responding to spills. The announcement was made at the Clean Gulf Conference at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla. “It takes a complete systems approach to effectively respond to oil spills,” said Steve Benz MSRC president & CEO. “While much of the regulatory compliance focus to date has been on skimmer throughput capacity…

The Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) has entered an exclusive contract with Ocean Imaging Corporation for cutting edge remote sensing capability. Ocean Imaging will provide its proprietary aerial surveillance technology as part of MSRC's overall strategy for enhancing the ability to tactically position response resources in the optimal areas of oil migration for responding to spills. The announcement was made today at the Clean Gulf Conference at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa, Fla., where both MSRC and Ocean Imaging technology are present.

Less than six months before the U.S. Vessel General Permit takes effect, Castrol Marine is working with owners to ensure they are truly compliant within definitions set out for ‘Environmentally Acceptable Lubricant’ in U.S. waters. From December 2013, new requirements come into effect covering the substances deemed acceptable for discharge by ships in US waters. Few operators, perhaps, will be fully aware of what the revised ‘Vessel General Permit’ (VGP) means when it identifies “Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants” (EAL).

Kvichak Marine Industries, Inc. recently delivered fifteen 30’ Rapid Response Skimmers to the U.S. Navy. With the addition of these skimmers the Navy will be operating over 85 Kvichak-built skimmers worldwide as the Navy’s tier one response asset. The rapid-response, shallow-water capable skimmer is ideally suited for use on oil spills in waterways, bays and harbors. The all-aluminum skimmer is 30’ – 3” long, with a beam of 9’-8’, and a draft of 2’ - 6", and is easily trailerable.

Kvichak Marine, Industries, Inc. was recently awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy for fifteen (15) 30’ Rapid Response Skimmers to be delivered to various Navy bases over the next 12 months. The Navy currently owns and operates over 70 Kvichak-built skimmers worldwide as the Navy’s tier one response asset. The rapid-response, shallow-water capable skimmer is ideally suited for use on oil spills in waterways, bays and harbors. The all-aluminum skimmer is 30.3  ft. long, with a beam of 9.6 ft., and a draft of 2.5 ft., and is easily trailerable.

The proposed 2013 Vessel General Permit prompts vessel managers to review the portfolio of lubricants used on their vessels. One of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) changes in the proposed 2013 Vessel General Permit for commercial vessels over 79’ is a requirement to use environmentally acceptable lubricants in certain applications. Given this proposed change, it is a good time for vessel managers to review the portfolio of lubricants used on their vessels to look for gaps in the operational performance of the lubricants…

SNEPCo confirmed the oil leak from the Bonga facility off the coast of Nigeria has largely dispersed. The news comes five days after less than 40,000 barrels of oil leaked during a routine operation to transfer of oil from Bonga’s floating production, storage and offtake (FPSO) vessel to an oil tanker. Since the leak, teams from SNEPCo have worked around the clock with international oil spill experts, using a combination of dispersants and booms to tackle the leaked oil. SNEPCo will continue to monitor the area, including using radar satellite, and take appropriate steps to disperse any further persistent oil sheens. SNEPCo's robust response and the natural weathering process, has helped bring a swift end to this incident.

A two-day underwater examination conducted by Transocean (NYSE: RIG) (SIX: RIGN) and the US Coast Guard (USCG) on October 4th and 5th confirmed that there are no hydrocarbons leaking from of the sunken Deepwater Horizon or the riser, the pipe that linked the rig to the well head before the Macondo accident last year, Transocean reported. The inspection, conducted with the use of a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), also failed to find any "sheen" or oil in the area. Transocean, in cooperation with the USCG, undertook the inspection after a "sheen" was reported on the water in the vicinity of the sealed Macondo well and the USCG issued a notice to the company. "Transocean deployed an ROV on Oct. 4-5, 2011.

Kvichak Marine Industries has recently delivered a 30' Rapid Response Oil Skimming Vessel to Argus Limited of Rockville, MD to provide front line spill response capability in the Russian Federation. The rapid-response, shallow-water vessel is ideally suited for use on oil spills in waterways, bays, and harbors. The all-aluminum skimmer is 30’–3” long by 9’-8” wide with a draft of 2’-6" and is easily trailerable. Powered by twin 90hp outboards, the skimmer has a response speed of up to 17 knots and features an enclosed 2-person pilothouse for operator comfort.

KMI Leasing Co., LLC recently added a new 30-ft. Rapid Response Skimmer – Wide version outfitted with a Kvichak/Marco Filterbelt oil recovery module to their lease fleet. The Kvichak 30’ rapid-response skimmer is a shallow-water capable, near shore skimming vessel suited for use on oil spills in waterways, bays, and harbors. The all-aluminum skimmer is 31’ – 3” long, with a beam of 9' - 8", and a draft of 2’ - 6" and is easily trailerable. Powered by twin 90hp outboards, the skimmer is capable of a response speed of over 17 knots…

Kvichak Marine Industries has recently delivered a 30-ft Rapid Response Oil Skimmer fitted with a Kvichak/Marco Pollution Control CL-1 Filterbelt oil recovery module to Administração do Porto de Sines (APS), Portugal. This is the second skimming vessel fitted with the Kvichak/Marco Filterbelt in the APS response fleet, the first was delivered in 1976 and is still in service. Construction of the skimmer was supervised at Kvichak Marine in Seattle by representatives of APS, and the vessel was delivered early, in less than 10 weeks from contract execution.

Kvichak Marine Industries is currently constructing a run of approximately 30 rapid response oil skimmers fitted with Marco Pollution Control CL-1 Filterbelt oil recovery modules for customers responding to the Gulf oil spill. The Kvichak/Marco Filterbelt is suited for high volume recovery of the oil types encountered in this spill. Kvichak is expecting over 100 skimming vessels utilizing the Filterbelt to be in operation on this spill in the coming weeks. This specialized system is adaptable to a variety of marine spill scenarios and is able to recover a very wide range of spills…

Kvichak Marine Industries is currently constructing two 30-ft Rapid Response Skimmers. One Commercial Duty Skimmer with upgraded recovery systems is for inventory to support the current effort in the Gulf oil spill cleanup and available for sale. The second skimmer is for the U.S. Navy and will join over 70 Kvichak skimmers in Navy ports worldwide. The rapid-response, shallow-water vessel is ideally suited for use on oil spills in waterways, bays, and harbors. The all-aluminum skimmer is 30.3 ft long, with a beam of 8-ft, and a draft of 2.5 ft and is easily trailerable.

Kvichak Marine Industries recently delivered a 30-ft Rapid Response Skimmer to Environmental Safety & Health (ES&H) in Houma, La. This new skimmer will join their existing fleet of Kvichak skimmers currently involved in the oil spill clean up effort in the Gulf of Mexico. The rapid-response, shallow-water vessel is ideally suited for use on oil spills in waterways, bays, and harbors. The all-aluminum skimmer is 30.3-ft long, with a beam of 8-ft and a draft of 2.5 ft and is easily trailerable.

The 580-ft barge La Princesa remains aground north of Sandbridge Pier in Virginia Beach. Titan Maritime, LLC, continues preparations for salvaging the vessel and will attempt to begin operations when weather and sea conditions permit. Members of the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Strike Team, the Virginia Port Authority’s Maritime Incident Response Team, the Virginia Beach Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Team and Crowley Maritime Corporation, the barge’s owner and operator, boarded the vessel earlier today to inspect the cargo for leaks and the vessel for structural integrity. As a result of the inspection, the Coast Guard, MIRT, the Virginia Beach HazMat team and Crowley determined that the barge and its cargo currently pose no foreseeable threat to the environment or to the community.

The U.S. Coast Guard and local salvage companies safely removed a barge that ran aground Sunday, at 6:30 p.m., on the Detroit River. The 115-meter barge, which contains approximately 3.7 million gallons of gasoline, was freed Monday at approximately 2 p.m. The 41-meter tug William J. Moore and the barge were leaving Sarnia, Ontario, bound for Montreal when the barge ran aground approximately 100 yards northwest of the Detroit River Light. U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit launched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter to assess damages and look for any pollution. Coast Guard Sector Detroit dispatched three prevention dept. inspectors to the William J. Moore to check for damage. No pollution or gasoline sheens have been reported.