Specialised Services News

Technology group Wärtsilä said it has been contracted to upgrade four vessels owned by Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC), a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC), by retrofitting the Wärtsilä Fuel Efficiency Boost solution to the ships’ main engines. The modification will reduce fuel consumption, and correspondingly lessen the environmental impact by lowering greenhouse gas emission levels.Wärtsilä said its Fuel Efficiency Boost initiative has attracted considerable interest…

US authorities have abandoned plans to tighten Jones Act coastal shipping rules – and it’s all thanks to the coordinated efforts of international government administrations, US energy firms and shipping bodies, in which the UK Chamber played its part. A statement from UK Chamber of Shipping said that America’s Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) on January 18 announced a plan to revoke past US CBP rulings that allow non-US flagged offshore vessels to carry out specialised services in specific circumstances for US offshore energy projects. Under the Jones Act, vessels carrying cargo between American ports must be US-built, owned by US citizens and crewed by US seafarers.

GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd has appointed Mukesh Chakraborty as the Branch Manager, Logistics Services for its Bangalore office. Mukesh brings 13 years of experience in freight forwarding, customs clearance, transportation and warehousing and distribution to his new role. GAC is tapping into growing logistics business potential in Bangalore, India’s fastest growing major metropolis. The city is also a major hub for Business Process Outsourcing and specialised services like information technology and aeronautics. Mark Delaney, GAC Shipping India’s Managing Director, says that with Mukesh at the helm, the company’s Bangalore office is ready to take on the opportunities.

SMM was another full success. With more than 2,100 exhibitors from all around the world, including 150 first-timers, with 50,000 industry visitors and roughly 90,000 square metres of exhibition space, SMM has demonstrated once again what it means to be the leading international trade fair of the maritime industry. After four days brimming with activity, the 26th SMM came to a close today. "We set new records this year," said Bernd Aufderheide, CEO and President of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH. "The excellent turnout not only showed that companies are ready to meet the current challenges with determination, but it also revealed a growing appreciation for collaboration," he added.

"This is a very special SMM," said Bernd Aufderheide, CEO and President, Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH. The enormous interest shown by exhibitors and visitors alike proves it. He continued: “More than 2,100 exhibitors and over 50,000 visitors are expected, more than ever in the history of this fair. "We are fully booked, and this fair welcomes every type and size of company, from market leaders and global players to medium-sized companies and innovation-focused start-ups. “Their products cover a wide spectrum from large-scale ship engineering and shipbuilding products to ship outfitting and equipment supplies, and from cargo handling systems and maritime technologies to specialised services," said Aufderheide.

Björn Rosengren President & CEO of Wärtsilä delivers his year 2012 financial results message to shareholders. "During 2012, we closed our largest ever acquisition with the purchase of Hamworthy. This acquisition supports our growth strategy in the marine gas, offshore and environmental solutions markets, and Hamworthy has performed well while being integrated to our Ship Power business. In 2012, the Power Plants business received two of its largest orders ever; a 384 MW power plant to be built in Azerbaijan followed by a 573 MW order from Jordan. I am also very pleased that Services' net sales returned to growth and reached an all time high level. Supported by the positive development in all three businesses, as well as by the acquisition of Hamworthy, our net sales grew by 12%.

Reef Subsea rebrands all its companies in Norway & extends geographical footprint to improve service to clients. Reef Subsea announce that it is set to fully rebrand and align its companies in Norway – namely Technocean and Scanmudring-Rotech Subsea – to position itself as a dynamic and integrated contractor in the subsea market. Coupled with an extension of its geographical footprint, the Group is well positioned to serve its clients with specialised services under one company name.

TWMA has announced the appointment of Andy Porter, HR director for the company. Mr Porter joins the company, a provider of specialised services for the international onshore and offshore oil and gas industry, as a part of its wider growth strategy, and follows expansion of the company’s services in Europe, North America, the Middle East and North Africa. This is one of several senior appointments planned as demand for TWMA’s specialised solutions continues to increase across the globe…

Thuraya Displays Full Suite of Satellite Telecom Solutions at Malaysian Defense Show. Commercial satellite communications is increasingly becoming an essential tool for government users as the need to dispatch crucial information rapidly, reliably and securely is fundamental to coordinating command and control. Requirements for high data speeds, highly portable and versatile data terminals as well as reliable handheld phones continue to grow in demand within the military sector.

International oilfield services company Expro has recently been awarded a significant contract by engineering project management company SPD on behalf of its client Valiant Causeway Limited. The contract involves the supply of subsea landing string services for monitoring of electronic submersible pump completions (ESP) in the Causeway oilfield. The contract win is significant as it provides the opportunity to enhance the existing relationship with SPD and its clients in the North Sea and showcase Expro’s market leading technologies and specialised services.

GAC USA has formed an alliance with Wightman Shipping Co. in the United States of America (USA). Operating as GAC-Wightman Shipping, the collaboration offers shipping services across North-eastern and Mid-Atlantic ports in Philadelphia, New York and Baltimore. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Wightman Shipping was established in 1983. In addition to ship agency, it provides specialised services such as spares delivery, crew changes and bunker supplies etc. “Tapping into GAC’s global network, this agreement provides us with the capability of handling existing and prospective clients at ports around the world,” commented David Wightman, owner of Wightman Shipping.

Drewry Maritime Research’s latest Annual Multipurpose Market Review & Forecast details the state of the multipurpose fleet, the demand for the cargo space on those vessels and the outlook for the market they trade in. Project carriers and heavy lift are covered in detail to reflect the anticipate growth in demand. London, UK, 29th March 2011 - The multipurpose sector and in particular the project cargo arena, have experienced a prolonged emergence from the global recession due to the inherent time lag in much of the cargo demand for this sector.

For the first time in rig history, two identical jackup rigs have been named together by Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS) and its customer PetroVietnam Drilling & Well Services Corp (PV Drilling). The naming of the twins, PV Drilling II and PV Drilling III, was witnessed by Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Trade & Industry and Education, Mr. S Iswaran at Keppel FELS today. Both rigs are built to Keppel’s proprietary KFELS B Class design, which is a choice rig for discerning drilling operators worldwide.

and problems for the UK Tonnage Tax scheme. increase the proportion of their vessels under an EU flag. and shipmanagers into tonnage tax. UK owners who had to opt for tonnage tax in 2001 for a ten-year period. There were no specific EU flag requirements at that time in the UK rules. conditions under which UK-based Tonnage Tax owners operate. rules unchanged, with the exception of certain anti-avoidance legislation. However, there is now uncertainty with regard to flagging. made. shipping and may not be good for the future of the UK tonnage tax regime. January 2004. Maritime Transport. that the UK Government has to change the UK Tonnage Tax Regime. their tonnage flagged under an EU flag. is not decreasing. least 60% of their tonnage under an EU flag. requirements.