Grassy Point Favoured as NW Canada LNG Terminal
Grassy Point terminal project, north of Prince Rupert, gains ground as it would steer shipping traffic away from sheltered coastal waters. The Coast Tsimshian village of Lax Kw'alaams north of Prince Rupert could be poised to become a liquefied natural gas centre with significant advantages over Prince Rupert and Kitimat after the province announced it has received four new LNG proposals. All four identify Grassy Point, across the harbour from Lax Kw'alaams, formerly Port Simpson, as the potential site for a terminal, reports 'The Vancouver Sun'. The Coast Tsimshian are already involved in talks with the energy players in the nascent LNG industry in the northwest and are generally supportive of it.
BC Backs Seaspan Bid
According to a report on www.vancouversun.com, Vancouver-based Seaspan Marine's bid for the federal government's $35b National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy includes as much as $60m in support for the overall marine industry from the province and BC Ferries. The financial support comes with up to $35 million in training and labor tax credits from the province over the 30-year lifespan of the project; $5m in support for productivity-related initiatives for the industry and $20m to the industry from BC Ferries to help increase the capacity of B.C.'s ship repair and maintenance sector. (Source: www.vancouversun.com)
Rig Deal Offshore Canada
Husky Energy, Suncor Energy and Statoil Canada reportedly signed a deal to share an offshore rig, helping support continued activity off the Newfoundland and Labrador coast, according to a recent report from www.vancouversun.com. The three-year agreement will see the major oil and gas producers share use of the Henry Goodrich semi-submersible drilling unit for separate projects. It is the second such rig-sharing deal between the corporations with drilling contractor TransOcean, operator of the ill-fated Macondo rig for BP in this spring's offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico disaster. The prior agreement led to the drilling of the Ballicatters well on the Grand Banks by Suncor Energy…
Canadian Shipbuilding: East against West
According to a May 16 report from the Vancouver Sun, the Harper government is expected to release its long-term shipbuilding strategy in the coming weeks, creating two national centers to handle billions of dollars worth of contracts. The strategy could spark a high-stakes game pitting West Coast firms against East Coast companies in a winner-take-all contest. Vancouver-based Washington Marine Group and J.D. Irving on the East Coast will be asked to submit proposals to become the “center of excellence” for building combat ships such as the Arctic patrol vessels and the fleet of vessels that will eventually replace the navy’s Halifax-class frigates. Victoria Shipyards is owned by Washington Marine Group, as are Vancouver Drydock and Vancouver Shipyards.
Olympic Security Lives Aboard
According to an April 22 report from The Vancouver Sun, more than 5,000 Olympic security workers will live on three cruise ships at Ballantyne Pier in Vancouver during the 2010 Games as part of a contract announced Tuesday by the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit. (Source: The Vancouver Sun)
Cement Barge Washes Ashore in Oak Bay
A Jan. 1, Vancouver Sun report stated that a 197 ft barge went aground in Oak Bay on New Year’s morning. The barge grounded in the waves of Enterprise Channel, the narrow body of water between Trial Island and Oak Bay. (Source: Vancouver Sun)
Ships Collide in English Bay
The Vancouver Sun reported that winds of up to almost 43 mph tore through the Lower Mainland, knocking out power to 14,000 homes and causing the collision of three large cargo ships in English Bay. The weather in the Lower Mainland followed a weekend storm across northern B.C. Coast Guard spokesman Dan Bate said that the high winds caused the 200-metre Westwood Victoria to lose its anchorage and drift into a second ship, the 167-metre New Accord. Bate said the collision caused damage to both vessels, including a puncture to the side of the Westwood Victoria above the waterline and damage to the anchor chain on the New Accord. Bate said collision separated the New Accord from its anchor, allowing the two ships to drift into a third vessel, the 117-metre Advance Pescadoras.
Submersible Retrieves Data, Takes Video from Sunken Ferry
An underwater video released Tuesday by B.C.'s Transportation Safety Board shows images from inside the sunken Queen of the North ferry during a dive by a remote-controlled submersible last month. The video shows the submersible's manipulator arms clearing the ferry deck of debris, breaking a bridge window to gain access and taking images of the controls. It also shows the submersible retrieving bridge computerized electronic systems that could shed light on what led to the fatal accident. The images from inside the vessel, which came to rest on the ocean floor a little over 1,400 feet were taken during a two-day dive by a submersible called an ROPOS (remotely operated platform for ocean science) operated by a Vancouver Island company, the Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility.
