Walvis Bay News

With more ships heading around the Cape of Good Hope due to attacks in the Red Sea region and a shutdown in their main South African bunkering operations, Mercuria and Trafigura have started refuelling services in Mauritius, four sources said.The two trading houses have opened operations in Port Louis to compensate for the shutdown at South Africa's Algoa Bay which stems from a tax dispute with authorities, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.Algoa Bay is South Africa's…

Esgian has published its Week 48 Rig Market Roundup highlighting that new contract awards were revealed for a Velesto Drilling jackup, two Seadrill drillships and a Dolphin Drilling semisub. Meanwhile, Wintershall Dea is planning to drill a new carbon storage well in Norway.ContractsMalaysia’s Velesto Drilling has agreed on an extension of a contract with Carigali Hess Operating Company for another year and six months.Seadrill has secured a short-term contract for 12,000ft drillship West Vela in the US Gulf of Mexico with QuarterNorth Energy…

Namibian ship repair company Namdock has resumed full operations with effect from Tuesday, in accordance with the inception of stage 2 of Namibia’s national COVID-19 lockdown, which has seen the partial easing of restrictive measures thanks to the recent flattening of the minimal in-country infection curve.“Over the past few weeks we have put strict personal protection and sanitization measures in place, to ensure that we could safely resume full-capacity operations when the time came.

Namibian ship repair company Namdock, situated in Walvis Bay on the west coast of Africa, has utilized its fabrication expertise to provide assistance to the Walvis Bay state hospital in its fight against COVID-19 by helping with the maintenance and repair of hospital beds, trollies and bedside cupboards.“While national infection rates and fatalities are currently low, COVID-19 has the potential to trigger a major health crisis in Namibia. We have already seen the global impact of the virus, and have taken the approach that ‘forewarned is forearmed’.

South Africa is holding the cruise liner MV AIDAmira and a cargo vessel off Cape Town after a crew member on board one of the ships showed signs of the coronavirus, national ports operator Transnet said on Tuesday.On Sunday President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of disaster and implemented urgent measures including travel bans to fight the pandemic.As of Tuesday, 85 people in South Africa have tested positive for the coronavirus, up 23 from the previous day and including eight local transmissions, the health ministry said. The local transmissions include a 2-year-old boy.Countries around the world have barred cruise liners from entering their ports…

Dubai based logistics giant DP World has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a free economic zone for industry and logistics in Namibia.The port operator said the agreement with Namibia’s Nara Namib Free Economic Industrial Zone will support the growth of Namibia as a regional hub for southern Africa.The development will help Namibia grow as a center for industrial operations and logistics, creating opportunities and jobs across multiple sectors including agriculture, fishing, automotive and mining.The facility at Walvis Bay will provide businesses with development-ready land for industrial and logistics operations…

In September 2019, in a milestone agreement, Namdock concluded a contract to maintain and repair the vessels of the Marinha de Guerra Angolana (MGA), the Angolan Navy.According to Namdock’s Commercial and Operations Manager, Willie Esterhuyse, although the contract has been concluded, the exact date when the vessels will be arriving in Walvis Bay has not been finalized, it is anticipated that this will be early in 2020.In terms of this agreement, Namdock will take two Angolan Navy vessels into its dry docks initially.

A family of six elephants were loaded aboard the freighter El Nino in the port of Walvis Bay and is destined for an upmarket tourism Game Park in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)."This is the first time a consignment of such magnitude involving adult elephants is leaving the country and will definitely not be the last as this was a trial run to guarantee that future exportations are conducted smoothly, said a press release from Namport, operating as the National Port Authority in Namibia, manages both the Port of Walvis Bay and the Port of Lüderitz in Namibia.On the safety of the animals during the transhipment, Dr Ulf Tubbesing…

Together with the introduction of new expedition cruise catalogues for the 2020-2021 season. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has also announced that low-pollutant marine gas oil (MGO) will be used exclusively on all routes sailed by its expedition ships in the fleet - the HANSEATIC nature, the HANSEATIC inspiration and the BREMEN from July 2020. Joining the fleet in 2021, the HANSEATIC spirit will also use this fuel.The use of low-sulphur fuels in the Antarctic has been mandatory for several years and already Hapag-Lloyd Cruises uses marine gas oil voluntarily in other sensitive regions, such as the Arctic or Kamchatka. This low-pollutant fuel has a sulphur content of just 0.1 per cent.

TransNamib Holdings Ltd, and Botswana Railways (BR) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Gaborone, Botswana, which will culminate in the development and operation of a container terminal in Gobabis.The MoU, signed by TransNamib CEO, Johny Smith, and his Motswana counterpart, Leonard Musa Makwinja, signals the beginning of a fruitful and beneficial relationship to develop and enhance trade between the two countries. The MoU was .“The future of railways offers many opportunities”, said. The cooperation is also expected to facilitate in opening import and export opportunities, and to unlock value on the TransKalahari route–even though the two countries are not completely linked by rail yet.Furthermore…

Ocean Rig UDW, an international contractor of offshore deepwater drilling services, today announced that it has signed a new drilling contract with Tullow Namibia, for a one-well drilling program plus options for drilling offshore West Africa. The contract is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2018 and to be performed by the Ocean Rig Poseidon. Pankaj Khanna, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said: "We are pleased to announce additional work for the Ocean Rig Poseidon. Ocean Rig is an international offshore drilling contractor providing oilfield services for offshore oil and gas exploration, development and production drilling, and specializing in the ultra-deepwater and harsh-environment segment of the offshore drilling industry.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced today that on February 9, 2018, the MOL-operated car carrier Progress Ace rescued three sailors form a yacht in distress in the North Atlantic Ocean. At 10:05 a.m. local time on February 9, the Progress Aace, sailing from Port of Brunswick in the U.S. to Port of Walvis Bay, Namibia, received a distress relay message from the French Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers and rushed to the scene. By 3:45 p.m. the same day, all three survivors were safely rescued from the yacht. The three survivors were handed over to the local authorities in Walvis Bay, Namibia, on February 19. Progress Ace LOA: 199.54 meters Gross tonnage: 57,789 tons Crew: 24 (Filipino) Registry: Panama

Last week’s Nautical Institute London Command Seminar saw the appointment of Captain John Lloyd RD MBA FNI as the Institute’s new chief executive officer, succeeding Philip Wake OBE RD MSc FNI, who is retiring after 14 years in post. Speaking at Trinity House, the venue for the third of the Institute’s 2017 command seminar series, Captain Lloyd said, “I am delighted to be leading the next phase of development at The Nautical Institute, at a time of great change for our industry.

In line with the West Africa market trend, CMA CGM Group adapts its service offering while continuing to improve its service reliability and cost efficiency. Withdrawal of WAX 2 service. WAX | Operated by CMA CGM with 12 vessels of 4,350 TEU, will discontinue South Africa and Nigeria calls. Instead, the service will add Abidjan Westbound to its current export call with an improved transit time up to 5 days. Abidjan from Shanghai will be reached in 37 days. ASAF | The sole product available on the market to West Africa South Range is operated with 12 vessels up to 9,350 TEU.

CMA CGM announced and amendment to the port rotation of its MIDAS service. Luanda served via Durban with Samwaf service: Luanda is reached from Mundra in 26 days, Nhava Sheva in 28 days, Jebel Ali in 31 days. Lome via Singapore with Afex service: Lome is reached from Mundra in 37 days, Nhava Sheva in 39 days and Jebel Ali in 37 days. Walvis Bay, Namibia will be served via Singapore on Wax service with the best transit time in the market. 29 days from Mundra, 31 days from Nhava Sheva and 35 days from Jebel Ali. Reefer cargo export transit time from South Africa to Jebel Ali will be shortened by 1 day with a competitive transit time of 19 days from Cape Town and 16 days from Durban.

Container shipper CMA CGM has changed the rotation of its WAX service operated with 13 vessels up to 4,350 TEU on the Asia-West and South Africa trade. As from April 11, 2016 when m/v BERMUDA begins her rotation in Pusan, the Pusan port call will be transferred from WAX 3 onto WAX service. According to CMA CGM, the move will allow it to be the unique carrier on the market offering a broad range of direct services from Korea to Benin, Cameroon and Namibia in addition to the current service to Nigeria and South Africa.

CMA CGM has announced the strengthening of its current MIDAS service by cooperating with PIL under a new Vessel Sharing Agreement. A fleet of 11 vessels of 3,500 TEU nominal capacity will be deployed, and CMA CGM will contribute to the majority with 9 vessels. It also announced the strengthening of its coverage of India on its SWAHILI EXPRESS service deployed on the India Middle East Gulf - Eastern Africa and Indian Ocean route. In India, MIDAS will extend its coverage with a weekly call at Nhava Sheva direct to West Africa, South Africa and Reunion Island in addition to the present Mundra call. Luanda is reached from India in 22 days, Pointe Noire in 25 days, Apapa in 30 days and Cotonou in 31 days.

Marine engineering teams from diesel power specialist Royston Limited have carried out the overhaul of turbochargers on two offshore supply ships operated by Tidewater Marine in the oilfields off the coast of South West Africa. Royston said its engineers completed the full overhaul of Napier NA297 turbochargers on the Melton Tide firefighting and offshore support vessel and the success of this work led to more recent service work being undertaken on the Netherland Tide, multipurpose support vessel.

Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington has announced that Tidewater Marine International Inc. has sold its44.2m x 8.1m x 3.6m depth / 1.7m draft, 168mtdw, high-speed, aluminum crew / supply vessel Merlin Tide\ to private European operators for continued operation in oilfield service. Built by Swiftships Shipbuilders LLC of Morgan City, Louisiana for Tidewater as Hull 524 in 1999, the vessel is powered by five 956kW Cummins KTA 38M2 diesels developing a total of 6…

Redwise delivers two dredgers to Singapore – one from the east, one from the west. The newly built TSHD Barito Equator was delivered by Redwise to Singapore in the first week of May 2015. Built by the Damen Shipyard at Pontianak, she followed strait on the heels of the THSD Moniflor built 2000 by IHC in The Netherlands for the French government. The Moniflor was Eastbound, with a passage via Las Palmas, Walvis Bay and Mauritius the long way round. The Barito Equator headed Westward, departing   from Pontianak, Indonesia with very fine weather.

Recently, The Namibian reported the existence of a "confidential letter from Namibia's ambassador to China, Ringo Abed, to Namibia's foreign minister stating that 'a Chinese delegation will visit Namibia ... for discussions ... The reports say that Beijing has told Namibian diplomats that a "Chinese naval presence will deter any would-be illegal trawlers and smugglers.”  China's Indian Ocean-based "string of pearls" naval base strategy to protect the country's 21st Century vision of a "maritime silk road" looks like it may now extend all the way to the South Atlantic. China’s annual trade with Africa soared 11-fold in the decade to 2013, exceeding $200 billion, and the country’s companies have invested on the continent.

Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington infomred that Tidewater Marine International Inc. has sold their 41.2m x 8.2m x 3.5m depth / 2.38m draft, high-speed, aluminum crew / supply vessel “Patrice Tide” to private European operators. Built by Breaux Brothers Enterprises, Inc. of Loreauville, Louisiana in 2002, the vessel is powered by four 1,007bkW Cummins KTA 38M2 diesels totaling 5,400BHP driving four 44” x 46” fixed pitch props. This produces a speed range of 15 – 30kn on abt. 100 – 260gph, and range of abt. 1,721nm at economical speed. Vessel’s maneuverability is enhanced by a 150HP tunnel bow thruster. The 233.7mtdw, Vanuatu-flagged vessel has a deck cargo capacity of abt. 182.9mt on a 22.9 x 7.0m, 1.9t/m2 clear deck aft and a total of 72 persons on board.

The CMA CGM Group informed about the improvement of its ASAF service which will deploy 12 vessels of 5,700 containers (TEU) in direct service to West Africa starting May 9th thus becoming the first carrier with vessels of this capacity to call West Africa directly. With the 5, 700 containers (TEU) vessels calling West Africa in direct service, the CMA CGM Group confirms its ambition to reinforce its offer in the area and to support the economic development of the country. The ER CANADA, the first 5,700 containers (TEU) vessel operated by the CMA CGM Group to call West Africa on the ASAF service, will arrive at Walvis Bay (Namibia) on May 9th, Pointe Noire (Congo) on May 14th and Luanda (Angola) on May 17th.