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Work Site News

22 Feb 2024

Virtual Marine: Simulator Training is the Real Deal

(Photo: Virtual Marine)

In the commercial maritime and offshore industries, where worker safety and competency are crucial, effective training practices are an absolute must. While hands-on, in-the-field learning will always be a vital component of any mariner’s training, marine simulation has become a welcome enhancement to the education process. And in some cases, it’s seen as a safer alternative to traditional survival craft and rescue boat training.A leader in this space is Virtual Marine, based in Newfoundland and Labrador.

14 Dec 2023

Getting Started with Propane: Port-Side Refueling & Storage

(Photo: PERC)

Emissions regulations continue to become more stringent for ports, pushing more port authorities and terminal operators away from diesel and gasoline and toward alternative energy sources like propane. Capable of powering essential port applications like yard tractors, forklifts, and other cargo handling equipment (CHE), propane is available now to support ports in achieving emissions reduction goals.The Propane Education & Research Council often gets questions about what refueling infrastructure looks like and what to expect when transitioning to propane-powered terminal equipment.

15 Sep 2023

Boskalis Water Box Design nabs IADC Safety Award

Boskalis improved the safety of water boxes with a new design. Copyright Boskalis

During the IADC Annual General Meeting in Barcelona, IADC President Frank Verhoeven revealed the winner of the Safety Award 2023: Boskalis for its improved safety design of the water box.Boskalis introduced new water boxes for sand fill areas, a design which is touted as greatly improving safety for its employees. The water boxes have been designed, calculated and constructed in such a way that the risk of implosion due to soil pressure is eliminated.Using an adjustable platform on the outside of the water box…

31 May 2023

Career Moves: US Offshore Wind Powering Up

(Photo: STAR Center)

In addition to wind, offshore wind demands human energy, individuals with knowledge and skills first to build and then operate and maintain the dozens of projects required to meet President Biden’s 2030 goal of 30 GW of offshore generation. In an October 2022 National Renewable Energy Laboratory report – “U.S. Offshore Wind Workforce Assessment” – the authors estimate that it will require, on average, between 15,000 and 58,000 employees annually, depending on domestic content scenarios, to build out a huge new wind machine.Mariners and mariner training are integral to offshore wind.

16 Feb 2023

Siemens Gamesa Charters NYK CTV for Japanese Offshore Wind Farm

©NYK

Siemens Gamesa and the Japanese shipping and logistics company NYK have signed a time charter contract for a crew transfer vessel (CTV) that will be used at an offshore wind farm in Japan.The CTV will be owned by NYK and managed by Hokkaido-based Hokuyo Kaiun Co., Ltd., an NYK Group company. The vessel will be engaged in transporting workers to the offshore wind farm at Ishikari Bay New Port in Japan, which is scheduled to start commercial operation in December 2023.The Ishikari Bay New Port offshore wind farm project is being developed by Green Power Ishikari LLC…

27 Jul 2022

Tech File: Smartgyro Stabilization for Diverse Marine’s Hydronaut Vessels

Nauticus Robotics' Hydronaut vessels will be equipped with the Smartgyro SG80 unit. Credit: Diverse Marine

A new 18-m craft for the Nauticus robotic navy fleet will be fitted with Smartgyro’s SG80 units for roll reduction in manned and unmanned operations.Golden Arrow Marine is supplying Smartgyro SG80 gyroscopic stabilization units to Cowes boatbuilder Diverse Marine for installation on its new 18-m Hydronaut vessels for Houston-based Nauticus Robotics.The Smartgyro SG80 is innovative in that it can be serviced, maintained and assembled directly inside the boat, suitable for both new builds and refits.Smartgyro’s UK Master Dealer Golden Arrow Marine has partnered with Nauticus Robotics…

31 May 2022

Saipem 7000 Crane Vessel Returns to Work at Seagreen Wind Farm

Saipem 7000 - File image: Saipem

Saipem's giant Saipem 7000 semi-submersible crane vessel is set to return to operation at the Seagreen wind farm site in the UK a month and a half after it was involved in a tilting incident in Norway.As previously reported, in mid-April, Saipem 7000 tilted in a fjord in Norway with 275 people aboard. The vessel tilted during the planned 5 years main cranes load test, when, as Saipem said, the main block wire broke during the test lifting operation and the testing load (two cargo barges) with the main block was released into the water.Now the vessel appears ready to return to work…

20 Jan 2022

Wakashio Wreck Removal Completed

(Photo; bMC Group)

Technical operations to remove the wreck of the Wakashio bulk carrier that ran aground and broke up off Mauritius wrapped up this week as salvors recovered final sections of ship debris that were lying up to 500 meters away from the site of the stern section.On July 25, 2020, the 300-meter Wakashio struck a reef near Pointe d'Esny off the Indian Ocean island's east coast, triggering an ecological disaster and prompting the Mauritian government to declare a state of emergency.

30 Nov 2021

Volvo Penta's Propulsion for American Offshore Services' CTVs

Rendering of AOS Wind Farm Crew Transfer Vessel

Volvo Penta has secured a contract to provide quad IPS propulsion systems for the four new offshore wind farm crew transfer vessels (CTVs) that will be built at Blount Boats for American Offshore Services (AOS). The new 30-meter (99-ft.) twin-hull CTVs will be powered by four IPS900 propulsion drives, two in each hull. The fully integrated system will also include Volvo Penta’s GPS-based Dynamic Positioning System and integrated joystick controls, allowing for convenient and easy maneuverability even in conditions of strong currents and high waves.

06 Aug 2021

New Telemedicine Services Launched

(Photo: RMI)

Workplace health and safety services company Remote Medical International (RMI) announced the launch of two new services RMI Access Telemedicine and Case Management to address health and safety challenges found in demanding industrial environments. Suited for oil and gas, renewables, construction and other industries with worksites in remote locations, the new services provide direct anytime, anywhere access to licensed medical providers trained in industrial injury management…

20 Jul 2021

Insights: Disease Prevention During Ship Construction

Photo Courtesy Almaco Group

Hardcore preventative procedures to ensure health, safety, and solid protection from wildly spreading diseases are in the spotlight like never before. For life and work onboard, this means a new set of disease prevention procedures to create, repeat, rehearse, and perfect until they become deeply rooted habits. These procedures must not only apply to the staff and the passengers. They must also include and be followed by temporary workforces like contractors, suppliers, and service personnel.

07 May 2021

Northern Offshore Services Takes NYK's CTV on Ten-year Charter

Photo courtesy of NOG

Northern Offshore Services has taken NYK's crew transfer vessel Energizer on a ten-year charter. The vessel will be used to transfer crews to offshore wind farms, mainly in Europe.Japan's NYK, which shared the charter news on Thursday, also said it has additionally agreed to dispatch its engineers to NOS to participate in operations and ship management in Europe, a leading region in the offshore wind industry, in preparation for the development of the CTV business in Japan."Northern Offshore Services is part of Northern Offshore Group (NOG).

17 Sep 2021

Offshore Incident: Velesto's Jack-Up Rig Tilts, Submerges Off Sarawak, Malaysia

Image for illustration only - Credit; Wanfahmy/AdobeStock

A jack-up rig owned by Malaysian drilling contractor Velesto tilted and submerged at a location offshore Sarawak, Malaysia on Tuesday, the rig owner said."The Board of Directors of Velesto Energy Berhad [...] regrets to inform that an incident involving one of our rigs, Velesto Naga 7, occurred at the worksite due to rapid penetration into the formation on 3 May 2021, Monday, whilst operating in offshore Sarawak for a client. "The rig tilted and subsequently on 4 May 2021, Tuesday, VELESTO NAGA 7 submerged at the location.

15 Mar 2021

Five Golden Rules for Virus Protection Offshore

Offshore workers - Credit:corlaffra/AdobeStock

In the last year, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the risks of working in what was already one of the most hostile environments on Earth. But, with the first anniversary of the outbreak not long in our collective rear-view mirrors, offshore workers in the North Sea are facing a twin threat: emerging new variants of the virus and increasing Covid-fatigue and complacency.The UK offshore industry has achieved an enviable safety record during the pandemic, due in large measure to the widespread testing of offshore workers before mobilization.

22 Jan 2021

Russian Pipelaying Vessels En Route to Nord Stream 2 Work Site

Russian pipe-laying and other vessels are heading to Nord Stream 2 pipeline construction sites in the Baltic Sea, ship tracking data showed on Friday, amid U.S. pressure to scrap the project that aims to pump more Russian gas to Europe.Work on Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will land in Germany, was suspended in December 2019 when Swiss-Dutch company Allseas halted pipe laying because of U.S. threats to impose sanctions.Work resumed for a brief period last month on a 2.6-km (1.6-mile) stretch in German waters. A Danish regulator said construction would restart in Danish waters from mid-January, with Russian pipe-laying vessel Fortuna, which had worked in the German zone.Refinitiv Eikon data showed Fortuna was in the region of the German-Danish maritime border.

14 May 2020

ABS’ Wiernicki: “COVID-19 will function as threat, a disruptor and catalyst for change”

Christopher J. Wiernicki, CEO, American Bureau of Shipping.

As COVID-19 and a historically weak energy market wreaks havoc on the maritime industry, Christopher J. Wiernicki, CEO, American Bureau of Shipping, tells Maritime Reporter & Engineering News in its May 2020 edition that “COVID-19 will function as threat, a disruptor and catalyst for change, driving class further away from calendar maintenance towards predictive operations. The industry will accelerate its digitally driven movement into condition-based approaches and real-time…

20 Apr 2020

Lack of Monitoring Contributed to 2019 Laker Fire -NTSB

By 8:20 p.m. St. Clair's cargo conveyor boom had become completely engulfed in flames (Photo: Great Lakes Trader chief engineer / NTSB)

A lack of operating procedures for continuous active monitoring contributed to the extent of damage caused by a 2019 fire on board a laid-up bulk carrier in Toldeo, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report.At about 8:10 p.m. local time on February 16, 2019, a fire was reported on the 770-foot-long St. Clair while the vessel was undergoing winter at the CSX TORCO Iron Ore Terminal (TORCO dock) at the mouth of the Maumee River.The fire was likely caused by the ignition…

04 Mar 2020

Better Blasting: Send in the Robots

(Photo: C&C Marine and Repair)

When designing and constructing a new blast and paint facility at its yard in Belle Chasse, La., C&C Marine and Repair set out to create a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly worksite that would deliver a high-quality product.Fifteen months and 131 barges later, C&C Marine has nearly doubled its capacity as the facility and its robotic blasting technology continually meet and exceed expectations, says Tony Cibilich, president and owner of C&C Marine and Repair, who sees a long list of benefits for customers…

31 Oct 2019

Offshore Wind: a Freshening Breeze?

AdobeStock_CREDIT Yauhen Suslo

July brought news about offshore wind. There was something for everyone: optimism, disappointment, and construction, too.Finally, starting with Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, a joint venture with Danish wind developer Orsted is underway. True, this is a small project – just two wind turbines to be installed 27 miles east of Virginia Beach. But considering all the preceding hurdles, news about Dominion blew in as proverbial, hopeful fresh air. Surely…

10 Mar 2017

Chemline Launches Contractor Services

Polyurea/polyurethane protective coatings manufacturer Chemline said it has established a new dedicated sales team and web page specifically for contractors. The company has served primarily the OEM market for 20 years, and is now adding contractor-focused services is in response to growing customer demand. According to Chemline, it is distinguished by its proprietary formulations and on-site service. For example, a Chemline technician is available to travel to customer sites to train contractors and their employees to properly prep and apply product, and to make sure the coating is working correctly for their application. As a distributor for Graco spray services, Chemline offers in-house technical services to train contractors in the use of Graco sprayers.

13 Apr 2016

First US-flagged Wind Farm Vessel Delivered

Photo: Blount Boats

Blount Boats has delivered the Atlantic Pioneer, America’s first U.S.-flagged Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) for Atlantic Wind Transfers that will begin service for Deep Water Wind Block Island at the end of May. The 21-meter aluminum vessel was designed by South Boats IOW (Isle of Wight), who has designed and built approximately 81 crew transfer vessels for the European Offshore Wind Sector servicing wind farms throughout Europe. In 2011 Blount Boats signed an exclusive licensing agreement with South Boats covering the U.S. offshore wind industry.

29 Apr 2016

WILCO Logistics Bags Townsville Port Safety Works

WILCO Logistics Pty Ltd has been announced as the successful bid contractor on Breakwater safety works at the Port of Townsville. Minister for Ports Mark Bailey said the overall $1.5 million project will improve navigational safety at the Townsville Port by widening the entrance to the harbour, but does not involve any capital dredging works. “This project is another step towards being able to accommodate larger vessels at the Townsville Port and will also improve the navigational safety of vessels already entering our harbour,” he said. “Best of all, local North Queensland contractors will once again be engaged to complete important infrastructure improvement works, meaning more local jobs for this community.

08 Dec 2015

Horizon Awarded for GORDHEAD Software

Photo: Horizon Shipbuilding

Horizon Shipbuilding, Inc. of Bayou La Batre, Ala., has been presented with the 2015 “Innovator of the Year” award by the Mobile Alabama Chamber of Commerce for Horizon was recognized for its GORDHEAD collaboration software aiming to revolutionize the way shipbuilders and other manufacturers conduct business. Horizon described GORDHEAD as its new “brain” for management and supervision to improve communication by more easily sharing problems and quickly arrive at collaborative solutions.