World Wide Shipping News

Today, Dryad Maritime release the Dryad Maritime Country Risk Map, an online risk portal that has been specifically designed to help commercial teams, CSOs, ship owners and managers optimise their maritime security strategies and identify new trading opportunities through enhanced Maritime Domain Awareness. With a simple interface and concise intelligence, the portal is curated, reviewed and updated on a daily basis by Dryad’s specialist team of analysts. Dryad’s Country Risk Map goes beyond the simple aggregation of data seen in other similar products, with multi-source filtering and verification prior to being enriched with the analysis and insight of Dryad’s professional intelligence specialists.

In trying to make sense of the global, mobile maritime industry, there is no better ‘go to’ than Shashi N. Kumar, Ph.D., Master Mariner, Fulbright Senior Specialist Fellow, Emeritus Professor of International Business & Logistics, Academic Dean, United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). Last month we met with Dr. Kumar in his office to put emerging global maritime trends in perspective. “The views expressed in this article are Dr. Kumar’s own and not those of the U.S. The World: When you look at the global shipping market, what do you see and why?

Russia’s renewed focus on the commercial shipbuilding industry was set as a key aim by Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev in his recent discussions on the development of the sector through 2015. Various industry ministries have been charged with analysing industry prospects until 2030, with the findings to be submitted by January 2015. The Russian Energy Ministry was instructed to study the needs in dedicated fleet and other marine solutions for exploration, drilling and the transportation of crude oil, gas and gas condensate by 2030. This is to be undertaken in conjunction with OAO Rosneft, OAO Gazprom, LUKOIL, JSC NOVATEK and other stakeholders, taking into account the planned production volumes of hydrocarbons while developing offshore fields.

Russia’s renewed focus on the commercial shipbuilding industry was set as a key aim by Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev in his recent discussions on the development of the sector through 2015. The 2015 impetus on competitive opportunity coincides with the 13th International Maritime Exhibition and Conferences of Russia – NEVA 2015. This event provides a collaborative, global platform to promote Russia's Commercial Shipbuilding, Ship Equipment and related Maritime industries. Various industry ministries have been charged with analyzing industry prospects until 2030…

Established in 2008 in Dubai, Vega Ships Management announces the global expansion of their all-encompassing vessel post fixture services into the world wide shipping market. Vega Ships Management offers Vessel Post Fixture Commercial Operation services, headquartered in Dubai, with Port Captains based in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia. VSM is manned by Master Mariners and Professionals of the Shipping Industry with years of experience, and provides services which meet and exceeds the needs and requirements of charterers and ship owners alike.

Damen Shipyards Galati has handed over the second platform supply vessel in a series order heralding a new era in offshore construction for Damen Shipyards Group. World Peridot, built to Damen’s PSV 3300 design, has been delivered to World Wide Supply. Delivery comes just seven weeks after the handover of the first of class PSV 3300, World Diamond, and is part of a rolling six-ship handover schedule from Damen for WWS. The PSV was delivered on schedule and would join sistership World Diamond on the North Sea spot charter market.

"The revelation this week that the owner of an Algerian cargo ship whose crew was held by Somali pirates paid them $2.6 million in ransom is yet another indication that the rewards these denizens reap for their illegal, life-threatening work remain a serious stumbling block to ending maritime organized crime," AdvanFort Company President and COO William H. Watson said. “Those ship owners and operators who have still not hired a highly-reputable private maritime security company (PMSC) continue to risk paying what amounts to an illegal tax in support of further organized maritime extortion…

NetWave Systems B.V. (“Netwave”) of the Netherlands acquired the Voyage Data Recorder (“VDR”) division of Rutter Inc., a public company from St. John’s (Canada) (“Rutter”). Parties concluded agreements whereby NetWave, also a manufacturer of VDRs for seagoing vessels and offshore installations, will manufacture Rutter™ VDR-100G3 systems as well as support and service all earlier models of Rutter ™ VDRs on a world-wide basis. After a transition period, during which Rutter Inc. will continue to manufacture the current VDR-100G3 product line for NetWave, NetWave will be manufacturing this product line from their manufacturing locations in Europe.

The directors of Seattle-based Marine Response Alliance LLC (MRA) announced the signing of an agreement with Marine Hazard Response to join the Alliance as a full and equal member, effective January 1. Marine Hazard Response (MHR), based in Houston, is a joint venture of Wild Well Control, Inc., and Williams Fire and Hazard Control, Inc., and specializes in marine firefighting and the technical management of marine casualties. MHR will now unite with the other MRA member companies-Crowley Marine Services, Inc. (Crowley), Marine Pollution Control Corporation (MPC) and Titan Maritime LLC (Titan)-to provide access to comprehensive emergency response services, offering OPA '90 compliant capabilities for rescue towing, lightering, fendering, salvage and firefighting in all U.S.

Seabulk International, Inc. announced that it has agreed to purchase two 48,000-dwt product tankers from principals of World-Wide Shipping of Singapore. The tankers, the World Trumpet and World Trust, are modern double-hull vessels built in 2000 at the Daewoo Shipyard in Korea and suitable for worldwide trading. Delivery of the vessels is expected in March. They will be the first foreign-flag product tankers to join the Seabulk fleet. Seabulk currently has 10 product tankers operating in the domestic Jones Act market. "The international product market represents a new strategic direction for us," commented Gerhard E. Kurz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, "although it is really a natural extension of our domestic tanker business where we have been active for more than 25 years.

The Canadian Coastguard has banned a damaged 24-year-old supertanker, Eastern Power, from entering its waters, saying the onus is on its owner, Singapore-based World-Wide Shipping, to prove that it poses no pollution threat. "To us it's a seaworthy vessel outside our waters with a slight leak, and until her owners can demonstrate that it is no threat to Canadian waters we are denying access," said a Canadian coastguard owner Transport Canada official, adding that the ship was carrying 1.9 million barrels, or 250,000 tons, of crude oil. The official added that a coastguard observation flight Thursday afternoon had showed no signs of pollution, but one that was scheduled for Friday morning could not take off due to bad weather.

Five months after entering the tanker market to hedge its freight risk, U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil has finally clinched two single-hulled VLCCs for five years time charters - the first such deal for at least three years, brokers said Thursday. Exxon is taking the 11 year old Taos from Singapore-based World-wide Shipping at about $33,500 per day and the 12 year old Saudi-owned Samco at about $32,500 per day. "The deals are still on subs (subject to charterers' approval), but bar some total disaster, the deals are done," said one London tanker broker. He said the deals were more complicated than commonly reported, with the possibility of newbuilding VLCCs replacing the two ships at some point during the charters.

Frontline has sold its shares in General Maritime Corporation, and has ordered four new Suezmax tankers for an undisclosed sum, Reuters reported The 3.86m shares were sold at $40 per share to World Wide Shipping, and Frontline will record a gain of about $9.7 million in the third quarter from the sale, it said in a statement. It said the proceeds from the sale would be allocated to repayment of debt, equity financing of the Rongsheng investments as well as increased dividend capacity. Frontline also said it had declared four newbuilding Suezmaxes orders from Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries Group Co. Ltd. in China. source: Reuters

Helmut Sohmen, chairman of BW Group Ltd. may sell shares in its offshore unit as producers order oil platforms to drill fields in deeper water, according to a Bloomburg report. An initial public offering of shares in BW Offshore is possible within the next two years, Sohmen, 66, said, according to the report. The unit operates a fleet of eight tankers converted into platforms used to pump oil from undersea fields. BW Group acquired the offshore business in 2003 when World-Wide Shipping, started in Hong Kong by Sohmen's father-in-law in 1955, acquired Oslo-based Bergesen d.y. ASA. BW Offshore's FPSOs, operate in seas off Mauritania, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea in West Africa, New Zealand, and Mexico.

The V.Ships Managing Director of USA Shipmanagement operations — Mike Robinson, says that owners are anxious to secure competent crews to serve on their vessels in the coming years, but cost remains an overriding theme in today's market. V.Ships is aware that the global shortage of seafarers is causing concern. "The increasingly strict regulatory environment, including the impact of the International Safety Management Code phase 2 provision for all vessels, together with STCW95, means that experienced and fully trained officers and ratings are more crucial than ever to the process of compliance if problems are to be avoided," says Robinson.

International Coatings Ltd. and the Marine Contracting Association, Ltd, Bermuda (Marcas) have signed a contract for the exclusive supply of drydock coatings for over 60 vessels. Member companies, Teekay Shipping Corporation, Vancouver, World Wide Shipping Managers Pte Ltd., Singapore, and Marenostrum Ltda. Lisbon, have allocated all of their 2003 drydockings to International Coatings Ltd. V-Ships Group have also placed a significant proportion of their 2003 dry dockings business with International. The contract represents vessels typically including VLCC’s, Bulk Carriers, Container Vessels, Oil Tankers and Product Carriers. Included in the contract is a comprehensive service package professionally supported by over 400 highly trained International Coatings technical service staff…

Close to 300 delegates joined the International seminar with the theme 'Tanker Safety, Pollution Prevention, Spill Response and Compensation'. Co-hosted by ITOPF, OCIMF and INTERTANKO, the event took place in Hong Kong on 6 November and formed part of a busy week for the three organizations involved, which included the INTERTANKO Executive Committee and Council meetings. Welcoming the delegates, Jan Kopernicki, Vice President of Shell Shipping and Trading and Chairman of OCIMF, outlined the role of OCIMF and current developments in the industry. Important issues that OCIMF had recently been closely associated with were: encouraging the major Classification Societies to bring about transparent change…

Ship supply specialist Unitor, has entered into a three-year sole supply contract with MARCAS, the Bermuda-based marine purchasing group. MARCAS’ members, who include the V. Ships Group, Teekay Shipping and World Wide shipping, have agreed to contract with Unitor for the sole supply of chemicals, gases and associated welding products for a minimum period of three years.