Kathryn News

Pacific Northwest seaports Seattle and Tacoma have signed design agreements with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for a pair of waterway navigation improvement projects.The Seattle Navigation Improvement Project, authorized by Congress in 2018, and the Tacoma Harbor Navigation Improvement Project, authorized in 2022, are part of a comprehensive modernization initiative for The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) gateway that began nearly a decade ago.Containerships navigating in the trans-Pacific trade are increasing in size…

The world is not on track for zero-emission fuels to account for 5% of international shipping fuels by 2030, a new analysis has found, jeopardizing the shipping industry's 2050 decarbonization goal.Launched at the Global Maritime Forum's annual summit in Athens on Wednesday, the assessment finds that current scalable zero-emissions fuel (SZEF) production in the pipeline would cover just a quarter of the fuel needed by 2030. And the delivery of zero-emission vessels is also faltering. At the end of 2022, there were 24 ships capable of running on SZEF, mostly methanol, with another 144 on order.

The installation of the first monopiles and transition pieces has kicked off for the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the United States - the Vineyard Wind 1.“We can finally say it – as of today, there is ‘steel in the water,’” said Klaus S. Moeller, CEO of Vineyard Wind, the company developing the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind farm, located in a federal wind energy area 15 miles south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and 35 miles from mainland Massachusetts.Vineyard…

Exxon Mobil Corp posted a $56 billion net profit for 2022, the company said on Tuesday, taking home about $6.3 million per hour last year, and setting not only a company record but a historic high for the Western oil industry. Oil majors are expected to break their own annual records on high prices and soaring demand, pushing their combined take to near $200 billion. The scale has renewed criticism of the oil industry and sparked calls for more countries to levy windfall profit taxes on the companies.Exxon's results far exceeded the then-record $45.2 billion net profit it reported in 2008…

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division started fabrication of the Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) destroyer Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129) on January 7, 2021. The start of fabrication signifies the first 100 tons of steel have been cut.“The start of fabrication for one of the U.S. Navy’s most critical assets is always a significant milestone for our shipbuilders,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. “We look forward to leveraging our unparalleled shipbuilding expertise to construct the nation’s newest…

Barry Dreyfus Jr., CEO of United States Marine Inc. (USMI), doesn’t keep the recipe to his company’s success a secret. In fact, it’s displayed plainly for all to see on the homepage of USMI’s website: family, integrity and quality. These have been cornerstones of the 36-year-old firm, today regarded as one of the nation’s premier military small craft builders.Headquartered in Gulfport, Miss., with a maintenance/repair facility in Chesapeake, Va., USMI is a fully integrated manufacturer of military, patrol and special warfare boats available in lengths from 21 feet to 90 feet.

The U.S. Coast Guard signed a memorandum of understanding in June with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Coast Survey, State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, and United States Army Corps of Engineers regarding maritime emergency harbor assessments within federal waterways in Hawaii.This agreement means the partners can work more efficiently and effectively to assess the State's harbors following disasters, such as severe weather events, to restore…

The U.S. Coast Guard and local agencies responded to a multi-barge breakaway in the vicinity of mile markers 176 and 177 on the Upper Mississippi River, Wednesday.Watchstanders at Sector Upper Mississippi River received the report at 3 a.m. that there was a multi-barge breakaway from a fleeting area on the Upper Mississippi River.Multiple towing vessels in the area worked together to account for and secure all the loose barges.The Coast Guard initially closed the river for the safety of those on the waterway…

The United States is struggling to win its allies' support for an initiative to heighten surveillance of vital Middle East oil shipping lanes because of fears it will increase tension with Iran, six sources familiar with the matter said.Washington proposed on July 9 stepping up efforts to safeguard strategic waters off Iran and Yemen where it blames Iran and its proxies for tanker attacks. Iran denies the charges.But with Washington's allies reluctant to commit new weaponry or fighting forces…

Duke Energy Corp started to shut the Brunswick nuclear power plant in North Carolina ahead of Hurricane Florence, which is expected to strike the coast near the plant on Friday.Florence is currently a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour (177 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC). On its current track, the storm will hit the coast on Friday with maximum sustained winds of about 105 mph.Duke spokeswoman Mary Kathryn Green said the company was following its procedures and is shutting Unit 1 now and would start shutting Unit 2 at the 1,870-megawatt plant later today. One megawatt can power about 1,000 U.S.

The Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification, the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system.ISO 9001 certification helps organizations ensure they offer consistently high-quality services to the satisfaction of customers, management and employees. It also ensures the continuous improvement of the business.The certification coincides with the launch of the MNTB’s new Center Recognition service, which recognizes quality training centers in the U.K. and abroad with an MNTB kitemark.“The MNTB wanted to prove to the industry that our new Recognition Service is underpinned by strictly controlled quality processes and procedures.

Prospective maritime caterers can now be assured of quality training and additional funding, thanks to a new apprenticeship standard developed by the UK’s Maritime Trailblazer group, said UK Chamber of Shipping. The new Maritime Caterer apprenticeship has been designed to train people to organise a kitchen and cook meals across a number of shifts that span the cultural needs of multinational crews. The new standard, which has been approved by the UK’s Institute for Apprenticeships, covers cookery skills, stocktaking and kitchen management, and outlines the skills, understanding and behaviour expected of caterers onboard ships. As part of the apprenticeship…

Tanker shipping company Euronav has secured a loan facility providing financing for four ice-class suezmax newbuildings under construction by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., two of which have recently been delivered with the remaining two scheduled for delivery later in 2018.Watson Farley & Williams LLP (WFW) said it acted for Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank in relation to a $173.5 million loan facility for Euronav NV signed on March 22, 2018. The commercial lenders were Crédit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank, BNP Paribas Fortis SA/NV and Sea Bridge Finance Limited and The Export-Import Bank of Korea acted as ECA lender.WFW also acted for ING Belgium SA/NV on a $220 million loan facility for Euronav and International Seaways signed on March 29…

The Government of Ontario has accepted Damen’s proposal to build two ferries with full electric propulsion. Damen is building a 68-meter Road Ferry 6819 and a 98-meter Road Ferry 9819 to operate in the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes. The vessels will be the first fully electric, non-cable vessels in Canada. As part of the tender process for the contract to build the ferries, Damen was required to identify future innovations and green technologies for sustainable power solutions. The Government of Ontario has accepted Damen’s electrification proposal.

Holland America Line has hired Kathryn Geivett as director, social media. In this capacity Geivett’s primary responsibility will be to drive, plan and oversee the execution of strategic social media and digital initiatives for the cruise line. She will report to Mary Beth Wressell, vice president, marketing communications, for Holland America Line. “Social media is an important way we communicate with our fans, and we’re thrilled to have someone of Kathy’s caliber join the company to oversee all of our different engagement channels,” said Wressell. Geivett has more than 12 years of marketing and advertising experience with an emphasis on digital and social media. Prior to joining Holland America Line she was at Microsoft Corp.

NOAA administrator Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D., has appointed six members to the Hydrographic Services Review Panel, a federal advisory committee that gives NOAA independent advice for improving a range of services and products that support navigation and coastal resilience. Capt. “Providing coastal communities, boaters, and the commercial maritime industry with timely, reliable, accurate, and authoritative information is essential as we strive to keep commerce flowing through our nation’s ports,” Sullivan said. Rear Admiral Ken Barbor (ret.), U.S. Lawson W. Capt. Gary A. Scott R.

Heavy lift vessel (HLV) contractors have faced a challenging market in recent years as the low oil price environment combined with a shift towards subsea installation and deepwater activity has seen fixed platform installations decline globally, according to a report by Douglas-Westwood. "The number of fixed assets installed in 2017 is expected to be c.45% less than 2014 levels. This has resulted in a troublesome outlook for heavy lift vessels within the market for topside and jacket installation, leading contractors to seek out opportunities in less traditional markets," the author of the report Kathryn Symes, Douglas-Westwood London said.

Retired Coast Guard Vice Adm. Manson Brown was appointed by President Obama and confirmed by a voice vote of the U.S. Senate to serve as assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction and deputy administrator for NOAA. Brown joins NOAA after 36 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard. As deputy administrator, Brown will play a major role driving the Obama administration and NOAA priorities for weather and water services, climate science, plus the agency’s integrated mapping and Earth-observing capabilities.

Representatives of Cuba and the United States signed in Havana a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in areas of hydrography and geodesy to improve the safety of maritime navigation. Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Havana, and Col. Candido Alfredo Regalado Gomez, Chief of Cuba’s National Office of Hydrography and Geodesy (ONHG), have signed the MoU. “NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has a strong interest in both improving navigational safety and in protecting the marine environment in the heavily travelled and vibrant waters between our two countries in the Straits of Florida,” said Russell Callender, Ph.D., assistant NOAA administrator for the National Ocean Service.

Douglas-Westwood (DW) forecast in its new World Offshore Accommodation Market Forecast that over the period 2015 to 2020 demand for offshore accommodation vessels will average almost 42,000 Personnel on Board (PoB) per year. An increase of 14% compared to the preceding six-year period. Report author, Kathryn Symes, commented, “Despite a peak between 2016 and 2018, the market will plateau towards 2020 as decreasing fixed platform installations and capital expenditure (Capex) restrictions lead to a decline in construction support. “Offshore accommodation units are utilized throughout a field lifecycle in both the operational expenditure (Opex) and Capex stages.

Emergency responders have extinguished a fire aboard a barge adrift approximately 2 miles west of Cat Island, Miss. U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders received a report at approximately 1:20 p.m. Thursday that a barge being pushed by the tug vessel Kathryn T. Devall caught fire with a reported 2,500 tons of anhydrous ammonia and 800 gallons of diesel fuel. The Gulfport Fire Department has extinguished the fire after the tug crew was unable to put out the blaze and released the barge from the tug. No injuries have been reported.

The consummation of the demerger of Aker Solutions ASA (the existing Aker Solutions) was registered with the Norwegian Registry of Business Enterprises after the close of trading on the Oslo Stock Exchange on September 26, 2014. The separation of Aker Solutions into two independent companies was announced on April 30 and approved by shareholders on August 12, 2014. The completion of the demerger involves changes to the share capital, the registration of new boards of directors, changes in company names and trading tickers and adoption of new articles of association, as outlined below.

Businesses in Scotland that contribute to the Apprenticeship Levy can now apply for a workforce development grant of up to GBP 10,000, which the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) says could open up opportunities for seafarers. The Scottish Government this month launched the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF), which aims to help pay for employee training to up-skill and re-skill companies' existing workforces through one of Scotland's further education colleges. Companies are eligible to apply for the funding if they are an Apprenticeship Levy-paying employer (i.e. have an annual salary bill of over GBP 3 million) and have a workforce in Scotland.