Offshore Lightering News

U.S. Gulf Coast crude oil exports are flowing again after recent hurricanes took out 26 million barrels of offshore production, according to sources and Refinitiv Eikon data, with local prices easing as more shipments moved out of the region.Hurricanes Ida and Nicholas damaged platforms, pipelines and processing hubs, shutting in most offshore production for weeks. Restarts continued on Thursday with about 28% of U.S. Gulf of Mexico crude output offline. Some vessels remained at sea waiting to load U.S. crude.But of more than 50 tankers set to load U.S.

Puget LNG and GAC Bunker Fuels have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) marine fuel from Puget LNG’s terminal to GAC’s customers in the Pacific Northwest.When the Tacoma LNG Terminal becomes operational in the second quarter of 2021, it will be the first such terminal on North America’s west coast providing direct shoreside loading access for a bunker barge.GAC Bunker Fuels, a division of the Dubai-based GAC Group, will issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a Jones Act-compliant LNG bunker barge to be constructed…

Iran said on Monday that a U.S. move this month to seize a cargo of oil on the grounds that it came from Tehran was an act of piracy, adding that the shipment did not belong to the Iranian government.Washington filed a lawsuit earlier this month to seize the cargo, alleging that Iran sought to mask the origin of the oil by transferring it to several vessels before it ended up aboard the Liberian-flagged Achilleas tanker destined for China.Washington said the cargo contravened U.S. terrorism regulations."This shipment does not belong to the Iranian government. It belongs to the private sector," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh…

With the ongoing development of deepwater pre-salt plays and a decreased demand on local content in tankers and other vessels, Brazilian national operator Petrobras and other super-majors have been looking abroad for better rates and reliable operators of shuttle tankers. Claudio Paschoa, Maritime Reporter’s correspondent in Brazil spoke to Peter Liew, Global Director – Mid Size Tankers, Crude Shipping, about AET Tankers’ history and its operations in Brazil.AET (formerly American Eagle Tankers) was founded in Houston in 1994 primarily to conduct lightering operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The company’s fleet grew to 32 vessels (mainly Aframax tankers but also two VLCCs) by 2003, when acquired by MISC Berhad.

Oil tankers carrying around 10 million barrels of U.S. crude are en route to Asia, according to shipping data and trade sources, as U.S. producers take advantage of favorable prices to ship to the region while OPEC ponders further supply cuts next week. At least eight tankers are in transit, sources said and the shipping data in Thomson Reuters Eikon showed, with one of them carrying the first ever cargo of Southern Green Canyon crude purchased by Japanese refiner Cosmo Energy. Another contains the first Alaskan North Slope cargo to arrive in Asia in eight months.

Chinese state-owned oil traders PetroChina and Unipec have chartered ships to load more than 2 million barrels of U.S. crude oil in December, three sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday. The shipments come on top of nearly 3 million barrels that BP has sent to Asia as oil traders sell growing supplies of cheap U.S. shale oil to the region of the world that consumes the most crude. Analysts expect U.S. shale production to increase next year after an agreement by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia to cut output from January lifted oil prices. Traders took advantage of an arbitrage between cheaper U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude and the global benchmark Brent and low freight rates.

The tanker carrying $100 million worth of disputed Kurdish crude oil is moving for the first time since July 27, AIS ship tracking data showed on Wednesday. The status of the tanker, called United Kalavrvta, changed to "underway using engine" from "at anchor", but it was still 95 percent full, the data used by the U.S. Coast Guard and Reuters showed. The ship was still in the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area, with Galveston still listed as its destination, according to satellite tracking. The ship has been in limbo for weeks after its would-be buyer balked at taking delivery of the cargo. Baghdad has filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court saying exports by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) are illegal, while the KRG argues they are allowed under the Iraqi constitution.

The first condensate cargo for export is due to load in Texas at the end of this week, headed via the Panama Canal to Asia, shipping sources said. Westport Petroleum Inc., the Franklin, Tennessee-based shipping arm of Japanese trader Mitsui & Co., chartered the BW Zambesi, an LR1 tanker, also known as a Panamax class vessel. Reuters previously reported that Mitsui had bought a 400,000-barrel cargo, and is said to be being marketed to refiners in Asia. According to a Reuters shipping database, the BW Zambesi has capacity of more than 76,000 deadweight tons (DWT). Shipping sources said the BW Zambesi will likely carry less than its maximum capacity, due to draft restrictions in the Panama Canal. The $1.8 million one-way trans-Pacific trip is expected to take a month or more, sources said.

NOAA Ship Fairweather, a 231-foot survey vessel, departed Kodiak, Alaska, today on a mission to conduct hydrographic surveys in remote areas of the Arctic where depths have not been measured since before the U.S. bought Alaska in 1867. NOAA will use the data to update nautical charts to help mariners safely navigate this  important but sparsely charted region, which is now seeing increased vessel traffic because of the significant loss of  Arctic sea ice. Over the next two months, Fairweather will conduct hydrographic surveys covering 402 square nautical miles of navigationally significant waters in Kotzebue Sound, a regional distribution hub in northwestern Alaska in the Arctic Circle.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued an updated set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) relating to advance electronic cargo information requirements of the Trade Act of 2002. The FAQ update does not indicate changes made to prior editions. CBP continues to rely on the private parties to determine who is the “carrier” for purposes of reporting and bonding requirements. Guidance is provided regarding submittal of the vessel’s IMO number, offshore lightering, and manifest quantities for bulk shipments of liquid and dry cargo. Source: HK Law

Duramax Marine, a world leader in water-lubricated rubber bearings, recently broke ground on a new facility that will streamline the company's current manufacturing operations. The facility, with approximately 65,000 sq. ft. of factory and office space will consolidate production and administration into one centralized location in Troy Township, Ohio, approximately 40 miles south east of Cleveland. The expected grand opening will be the first quarter of 2001. Watson Coatings Inc. said that Gordon Watson, founder and CEO, retired on Nov. 2, 2000. Gordon founded Watson Coatings in 1987 with his wife Carol, and sons, Tom and Gary. Carol Watson will continue as Office Manager…

Since the seminal events of September 11, 2001, it seems like every U.S. federal agency concerned with maritime commerce has enhanced its requirements relating to advance notices of arrival for ships, cargoes, and persons coming to the United States. One federal agency mariners had largely ignored also dipped its toes in these waters, only to withdraw, at least for the moment. This article will provide an overview of current federal requirements relating to advance notices of arrival. Like so much in the field of maritime security, these requirements change quickly and this article might be outdated by the time you read it - but here goes. Traditionally, the U.S. Coast Guard required ships coming to U.S.