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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Trinidad News

18 Mar 2024

IMO to Open Regional Office in Fiji

Source: IMO

The IMO will open its seventh Regional Presence Office (RPO), in Suva, Fiji, after IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, and Fiji Minister for Transport, Ro Filipe Tuisawau, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 18.The Regional Presence Office will support the maritime needs and priorities of countries in the Pacific Islands region, aligning IMO actions with national and regional development policies, while providing advice on key maritime issues such as training, safety and security, legislation and marine environment.

07 Mar 2024

Oil Leak from Capsized Barge Off Tobago Stopped After a Month

(Photo: Office of the Chief Secretary)

An oil leak from a barge carrying up to 35,000 barrels of fuel oil that capsized in early February off the Caribbean island of Tobago has stopped, said the twin islands' government on Thursday.The spill, which was first spotted off the coast of Tobago's Atlantic coast on Feb. 7, damaged some of the island's mangrove and threatened its tourism and fishing sector. The spill also entered the Caribbean Sea, threatening nearby Venezuela and Caribbean islands, including Bonaire."The hydrocarbon discharge emanating from the overturned vessel located off the coast of Tobago has stopped…

03 Mar 2024

Esgian Week 9 Report: Dolphin, Diamond and Seadrill Updates

© AndSus / Adobe Stock

Esgian reports rig-related updates from Dolphin Drilling, Diamond Offshore, and Seadrill in its Week 9 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report Outline:ContractsDespite Tullow Oil’s recent announcement that it would take a break from drilling offshore Ghana, Noble Corp. has stated that there has been no contract termination announcement and that its 12,000-ft drillship Noble Venturer is currently still contracted to Tullow into March 2025.Masirah Oil Ltd has signed a rig contract with…

28 Feb 2024

Tanker Backlog Grows in Venezuela as PDVSA Struggles to Deliver Oil

© Francis / Adobe Stock

A bottleneck of vessels waiting to load crude and fuel in Venezuela has increased in recent weeks as state-run oil firm PDVSA struggles to deliver cargoes on time, according to people familiar with the matter, documents and shipping data.PDVSA has sought to ramp up shipments this month, the documents and data showed, following setbacks in January as outages at Venezuela's main port hit its exports. But the increase has been insufficient to ease the congestion.As of Monday, at least 19 supertankers were waiting to load near Venezuela's Jose and Amuay ports…

26 Feb 2024

Oil Spotted at Bonaire's East Coast

© Val Traveller / Adobe Stock

Oil stains possibly coming from neighboring Tobago have reached the island of Bonaire, local media said on Monday, prompting authorities to begin organizing protection to beaches and mangrove areas.Since an oil spill from a capsized vessel was first spotted by Trinidad and Tobago's Coast Guard on Feb. 7, it has blackened the Caribbean nation's beaches and is threatening other countries, including Grenada and Bonaire, whose main source of revenue is tourism.Part of Bonaire's East coast…

20 Feb 2024

Trinidad Government Hires Salvors to Recover Sunken Oil Barge

(Photo: Office of the Chief Secretary)

Trinidad and Tobago has hired two remediation and salvage firms to help clean up an ongoing oil spill off Tobago and salvage the leaking barge, the country's Ministry of Energy said on Tuesday.It has been almost two weeks since the oil spill was first discovered off Tobago's Atlantic coast after a barge ran aground on a reef. The spill has entered the Caribbean Sea, threatening nearby Venezuela and Grenada."An international partnership comprised of T&T Salvage LLC and QT Environmental Inc…

18 Feb 2024

Tobago's Tourism, Fishing Hit by Oil Slick

Source: TEMA

Nine days after a slick was first spotted by Trinidad and Tobago's Coast Guard, an oil leak from a capsized barge remains unplugged, according to first responders and authorities, prompting nations across the Caribbean to coordinate a response.The spill has spread miles from Tobago's shore, the area first hit by the incident. Trinidad this week alerted neighbors Venezuela and Grenada on possible impact to their coasts.The Caribbean Disaster Management Agency, dependent on regional group Caricom…

15 Feb 2024

Tobago Oil Spill Spreading to Grenada

(Photo: Office of the Chief Secretary)

An oil spill that has stained Tobago's coastline in the Caribbean is entering into Grenada's waters and could impact neighboring Venezuela, Tobago's Chief Secretary Farley Augustine told Reuters on Thursday.Eight days after Trinidad and Tobago's Coast Guard first spotted the oil from a capsized vessel whose owner and origin have not been confirmed, portions of the stain have moved about 144 km (89 miles) into the Caribbean Sea at a rate of 14 km per hour, Augustine said."It has now entered Grenada's territorial waters…

13 Feb 2024

Sunken Ship Spilling Oil in Trinidad and Tobago

(Photo: Office of the Chief Secretary)

First responders and volunteers from Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday sought to contain an oil spill detected last week in the Caribbean country's waters and clean areas of Tobago island's coast already affected by the incident.Trinidad and Tobago's coast guard first spotted the spill on Feb. 7, about 6 kilometers off the coast of Studley Park, the chief secretary of Tobago's national assembly, Farley Augustine, said in a press conference on Sunday.Barriers have been installed to contain the spill…

01 Feb 2024

Philippines Plans to Buy Submarines to Defend Sovereignty in South China Sea

© Darren Green / Adobe Stock

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has approved the third phase of the military's modernization, which includes the purchase of the country's first submarine, in order to defend its maritime sovereignty in the disputed South China Sea.Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Roy Trinidad, said on Thursday the third phase of modernization reflected a shift in strategy away from internal to external defense."We may not be a large navy...but we would have a navy that will take care of our territorial rights and sovereignty…

05 Dec 2023

Drilling Roundup: New Contracts and New Carbon Storage Activity

West Vela courtesy of Seadrill

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…

28 Nov 2023

Shell Authorizes Construction Work on Manatee Gas Field

Stuart R. Young MP Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Adam Lowmass, Senior Vice President and Country Chair, Shell Trinidad and Tobago. (September 2023)

Shell has authorized contractor McDermott International to start engineering work on its Manatee gas field development project off Trinidad and Tobago's east coast, the contractor disclosed on Tuesday.Trinidad is Latin America's largest LNG exporter, but its flagship Atlantic LNG project and its petrochemical plants have been operating at reduced capacity due to a shortage of natural gas.McDermott said it got the green light to proceed on an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract pending an investment decision.

10 Aug 2023

TDI-Brooks Adds 75m DP2 Ship to its Fleet

Image courtesy TDI-Brooks

TDI-Brooks increases its vessel capacity by adding a 75-meter DP2 vessel,  R/V NAUTILUS to its fleet, a ship that can offer a variety of offshore assistance with subsea services, construction aid, exploration, production, ROV and diving support, and scientific marine research and survey mapping, along with military support.This vessel is currently about 60% through its retrofit period in Las Palmas, scheduled to complete its shipyard period in late September 2023 and then transit to Trinidad for several geotechnical coring projects.

09 May 2023

U.S. Offshore Vessel Owner Harvey Gulf Welcomes Philip Luongo as Executive VP

Philip Luongo - Credit: Harvey Gulf

U.S.-based offshore vessel owner Harvey Gulf International Marine has said that Philip Luongo, a New York native and graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, has joined the company. After graduating Kings Point, Luongo upgraded his Unlimited U.S. Coast Guard License by sailing on deep sea vessels and operating production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Luongo then transitioned shore side where he worked for BP for nine years, holding various leadership roles supporting the U.S Gulf of Mexico, Angola, Trinidad, Canada, and Brazil.

05 Apr 2023

Russia Using Ship-to-ship Diesel Transfers for Transatlantic Exports

Russia has started to make ship-to-ship (STS) transfers of diesel near African ports as it seeks transatlantic sales, according to traders and Refinitiv Eikon data.A full EU embargo on Russian oil products on Feb. 5 has boosted Russian diesel exports to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, with STS loadings in the Mediterranean helping to shorten eastern routes. Last month, Russia sent about 1.0 million tonnes of diesel to African countries, some of which could be re-exported, traders said."Some volumes could be blended and resold or transshipped to reduce freight costs on the long routes," one trader said.About 42,500 tonnes of diesel…

08 Mar 2023

US Plans No Wider Easing of Sanctions on Venezuela, Official Says

©Lukasz Z/AdobeStock

The U.S. government is not planning a systematic easing of sanctions on Venezuela after an initial round allowed partners of state-run oil firm PDVSA to resume taking oil for past debts, a State Department official said.In November, Washington issued a six-month license allowing Chevron Corp. to expand operations and export Venezuelan oil to the United States. Eni and Repsol also began taking Venezuelan crude for debt with U.S. approvals, This year, Trinidad and Tobago received a U.S. nod to jointly development an offshore natural gas field with Venezuela. Those moves by U.S.

15 Dec 2022

Proman Stena Bulk Takes Delivery of Another Methanol-fuelled Tanker

Stena Prosperous - ©Proman Stena Bulk

Proman Stena Bulk, a JV between shipowner Stena Bulk and methanol producer Proman, has taken delivery of a methanol-fuelled tanker, Stena ProsperousDelivered by Guangzhou Shipyard International Co Ltd (GSI) the 49,990 DWT vessel will now enter commercial operation, running fully on methanol. "The delivery caps a marquee year for the joint venture, which now has four vessels actively trading and bunkering fully on the low-emission future fuel," the companies said.The fourth ship joins the Proman Stena Bulk-owned Stena Pro Patria and Stena Pro Marine…

05 Dec 2022

TDI-Brooks Installs Starlink on Its Research Vessels

(Image: TDI-Brooks)

U.S. based marine services firm TDI-Brooks announced it has installed the Starlink Maritime platform on two of its four research vessels, with plans to equip the remaining vessels at a later date.The two vessels, Brooks McCall and Miss Emma McCall, are currently working on the U.S. East Coast performing G&G surveys for offshore wind programs. Installation of the Starlink Maritime platform is next planned for installation on the Proteus currently working in the Northern GOM and Gyre working off Trinidad.Richard Byno…

24 Nov 2022

Proman Stena Bulk Names Its First Methanol-fueld Tanker in Trinidad & Tobago

During the unveiling of the vessel name, Dr. the Honourable Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. David Cassidy, Chief Executive of Proman, Mr Erik Hånell, President & CEO Stena Bulk AB and Mrs. Cassandra Patrick, Godmother of the vessel look on - ©Proman Stena Bulk

In a ceremony held in Trinidad and Tobago on November 23, 2022, Proman Stena Bulk Ltd formally named its first newbuild IMOIIMeMAX methanol-fueled 49,900 DWT vessel, Stena Pro Patria.Stena Pro Patria is the first of three methanol-fueled vessels delivered in 2022 to the joint venture between tanker company Stena Bulk and the methanol producer Proman, with a further three newbuilds due for  delivery between now and 2024.The naming ceremony was the first for a methanol-fueled newbuild in Trinidad and Tobago, and was attended by Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime  Minister, Dr.

31 Oct 2022

Trinidad Designing LNG Hub to Feed the Caribbean

© donvictori0 / Adobe Stock

Trinidad and Tobago's state-owned gas company has started work on designing a small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub that could help the Caribbean move away from oil-based power generation, the firm told Reuters.Trinidad is Latin America's largest LNG exporter and the project, expected to be operational by 2025, will have a handling capacity of up to 500,000 tonnes a year, National Gas Company (NGC) said. The facility, capable of storing, handling and shipping LNG for the region…

25 Aug 2022

Cuba Boosts Fuel Imports, Reshuffles Shipping Operations After Terminal Fire

Cuba is using a combination of ship-to-ship transfers and floating oil storage to ease fuel scarcity and power cuts following a fire that destroyed a portion of its main oil terminal, vessel tracking data showed.Cubans have endured daily blackouts and long waits for gasoline in the aftermath of the blaze, which hit the 2.4-million-barrel Matanzas terminal and killed 16 people this month.Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel's administration has increased fuel imports from Europe and the Caribbean while Venezuela and Mexico have helped the communist-ruled island with specialized crews and equipment to extinguish the fire, triggered by lightning, and rebuild infrastructure.More than 3 million barrels of Venezuelan crude and fuel, Russian oil, European diesel and liquefied petroleum gas from Domi

19 Jul 2022

Portugal's Sines Port Ready to Transfer LNG to Rest of Europe

© Wojciech Wrzesień / Adobe Stock

Portugal's Sines port is ready to start onward shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which arrives in large tankers and will be transferred to smaller vessels to head to other European states, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.He said a government feasibility study concluded that "with the existing infrastructure and simultaneous operations, Sines could transfer to central and northern Europe up to 10 billion cubic meters (353 billion cu ft) of LNG annually" within six to 12 months.That amount…

21 Jun 2022

Tankers Divert to Trinidad, Maryland After Freeport LNG Blast

At least six tankers set to load liquefied natural gas (LNG) at Freeport LNG this month have been diverted following the June 8 blast that shut the Texas facility, Refinitiv Eikon vessel tracking data showed.A partial restart of the Quintana, Texas, plant is not expected until at least September, the company said last week, leaving about 40 cargoes to be canceled or re-scheduled. The loss has European LNG buyers and some U.S. shale producers reeling, while rivals Cheniere Energy and Sempra LNG rush to produce more LNG to offset the losses.Freeport accounts for roughly 20% of U.S. LNG processing capacity, drawing 2.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of natural gas, primarily from U.S. shale fields.