Former Soviet Union News

Carbon capture and storage has emerged as flashpoint at the UN climate conference in Dubai about how big a role it is destined to play in reaching the target of net zero emissions.It has also prompted an unusual and bad-tempered confrontation between senior officials at the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).In the run up to the conference, the IEA called on oil and gas producers to let go of "the illusion that implausibly…

Russian gas exports to Europe via pipelines plummeted to a post-Soviet low in 2022 as its largest customer cut imports due to the conflict in Ukraine and a major pipeline was damaged by mysterious blasts, Gazprom data  and Reuters calculations showed.The European Union, traditionally Russia's largest consumer for oil and gas, has for years spoken about cutting its reliance on Russian energy, but Brussels got serious after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February.State-controlled Gazprom…

A rapid startup of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany could help calm record-high gas prices in Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday, as Moscow awaits for regulatory clearance for gas flows to begin.Russia announced last week that it had completed construction of the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 to Germany, doubling its gas exporting capacity via the Baltic Sea. However, the start of gas flows via the route needs the approval of Germany's regulator…

The United States is taking advantage of record-low prices of one of the world's dirtiest fuels by buying record volumes, which it intends to upgrade into cleaner products before new shipping rules take effect, trading and analyst sources say.U.S. trade sources said it recently had become economical to ship fuel oil from countries such as Russia, boosting imports of the product into the United States.This comes even as prices for high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) on the U.S. Gulf Coast…

The Namibian Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) compliance officials and Sea Shepherd, onboard the Ocean Warrior, have jointly carried out successful surveillance activities in Namibia`s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), effectively causing illegal factory trawlers to abandon the Skeleton Coast.The main objective of these joint patrols was to tackle Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in Namibian waters. These initiatives assisted the MFMR and other Namibian law enforcement agencies to force illegal and foreign industrial factory trawlers out of the Namibian EEZ suspected to have targeted horse mackerel stocks through IUU activities.Large foreign industrial factory trawlers – former Soviet Union made trawlers -  have been ‘border hopping`…

Venezuelan state agencies have run up close to $1 billion in debts with shipping firms due to delays in returning containers, potentially boosting the cost of importing staple goods as the country struggles with product shortages and an economic crisis. The agencies have held containers for months or simply never returned them, at times leaving the truck-sized steel boxes for years in oil industry facilities or on provincial farms even though this costs $100 per day per container, according to industry sources. The debts have piled up over the last six years, coinciding with a steady rise in the role of state agencies in importing goods to Venezuela, particularly food. The country is served by industry giants such as Maersk of Denmark and Hamburg Sud of Germany.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday he wants to boost trade ties with Iran after meeting with leaders of the Islamic Republic in Tehran.   Putin, speaking at joint briefing with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, also said there are plans to create a free trade zone between the Moscow-led economic union of former Soviet Union countries and Iran, as well as increased use of national currencies in trade with Tehran. (Reporting by Denis Pinchuk; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Dominic Evans)

Located on the periphery of two great continents, Turkey has benefitted from being in a favored position right at the center of an assertive and fast growing economic area. This geographical location finds Turkey in a very favorable position. Despite the general economic recession, the country’s shipping ports and shipbuilding sectors have faced challenges resolutely and expanded consistently. With a coastline of approximately 8,483 km, (1,067 km of which are island shores) Turkey is situated to the southeast of Europe, south of the former Soviet Union, northwest of the Middle East and northeast of the Mediterranean Sea where the European and Asian continents meet across the Turkish straits. - Mediterranean 2,025 km (23.9%).

Speaking at this year’s Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) Conference and Exhibition, Khalid A. Al-Falih, Saudi Aramco president and CEO, addressed the challenges facing the industry and gave insights into Saudi Aramco’s strategy for turning these into opportunities, informs the Middle East energy major. In his speech, Al-Falih outlined some of the chief challenges that major producers such as Saudi Aramco face, including rising project costs, critical manpower shortages, global economic weakness and political turmoil in many oil producing regions, including Africa, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union. Al-Falih said, focusing on long-term strategies for meeting the growing global need for energy and enhancing “our industry’s resilience to the kinds of shocks…

SBI Offshore Limited has announced that the Middle East-Chinese consortium, which recently awarded its subsidiary a contract to provide design and engineering services for a jack-up drilling rig, has commenced discussions with the SGX Catalist-listed company to build up to five units of the rig. SBI Offshore said that it had commenced negotiations with the consortium about a week after securing from the latter the $24 million contract to design a rig that will meet American Bureau of Shipping Classification (A1 Self-Elevating Drilling Unit) requirements. The consortium, whose members are involved in oil and gas activities, has indicated that the rigs will eventually be deployed in the Middle East and various parts of Asia for operation in water depths of up to 110 meters.

Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Nigeria and now Iraq: the crude oil market has weathered a long list of actual and threatened supply shocks with remarkable calm. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), unplanned disruptions have removed around 2.5 million barrels per day from the crude market since the start of 2011. But for most of that time, Brent, the international marker, has traded in a narrow range around $105 per barrel and daily price volatility has fallen to the lowest level for 20 years.

Risk to oil flows seen low but Russia key supplier; Russian natural gas supply in doubt, European storage levels high. United States, Europe differ over trade sanctions. Crude oil prices jumped more than $2 a barrel to multi-month highs on Monday, lifted by rising tension in Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared he had the right to invade his neighbour. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said Moscow's move to use military force was a "declaration of war" by Russia, one of the world's biggest oil producers. Analysts say Russian supplies of oil to the rest of the world are unlikely to be disrupted by the Ukraine crisis but oil prices rose as most financial markets tumbled, with investors pulling out of riskier assets such as stocks.

A Russian spy ship slipped into Havana Bay for an unannounced visit during a period of turmoil in Ukraine and displays of military strength elsewhere in the world. The Viktor Leonov SSV-175, part of the Vishnya class of intelligence ships, quietly entered Cuban waters earlier this week and was docked at a cruise ship terminal on Thursday, its crew casually taking in the view of the old colonial section of the Cuban capital as passers-by gawked. Russian warships have come and gone in Cuba since the collapse of the Soviet Union…

The 5,000th Kalmar straddle carrier rolls out of the assembly unit in Stargard Szczecinski, Poland, part of an early 2014 delivery of 44 electric carriers for Asciano's Patrick Port Botany terminal in Sydney, Australia. "We are extremely proud to receive the 5,000th Kalmar straddle carrier in Sydney. The first automated Kalmar straddle carriers were used in commercial operations in 2005 in our Brisbane terminal. This fully automated container handling system was the first of its kind in the world and we are now building a similar system in our Sydney terminal.

McQuilling Services said it continues to hold a contrarian view in contrast with the positive sentiment that surrounds the clean tanker market and robust MR2 ordering. The company released an industry note outlining their views of the tanker industry. “In an effort to validate our opinion, we compiled the clean product trade data that was used for McQuilling Services Tanker Market Outlook this year. We arranged the 225 trades (15 x 15 regions) in descending order from the longest to shortest distances, classifying the top 113 trades as long haul trades and the bottom 112 as short haul trades.

APL announced the appointment of Peter Jongepier as Regional President of its business in Europe. “Peter has more than 30 years of experience in the shipping industry. I am confident he will effectively lead APL’s business across Europe, an important part of APL’s global liner activities. His familiarity with the region and knowledge of the trade, combined with his leadership qualities, will ensure continued customer focus and growth in Europe,” said APL President Kenneth Glenn. Mr Jongepier will be responsible for APL’s commercial activities in Europe, inclusive of the former Soviet Union and Turkey. He will be based in Uxbridge in the UK and will report directly to Mr Glenn. Since joining APL in 1995, Mr Jongepier has held a range of senior positions within the company.

Sang, speaking to the Voice of Russia radio station ahead of a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, stressed that the port would not be a Russian military base. But he also said that Cam Ranh would be used to help develop “military co-operation” between the two former Cold War allies. Sang also said Hanoi was planning to develop the capacity to provide maintenance services to any foreign ship docking at Cam Ranh, a former Soviet naval base. Russia currently has only one foreign military base outside the former Soviet Union – in Tartus, Syria. But officials say the base is little more than a re-fuelling stop for Russian warships. Russia’s naval chief, Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov, confirmed that Russia was in talks on obtaining naval bases in Cuba, Vietnam and in the Seychelles.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Andrew Cunningham, a former senior partner of Moore Stephens, will be held in London at 11.30 a.m. on Friday, 27 April at St Sepulchre-without-Newgate. Andrew Cunningham passed away on 31 January after a long illness, at the age of 66. He was with Moore Stephens all his working life. He joined the firm in 1963, became a partner in 1972, and retired in 2010. His career involved every aspect of the international shipping industry. He was particularly close to the Greek shipping community, and greatly admired its entrepreneurial spirit and family-based work ethic and he was a central figure in the opening-up to Moore Stephens of shipping in Russia and the Former Soviet Union.

Connie Luncheon Held at The Newark Club, December 5; Stanley Sher Given Lifetime Achievement Recognition. Connie Award recipient is R. Kenneth Johns, former president of Sea-Land Service Inc. The Containerization & Intermodal Institute (CII) presented the 2011 Connie Award to Robert Kenneth (Ken) Johns, former president of Sea-Land Service Inc., for his significant influence in containerization in worldwide trade and transportation. The Connie Awards luncheon was held Monday, December 5 at The Newark (NJ) Club and marked 40 years of Connie Awards. A Lifetime Achievement Award was also presented to Stanley Sher, a maritime attorney in Washington D.C.…

Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE: HOS) announced today that John T. Rynd and Kevin O. Meyers, Ph.D. have been appointed to its Board of Directors (the "Board"), effective June 23, 2011. Mr. Rynd and Dr. Meyers were appointed to fill the vacancies created by a prior resignation and the Board's decision to increase the number of its directors from seven to eight members. In addition, at the Company's Annual Meeting on June 23, 2011, the shareholders reelected Todd M. Hornbeck and Patricia B. Melcher to the Board. John T. Rynd. Since June 2008, Mr. Rynd, 54, has served as the Chief Executive Officer and President, and as a director, of Hercules Offshore, Inc. (NASDAQ: HERO), a publicly traded global provider of offshore contract drilling, liftboat and inland barge services.

NOL Group announced the resignation of Eng Aik Meng as President of its APL shipping business. The container transportation and logistics group has named Kenneth Glenn, currently President of its North Asia Region, as his replacement. NOL said Mr. Eng will leave the company September 1, 2011, to take a new position outside the transportation industry. "We understand Aik Meng's desire to begin a new phase in his career, and we thank him for his contributions to NOL," said Group CEO Ronald D. Widdows. Mr.

Ukraine is serious about reviving and further development of its ship-building industry in Mykolaiv region (South Ukraine - Ed.). This is the theme of the visit of the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to Chernomorsky Shipyard in Mykolaiv, where he participated in laying the keel of the corvette class ship for the Naval Force ofUkraine. During the visit the President commended the ship-building employees for their patience and faith. "I am confident that together we will create with you all the motivation for the development of shipbuilding," said the Ukrainian leader. This will be the third ship of corvette class that Ukraine will build since its independence.

Energy Cranes International Limited, provider of offshore lifting and handling services which includes Sparrows Offshore, Aberdeen Hydraulics and Baricon Systems, announced the appointment of Doug Sedge as chief executive officer (CEO). John Jordan, the incumbent CEO, is standing down from the role and will be leaving the group. Doug Sedge is well known in the oilfield business community, where he was CEO of RBG Group from 2005 to 2008. His most recent assignment was in a European role with Canadian offshore technology group…