Oil Well Equipment News

A loss of propulsion due to a false alarm led to cargo vessels colliding near Port Arthur, Texas last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.While transiting the Sabine Pass on August 21, 2022, the general cargo ship Damgracht lost propulsion when the vessel’s main engine shut down due to “high oil mist density” sensed by its oil mist detector (OMD). Due to the abrupt loss of propulsion, the Damgracht began veering into the path of the bulk carrier AP Revelin.

The US Coast Guard’s Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance has released its U.S. Port State Control Annual Report for 2022, with Latvia noted as having the highest detention ratio, ahead of Bolivia.The report lists highest risk flag administrations based on their 2020-2022 detention ratio as: Latvia (57.14%), Bolivia (31.25%), Togo (7.69%), Curacao (4.88%), Italy (3.39%), Turkey (2.90%) and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2.30%).Medium risk flag administrations were Cyprus…

The United States' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued three safety recommendations following its investigation into the February 1, 2021, engine room fire aboard the bulk carrier Roger Blough.The Roger Blough was docked in winter layup at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding facility on Sturgeon Bay, Wis. when a fire started in the engine room. The cargo-unloading conveyor belts then ignited, causing extensive damage throughout the aft section of the vessel. The shipkeeper on board departed the vessel without injury. No pollution was reported.

When it came time to replace their 50-year-old station vessel New York, the Sandy Hook Pilots Association thought long and hard, weighing their options to determine the best possible solution. They traveled the country, to Houston, San Francisco and up to the Columbia River, and even to Europe—the Elbe River in Germany and Rotterdam in the Netherlands—to ride with other pilots in search of an answer.“We looked at everything from SWATH (small-waterplane-area twin hull) boats to helicopters to big boats in Europe…

Valmet reports that it has tested a first-of-a-kind scrubber and wet electrostatic precipitator combination and cut exhaust gas emissions in a marine diesel engine by up to 99%. The solution potentially could allow shipping companies to lower their particle matter and black carbon emission levels, while benefitting the environment and helping to meet tightening emission regulations.The pilot testing and configuration project was carried out together with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (VTT).Up to date…

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), the largest deepwater oil import and export terminal on the U.S. Gulf Coast, has found no major damages to its marine operations during an initial review [of the impact of the hurricane Ida], but operations remain offline as assessments continue, according to a person familiar with the matter.Louisiana Offshore Oil Port Llc - a joint venture of Marathon Petroleum Corp, Phillips 66 and Valero Energy Corp - has a crude oil loading and unloading facility 18 miles (29 km) off the coast of Louisiana.

Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet has signed an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Kustbevakningen, the Swedish Coastguard (KBV), for modernization on the vessel KBV 181. The vessel was built as a patrol boat, but will after modification serve as a combination vessel, for both patrol and oil recovery. It is used also by Umeå Marine Forskningscenter (UMF) for research and environmental monitoring in the Gulf of Bothnia.The KBV 181 is scheduled to arrive at Damen’s…

ExxonMobil is supplying Mobilgard ADL 40 engine oil for Color Hybrid, Color Line’s latest addition to its fleet of ferries. The vessel is the world’s largest plug-in battery hybrid ship and was recently named ‘ship of the year 2019’ by Nor-Shipping.The vessel, which is already in service between Sandefjord, Norway, and Strömstad, Sweden, is capable of carrying 2,000 passengers and 500 cars. It combines four conventional Rolls-Royce Bergen B33:45L in-line diesel engines with electric…

Nimble and quick, unmanned aerial vehicles have evolved into a valuable tool for marine and offshore applications.When a U.S. oil tanker conducts a Critical Area Inspection Plan (CAIP) as required by ABS, it is an onerous process. For example, each tank requires seven days of set up with scaffolding and staging. An ABS inspector and UDT technicians must access, and be carefully lowered into the tank with instrumentation and tools. Inspection points in far reaching places are surveyed.

With a motto of Always Ready, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) has 11 missions specified by law including drug and migrant interdiction; ports, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense. The USCG’s newest ships including 22 Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) recently entered service with 36 more on order and six new National Security Cutters (NSCs) with two more in the process of being built. Oil analysis plays a critical role in the…

SBM Offshore NV, a Netherlands-based maker of offshore oil drilling equipment, and its U.S. subsidiary, SBM Offshore USA Inc, agreed to settle criminal charges of bribing officials in five countries and pay a $238 million penalty, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday. The companies agreed to settle charges related to schemes lasting more than a decade involving bribery of foreign officials in Brazil, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan and Iraq, in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the Justice Department said in a statement. SBM Offshore USA pleaded guilty on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the statement said.

The pace and quality of oil spill research in the United States typically ebbs and flows as a function of two, if not three important variables. First, after the 1989 Exxon Valdez grounding, there was a flurry of activity to ramp up oil spill research because it had been dormant for so long. The need was recognized, with plenty of money made available. Primarily, this research centered on conventional spill remediation techniques – for example, a tanker or barge spilling oil – and not much else. Predictably, when memory of the spill faded, so did interest in research and funding followed.

Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has appointed Shell Marine to provide its integrated marine solutions, which include lubricants and services for OOCL Hong Kong. OOCL Hong Kong, currently plying routes between Asia and Europe, is the latest vessel to claim the title of ‘world’s largest containership’, with a capacity of 21,413 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), measuring 400m in length and 59m in width. The ship is equipped with MAN Diesel & Turbo’s (MDT) G-type engines that represent the latest in two-stroke engine technology.

Norway has become the first nation to implement maritime broadband communication on ships and planes in public service, enabling exchange of information that can be crucial in limiting damage when accidents occur. Kongsberg Seatex and Radionor have teamed up to develop Maritime Broadband Radio (MBR), which the Norwegian companies say is, in contrast to previous systems, highly stable and has extensive reach. Among other capabilities, MBR also enables streaming of HD-video. MBR does not require an internet connection to connect units in the network…

The first of three new dual fuel RAstar 4000-DF class extreme escort tugs, the Dux, has been delivered to Østensjø Rederi AS by Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Gondán S.A. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., the 40.2 meter vessel is the first of a three boat order from Østensjø for severe weather operations at Statoil's Melkøya LNG Gas terminal at Hammerfest in the extreme north of Norway. These escort tugs will conduct approximately 300 LNG ship escorts annually, assist with berthing operations and will be maintained in readiness for emergency services such as long line towing…

Damen has introduced a new first line assistance vessel, the Responder 5413, engineered specifically for assistance in disaster relief and emergency response operations. Developed partly in response to the increasing number of extreme weather events across the globe, the versatile 54-meter vessel is designed to be a first response vessel for unrestricted service. Based on Damen’s multipurpose vessel MPV 5413 design, the Responder 5413 demonstrates proven seakeeping behavior. The vessel includes a spacious aft deck…

Last month we were offered an in-depth discussion on marine salvage with Captain Gregg W. Baumann, U.S. Navy, Director of Ocean Engineering, Supervisor of Salvage and Diving. Captain Baumann and his team have a long history regarding difficult missions accomplished, including most recently the location and filming of the lost TOTE containership El Faro. What is the scope of the responsibility of the Supervisor of Salvage & Diving; Director of Ocean Engineering? The responsibilities of the Supervisor of Salvage & Diving…

Statoil awards Simon Møkster Shipping AS contracts for three emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRV), and Havila Shipping ASA for one ERRV. The contacts have a total value, included options, of NOK 2.7 billion. The vessels will be part of Statoil’s area-wide emergency response on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). The emergency response vessels play an important role in addressing government authorities’ and the company’s own requirements for rescue, hospital, fire-fighting, emergency towing and oil spill preparedness. “Statoil has an extensive emergency preparedness system on the NCS, and through the contracts we have secured four vessels that are tailored to our waters.

Shell Oil Co is poised to restart oil drilling in the Arctic in the near future once it receives the go-ahead from the U.S. government, which could happen soon. The decision to allow the oil company access has been controversial among environmentalists groups as well as local communities that could be affected by the drilling. Seattle city leaders are fighting to keep Arctic oil drilling equipment out of the Puget Sound as the Shell works on a deal to store the equipment with the Port of Seattle near the mouth of the Duwamish River. The Obama administration may reaffirm a 7-year-old government auction of oil leases in the Chukchi Sea - a decision critical to Shell's plans to resume drilling in those Arctic waters this summer. Even before the pending decision, Shell Oil Co.

A recent seminar held March 7 and 8 in Porvoo, Finland, saw Finnish companies Arctia and Lamor Corporation present the results of the IMOR (Ice Management & Oil Recovery) project, which seeks to enhance oil recovery in ice conditions. The oil recovery seminar, arranged by icebreaking services provider Arctia in collaboration with oil spill response specialist Lamor, was opened by the company’s respective CEOs, Tero Vauraste and Fred Larsen. In his speech, Vauraste stated that oil recovery is a key part of Arctia’s range of services.

As of April 2016, Shell Marine Products (SMP) has analyzed more than 50,000 cylinder drain oils samples via its Shell Rapid Lubricants Analysis (RLA) oil condition monitoring service. By identifying potential oil or equipment issues before they become critical, many shipping companies use Shell RLA as part of their planned maintenance regime. Shell RLA helps to deliver greater equipment reliability and reduced downtime. Shell said this service has grown rapidly in recent years…

The U.S. Coast Guard informs it is continuing to monitor and respond to the 833-foot U.S. cargo vessel Roger Blough, which ran aground Friday afternoon on Gros Cap Reef in Whitefish Bay in Lake Superior. The chance of a fuel spill is minimal and flooding on the vessel is stable, the Coast Guard said. The Roger Blough crew is said to be in good condition with no reported injuries. Plans to free the grounded freighter continue to progress through the combined efforts of Canadian partners, company representatives and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The BoomVane is one of the most useful and interesting tools available to oil spill responders for shoreline and single vessel boom deployment. Maintaining an effective oil containment boom configuration with two vessels is difficult to coordinate. The Elastec BoomVane solves that problem. BoomVane can also tow heavier booms greater distances than an outrigger arm resulting in wider sweep swaths. Illinois-based Elastec is the manufacturer and owner of the proprietary BoomVane technology. Elastec offers four BoomVane sizes to accommodate various water depths.