Petroleum Services News

Meet the CIO: Erika Graziuso, Crowley

Erika Graziuso, Chief Information Officer, Crowley, brings a breadth and depth of non-maritime experience to bear in her quest to drive Crowley’s digital transformation in the name of decarbonization, holistic transportation efficiency and crew attraction and retention.Emulating best practices from industries outside of maritime has been a mantra in boardrooms and conferences for decades, as traditional maritime mindset has, at times, been seen as an impediment to achieving next-level efficiency.Enter Erika Graziuso…

Port of Los Angeles Pays Tribute to Shipping Lines That Reduced Emissions

The Port of Los Angeles has recognized the achievements of more than two dozen shipping lines and carriers for participating in the Port’s Vessel Speed Reduction Program (VSRP), an air quality and annual incentive program for vessel operators who reduce their speed as they approach or depart the port.The voluntary program is one of many sustainability efforts currently underway at the Port to reduce emissions and decarbonize operations.Emission reductions are achieved under the…

ADNOC Eyes June Listing of Marine & Logistics Unit

State oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) plans to float its marine and logistics subsidiary in the coming months, two sources said, the second initial public offering of one of its businesses this year.ADNOC, which raised $2.5 billion from listing its gas business in March, is gearing up for a June listing of ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S), said the sources, declining to be named as the matter is not public.HSBC was appointed as joint global coordinator on the syndicate this week…

Singapore Port Authority Probes Alleged Bunker Fuel Contamination

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, which oversees the world's biggest marine refuelling hub, said it is investigating the suspected contamination of bunker fuel supplied to several ships in the port and had ordered supply of the batch to be halted.At least 14 ships that received tainted high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) from Singapore suffered loss of power and engine problems, Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) said late last week."We detected contamination in 34 fuel samples and we are aware of 14 vessels that have suffered damages.

Multiple Ships Suffer 'Blackouts' Due to Tainted Bunker Fuel from Singapore

A major bunker fuel contamination has affected at least 14 shipping vessels that received high sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) from Singapore, fuel, and oil testing firm Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) said.The company said an increasing number of ships were getting affected by the tainted bunker fuel after 34 vessels were identified to have received HSFO deliveries from two unnamed Singapore suppliers over the last two months that were contaminated with up to 2,000 parts per million…

ADNOC Weighs IPO of Logistics, Marine Services, and Shipping Unit

State oil firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) is weighing an initial public offering (IPO) of its marine services, logistics and shipping arm next year, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S) has been selected for a potential float in Abu Dhabi in 2022, said the sources, declining to be named as the matter is not public.A deal could follow after testing investor appetite and market conditions, they said.ADNOC declined to comment when contacted by Reuters on Sunday.Gulf oil producers are looking at sales of stakes in energy assets…

Centerline Logistics Acquires Saltchuk Marine Services’ California Ship Refueling Ops

Centerline Logistics acquired Saltchuk Marine Services’ California ship refueling business, currently operated by subsidiary Foss Maritime Company. According to a press release from Centerline, this "major acquisition" brings together the combined capabilities of two of the nation’s leaders in petroleum transportation, strengthening Centerline’s position as a provider of around the clock bunkering (ship refueling) services.Through this expansion, Centerline will "substantially…

Offshore Wind: Vessel Owners Under Pressure to Cut Emissions

Fast-growing offshore windfarms expect low carbon service operations by support vessels, but supplying and handling biofuels is a challenge and the development of ammonia and hydrogen-powered vessels still has a long way to go, ship fuel broker and trader LQM Petroleum Services said.The global offshore wind industry continues to balloon, adding 6.1 GW capacity in 2019 and has continued to grow through the Covid-19 pandemic, the company reminded."In Europe the sector has now reached…

Bollinger Delivers ATB to Crowley

Crowley Fuels took delivery Tuesday of its new Alaska Class 100,000-barrel, articulated tug-barge (ATB), which will be used to transport petroleum products for the Alaska market, from Bollinger Shipyards.Crowley will operate the 483-foot ATB for Alaska-based Petro Star Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) under a long-term charter. Crowley Shipping’s petroleum services group will operate the ATB on behalf of Crowley Fuels.The ATB is the first in Crowley’s fleet to be dedicated to the Alaska market.

Sapura Bags Five Contracts

Malaysian integrated oil and gas services company Sapura Energy Berhad has been awarded five new contracts valued at approximately RM1.3 billion ($US311 million).All five contracts have been awarded to the Sapura’s wholly owned subsidiaries, with works to take place in Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and the Gulf of Suez."The contract wins demonstrate Sapura Energy’s continued pursuit to deepen its presence in existing core markets, break into new markets and expand its scope of services," said a press release.The growing orderbook is expected to increase asset utilisation for the Group and contribute to improving its financial performance.

Swissco Sells Vessels to Allianz Middle East

Singapore’s Swissco Holdings, currently under judicial management, announced that it is disposing of a substantial part of its offshore support vessels division, which is expected to help reduce the group's liabilities.UAE's Allianz Middle East Ship Management has signed a deal to buy most of the OSV fleet of Swissco, said a stock exchange annoucement from the restructuring vessel-owner."The Vessels are being sold on an “as-iswhere-is” basis. Only 3 of the 25 Vessels proposed to be disposed of are on charter. The remainder of the Vessels are not under charter and are minimally utilised or unutilised by the Group," said the statement.Additionally…

Panoro Energy Buys OMV Tunisia

London-based E&P company Panoro Energy said its Norwegian subsidiary Panoro Tunisia Production has reached an agreement with OMV Exploration & Production GmbH to acquire 100 percent of the shares of OMV Tunisia Upstream GmbH.According to the Oslo-listed company, the acquisition is for a cash consideration of $65 million.OMV Tunisia Upstream holds a 49 percent interest in five oil producing concessions in Tunisia with net 2P reserves of 8.1 million barrels, and net production of approximately 2,000 bopd from 14 wells.It also owns 50 percent Thyna Petroleum Services, which serves as the operating company for the five oil producing concessions.

The 2020 Global Sulphur Cap: ABS Aid for Greek Shippers

Leading Greek shipping industry stakeholders joined ABS, a global provider of classification and technical advisory services to the marine and offshore industries, for a workshop on drafting 2020 sulfur limit Ship Implementation Plans (SIP).Intended to help shipping companies and crew ready their vessels for compliance with the required sulfur content limit of 0.50% by 1 January 2020, the ABS workshop identified risks associated with design and operations of vessels in relation to the IMO regulation, including a HAZID study. “As the leading class organization in Greece, many in the industry are looking to ABS for guidance in managing the transition to operating under the 2020 sulfur limit.

Wärtsilä, Crowley Extend Agreement for 11 ATBs

Wärtsilä and Crowley Petroleum Services said they are continuing their co-operation by extending and expanding their maintenance agreement for 11 articulated tug barges (ATBs) owned and operated by Crowley. The agreement, signed in December 2017, extends the original contract term from 2019 to 2023, and covers the maintenance of 22 Wärtsilä engines installed on board 11 ATBs. With the contract Crowley receives a comprehensive maintenance package, access to prompt technical service and troubleshooting and a response time guarantee in case of unforeseen circumstances requiring immediate action.

DNV GL Opens LNG Test Center

DNV GL opens LNG test center. The facility, at the organization’s existing renewable energy technology and gas laboratory site is the first type of facility with a capacity compatible for the downstream sector. Its capacity is up to 250kg of liquefied gas and boasts a heat exchanger that allows the temperature of the LNG – and therefore its boil-off – to be precisely regulated. Johan Holstein, Head of gas testing and analysis at DNV GL – Oil & Gas, said the testing of new sensor technology to rapidly identify the composition of LNG would be a priority. “The current accredited technology, gas chromatography, can take 3-5 minutes to show the composition of LNG,” Holstein explained.

Crowley Shipping Announces Management Team

Crowley Maritime Corp. appointed four industry veterans to oversee the consolidated lines of business under the recently formed Crowley Shipping group, which provides petroleum and chemical transportation, commercial ship management, offshore energy support and ship assist and tanker escort services in the U.S. and international markets. Crowley said the new business unit structure better aligns vessel operations and services with customers, positioning the company for greater growth and efficiency under Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager.

VPS Expands Lubricant Oil Condition Monitoring Services

The marine fuels testing company Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) announced the latest expansion of the company’s lubricant oil condition monitoring (OCM) service. In the company’s continuous drive to offer its customers a widening range of technically advanced, value-added services, VPS have made a significant financial investment to equip their Rotterdam Laboratory with the very latest analytical technology, automation and robotics for the testing of lubricants. The introduction of such advanced equipment and systems, enables a significant increase in the laboratory’s capacity and efficiency and will further assist VPS clients’ effective condition monitoring and routine maintenance programmes.

Crowley Shipping Fuel to Hurricane Stricken Locales

Eighteen Jones Act petroleum vessels owned and/or operated by Crowley Maritime Corp. have been loaded to discharge gasoline and diesel into Florida ports in the coming few days. The mobilization responds to fuel shortages caused by the unprecedented evacuation of millions of Floridians ahead of Hurricane Irma. The vessels include Crowley’s MT Ohio and Florida, which were among the first tankers to bring fuel into the Port of Tampa on Tuesday along with MT West Virginia in Port Everglades. Fuel is being discharged to all of the major terminals in Florida – Jacksonville, Port Canaveral and Ft.

Crowley's Petroleum Transport Unit Takes the Long View

The mantra at Crowley is “safety” and “people,” but it’s not simply words, rather embedded practice starting from the top. Robert Grune, SVP & GM, Crowley Petroleum Services talks to Maritime Reporter regarding this ubiquitous company’s historic success and promising future in the petroleum transport sector. Robert Grune leads one of Crowley’s six business units, responsible for U.S. flag Jones Act oil transportation business. The current fleet consists of 17 Articulated Tug Barges (ATBs) ranging in size from 150,000 to 330,000 barrels capacity, as well as four U.S. flag MR oil tankers.

Crowley Christens Third LNG-ready Product Tanker

Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the third of four new LNG-ready Jones Act product tankers at a May 5 ceremony at the Julia Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans. The 600-foot-long, 50,000-dead-weight-ton (dwt), 330,000-barrel-capacity MT Louisiana is capable of carrying crude oil or refined petroleum products, as well as other chemical products for U.S. Coastwise trade. The new vessel joins Crowley sister ships, Ohio and Texas, to be the first tankers ever to receive the American Bureau of Shipping’s LNG-Ready Level 1 approval…

Crowley Vessels Earn Safety Awards

Eighty-seven vessels owned or managed by Crowley Maritime Corporation recently received the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA)’s annual Jones F. Devlin Awards in recognition of their 2016 safety records. Each year, the CSA grants Devlin Award certificates to manned merchant vessels that have operated for two or more years without incurring a Lost Time Injury (LTI), highlighting the skills and dedication of the crewmembers responsible for safe vessel operations. Crowley’s 2016 Devlin Award-worthy vessels together have achieved 670 years of service without an LTI.

Fourth LNG-ready Product Tanker Delivered to Crowley

Crowley Maritime Corp. took delivery Friday of MT West Virginia, the fourth new Jones Act product tanker built for the company by Philly Shipyard, Inc. (PSI). Crowley will christen the West Virginia on Tuesday at a ceremony at Philly Shipyard. The LNG-ready West Virginia can be converted for propulsion by liquefied natural gas (LNG), joining sister ships Louisiana, Ohio and Texas, which were received by Crowley in 2015 and 2016 as the first-ever tankers to receive the American Bureau of Shipping’s (ABS) LNG-Ready Level 1 approval.

Focus on Safety, Future Drive Operator Success

The hallmarks of a successful vessel operator are the same whether they are carrying liquid, physical or human cargo: A laser focus on safety, a twin commitment to customers and crew, and the vision to embrace and invest in the future. However obvious the bar, it is not easy to meet. “I don’t think there is any magic formula,” says Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum services, Crowley Marine Solutions. “The difference is that everything we work on regards providing a high quality of service to customers, pays off. In a rising market, it’s easy to do well.