BV Completes Full Remote In-water Hull Survey via ROV
Bureau Veritas (BV) and MaDfly – Marine Drone Services – report the completion of a full in-water ship’s hull survey via mini ROV on Brittany Ferries’ ship Bretagne.The survey was supervised by BV on behalf of the French Flag to validate the integrity of the entire ship’s hull’s bottom. According to BV this inspection was the first of its kind, with the test survey performed twice. A remotely operated drone performed an in-water survey with a BV surveyor onboard the vessel.
SABIC Profits Soar, 2H Looks 'Strong' Too
Petrochemicals giant Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) swung to a $2 billion quarterly profit and said it expects solid performance to continue in the second half of 2021, backed by healthy demand and rising oil prices.SABIC, the world's fourth-biggest petrochemicals company by sales and asset value, swung to a second-quarter profit of $2 billion (up from a $592M loss in the same period last year)…
Iron Ore Futures Fall as Chinese Demand Softens
Chinese iron ore futures fell below a key 1,000 yuan per tonne level on Thursday, falling more than 5% to their lowest in more than two months as domestic consumption remains sluggish on steel production controls.The most active iron ore futures on the Dalian Commodity Exchange, for September delivery, plunged as much as 5.6% to 999 yuan ($154.54) per tonne, their lowest since May 27. They were down 4.6% to 1…
SBM Offshore Eyes Offshore Wind Project Opportunities
Oil and gas services company SBM Offshore on Thursday reported a better than expected decline in core profit for the first half of 2021 as it looks to develop floating offshore wind projects.After reducing spending sharply in the face of a pandemic-induced demand collapse, major energy companies have profitted from surging oil and gas prices that have fed into investment budgets, buoying SBM's results.The Dutch company's first-half earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EB
Container Shipping: China-US Box Rates Eclipse $20,000 Mark, a Record
Container shipping rates from China to the United States have scaled fresh highs above $20,000 per 40-foot box as rising retailer orders ahead of the peak U.S. shopping season add strain to global supply chains.The acceleration in Delta-variant COVID-19 outbreaks in several counties has slowed global container turnaround rates.Typhoons off China's busy southern coast in late July and this week have…
Cox Marine Pushing Through Supply Chain Delays
The 300hp diesel outboard manufacturer has decided to bring its PTT production in-house to alleviate pressures caused by supply chain delays and disruptionsCox Marine began production of the CXO300 in May 2020, and the company said it has seen demand grow strongly for this high-performance diesel outboard engine. However, the pandemic has had a significant impact upon the British diesel manufacturer’s supply chain – particularly the delivery of the major component…
Dredge Barge Capsizes in Charleston
A 120-foot dredge barge capsized in the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders received a call at 3:34 a.m. from the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina staff stating the dredge barge rolled over on its side in the marina. There were no persons aboard the Capt Leo II when it capsized, but the dredge barge has a reported maximum potential of 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board.
Great Lakes Iron Ore Trade Up 61.8% in July
Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.7 million tons in July, an increase of 61.8% compared to a year ago, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA). Shipments were 3.2% above the month’s five-year average.Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 26.4 million tons, an increase of 27.6% compared to the same point in 2020, LCA said. Iron ore shipments are 5.2% above their five-year average for the first seven months of the year.
Brian Cuccias Receives Navy League’s Nimitz Award
Brian Cuccias, the retired president of Huntington Ingalls Industries' (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division, accepted the Navy League of the United States' Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award today. The Navy League presented the award at the annual Sea-Air-Space exposition in National Harbor, Maryland.The Nimitz award honors an industry leader who has made a major contribution to the nation's maritime strength or enhanced national security.
SafeSTS Offers new ‘Green’ Tech for STS Transfers
A new ship-to-ship cargo transfer system has been developed and patented by SafeSTS for the Dynamic Positioning (DP) shuttle tankers sector, designed to increase flexibility and efficiency for the export of oil from offshore fields.Traditionally, shuttle tankers are only used in DP mode to load from floating production, storage and offloading platforms, with subsequent transfer to export tankers taking place in side-by-side ship-to-ship transfer operations.
New Riverboat Delivered to American Cruise Lines
American Cruise Lines Accepts Delivery of American Melody and Announces the Names of the 5th & 6th Modern RiverboatsAmerican Cruise Lines announced it has taken delivery of its newest riverboat, American Melody, from Chesapeake Shipbuilding. The vessel was handed over on time despite various challenges as the Maryland shipyard continued building through the pandemic.Immediately following last week’s successful Sea Trials…
NOAA's Revised Hurricane Outlook Sees More Storms in 2021 Atlantic Season
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Wednesday revised upward its outlook for the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, estimating there was a 65% chance of an above-normal season compared with a previous report that called for a 60% chance.The U.S. government agency anticipates there will be between 15 and 21 named storms this season. A previous outlook had called for 13 to 20 named storms.The first hurricane of the season, Elsa, came onshore in Florida in July.
Keppel AmFELS Lays Keel for Manson's New Hopper Dredge
Manson Construction Co. and Keppel AmFELS, Inc. reached another on-time milestone on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, celebrating with a Keel Laying Ceremony for the hopper dredge Frederick Paup. The keel laying represents the official commencement of construction of a maritime vessel in its final build position, in this case the starboard half of Hopper Bay No. 3.The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from the shipyard and Manson…
Beirut Marks Year Since Port Blast with Demands for Justice
Thousands of Lebanese gathered near the port of Beirut on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of a catastrophic explosion that devastated the city, demanding justice for the victims.One year since the disaster, caused by a huge quantity of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely at the port for years, no senior official has been held to account, infuriating many Lebanese as their country also endures financial collapse.One of the biggest non-nuclear explosions ever recorded…
Venezuela's Oil Exports Up in July, Fueled by Ship-to-ship Transfers
Venezuela's oil exports increased for the second consecutive month to 713,097 barrels per day (bpd) in July, as state-run PDVSA offset loading delays at its main port by boosting ship-to-ship transfers, according to tracking data and documents.That was Venezuela's highest level of oil exports since February, according to the data.A growing number of mostly unknown clients with no record in oil trading have helped PDVSA increase shipments, most of which now goes to Asia.
Trelleborg Opens Houston HQ for Marine Solutions
Trelleborg said its marine and infrastructure operation in North America has recently moved into its new sales office in Houston, Texas, in a move aimed at meeting the growing demands across all North American markets and providing more localized and coordinated customer support for its complimentary product offerings, which include marine fender systems, docking and mooring equipment, transfer link systems…
Royal Caribbean Sees Entire Fleet Sailing by Spring 2022
Royal Caribbean International, which operates the biggest cruise ships in the world including "Symphony of the Seas", said on Tuesday its complete fleet of ships would resume sailing by spring 2022.The division of Royal Caribbean Group said its next group of returning ships would restart sailing in September.Cruise operators, who have gradually restarted operations after more than a year of being docked at ports, are facing uncertainties caused by rising Delta variant cases globally.Royal Caribb
DNV, Nakilat Team to Improve Vessel Software Quality
Nakilat, DNV, and a group of yards and system suppliers – ABB, Honeywell, Kongsberg and Wärtsilä + Hudong-Zhonghua – have teamed on a joint development project (JDP) to elevate software reliability and maintenance during operations. The JDP, which was initiated in 2020 by Nakilat, has resulted in the launch of a new DNV Recommended Practice (DNV-RP-0582), published in June 2021.“With one of the largest LNG shipping fleets in the world…
KOTUG Australia to Manage Towage Ops in Port Hedland
KOTUG Australia Pty Ltd (KOTUG) and WESTUG PTY Ltd (Westug) have successfully concluded an agreement to re-shape the towage services for Pilbara Marine, a subsidiary of Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) in Port Hedland. The service includes the operation of nine state of the art Rotortugs at Port Hedland, which have been servicing Fortescue and other port users since the commencement of operations…
ClassNK Grants Ffirst DSS (Hull Monitoring) Notation for 211,000-dwt Bulk Carrier
ClassNK granted its notation indicating that the vessel is provided with the cutting edge hull monitoring system, for Dream Clover, a 211,000-dwt bulk carrier which was built by Japan Marine United Corporation for Daiwa Kisen Co., Ltd., and to be chartered by NYK Line (delivery date: July 28, 2021). The vessel is marked with the first DSS (Hull Monitoring) on its notation in ClassNK’s registry.The…