Kidnapped Sailors Return to Turkey, Describe Death Threats and Forest Captivity
Fifteen Turkish sailors kidnapped by pirates last month in the Gulf of Guinea arrived back in Turkey on Sunday and the ship’s captain described how they faced death…
AYRO Wind Assist Propulsion System Gets AIP from DNV GL
Classification society DNV GL said it has awarded AYRO an approval in principle (AIP) for its Oceanwings 3.6.3 wind assisted propulsion system for ships.As incoming maritime regulations are ramping up the pressure to improve sustainability and reduce emissions, maritime stakeholders are looking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and improve their EEDI or EEXI efficiency index, as part of efforts to comply with the IMO 2030 GHG strategy.
PGS Kicks Off 3D Seismic Survey Off Angola
Norwegian marine seismic data firm PGS, in partnership with Angola's ANPG, has started a new MultiClient 3D survey in the Lower Congo Basin, near the river plume of the Congo in Angola Block 1/14. The acquisition phase will continue until April and fast-track data is expected in October 2021, the company said Monday. PGS said the survey was fully prefunded.As part ot the survey, the Ramform Atlas vessel is acquiring high-density 3D GeoStreamer data using a 10 x 8 025 m streamer spread.
Iran Accuses U.S. of Piracy Over Oil Cargo Seizure
Iran said on Monday that a U.S. move this month to seize a cargo of oil on the grounds that it came from Tehran was an act of piracy, adding that the shipment did…
Ship Repair: A Financial Balancing Act
Shipowners have limited options to access financing for ship repair, given the capital-intensive nature of vessel repairs also represents a financial risk for shipyards, according to ship finance expert Ingmar Loges of UK-based ship repair group Newport Shipping.Loges, who joined Newport in early 2020 as Managing Director for the Hamburg office, has a 25-year track record in ship finance having served…
Subsea Defense: Navy Deepens Commitment to Underwater Vehicles
The U.S. Navy uses unmanned and robotic underwater vehicles for a multitude of functions, including environmental sensing, mine hunting, and salvage. The Navy plans to evolve an unmanned systems operating concept that is platform agnostic and capable of operating in highly complex contested environments with minimal operator interaction.The most recent edition of the Navy’s Unmanned Systems (UxS) Roadmap was issued in 2018, and a new version is expected in the near future.
Autonomy: Inside the Building of Ocean Infinity’s Armada Fleet
Back in 2017, Ocean Infinity made a novel move; deploying six autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), instead of just one, from a single vessel, vastly increasing the ground that could be covered in a single survey. Now the firm is taking the use of remote, robotic systems a significant step further.Back in 2017, Ocean Infinity made a novel move; deploying six autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), instead of just one…
Government Update: Coast Guard Authorization Act
On January 1, 2021, in an unusual New Year’s Day session, the Senate (following similar action by the House) overrode President Trump’s veto and enacted into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (H.R. 6395). In addition to the provisions relating to the Department of Defense, the bill contains numerous maritime sections, including Authorization Acts for the Coast Guard (USCG), the Maritime Administration (MARAD)…
Market Report: FPSOs ... Charting the Path Ahead
COVID-19 will continue to skew the floating production systems market for the coming 24 months, while buying power for a large portion of FPSO contracts will be centered in Brazil and Guyana/Suriname. These two areas are expected to account for more than 60% of the FPSO contracts awarded between 2021 and 2025.These are the findings shared in a recent floating production outlook report produced by International…
New Compact VSAT from Intellian
Intellian announced the v45C, the smallest antenna the company has yet developed for the maritime satellite communications market. The C in the product name represents its compact form factor: this new 45cm unit will bring VSAT to new markets where there is limited space available for communications equipment, such as workboats, leisure craft, fishing boats, small commercial and government vessels.Intellian's…
Flash Rush Meets its Match, Jumbo CO Innovates
Jumbo developed in-house an innovation that has promise to help solve the issue of persistent flash rust caused by the removal of temporary welded securings on board its fleet of heavy lift vessels. Jumbo Chief Officer and part-time Master’s student Bob Heikoop developed the prototype, and according to the company iintial results show that the device is not only faster than existing methods of removing temporary weldings…
Petronas' Floating LNG Facility PFLNG Dua Produces First LNG
Malaysian oil and gas giant Petronas said Monday that its PFLNG Dua floating LNG facility has recently produced its first LNG. This is the company's second FLNG Unit, and its first deepwater FLNG facility.The PFLNG Dua is located at the Rotan gas field, 140km off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. "In collaboration with its upstream Production Sharing Contract partner, PTT Exploration and Production…
Strategic Marine Delivers Fast Crew Boat to Centus Marine
Shipbuilder Strategic Marine has delivered a Fast Crew Boat (FCB) to offshore support vessel owner Centus Marine.The 40-meter vessel, named Centus Eight, was built in Singapore. According to Strategic Marine, during the sea trials the vessel achieved a top speed in excess of 30 knots.Th hull form was developed in collaboration with Strategic Marine’s design partner Southerly Designs in Australia and…
Naval Postgraduate School adds Xerox ElemX 3D Printer
The Navy is a step closer to achieving the vision of being able to fabricate parts on demand. Xerox and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) have announced a strategic research collaboration to advance 3D printing and additive manufacturing.As part of a Collaborative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between NPS and Xerox, a Xerox ElemX Liquid Metal Printer has been installed at the school’s Large Experiment Annex on campus.
MARAD Seeking Comments on the Future of Nuclear Ship Savannah
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is seeking the public's help in determining the future of the world's first nuclear-powered merchant ship.The NS Savannah was built by New York Shipbuilding Corp. and launched in 1959 as part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace Program to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The ship was removed from service in 1971 and the reactor was defueled.
Brazil's Slow Soybean Harvest Widens US Export Window
Harvesting delays in Brazil, the world’s top soybean producer, are prompting buyers led by China to rely on rival exporter the United States for longer than usual in 2021, according to government data and traders.Sustained demand for U.S. soybeans is accelerating an historic drawdown of U.S. supplies of the oilseed and could further drive up soybean prices at a time of rising food inflation as countries…
Pirates Release Crew of Containership Mozart
Fifteen Turkish sailors kidnapped by pirates last month in the Gulf of Guinea have been freed in Nigeria and will head home, a shipping company executive said on Friday…
Port of Baltimore Bests Its Container Moves Record
The Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore reports it has again topped its record for most container moves from a single ship.The 6,000 container moves conducted by longshore workers from the Maersk Edinburgh at the Seagirt Marine Terminal this week are the most ever in the port's the 315-year history. Maersk Edinburgh arrived at the port on Monday, February 8, and left early Thursday, February 11. The final container move was completed at 9:40 p.m.
Port of Los Angeles Starts Giving COVID-19 Vaccinations
About 800 workers from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on Friday will be in the first wave of COVID-19 vaccinations for employees at the United States' busiest seaport complex, which has been hard hit by pandemic-related workforce disruptions and surging imports.Congress members last month joined state and local leaders in urging California officials to hasten COVID-19 vaccinations for employees…
'Small Fire' Aboard Antarctic Supply Ship
The Australian Antarctic Division said a small fire broke out on board a vessel used to resupply Australia’s Casey research station in Antarctica.The fire was discovered around 7 a.m. local time on January 29, in a battery room above the bridge of Bahamas-flagged MPV Everest while the vessel was transiting back to Hobart following an Antarctic resupply trip.The fire was quickly put out using handheld fire extinguishers, AAD said.
