Singapore Launches New Patrol Boats
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it launched eight new patrol vessels to help ensure navigational safety and enhance the protection of the marine environment in the Port of Singapore.Six new 17-meter vessels replace the existing fleet of patrol craft, which had been in service since 2012, plus two new 15-meter patrol launches have been acquired for flag and port state control inspections…
MSC Will Resume Cruises on August 16
Switzerland-based MSC Cruises announced Monday that it will resume "full-experience" cruise operations on select ships in the Mediterranean starting from mid-August.The cruise lines flagship MSC Grandiosa will sail in the West Mediterranean from August 16 and MSC Magnifica in the West Mediterranean from August 29. The ships will be the first to implement a new health and safety protocol that has been approved by the relevant national authorities along the ships’ itineraries.Pierfrancesco Vago…
First of 10 New LR2 Tankers Delivered to Maersk
Maersk Tankers has taken delivery of Maersk Sandra, the first in a series of 10 newbuild LR2 tankers on order from Dalian Shipyard, in China.The series' first six vessels were ordered in May 2018, and options for the final four vessel were exercised in May 2019.Due for delivery from 2020 through 2022, the vessels will come under Maersk Tankers’ commercial, technical and corporate management.
IMO Updates Virtual Meetings Calendar
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has published its remote meetings calendar for the rest of 2020 after its initial agenda of IMO Council and Committees sessions was scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.The first scheduled meeting is set to be a simultaneous, remote extraordinary sessions of all Committees (expected to be held 16-18 September), to address procedural matters. This follows decisions of the IMO Council's thirty second extraordinary session (summary here C.ES 32)…
Wakashio Oil Leak Stops as Mauritius Braces for 'Worst Case Scenario'
A Japanese ship that ran aground on a reef off Mauritius two weeks ago has now stopped leaking oil into the Indian Ocean but the island nation must still prepare for "a worst case scenario", Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said late on Monday.Conservationists said they were starting to find dead fish as well as seabirds covered in oil, increasing fears of an ecological catastrophe despite a massive…
Anxious Mauritians Use Hair to Stem Wakashio Oil Spill
Mauritians are making floating booms of human hair and leaves in a round-the-clock scramble to mop up oil leaking from a grounded Japanese ship onto their pristine Indian Ocean beaches.The MV Wakashio, owned by the Nagashiki Shipping Company and operated by Mitsui OSK Line, began oozing fuel into turquoise sea waters last week after hitting a reef off the island.Mauritius has declared a state of emergency…
PDVSA Changes Oil Deals to Include Shipping as Sanctions Bite
Venezuelan state-run oil firm PDVSA has begun offering to ship its own oil, figuring in the costs in crude supply deals to help customers who have struggled to hire…
Surveyors Map Sunken Liberty Ship off Texas Coast
U.S.-based marine data acquisition services company TDI-Brooks said it recently mapped the Liberty Ship George Vancouver off Freeport, Texas while out on a seabed survey project with the R/V Brooks McCall. The multiple multi-phase geophysical and geotechnical site surveys program consisted of pipeline routing and subsea structures to facilitate route and project design for offshore developers.Equipment…
Operator of Grounded Bulker in Mauritius Apologizes for Oil Spill
The operator of a Japanese bulk carrier which ran aground off Mauritius in the Indian Ocean apologized on Sunday for a major oil spill which officials and environmentalists say is creating an ecological disaster.The MV Wakashio, operated by Mitsui OSK Lines, struck the reef on Mauritius' southeast coast on July 25. Fuel started leaking from the cracked vessel on Thursday."We apologize profusely and deeply for the great trouble we have caused…
Considering an All-electric Future
One can hardly read industry news these days without seeing mention of hybrid vessels or batteries. We’ve all heard the praise and the pitfalls discussed by proponents and critics alike. This article is not intended to convince you if batteries are right for you or not. Instead, for owners wondering if batteries are feasible for their operation, the optimal vessel characteristics and operational parameters for all-electric vessels are presented and discussed.Hybrid vessels…
Svitzer Announces Leadership Changes
Towage operator Svitzer announced Monday that effective September 1, 2020, Lise Demant will leave her role as global chief commercial officer and take up the position of managing director for Svitzer’s Europe region, succeeding Kasper Friis Nilaus, who was recently appointed CEO of Svitzer A/S. Also effective September 1, Videlina Georgieva will succeed Demant as global CCO and enter Svitzer’s global…
Libya's NOC Warns of Dangers at Oil Ports
The chairman of Libya's National Oil Corp (NOC) on Saturday warned against the risk of a disaster at the country's oil ports due to a growing military presence with storage tanks held at capacity for months due to a blockade."Oil ports are closed, exporting is halted.
Wakashio Spill Leads Mauritius to Declare Emergency
Fuel spilling from a Japanese bulk carrier that ran aground on a reef in Mauritius two weeks ago is creating an ecological disaster, endangering corals, fish and other marine life around the Indian Ocean island, officials and environmentalists say.The MV Wakashio, owned by the Nagashiki Shipping Company, struck the reef on Mauritius' southeast coast on July 25.On Thursday, the government said fuel…
Ecuador Navy Surveils Huge Chinese Fishing Fleet Near Galapagos
Ecuador’s navy is conducting surveillance of a massive Chinese fishing fleet that is operating near the protected waters of the Galapagos Islands, amid concerns about the environmental impact of fishing in the area of the ecologically sensitive islands.The navy conducted a patrol mission on Friday that included a flyover of the region where the hulking vessels are fishing, as well as reconnaissance by military patrol ships.
Royal Caribbean Reports Bigger-than-expected Loss
Royal Caribbean Group reported a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss on Monday, as the cruise operator suffered from a coronavirus-driven halt to sailings that is now on course to last deep into the second half of 2020.The company’s shares, which have lost over 60% of their value this year, fell nearly 2% in premarket trading.Royal Caribbean, which dropped “Cruises” from its corporate name last month, expects to burn $250 million to $290 million of cash on average per month, while its operations
Greece Calls Turkey's Seismic Survey in Mediterranean Illegal
Turkey dispatched a vessel to conduct a seismic survey in a disputed area in the eastern Mediterranean, a move which Greece said was illegal and is likely to heighten…
Equinor's Incoming CEO Wants to Be Best in Offshore Oil, Gas
Anders Opedal, who on Monday was named Equinor's new chief executive, said he wanted the Norwegian oil company to be both best in offshore oil and gas and at the same time have higher climate targets and develop new low-carbon solutions."I want Equinor to be best in offshore oil and gas," Opedal told a news conference at the company's headquarters, adding that he also wanted the company to create a platform for growth for low-carbon solutions."I want to go further ...
Opedal Tapped for Top Spot at Equinor
The Equinor Board of Directors appointed Anders Opedal as its new president and CEO starting November 2, 2020. Eldar Sætre will retire after six years as CEO and more than 40 years in the company.Opedal ascends to the top spot coming from the position as Executive Vice President Technology, Projects and Drilling. He joined Equinor as a petroleum engineer in 1997, spent many years in Drilling and Well and served as Chief Procurement Officer.
BAE Systems Wins Modernization Contract for USS Carney, USS Winston S. Churchill
BAE Systems received a $83.5 million contract from the U.S. Navy to modernize the guided-missile destroyers USS Carney (DDG 64) and USS Winston S Churchill (DDG 81). The modernization work will be performed sequentially by the company’s shipyard in Jacksonville, Fla. The contract include options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $211.6 million.The USS Carney will be first in the shipyard, arriving in September 2020.
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Union Reach Agreement
General Dynamics announced today that the negotiating teams from Bath Iron Works and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local…
