Altamira News

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a ruling to New Fortress Energy, confirming that the transportation of LNG produced at the its FLNG facility located offshore Altamira in Mexico by non-U.S. qualified vessels would not violate the Jones Act.As a result of this ruling, NFE is now able to sell and deliver LNG produced at its FLNG facility located offshore Altamira, Mexico to U.S. locations, including Puerto Rico.Puerto Rico represents a key downstream market for New Fortress Energy…

A storage vessel for Mexico's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant departed U.S. waters on Monday for Altamira, Mexico, according to ship tracking data, putting the offshore project on track to soon inaugurate exports.LNG developer New Fortress Energy last week said its 1.4-million-metric-tons-per-year Altamira floating LNG project had begun processing gas. The company earlier this year had postponed the inauguration amid delays in receiving the infrastructure."We're excited to announce that we've achieved first gas for our Fast LNG 1 unit…

U.S. Department of Energy reviews for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export permits have lengthened under President Joe Biden's administration to 11 months or more, from seven weeks, according to government data.The delay could mean nearly completed LNG projects may not being able to supply big European buyers because of a lack of the permit. Increasing LNG exports is opposed by some U.S. industries who fear it could raise domestic prices, while environmental groups have raised concerns about continued expansion of a fossil fuel industry.Big swaths of U.S.

U.S. refiners last month imported the most heavy crude in nearly two years, customs data showed, as they cranked up motor fuel production and sought to replace sanctioned Russian oil.Higher heavy-crude imports are common in summer-driving months, but this year's increase comes as the Biden administration is calling on for refiners to ramp up output and shave profit margins to ease soaring prices. The administration has asked for a parley to explore further efforts.Heavy crudes are cheaper than lighter shale oils produced in the United States and typically make more diesel and less gasoline.

Offshore installation company Heerema Marine Contractors has completed the installation of BP's Cassia Compression (Cassia C) platform in Trinidad and Tobago.Heerema brought the Cassia Compression structures on July 15 from the Altamira fabrication yard.Using its semi-submersible heavy lift construction ship Thialf, Heerema finalized completion activities for the installation of the topside, bridge, and flare structures. The topsides were placed on a jacket installed by Heerema's Sleipnir vessel back in 2020.The topside of about 7…

Mexico on Friday began discharging the first of at least four cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) bought under emergency to ease gas scarcity and power cuts at its Northern states after a cold snap hit supplies via pipeline from the U.S. South.The Marshall Island tanker Flex Courageous carrying U.S. LNG docked on Friday at the Manzanillo terminal on the Pacific Coast, Refinitiv Eikon data showed. The vessel is expected to discharge about 162,850 cubic meters that the government plans to supply to several power plants.A second cargo also from the United States on the tanker Seri Balhaf is waiting to discharge about 151,300 cubic meters of LNG at Mexico's Altamira terminal on the Gulf Coast…

Two tankers carrying U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) for Mexico are expected to arrive on Thursday in the country's Altamira and Manzanillo ports, government officials said and Refinitiv Eikon data showed, part of emergency purchases by the government to ease interrupted gas supplies.Mexico resorted to LNG supplies to partially offset a gas deficit for power generation after cold-weather froze several key gaslines crossing the U.S. border. The governor of Texas on Wednesday banned out-of-state gas supplies through Feb. 21 to prioritize the state's utilities.The Latin American nation is also ramping up electricity generation for its…

Offshore engineering and construction firm McDermott on Thursday announced the second shipment of topside modules for a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit for Japans' Modec.The new shipment comes just weeks after the first shipment of modules sailed away from McDermott's Altamira fabrication facility in Mexico to be installed on the FPSO named Miamte MV34.The once completed, the FPSO will be located in the Eni-operated Area 1 block, approximately six miles…

The first batch of topside modules has been shipped for a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit for Japan's MODEC, U.S.-based engineering and construction firm McDermott International said on Wednesday.The FPSO, named Miamte MV34, will be used on the Amoca and Mizton fields located in the Eni-operated Area 1 block, in the Campeche Bay approximately 10 kilometers off the coast of Mexico, in approximately 32 meters water depth. First oil is planned in 2021.McDermott's…

Hamburg Süd christened the “Polar Mexico” container ship in the Mexican port of Veracruz on the weekend.The sponsor of the “Polar Mexico” is Claudia Dávila, wife of Carlos Ayala, Logistics and Distribution Director of Alpek Polyester, which is a subsidiary of the Alfa Group, one of the largest corporate groups in Mexico.The Mexican economy is strong in the fruit sector as well as in other industries with high import and export volumes, such as automobile manufacturing, chemicals and brewing.

Royal Dutch Shell will supply Mexico with six LNG cargoes to be delivered in May and June, Reuters has reported, citing trade sources.   State-run utility CFE held a tender on 2 May for deliveries to Mexico’s Altamira terminal in the Gulf of Mexico.   According to the tender, deliveries are set to be made to the Vopak-operated Altamira LNG import terminal on Mexico’s Atlantic coast.   There are six delivery windows for each cargo staggered throughout May and June.  The delivery windows for the cargoes are May 11-13, 18-20, 27-29, June 5-7, 13-15 and 21-23, according to the document.   Besides Altamira, Mexico imports liquefied natural gas through the Costa Azul LNG terminal and the Manzanillo LNG facility.

The Ocean Alliance has launched its new Day Two Product with an estimated 3.6 million TEU carrying capacity provided by approximately 340 containerships deployed on 41 services. The new offering will commence in April 2018. Alliance partners CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen and OOCL will offer 20 Transpacific services, six Asia-Europe services, four Asia-Mediterranean services, four Transatlantic services, five Asia-Middle East services and two Asia-Red Sea services. “Ocean Alliance has been a fantastic success from a customer perspective since its launch last spring and we are very enthusiastic to announce our Day Two Product,” said Olivier Nivoix, Senior Vice President Ocean Alliance Lines.

After evaluating performance in 2017, the German shipping line serving sectors such as pharmaceuticals, the automotive industry and the technology sector in Mexico expects maritime shipping volumes to experience double-digit growth in 2018 and foresees a continuous increase in cargo volumes. On holding its annual meeting with Latin American leaders in Mexico, the shipping line Hapag-Lloyd pointed to significant growth in infrastructure and operational capacities in the country on reporting its year-end closing for 2017. This positive development is thanks to the favorable outlook in maritime transport in Mexico and worldwide. During the current year…

Mexico's state-run power utility CFE has picked Royal Dutch Shell and most likely Cheniere Energy to deliver nine liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes in the fourth-quarter, trade sources said.   Traders said Shell won most of the tender, which was awarded on Tuesday, with shipments to be spread across October, November and December into the Altamira terminal on Mexico's Atlantic coast, traders said.   Some traders said Cheniere took a share of CFE's requirement.   Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic

Mexico's state-run power utility CFE has extended the close of a buy tender seeking two liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes in April by one day to Wednesday, trade sources said. The deliveries are due to arrive at Mexico's Altamira terminal on the Atlantic coast. CFE just filled a separate tender for supply to the Manzanillo terminal on the Pacific, but it was not immediately clear which companies won that tender. (Reporting by Oleg Vukmanovic)

Broward County's Port Everglades had a record-setting month in December 2016, logging 104,590 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units, the industry's standard measurement for containers), moving through the Port. This is the highest producing month in the Port's nearly 90 -year history, and a 15 percent increase over December 2015. TEU counts at Port Everglades have been climbing since September. "Our customers are bringing in higher volumes of consumer goods such as produce, clothing and household goods as the region's population increases. It's an indication of a strengthening economy," said Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Steven Cernak. He announced the record TEU count at Florida Governor Rick Scott's 2017 Jobs Summit in Orlando on February 2, 2017.

​ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd (ZIM)  has announced a significant upgrading of its Atlantic network, offering improved connections between US, Canada and the Mediterranean, starting April 2017, subject to FMC approval. ZIM Container Service Italy (ZCI) - A new premium string, offering improved service to the Italian and French markets, connecting with Canada and the US East Coast, with faster transit time, additional ports of call in Italy and a direct call in Fos, France. ZIM’s flagship service, ZIM Container Service Atlantic (ZCA), operating 7 vessels, will focus on the East Med and Spain, with a new call in Algeciras, serving the South Spain market and adding new direct calls in two major Turkish ports- Izmir and Mersin.

The members of THE Alliance announced the details of the plan for their product starting from April 2017. THE Alliance plans to deploy a fleet of more than 240 modern ships in the Asia /Europe, North Atlantic and Trans-Pacific trade lanes including the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf/Red Sea. The start of THE Alliance as the most integrated liner shipping consortia is scheduled for April 2017 (subject to completion of all relevant regulatory requirements). “The product of THE Alliance is a milestone which will significantly improve the service offering for all shippers on the East West trade lanes“, said the member carriers Hapag-Lloyd, “K”Line, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Yang Ming in a statement.

MSC’s California Express service is now to feature a new port of call – Manzanillo in Mexico. The addition brings a significant customer benefit in transit time and reliability, and provides a direct route to the port as part of the route from Balboa to Long Beach. Previously, the service had offered only a transshipment facility for Manzanillo. The change to the California Express service will come into effect on Saturday 9th July with the vessel MSC ANS MC623A. MSC has also revealed details of its revised Canada Gulf Bridge service. The changes, which come into effect from Sunday 19th June, will now feature a Southbound transit from Houston, to the two Mexico ports of Altamira and Veracruz. The Northbound service will then leave Veracruz, destined for Philadelphia and Montreal.

Vessel sales for July 2016 (as of August 1) as prepared by Shipping Intelligence, Inc., New York.

EXMAR and Vopak announce that discussions are currently taking place to explore the possibility of an acquisition of EXMAR’s share in its floating LNG storage and regasification business (FRSU’s) by Vopak. As the outcome of these discussions between EXMAR and Vopak is currently unknown, no further details are disclosed. Material updates will be communicated via press releases. Vopak has earmarked storage and handling of LNG/gas as one of its strategic focus areas. Therefore Vopak is looking for strategic opportunities to strengthen its presence as a service provider in the LNG infrastructure market. Today, Vopak jointly owns and operates two land-based storage and regasification terminals, the GATE terminal in the Port of Rotterdam, and the TLA terminal in Altamira, Mexico.

APL today announced the launch of the Atlantic Gulf Express (AGX) Service – a direct Trans-Atlantic service which connects the key markets of North Europe, US South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. “Directly connecting the Port of Le Havre and Miami, the new AGX service will serve as a unique and market-leading Trans-Atlantic service that enables shipments across the US East Coast, North Europe and Mexico markets. It promises industry-leading transit time between Europe and major US South Atlantic ports, and fast connections between the US South Atlantic, US Gulf and Mexico markets that serve the needs of the customers,” said Eric Eng, APL Head of the Trans-Atlantic Trade.

Members of the OCEAN ALLIANCE, COSCO Container Lines, CMA CGM, Evergreen Line and Orient Overseas Container Line,  signed a document entitled the Day One Product, which sets out the proposed OCEAN ALLIANCE’s network, including port rotation for each service loop. The Day One network intends to deploy around 350 container vessels with an estimated total carrying capacity of 3.5 million TEUs to provide one of the most comprehensive service coverage in the market on the following trade lanes. The vessel deployment details for each service loop, will be released around end of this November. 20 Transpacific services (estimated 160 port pairs, with 13 Asia - West Coast North America services, 7 Asia - East Coast North America and U.S.