Apex News

Killer whales severely damaged a sailing boat off the coast of southern Spain, the local maritime rescue service said on Thursday, adding to dozens of orca attacks on vessels recorded so far this year on Spanish and Portuguese coasts.In the early hours of Thursday, a group of orcas broke the rudder and pierced the hull after ramming into the Mustique on its way to Gibraltar, prompting its crew of four to contact Spanish authorities for help, a spokesman for the maritime rescue…

HII’s (NYSE: HII) Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division hosted a keel authentication ceremony for Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800).The ship’s sponsors are the six women of the historic group known as the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas during desegregation. NNS honored all nine members, including the three men, during Saturday’s ceremony.The Little Rock Nine made history in 1957 with their response to the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v.

If suppliers in China fail to pick up freight containers to fill an order for MediaShop, Marcel Schneider gets an alert via a digital freight system, allowing the retailer to reach out and fix the problem swiftly.Before July 2020, Austria-based MediaShop’s deputy supply chain director says he would discover problems in his supply chain only when containers failed to arrive in Hamburg as scheduled.“It was like being in a tunnel where you had only a limited view of what was going on…

BP has chartered Solstad Offshore's three offshore support vessels to support its Ironbark drilling campaign in Australia.Norway's based offshore vessel owner Solstad Offshore said Monday that BP had awarded contracts for two anchor handling tug and supply vessels Normand Saracen and Far Senator, along with the platform supply vessel  Normand Leader.The vessels will be working with Diamond Offshore's semi-submersible drilling rig ‘Ocean Apex’ throughout the one well campaign, estimated at approximately 90 days duration.

As the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) apex institution for maritime and ocean education, the World Maritime University (WMU) adds its voice to widespread concerns over the serious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health, wellbeing, and safety of seafarers.As countries around the world retreat to fight the pandemic, travel restrictions and financial losses are hitting shipping and other ocean-related industries hard. At sea, maritime workers are bearing the…

Unmanned Vehicles Collect Data for Improving Storm ForecastsThe influences of ocean conditions and currents on living environments are now more widely appreciated—from the Earth’s climate and severe weather conditions to fisheries and biodiversity. Sustained and widespread measurements are needed to provide essential clues for understanding the oceans, for effective monitoring of environmental changes, and for helping to clarify the long-term effects of global warming.To meet this challenge, ocean researchers have invented various types of unmanned observing platforms.

US-based utility Evergy has announced plans to add 660MW of wind energy to its portfolio and reduce carbon emissions by 80% below 2005 levels by 2050. The addition will bring the total amount of wind serving Evergy customers to 4,535 megawatts, making Evergy one of the top five wind energy companies in the United States.The energy from these wind farms will be used to support and expand Evergy’s Direct Renewables Program, which allows Kansas companies to access clean wind energy to become more sustainable and reduce the overall cost of energy. Evergy plans to use the additional wind energy as an economic development tool to attract manufacturers and technology companies who are seeking cost-effective…

Apex International Energy announced that affiliates of Blue Water Energy (BWE) have agreed to partner with Apex and join the existing investors: Warburg Pincus LLC, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and company management.The oil and gas exploration and production company focused on Egypt and other Middle Eastern and North African countries (MENA) said that it is primarily focused on pursuing acquisitions and drilling opportunities in MENA, with an initial focus on Egypt.The company will continue to acquire assets and licenses, whilst driving value creation through the execution of production optimization opportunities, developments and exploration opportunities of scale.Blue Water Energy…

The EPA has provided updated advice on the reissuance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Vessel General Permit (VGP).The 2013 VGP will not be reissued prior to its December 18, 2018 expiration date, but will be administratively continued and remain in effect until a new permit is issued. Owners/operators of vessels operating under the administratively continued permit are expected to comply with the terms and conditions of that permit. EPA stands ready to assist those applying for VGP and will continue its work on reissuing the permit, with a targeted timeframe of permit proposal in spring 2019.For vessels covered by the permit as of December 18, 2018: Coverage will continue.

No two oil spill response operations are the same. Each can present new and even tougher challenges for spill responders as they detect, contain and recover spilled oil. Diverse aspects affecting oil spill response operations can be the physical environment, spill monitoring, use of chemical dispersants, and the availability of proper technology for the situation.Some challenges have been met through research and technology development of techniques for dealing with spills. However…

Carnival Corporation & plc will establish a new industry apex in connectivity capabilities today at sea when it attempts to make an unprecedented level of bandwidth available to guests on board Regal Princess from its Princess Cruises brand. Using its newly developed connectivity service, MedallionNet, and working with SES Networks, the world-leading provider of satellite-enabled connectivity solutions, Carnival Corporation and Princess Cruises will attempt to achieve bandwidth of 1.5 gigabits per second, the most ever delivered to a mobile platform. The record attempt will demonstrate that connectivity is no longer a limitation to cruise vacations. Guests using MedallionNet have access to the internet at speeds that eclipse typical land-based hotel connectivity performance levels.

Victaulic’s forward-thinking vertical integration remains, at the same time, solidly connected to a rich and varied past. It is still common to hear waterfront stakeholders refer to alternative pipe connection systems as temporary or simply as ‘a new development.’ While none of that could be further from the truth, the education of the marine community as to the merits of these products as an alternative to traditional flanges continues. These products – like Victaulic’s market offerings – are indeed mainstream parts of the marine sector, their use limited only by the imagination of designers, builders and operators who constantly find new applications to improve their bottom line. Since the 1920s, Victaulic couplings have demonstrated their value in countless maritime applications.

More than 4,600 ships flying the Singapore flag will benefit from service enhancements to be introduced from November 2017 by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Singapore-incorporated maritime companies will also receive assistance in the form of training on sustainability reporting. These initiatives were announced by Chief Executive of MPA, Mr Andrew Tan, at the Singapore Registry of Ships (SRS) Forum. Themed "Innovation in Challenging Times", this year's SRS Forum focuses on how companies could leverage on innovative practices such as Blockchain and e-certification to improve work processes. 3 Mr Andrew Tan said, "IoT, digitalisation and new technologies such as blockchain and smart drones are changing the way we work.

As the offshore energy market continues to search for signs of recovery, latest news from Diamond Offshore points to better times ahead. On Monday, October 30, 2017 Diamond Offshore reported better-than-expected quarterly profits, in part driven by additional deals won for its deep-water drilling rigs at better rate, sending its shares up 8.3% at the time of reporting.. While Diamond Offshore CEO Marc Edwards was not prepared to call the bottom of the market, the news certainly bodes well for a global industry collectively looking for any light at the end of a nearly four year oil downturn turnnel. "The number of tenders has increased, albeit from a very low platform and customer inquiries have picked up, although also starting from a low base.

Senior representatives from Bahri recently joined members of a Saudi Arabia delegation for board meetings of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which took place at the agency’s headquarters in London. The meetings come as part of the Kingdom’s preparations to submit its candidacy for the membership of the IMO Council under Category (C). Senior Bahri officials who participated in the discussions included Wael Al-Sarhan, Senior Vice President – Marketing, and Abdulaziz Sabri, Vice President, Bahri Ship Management. As part of its efforts to showcase the progress made by Saudi Arabia in improving maritime safety and infrastructure…

Demand for gasoline in the United States, which accounts for a tenth of global oil consumption, is expected to peak next year as engines become more efficient, WoodMackenzie analysts said. Global demand for gasoline, which accounts for more than a quarter of the world's oil consumption, is set to peak as early as 2021 even in the face of relentless growth in the vehicle fleet, according to the Edinburgh-based consultancy. A rise in the number of hybrid and electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius and Tesla as well as tighter fuel standards in Europe and the United States will contribute to a historic shift in consumption.

The Ministry of Shipping has taken many proactive and progressive interventions in the areas of shipbuilding, port development, inland waterways and coastal shipping this year for the development of the maritime sector in the country. The key initiatives includes  Sagarmala Project, Special Purpose Vehicle to provide efficient last mile rail connectivity to Major Ports, Incentive for Shipbuilding and ship-repair Industry,  Jal Marg Vikas Project, Customs and Excise Duty Exempted on the Use of Bunker Fuels for coastal transportation of EXIM and empty container and for domestic containers transported alongwith EXIM and empty containers, Cabotage Relaxed for Special Vessels and Developing 78 lighthouses as tourism centers.

Even though the coup attempt in Turkey  failed and the transportation situation normalized quickly thereafter, Poten & Partners take a look at the importance of Turkey to the tanker market. Turkey is not a large oil or gas producer; according to JODI its crude oil production amounts to about 48 thousand barrels per day (Kb/d) of crude oil and almost 400 million m3 of natural gas in 2015. The country’s oil consumption averaged about 927 Kb/d in 2015, about 1% of the global consumption. Neither of these statistics would make the country an important energy market player. However, the importance of Turkey to the energy market is related to its geographical location; the country is a major transfer hub for oil and gas.

To exploit the potential of India’s approximately 7,500 km long coastline and 14,500km of potentially navigable waterways the Sagarmala Programme aims to promote port-led development in the country, says the government of India. Sagarmala is a long term programme. The objectives of the Sagarmala Programme are Port modernization & new port development, enhancing port connectivity to hinterland, port led Industrialization and coastal community development. The programme involves drawing up a National Perspective Plan(NPP) for Port Modernization & New Port Development, Port Connectivity Enhancement, Port-Led Industrial Development and Coastal Community Development as a first step for an integrated approach to port led development.

The safety zone and traffic restrictions in place from markers 936 to 938 on the Mississippi River following a towboat collision and subsequent oil spill have been lifted, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. A section of the lower Mississippi River was closed to all traffic except response vessels last week after two towboats collided Wednesday at Mississippi River mile marker 937, rupturing the cargo tank of a barge carrying slurry oil which discharged approximately 150,000 gallons of oil into the river.

For 16 years, the National Quality Steering Committee has used three measures to track overall trends in safety and environmental protection. While not all-encompassing, the measures are considered to be useful indicators of towing industry trends. Crew fatalities per 100,000 towing industry workers. Gallons of oil spilled from tank barges per million gallons transported. The number of vessel casualties (overall or by incident severity). This report contains towing industry data and measures for calendar years 1994 to 2015.

One of the world’s most modern shipping terminals has been opened for business in the Port of Liverpool, offering a new state-of-the-art deep water gateway in the U.K. for the world’s largest containerships. Liverpool2 was officially opened Friday, November 4, 2016 by the U.K. Secretary of State for International Trade, Rt Hon Dr. Liam Fox MP, during an event attended by nearly 300 customers and stakeholders, complete with pyrotechnics and a performance by English singer Alison Moyet. “Today marks the beginning of a new era for the Port of Liverpool. Our investment will help global shippers to transport cargo more efficiently to their end destination with lower costs…

The new Colchester head office of offshore wind services provider CWind Ltd was officially opened by Harwich and North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin on Friday last week. CWind moved to its new offices in the landmark APEX 12 Business Park north of Colchester after outgrowing its previous premises in Westside, now occupying 6,800 sq ft of floor space in a modern, purpose built office building. Bernard Jenkin said, “I was delighted to open CWind’s modern headquarters. CWind is a great company, providing an ever expanding range of services to the offshore wind industry and it’s great to see this Essex business doing so well. The company has seen explosive growth over the last few years, propelling it to rank 41 in the top 100 fastest growing companies in the UK.