Atlantic Region News

Norwegian offshore vessel operator DOF Group has secured a ‘substantial’ subsea engineering procurement removal and disposal (EPRD) contract from Norske Shell in the Atlantic region.The contract outlines 100 combined days of utilization of DOF’s vessels Skandi Hera and Maersk Installer.DOF will deliver an integrated solution of project management, engineering, design, analysis and survey.Described as ‘substantial’ by DOF, this means that the contract is valued between $23.8 million and $47.8 million (NOK 250 million to NOK 500 million).The scope includes recovery and recycling of umbilicals…

The crew of Moran Towing's tug Lynne Moran has been honored for its courageous response and rescue of two stranded boaters near the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on the evening of October 25, 2023.The crew has received the U.S. Coast Guard Public Service Commendation, presented by Captain O’Connell, as well as the American Waterways Operators (AWO) Honor and Excellence in Rescue Operations (HERO) Award, presented by Brian Vahey, AWO’s Vice President, Atlantic Region.In collaboration with the U.S.

Construction and engineering company Orion Group Holdings announced it has been awarded a contract worth more than $100 million for the turnkey design-build of a replacement dry dock at the Grand Bahama Shipyard, situated in Grand Bahama, Bahamas.The scope of work includes marine works and infrastructure construction, dredging, creating new mooring facilities and providing enhancements to shore stability. In addition, Orion will modify and extend service piers for the installation of two cutting-edge floating dry docks, which are among the largest in the western hemisphere.

The Canadian Coast Guard on Wednesday welcomed the CCGS Chedabucto Bay into its fleet at the Lifeboat Station in Clarks Harbour, Nova Scotia.The Bay Class vessel, built by Chantier Naval Forillon in Gaspé, Quebec and delivered earlier this year, is the 14th of 20 new search and rescue lifeboats that will be dedicated into service by the Canadian Coast Guard across the country.The shore-stationed self-righting lifeboats are specifically designed, equipped and crewed to respond to search and rescue incidents at sea.

America may have only entered the offshore wind sector recently, but it is wasting no time in playing catch-up. The White House has set targets of 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 110 GW by 2050. The focus so far has centred on bottom-fixed installations, but the prospect of higher energy yields in deeper waters where the wind blows stronger and longer now beckon. The White House has also set a floating wind deployment target of 15 GW by 2035.From a standing start, there are immense challenges in America’s offshore wind development.

Most of the media coverage of offshore wind development in the United States focuses on the leases of the offshore areas where the wind turbines will be located. However, equally important is the landside dimension of these projects, including the manufacture, installation, maintenance and operation of the turbines. Several awards made in the last two rounds of funding under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) show how offshore wind now offers an additional direction of port development for which funding is available.

The Canadian Coast Guard on Monday marked the delivery of the 13th and 14th search and rescue lifeboats: the CCGS Gabarus Bay and the CCGS Chedabucto Bay. The vessels were built by Hike Metal Products Ltd from Wheatley, Ontario and Chantier Naval Forillon from Gaspé, Quebec, respectively.The CCGS Chedabucto Bay will be stationed in Clark’s Harbour, Nova Scotia while the CCGS Gabarus Bay will be stationed in Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador.In 2018, Gaspé, Quebec’s Chantier Naval Forillon and Wheatley…

Offshore vessel operator DOF Group is pleased to announce multiple new contracts in the Atlantic region and the long-term charter of the construction support vessel Havila Phoenix.In the Atlantic region, DOF said it had secured an Integrated Field Support Vessel (FSV) contract with an international operator in West-Africa. The contract is for 365 days firm, with 365 days of options. DOF said it would deliver project management, engineering, procurement and logistics within deep-water construction and maintenance of existing subsea infrastructure. The company will use the Skandi Seven vessel for the project.Also in the Atlantic region, the company said it had secured multiple FEED studies towards prospective floating wind developments in the Atlantic region.

Heavy lift shipping and offshore transport and installation contractor Jumbo Offshore reports it has executed the transport and installation of a torpedo pile mooring system, including mooring for flexible risers, umbilical for the Libra Consortium's Guanabara floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO). While this type of installation previously required the mobilization of up to three anchor handling tugs, Jumbo carried out the entire contract using only its J-class offshore installation vessel Fairplayer…

Classification society and assurance provider DNV has awarded Odfjell Oceanwind an Approval in Principle (AiP) for its new Deepsea Semi floating wind foundation design. The Deepsea Semi floating wind foundation design has been developed for use in floating wind farms and for off-grid applications including temporary electrification of oil and gas installations in harsh environments.The Deepsea Semi foundation is dimensioned for up to 15MW wind turbine generators and has been developed for low-cost, industrial mass-production.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) floating dry dock Dynamic (AFDL 6) docked a dive support boat for the first time in it's long history. This was the first time Dynamic has every docked a round-bottom vessel.For the first time, the Navy’s oldest floating dry-dock, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center’s (MARMC) Dynamic (AFDL 6), successfully docked a dive support boat, April 15.Dive Support Boat 1103, attached to the MARMC’s Dive Locker, will undergo emergent repairs. Boat 1103 is one of four dive boats in the Dive Locker’s fleet, which is vital to dive operations.

International Marine and Industrial Applicators, LLC (IMIA), a portfolio company of an investment affiliate of J.F. Lehman & Company (JFLCO), announced it has acquired Main Industries, Inc.Headquartered in Hampton, Va., Main Industries provides preservation, scaffolding and environmental containment services to the marine vessel new construction and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) markets. The company supports the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier new construction and MRO requirements (including refueling overhauls) in the Mid-Atlantic region…

The world is in the midst of the second coronavirus wave and with that comes the natural question of how the current dynamics will play out for the dry bulk shipping market. Demand and the subsequent cargo flow of the major dry bulk commodities are critical for the freight market, as we enter the final quarter of the year.Iron ore…has without question performed well this year, on occasion even better than gold, driven by the robust demand generated by China, as the world’s leading iron ore consumer.

Dredging services provider Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation announced it has been awarded several dredging contracts worth a combined $71.6 million.The awarded work includes:Caminada Headland Back Barrier Marsh Creation Project (Coastal Protection, Louisiana, $30.1 million)The Caminada Headland Back Barrier Marsh Creation Project entails dredging suitable marsh fill material from designated offshore borrow areas to create an eight mile long stretch of marsh. This project will help reinforce Louisiana’s barrier islands and prevent coastal erosion.

North America's dredging company Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) announced the receipt of several major dredging awards totaling $ 83 million.David Simonelli, President of Dredging said: “Great Lakes is pleased to announce these important deepening, coastal protection and maintenance dredging awards. These projects will enhance our year-end backlog and position us well for 2020. Working on these projects allows Great Lakes to help strengthen the U.S. economy, infrastructure and further support the protection of our U.S. coast lines.”The awarded work includes: Charlotte/Sarasota Regional Beach Project (Coastal Protection…

Marking its first foray into the US, Singapore-based port operator PSA International has completed the acquisition of Penn Terminals located on the Delaware River in the U.S. from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners, a fund managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets.Penn is a privately owned multipurpose marine terminal on the Eastern Coast of the USA. Penn’s terminal, warehousing and stevedoring services have enabled it to handle its clients’ cargo since 1986.“This acquisition represents PSA’s very first foray into the USA. We are delighted to embrace Penn as the newest member of the global PSA family and to be able to participate in its continued growth and expansion.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index hit a five-and-a-half-year high on Friday, boosted by stronger demand and tight spot tonnage in the Atlantic region.The Baltic index, which tracks rates for ships ferrying dry bulk commodities, rose 2.7%, or 49 points, to 1,865, its highest since January 2014. The index has tripled since February. The index rose 7.2% this week, to post its fourth straight week of gains, mainly driven by strong demand for vessels that ship iron ore from Brazil.The capesize index rose 125 points, or 3.7%, to 3,541 points, its highest since Aug. 15, 2018.

MISC has announced its financial results for the financial period ended March 31, 2019.Financial Highlights:Group revenue for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 was higher than the corresponding quarter ended March 31, 2018.Group profit before tax for the quarter ended March 31, 2019 was higher than the corresponding quarter ended March 31, 2018.Group Revenue, Operating Profit and Profit Before Tax for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2019Group revenue for the quarter ended March 31,2019 of $544 million was 12.7% higher than the corresponding quarter’s revenue of $482 million.

Royal Dutch Shell has decided to withdraw from the Baltic liquefied natural gas (LNG), its joint project on the Russian Baltic coast with Gazprom after the Russian gas holding decided to change the concept of the project’s development.“Following Gazprom’s announcement on March 29 regarding the final development concept of Baltic LNG, we have decided to stop our involvement in this project,” Cederic Cremers, Shell Russia’s chairman, said in a statement.According to Reuters, the development comes as Western firms struggle to expand in Russia because of pressure from sanctions imposed by the United States, while for Gazprom it could mean limited access to Shell’s technology as well as the need to fund the project without the help of the Anglo-Dutch major.Shell…

NOAA Fisheries, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and the Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) signed a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).According to an official release, the MoU brings local and regional fishing interests together with federal regulators to collaborate on the science and process of offshore wind energy development on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf.Safe, reliable, and affordable domestic energy production powers the U.S. economy, promotes jobs and is critical to our nation’s security. Offshore wind is an abundant, domestic energy resource that is located close to major coastal load centers…

Captain Pat Folan outlines the way forward, especially for the smaller towboat firms. It’s not rocket science, but it does involve common sense. July 20, 2018 came and went, and we are all still here – mostly. The reality of Sub M has begun to sink in and for some it signals the end of a business and career. The AWO RCP members, oil movers and early adopters are going to make it. But for some of the ‘Mom & Pops,’ this is looking like a bridge too far.And some of this group are the ones that needed to be weeded out.

The M/V Zhen Hua 25 departed Shanghai, China last month with two new super post-Panamax container cranes bound for South Philadelphia.The two behemoths will navigate a lengthy global trek before reaching the Delaware River for an expected mid-March arrival to the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal, said a press note from the Port of Philadelphia."The arrival will mark another important milestone in the comprehensive modernization project underway at Packer, and highlights a key competitive advantage for shippers looking to improve time to market on the East Coast of the United States," it said.“Our terminal is currently under capacity, meaning we could handle rerouted surplus bound for nearby congested terminals immediately without blinking an eye…

Kirby Corporation announced a net loss attributable to Kirby for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2018 of ($24.4) million, or ($0.41) per share, compared with earnings of $231.3 million, or $3.87 per share, for the 2017 fourth quarter. Excluding certain one-time charges, 2018 fourth quarter net earnings attributable to Kirby were $44.9 million, or $0.75 per share. Consolidated revenues for the 2018 fourth quarter were $721.5 million compared with $708.1 million reported for the 2017 fourth quarter.For the 2018 full year…