Bulk Oil News

The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) announces the appointment of Captain Dwain E. Hutchinson as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Captain Hutchinson succeeds Commodore Davy F. Rolle, who stepped down as Director last year.Captain Hutchinson is a proud Bahamian from Nassau, New Providence island, where he completed his tertiary education before commencing his maritime studies in Scotland at Glasgow College of Nautical Studies. Qualified with a UK Master Mariner (Unlimited) STCW Certificate of Competency…

As the cost inflation is set to accelerate on higher insurance premiums, average vessel operating costs rose modestly for the second year in succession following two years of marked declines, according to the latest report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry.The report titled 'Ship Operating Costs Annual Review and Forecast 2018/19' said that typical ship operating costs accelerated moderately in 2018 as the uncertain recovery in freight markets across most cargo sectors gained momentum.Opex costs are heavily linked to developments in the wider shipping market as some costs, such as insurance, are connected to asset values…

A shocking number of bulk carriers (as well as a few OBOs – ore/bulk/oil carriers) have been suddenly and catastrophically lost at sea in the last 30 years. Following are the names of some of those vessels, in alphabetical order:- Asian Forest (2009); - Black Rose(2009); - Bulk Jupiter (2015); - Derbyshire (1980); - Emerald Star (2017); - Harita Bauxite (2013); - Hong Wei (2010); - Hui Long (2005); - Jian Fu Star (2010); - Nasco Diamond (2010); - Stella Daisy (2017); - Sun Spirits (2012); - Trans Summer (2013); and - Vinalines Queen (2011).

BIMCO’s Market Analysis Team launches a graph section, where BIMCO members can get an overview of a specific sector and how the supply side of that sector develops. “We have structured the data and made it easily available through our website. In this way our members will follow the most recent developments affecting their core interest. This gives them an unbiased and transparent tool for their decision-making process. The goal is to ease the way to rational strategic business decisions,” says BIMCO’s Chief Shipping Analyst Peter Sand.

Just two weeks after accepting the U.S. Coast Guard’s congratulations on a military career spanning almost three decades, Rob Nakama drove from Washington D.C. to Seattle to join Foss Maritime as the company’s Manager of Contingency Planning and Emergency Response. “I’ve been in the military for the majority of my life; the transition has been surreal,” he said. Nakama was born in Hawaii, growing up on the island of Maui as the son of a taro farmer who worked for the Aloha Poi Factory.

A new line of aftermarket genuine oil from KOHLER is engineered specifically for generator applications. The fully-synthetic premium oils are available in three formulations for different fuel types and are optimized for use in industrial, mobile, marine and home generators. “Generators have to run when they’re needed – there’s no room for downtime,” said Patricio Iligaray, Manager of Aftermarket Parts for Kohler Power Systems. “And, the oil you choose makes a real difference. Generators are subjected to unique conditions that are different from engines that power other applications.

One of the most common areas of bulk oil cargo claims is cargo contamination which occurs during the transfer of bulk liquid cargoes, says  Captain Paul D. Hall, Director, London Offshore Consultants, IUMI Professional Partner, LOC Group. Cargo contamination can be of either ship or shore origin. To minimise shipboard risk, all pipelines, valves, pumps and tanks should be properly cleaned and drained ready to load the next cargo. The manifolds must be clearly labelled and the minimum amounts of ship’s pipelines used onboard with the appropriate two valve segregation to non-compatible grades. Shoreside contamination could occur as a result of incorrect hose/chicksan connection and manifold line ups…

Overall confidence levels in the shipping industry fell to a record low in the three months to February 2016, according to the latest Shipping Confidence Survey from international accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens. The average confidence level expressed by respondents in the markets in which they operate was 5.0 on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high). This compares to the 5.6 recorded in November 2015, and is the lowest rating in the life of the survey, which was launched in May 2008 with a confidence rating of 6.8.

In 1864 Abraham Lincoln was president, and the U.S. was embroiled in the midst of civil war. In 1864, McAllister Towing was established (originally as the Greenpoint Lighterage Co.) in New York City. McAllister Towing has persevered, and at times, served, through nine wars, 28 presidents, at least three catastrophic stock market crashes; collapsing oil prices, generations of advances in ship technology and vessel construction and design; and an explosion in maritime regulation.

Baghdad wants to settle a high-stakes dispute over $100 million worth of Kurdish crude oil in Iraq's  courts, although the oil is sitting in a tanker off the coast of Texas, a U.s. court filing  said on Friday. Iraq's central government has also asked Iraq's Federal Supreme Court to block the Kurdistan Regional Government from exporting any crude until its ownership can be determined, said the filing in federal court in Houston. The central government contends it belongs to the country as a whole, not just the Kurdistan region. The latest legal challenge follows Iraq in May bringing criminal charges against the Kurdistan government, alleging theft of oil revenues. However, Kurdistan has failed to appear in court to address the charges, the filing said.

1806  - Spring pole cable drilling developed in US. 1844  - Fluid circulating rotary well drilling patented in England. 1845  - Circulated fluid used to remove drill cuttings for first time. 1860  - Fluid circulation rotary diamond coring drill developed in France. 1869 – T homas Fitch Rowland  patents  a “submarine drilling apparatus,” a fixed, working platform for drilling offshore to a depth of almost 50 feet. The anchored tower had telescoping legs, similar to modern offshore platforms. 1878  - First bulk oil tanker begins operation in the Caspian Sea. 1891  - First ocean-going tanker launched. 1897  - Wells drilled off piers in Summerland, Calif. 1905 – Oil discovered in the Caddo Pine Island field in Lousiana. 1911  -  Gulf Refining Co.

Four Robert Allan designed shallow draft, double hull, combined bulk oil & deck barges, built in China for ITB North Limited, are now in service delivering bulk fuel oil and deck cargoes to various locations in the Far North less than 11 months after the original design contract was placed. When ITB Marine Group decided to expand their operations to the Mackenzie River, they chose to work once again with Robert Allan Ltd. to design their new shallow draft double hull oil barges.

The Harbor Commissioner's Fiscal 2013-14 Budget Includes $399.9-million capital expenditure to improve cargo flow and dfficiency. The Los Angeles Harbor Commission has adopted a 2013-14 fiscal year (FY) budget of approximately $1.1 billion for the Port of Los Angeles, including one of the largest annual Capital Improvement Programs -- $399.9 million or 37% of the total budget -- in Port history. The budget supports more than 8,500 jobs, 6,870 of which are attributable to construction project spending in the coming fiscal year which begins July 1.

Fire on an LPG tanker anchored off the Phuket deep-sea port off Muang District Sunday caused about US$647,000 damage before it was put out. The fire broke out in the radio room on the second deck of the ship which has two LPG tanks, each capable of holding 10 million litres of the gas, about 5,000 litres of bulk oil and 200 litres of diesel oil, according to the 'Bangkok Post'. Fire-fighting launches from Tambon Wichit Municipality and the Phuket deep-sea port were rushed to the scene and were able to put out the fire in about two hours. No injuries were reported.

Update: No Injuries in Strait of Hormuz Collision. No one was hurt when a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer and a large Japanese owned merchant vessel collided near the Strait of Hormuz Aug. 12. The collision between USS Porter (DDG 78) and the Panamanian-flagged bulk oil tanker M/V Otowasan occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. local time. Porter transited under its own power to Jebel Ali, UAE and is now pierside for assessment and repair. The incident is under investigation. USS Porter is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S.

Within the 365-page reference work are paragraphs dedicated to the liquid chemical cargoes, tank cleaning, tank coating, cargo lines and fittings, loaded passage recommendations, safety with reference to the IBC code and pollution prevention. Other sections deal with LNG and LPG as cargo. The carriage of animal and vegetable oils and fats is also examined. At the back of the book is a substantial section listing various conversion factors and other calculations, including vegetable and animal oils constants and the approximate specific gravity and density of oils at common handling temperatures. There is also a comprehensive list of commodities, mainly dry, their requirements and characteristics and at the back of the book can be found a 10-page index.

ExxonMobil Marine Lubricants introduced Mobilgear SHC MT 68, a fully synthetic extreme pressure (EP) marine gear oil formulated to optimise the performance of equipment operating under extreme conditions. The new product resists micropitting while protecting marine thruster gear drives against conventional forms of wear and corrosion. Mobilgear SHC MT 68 was developed to meet global marketplace demand for a synthetic EP gear oil with excellent wear and corrosion protection, operability at both high and low temperatures and compatibility with industry-standard gearbox seal materials.

At the legislative hearing on the use of dispersants in the BP oil spill, Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator of the U.S. Chairman Mikulski, Ranking Member Shelby and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the role of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill response. My testimony today will provide you with an overview of EPA’s role and activities in the affected Gulf Coast region following the April 20, 2010 Deepwater Horizon mobile offshore drilling unit explosion and resulting oil spill as well as a summary of our primary environmental activities, including dispersant use, waste management, and beach cleanup.

In September 2006, state lawmakers directed Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) to adopt stringent oil transfer rules after 4,700 gallons of heavy fuel oil spilled during an oil transfer operation at Chevron-Texaco's Richmond Beach fuel terminal in December 2003. Swift currents drove the oil ashore on the Suquamish Tribe shellfish beds at Doe-kag-wats beach and salt marsh at Indianola in Kitsap County. In 2008, nearly 15 billion gallons of oil were transferred over Washington waters by ship, fueling facility, tank truck or rail, according to Ecology reports. That equals 1.7 million gallons an hour. Since the rules went into effect, Ecology has seen reductions in the amount of oil spilled. In 2008, only about 158 gallons were spilled to Washington waters during fuel transfers.

Main board-listed Chemoil has appointed Soh Guan Tin Colin as Trading Manager in . Colin brings over ten years of trading experience and a solid network of market contacts in Asia and the . Prior to joining Chemoil, he spent five years as an oil products trader with Petroval Pte Ltd, a bulk oil trading and transportation company that specializes in high viscosity marine fuels. During this time, Colin was responsible for marketing Petroval’s M100 barrels into and was among one of the first traders to sell directly to the straight-run market. Further to trading a range of other petroleum products, he also cultivated strong relationships with Russian and Chinese market players whilst in this role.

Discussing the marine business with Captain Brian McAllister is much like sitting in a "Maritime History 101" course, in that his accumulated knowledge, experience and stories tell the tale of not only the evolution of one company, but an entire industry operating in one of the world's most dynamic ports. During his more than a quarter of a century at the helm of the family business, Captain Brian McAllister and his company — McAllister Towing and Transportation (MT&T) — have had more than their fair share of wins and losses. However, on the event of the christening of the company's new tugboat Janet M. McAllister — named for McAllister's two-year-old granddaughter…