Banned at Sea: Venezuela's Crude-stained Oil Tankers
In the scorching heat of the Caribbean Sea, workers in scuba suits scrub crude oil by hand from the hull of the Caspian Galaxy, a tanker so filthy it can't set sail in international waters. The vessel is among many that are constantly contaminated at two major export terminals where they load crude from Venezuela's state-run oil company, PDVSA. The water here has an oily sheen from leaks in the rusty pipelines under the surface. That means the tankers have to be cleaned before traveling to many foreign ports, which won't admit crude-stained ships for fear of environmental damage to their harbors, port facilities or other vessels. The…
Bunkerfuels Founder Joins OceanConnect
Bob Fitzgerald, founder of Bunkerfuels, will join OceanConnect's senior management team, effective April 15, 2002. Fitzgerald, who founded Bunkerfuels Corporation in 1978 and quickly led it to a world leadership position, sold the company in 1999, when Bunkerfuels handled over 10 million tons of marine fuel inquiries and closed approximately 6.5 million tons from office locations in the United States, Korea, England and Brazil. Fitzgerald's experience also includes 11 years of service in Chevron's production, drilling and bunker divisions and eight years as manager of the bunker department for ship charterer Charles R. Weber Company.
