Diesel Fuel Oil News

An incorrectly installed section of main engine fuel oil return tubing led to an engine room fire aboard a containership off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.Marine Investigation Report 22/15 details the NTSB’s investigation of the April 28, 2021, fire aboard the containership President Eisenhower while transiting through the Santa Barbara Channel. The vessel was transiting to Oakland, California with a crew of 22. The crew extinguished the fire using the engine room’s fixed carbon dioxide fire-extinguishing system. As a result of the fire, the vessel lost propulsion and drifted for several hours before being towed to the Port of Los Angeles. No pollution or injuries were reported.

A new liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered survey, wreck-search and research vessel built by German Naval Yards Kiel is currently undergoing installation and finishing works at Fassmer in Berne, Germany prior to being commissioned this spring.Ordered by the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), the new research vessel will be homeported in Hamburg, replacing the previous Atair, which entered operation in 1987.At 75 meters long and roughly 17 meters wide, the new Atair will be the largest research vessel in the BSH fleet.

Cleancor Energy Solutions, a unit of the the marine services company SEACOR Holdings, launched a joint initiative with the logistics and barge transportation company SCF Marine to increase the use and supply of LNG and CNG natural gas throughout the Mississippi River system.SCF’s in-depth knowledge of the U.S. Inland Waterways and its strategically located ports, terminals, barge fleets, and existing customer relationships provide Cleancor with a robust platform from which to deploy modern and mobile LNG and CNG equipment. In addition to bunkering towboats, LNG can serve as a viable and scalable alternative fueling solution for a variety of inland manufacturing…

The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) is  planning to buy oil major Shell's 50% stake in Saudi Aramco Shell Refining Co (SASREF), a Saudi refining complex developed as a joint venture between the two oil companies,  for $631 million.Abdulaziz Al-Judaimi, Saudi Aramco‘s Senior Vice President of Downstream, said: “The partnership with Shell has led to a strong record of performance and delivery of refined products. Saudi Aramco will take full ownership and integrate the refinery into its growing Downstream portfolio. SASREF will continue to be a critical facility in our refining and chemicals business and we look forward to further optimising its performance and long term viability.”John Abbott…

When markets expand niches are created, goes the logic. For builders of tugs, that market is “floating gas” and the expanding use of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, as a fuel. In support of LNG, there’ll be more oceangoing tug duty — the new floating storage and regasification units, or FSRUs, mean busier LNG carriers, and LNG cargo owners have an interest in tug escorts that share their “carbon footprint”. Still, new emissions rules offer ways to keep using refinery products, and the work of master tug designers suggests the new breeds of tugs are about more than fuel.

U.S. drivers are starting to feel the effects of Tropical Storm Harvey in their wallets as the country's fuel distribution network starting at the Gulf Coast and stretching across the country is squeezed by floods, refinery closures and dwindling supplies. At least 3.6 million barrels per day (bpd) of refining capacity is offline and more refineries are at risk of shut downs as the storm relentlessly dumps rain on Texas and heads toward Louisiana. The longer refineries remain shut, the more retail prices will increase, traders and analysts said. Two of the major pipelines delivering gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from the Gulf Coast are operating at reduced rates or plan to shut entirely, with wholesale markets in Chicago and the Gulf region seeing sharply higher prices.

The first of three new dual fuel RAstar 4000-DF class extreme escort tugs, the Dux, has been delivered to Østensjø Rederi AS by Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Gondán S.A. Designed by Robert Allan Ltd., the 40.2 meter vessel is the first of a three boat order from Østensjø for severe weather operations at Statoil's Melkøya LNG Gas terminal at Hammerfest in the extreme north of Norway. These escort tugs will conduct approximately 300 LNG ship escorts annually, assist with berthing operations and will be maintained in readiness for emergency services such as long line towing…

The National Oil Spill Response Research and Renewable Energy Test Facility has been an integral part of the spill response community for more than three and a half decades. Tucked away on the shores of the Sandy Hook Bay in central New Jersey resides Ohmsett – The National Oil Spill Response Research and Renewable Energy Test Facility. It has been an integral part of the spill response community for more than three and a half decades. Government agencies, private industry, and oil spill response organizations from around the world have visited the facility for testing, research and training.

Hot work required for welding, grinding and cutting operations presents certain potential hazards when conducted in potentially explosive and flammable environments. According to the Health and Safety Executive guidance 2013, “flammable liquids and vapors such as petrol, diesel, fuel oil, paints, solvents, glue, lacquer and cleaning agents are found in many places of work. In order to minimize the risk, cold bonding solutions involving materials that are applied and cured at ambient temperatures can offer an alternative solution for repair and newbuild applications on metallic surfaces.

Regulator sees no competition concerns; Klesch announced purchase in July. EU regulators cleared U.S. entrepreneur Gary Klesch's purchase of the Milford Haven oil refinery on the coast of Wales, the European Commission said in a statement on Friday. Klesch agreed in July to buy the 135,000 barrels per day refinery from Murphy Oil for an undisclosed sum and said the struggling plant would restart operations. It refines gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, jet fuel, LPG and propylene, as does the Heide Refinery in Germany, also owned by the Klesch Group. But the European Commission, the EU executive, concluded there would be no antitrust concerns as any overlap was limited and the Milford Haven refinery would face strong competition from other players.

Vard Marine says it has been awarded a US Patent for their design and engineering of a Dual Fuel Vessel. Later this year; the first of six 5100 dwt vessels to be built under this patent, designed by Vard Marine and built by Gulf Coast Shipyard Group for Harvey Gulf International Marine will be delivered. These vessels represent the first US flag vessels capable of operating exclusively on natural gas or diesel fuel oil. As per US Patent No. US 8,690,622 B2, filed September 13, 2011, the patent is applicable to: a small size, self-propelled floating vessel having a dual fuel system, monohull or catamaran hull shape with an overall length ranging from sixty meters to one hundred and seventy meters, azimuthing thrusters, and with LNG tank capacities between 100cbm and 1200cbm.

Marathon Petroleum Corp is poised to expand its growing Midwest and Gulf Coast fuel trading operation to the East Coast with Thursday's deal to buy Hess Corp's retail network and transport contracts. The purchase will give Marathon control of Hess's gasoline stations and access to pipelines, including the capacity to ship approximately 40,000 barrels per day on the sought-after Colonial Pipeline from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast, according to the companies. The $2.9 billion deal is expected to close late in the third quarter. That likely means opening up new trading opportunities. Marathon's nearest refinery is nearly 500 miles east of New York City in Canton, Ohio, with few major pipelines in between.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said it responded to a 739-foot cargo ship aground in the Columbia River just north of the Astoria Northern Anchorage in Astoria, Tuesday. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River learned that the Panamanian-flagged motor vessel Mokpo Star ran aground after the crew attempted to adjust their position in the river using their anchors without proper authorization at approximately 4:30 p.m. Sector Columbia River personnel boarded the vessel along with a Columbia River Bar Pilot to investigate the cause of the grounding, potential pollution and how much fuel the vessel contained. The Coast Guard also ordered the vessel to hire a tug to be on immediate standby and to activate its required vessel response plan.

Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach and California Fish and Game personnel are investigating the cause of an unintentional discharge of 710 gallons of diesel fuel oil from the Motor Tanker Aljalaa, during an internal transfer of diesel at Tesoro’s Terminal at Berth 84A in the Port of Long Beach, Feb. 21 at approximately 7:30 p.m. The USCG, DFG, and the vessel's emergency response management company, O’Brien’s Response Management, immediately established a Unified Command at the Tesoro Long Beach Terminal to provide an aggressive and timely response to the incident and to answer any media and general public calls. Several oil spill response organizations responded to contain and to recover discharged product, and to minimize environmental impacts.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. was scheduled to launch an ABS Classed 150 x 46 x 27-ft. ATB Ocean Going Tug at its Allanton facility in on  February 15. is being constructed for U.S. Shipping Partners, L.P. of along with two sister ships. is the first of three ABS-Classed 150-ft. ATB tugs currently under construction at Eastern’s Allanton facility. The vessel is designed and engineered by Guarino & Cox of , and is classed under the ABS rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels Under 295 ft. in length. This series of 150-ft. ATB tugs offers several unique design features including an articulated tug and barge (ATB) connection system provided by Intercon. The vessel is capable of being powered by both heavy fuel oil as well as # 2 marine diesel fuel oil.

Wärtsilä Corporation has supplied a 5,800 kW Power Module to Bergesen d.y. Offshore AS, Norway, for installation on board the FPSO vessel Berge Hus. The Module, which is powered by a Wärtsilä 18V32DF dual-fuel engine, will burn produced gas. Currently being converted into an FPSO vessel from a VLCC tanker at the Jurong shipyard in Singapore, Berge Hus is destined for operation on the Ceiba oil field off Equatorial Guinea. Oil was reached in the Ceiba field by another Bergesen FPSO vessel, the Sendje Berge, in November 2000. The sister ship Berge Hus will take over work on that field in the first quarter of 2002 to complete the planned 10 production wells and four water injection wells, and continue handling the crude oil produced from the field.

Average crude oil prices for July were little changed from June. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) spot average for July was $30.75 per barrel compared to $30.66 in June. EIA’s Outlook is for prices to remain firm through the rest of 2003, or at least until autumn, when OECD oil inventories may rebuild above observed 5-year lows. Once inventories have been rebuilt, WTI oil prices may slide gradually to $26 per barrel during 2004, as Iraqi oil exports return to near pre-war levels. U.S.

Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur is responding to the pollution threat and salvage of the 189-ft., U.S.-flagged towing vessel La Marie. The La Marie began taking on water when it struck a submerged object in the Gulf of Mexico, and later sank in the process of being towed to shallower water on Saturday. The Coast Guard is on scene to assist and monitor pollution abatement and clean-up efforts. Initial inspections of the vessel found that the vessel sank in about 40 feet of water, with about two feet of the La Marie remaining visible. The owner is working closely with the Coast Guard to contain and clean any oil that is discovered, and to conduct salvage operations to safely remove the vessel.

Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur is monitoring the pollution threat and structural integrity of the 132-foot, U.S.-flagged towing vessel Mama Lere, which is partially submerged and accompanied by a four barge tow. The Mama Lere began flooding while transiting from New Orleans to Houston. The flooding began in the engine room at Mile Marker 289 on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near the West Port Arthur Bridge. Coast Guard small boats were in the area at the time of the sinking and rescued the five crewmembers onboard. The Mama Lere is believed to be carrying approximately 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel oil. The vessel is not obstructing navigation and the waterway currently remains open to traffic as monitored by Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur.

Wärtsilä Corporation has supplied a 5,800 kW Power Module to Bergesen d.y. Offshore AS, Norway, for installation on board the FPSO vessel Berge Hus. The Module, which is powered by a Wärtsilä 18V32DF dual-fuel engine, will burn produced gas. Currently being converted into an FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading) vessel from a VLCC tanker at the Jurong shipyard in Singapore, Berge Hus is destined for operation on the Ceiba oil field off Equatorial Guinea. Oil was reached in the Ceiba field by another Bergesen FPSO vessel, the Sendje Berge, in November 2000. The sister ship Berge Hus will take over work on that field in the first quarter of 2002 to complete the planned ten production wells and four water injection wells…