Easy Chemicals News

There’s a barge full of reasons why many operators turn to ATBs.A  mainstay of the U.S. coastwise dirty and refined products trades, articulated tug barges (ATB) have increasingly filled a void left as the fleet of Jones Act tankers (with crew complement requirements exceeding that of tugs) has aged out. With the cargo capacity of the larger ATBs – some with barges exceeding 300,000 barrels capacity – rivalling that of workhorse tankers that had served oil consuming regions, the concept certainly makes sense from a supply and distribution perspective.With 50…

CIT provides $61.8-million financing to Alterna Capital Partners’ Portfolio Company to acquire three ‘ECO-Design’ product tankers. CIT Maritime Finance provided a $61.8 million senior secured credit facility to a portfolio company of Alterna Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Wilton, CT, to finance the acquisition of three 50,000 DWT ECO-design Medium Range (MR) IMO II/III product/chemical tankers from STX Offshore & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The tankers are owned by Sterling Ocean Shipping…

Crowley Maritime Corporation has announced  that Steve Demeroutis will now assume the role of vice president, marine operations, for the company’s petroleum and chemical transportation group. Rudy Leming will assume Demeroutis’ former position of vice president, labor relations. In their new positions, both employees will remain domiciled in Jacksonville, Fla., Demeroutis will report to Crowley’s Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum services, while Leming now reports to Bill Pennella, vice chairman and executive vice president.

Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the ninth in a series of 10 new 185,000 barrel ATBs at the VT Halter Marine shipyard in Pascagoula. The Innovation and barge 650-9 will be chartered to Chevron, to safely transport petroleum products throughout the Gulf of Mexico. During the ceremony, Joan Pennella, wife of Crowley Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President Bill Pennella, christened the 10,728-horsepower tug Innovation; while Lynn Brewer, wife of Burl Brewer, Chevron operations scheduler, christened 650-9.

On March 26, Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the eighth of 10 new 185,000-barrel Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) tank vessels that the company will take delivery of by 2011. The vessels christened were the tug Achievement and barge 650-8. Sure to be no stranger to the Tampa waterfront, the vessel is scheduled to visit the port once a week as it carries petroleum products for Marathon Oil Corporation. The vessel joins other Crowley owned and or managed vessels - ATB Pride/650-7 and tankers Coast Range…

Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the seventh of 10 new 185,000-barrel Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) tank vessels that the company will take delivery of in 2010 and 2011. The vessels christened were the tug Pride and barge 650-7. During the ceremonies, which took place at the Port of New Orleans, Cruise terminal #2, Susan Rodgers, Crowley senior vice president of corporate services christened the 10,728 Hp-tug Pride, while Rita McKain, wife of Bradley McKain, manager, terminal, transport and marine for Marathon Petroleum Company, christened the barge 650-7.

Impending revisions to MARPOL Annex II effecting the reclassification of chemicals and vegetable oils and fats will bring about changes in the trading possibilities for the chemical and products tanker fleets. INTERTANKO has made a study of these trades and of the availability of tonnage, involving over 1,100 vessels. It concludes that there will be a significant impact on both the product tanker and chemical tanker trades, and that there will be a nominal surplus of about 5.7m deadweight (about 20%) of IMO Type 2/3 tankers from 2007 onwards after the reclassification comes into effect. However it should be borne in mind that whatever the final decision is on cargo reclassification…

Hatem Fawzy, Director, Offsets Ventures; Ahmed Al Wahaibi, Deputy CEO, Oman Oil Company; Hussain M. Sultan, Group Chief Executive and Board Member, ENOC; Khadem Al Qubaisi, Investment Division Manager, International Petroleum Investment Company of Abu Dhabi; Xavier Thuriot, Chairman & CEO, Thales International Middle East. GEM – Gulf Energy Maritime PJSC – is a new $430m joint venture shipping company, launched today. The venture, headquartered in Dubai, is 35% owned by Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC)…

Eye Gas Ships Next? Gulf Energy Maritime PJSC, or GEM, is a new $430 million joint venture shipping company, launched last month. Headquartered in Dubai, GEM is owned by Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) (35%); Abu Dhabi-based International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) (30%); Oman Oil Company (30%); and Thales (5%). The company is intent on capitalizing on the worldwide ban on single hull tankers, and will start with two Double Hull Panamax ships, with four more Panamax newbuilds under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries for delivery by 2005. Initially, the company will only transport clean petroleum products and easy chemicals, including naphtha, kerosene, MTBE, methanol, jet fuel, MOGAS, and other hydrocarbons.

Crowley Maritime Corporation recently christened the third of ten new 185,000-barrel Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) tank vessels that the company will take delivery of by the end of 2010. The vessels christened were the 9,280 HP-tug Resolve and barge 650-3. During ceremonies held at the Mobile Convention Center on South Water Street, Nancy Schlueter, wife of Ed Schlueter, vice president of Crowley's Vessel Management Services (VMS) christened the Resolve, while Alison Haber-Djuve, wife of Karsten Djuve, regional chartering manager, BP Shipping USA, christened barge 650-3. Crowley's Petroleum Services group will charter the VT Halter Marine-built ATB from VMS, and operate it for BP under a seven-year agreement.

Yesterday, Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the third of ten new 185,000-barrel Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) tank vessels that the company will take delivery of by the end of 2010. The vessels christened were the 9,280 HP-tug Resolve and barge 650-3. During ceremonies held at the Mobile Convention Center on South Water Street, Nancy Schlueter, wife of Ed Schlueter, vice president of Crowley's Vessel Management Services (VMS) christened the Resolve, while Alison Haber-Djuve, wife of Karsten Djuve, regional chartering manager, BP Shipping USA, christened barge 650-3. Crowley's Petroleum Services group will charter the VT Halter Marine-built ATB from VMS, and operate it for BP under a seven-year agreement.

Singapore Technologies Marine has won a third contract from a unit of Crowley Maritime Corporation to build four additional tug barges. The contract is worth a total of $240.7m. This contract will bring the total number of barges Crowley Maritime has ordered from ST Marine to 10. The 10 vessels have a combined value of more than $536m, including the cost of owner furnished equipment. Delivery for the latest four barges is expected between 2009 and 2010. The vessels can transport refined products as well as heated cargoes and easy chemicals which require special arrangements. Source: ChannelAsia

The Pacific Reliance and 185,000 - bbl tank barge 650-1 (shown here) were christened in March of 2006. The tug for the second vessel of this type - the Gulf Reliance - has been delivered, while barge 650-2 is scheduled to be completed and delivered in the fourth quarter of this year. Newly ordered vessels are expected to bring Crowley's ATB fleet to 14 by the end of 2010. Crowley Maritime Corporation's Vessel Management Services subsidiary has signed a contract with VT Halter Marine Inc. to build four more articulated tug-barge (ATB), 185,000-barrel tank vessels. The new vessels will have an estimated delivered cost of approximately $236 million, including owner-furnished equipment. The vessels will be delivered in six-month intervals between the first half of 2009 and the end of 2010.

Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the first of six new 185,000-barrel Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) tank vessels that the company will take delivery of over the next two and half years. The vessels christened were the 9,280 HP-tug Pacific Reliance and barge 650-1. At ceremonies held at the Mobile Convention Center on South Water Street, Constance Crowley Peabody, aunt of Tom Crowley Jr., company chairman, president and CEO, christened the Pacific Reliance, while Janet Bishop from ConocoPhillips, christened barge 650-1. Crowley's Petroleum Services group will charter the VT Halter Marine-built ATB from Crowley's vessel construction and naval architecture subsidiary, Vessel Management Services, and operate it for ConocoPhillips under a three-year agreement.

Crowley's Vessel Management Services subsidiary signed a contract with VT Halter Marine Inc. to build another four articulated tug-barge (ATB), 185,000-barrel tank vessels. The new contract, which includes owner-furnished equipment, is valued at $190 million. Total construction time for all four vessels is 36 months. ATBs will be delivered to and put into service by Crowley's newly formed Petroleum Services segment as they are completed. Two similar 185,000-barrel ATBs are already under construction for Crowley at VT Halter's facilities in Mississippi and are scheduled for delivery to Crowley in the first and third quarters of 2006. They will join four 155,000-barrel ATBs already in service on the West Coast. By 2008, Crowley will have 10 ATBs in the U.S. coastwise petroleum trades.

Crowley's Vessel Management Services subsidiary signed a contract with VT Halter Marine Inc. to build another four articulated tug-barge (ATB), 185,000-barrel tank vessels. million. Total construction time for all four vessels is 36 months. Petroleum Services segment as they are completed. quarters of 2006. on the U.S. West Coast. in the U.S. coastwise petroleum trades. agreement reached earlier this year. Tom Crowley Jr., company chairman, president and CEO. safety and operational excellence. fore and aft pitch. interchangeable with all vessels in the Company's ATB fleet. under construction. construction for maximum safety and reliability. product carriers. environmental protection. structure. length, 74 feet in breadth and 40 feet in depth. be 30 feet. handle cargo changes.