Enrique News

Marilyn Hubalde still remembers the first time she heard the thunderous chop of military helicopters swooping over this northernmost outpost of the Philippines, less than 90 miles from Taiwan. It was April 2023, when Filipino and American troops descended on the cluster of 10 emerald green islands of Batanes province for amphibious warfare drills.“We were terrified,” the 65-year-old Hubalde recalled. “We thought China might attack when they learned there were military exercises in Batanes.” Hubalde’s helper…

Amid ongoing maritime tensions, the Philippines signaled it is open to exploring new agreements with China aimed at preserving peace in the contested South China Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Sunday during an ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.“Anything within the scope of diplomatic or peaceful means, or cooperation, is certainly within our template,” Manalo noted, referencing possible future arrangements despite ongoing confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels.The South China Sea…

New U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed China's "dangerous and destabilizing actions in the South China Sea" with his Philippine counterpart on Wednesday and underscored the "ironclad" U.S. defense commitment to Manila."Secretary Rubio conveyed that (China's) behavior undermines regional peace and stability and is inconsistent with international law," the U.S. State Department said in a statement on the call with Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo.The Philippines has been…

The Philippines urged China on Wednesday to avoid actions that endanger sailors and vessels in the South China Sea, saying peace could not be achieved if China's words did not match its behaviour in the disputed waters.The Philippine foreign ministry denounced as "illegal and aggressive" China's actions during a routine resupply mission on June 17, which the Philippine military said had severely injured a navy sailor and damaged Manila's vessels."The department has been exerting efforts to rebuild a conducive environment for dialogue and consultation with China on the South China Sea…

Four times the tonnage of the original Open Arms rescue tugboat and with a capacity to carry up to 1,000 people, the Open Arms Uno made its first rescue on Wednesday, picking up 101 migrants stranded on a wooden boat off the Tunisian coast."Sit down, if you don't sit down we don't continue," a crew member shouted to the excited migrants from a speed boat launched from the vessel operated by the Spanish charity Open Arms before all were taken aboard.One had jumped into the water to try to reach the speed boat…

Caterpillar Marine recently signed a contract to supply its solutions for the next generation of Brusco Tug and Barge’s new tugs. The first tug was delivered in December 2019, and the second vessel will soon be under construction at Diversified Marine Inc. (DMI), in Portland, Ore., featuring a bollard pull of 84 short tons and complete system integration by Caterpillar Marine.Caterpillar Marine’s West Coast territory sales manager Enrique Aponte said, “This vessel will change the escort tug market…

Singapore towage and pilotage company PSA Marine has moved into the South American market with the acquisition of Tramarsa Flota, a Peruvian towage company.Tramarsa Flota and its subsidiaries have been acquired from Grupo Romero. Headquartered in Lima, Tramarsa Flota offers towage, pilotage, launch boat and offshore services in 10 major ports along the Peruvian coastline. It owns 45 vessels, including 17 tugs, 23 launches and five support vessels for diving activities and other marine services.The stock purchase agreement was signed in Lima, Peru, on February 12, 2020.“We are delighted to welcome Tramarsa Flota to our PSA Marine global family. This strategic move will strengthen our international towage and pilotage network.

Philippines-based International Terminal Container Services Inc. (ICTSI) formally inaugurated two new berths in the port of Umm Qasr, Iraq’s main dry cargo port.The inauguration marked both the opening for business of the two new berths 25 and 26 with a depth of 14 meters, and the completion of ICTSI’s overall $250m investment program at its Basra Gateway Terminal (BGT) making the port capable of receiving box ships of up 14,000 teu.Located in Umm Qasr’s North Port, BGT operates a high capacity container terminal together with specialized facilities for the handling of general cargo, ro-ro, dry bulk and project cargo for the oil and gas sector.Earlier development included the construction of Berth 27…

In just six months since the inauguration of the new Moín Container Terminal (MCT) in Costa Rica, highly-trained employees are meeting all productivity KPIs outlined in the concession contract.By reducing berthing times to an average of just 10 hours per vessel, the Terminal has been able to create an additional berthing window for a new direct service to Shanghai, China.The first ship on this new commercial route arrived from Houston on Sunday, 22 September, leaving on Monday laden with Costa Rican pineapples, bananas, meat and orange juice. The service will operate every three weeks on Sundays, however local producers and exporters are already keen to see the service increase to weekly.The new direct service…

Philippines-based international container terminal operator ICTSI has reported a massive increase in profit and a substantial increase in revenues for the first half of 2019.First half throughput rose 7% to 5.04 million teu and came on good revenues, leading to a 42% jump in net profit to $128.5 million, said a press release from the global port management company.ICTSI attributed its profit growth during the six-month period to  volume growth, tariff adjustments for certain services at multiple terminals, new contracts with shipping lines and services, as well as the continuing ramp-up of operations at new terminals.Enrique K. Razon, Jr., President and Chairman of ICTSI said: “ICTSI’s performance in the first half of 2019 has been very positive.

Manila-head quartered port and terminal operator International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) has released solid results for 2018. ICTSI’s box volumes were higher, revenues increased and the group generated higher profit.The port operator said in a stock exchange annoucement that its consolidated volume higher by six percent to 9,736,621 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) (FY2017: 9,153,458 TEUs) and revenue from port operations increased 11 percent to US$1.4 billion (FY2017: US$1.2 billion).Its net income attributable to equity holders up strongly by 22 percent to US$221.5 million (FY2017: US$182.1 million).Enrique Razon, Chairman of ICTSI said: “I am pleased to report strong full year operating results for 2018.

Mexican state oil firm Pemex has reached a preliminary agreement with a consortium led by Talos Energy to evaluate whether the group's find in the Gulf of Mexico extends into a neighboring Pemex block, the companies said in a statement on Thursday.The deal, which covers territory in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, is the first of its kind for Pemex and will be in force for two years.The Talos consortium, which includes Britain's Premier Oil and Mexico's Sierra Oil & Gas, won development rights for two blocks during the first oil auction launched by President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) said it has been chosen by the government of Sudan to handle the operations and management of the South Port Container Terminal (SPCT). In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday, ICTSI said the state-run Sea Ports Corp. of Sudan (SPC) has confirmed it as the preferred bidder to operate and manage the SPCT under a 20-year concession. ICTSI, controlled by gaming and ports tycoon Enrique Razon Jr., said that SPC is the independent state corporation of the Republic of the Sudan that governs, constructs and maintains the country’s ports, harbors and lighthouses.

Contecon Guayaquil SA (CGSA),  subsidiary  of Manila-based International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI)  has received the government of Ecuador approval to accommodate mega vessels of up to 305 meters in length at the Port of Guayaquil’s Berths 2 and 3. "ICTSI further strengthened its market position as the main trading gateway in the entire Ecuador after recently getting the government’s nod to service larger vessels," said a press release from the company. The Ecuadorian Ministry of Transport and Public Works, through the Subsecretary of Ports and Maritime Transportation, recently gave its green light for CGSA to accommodate mega vessels of up to 305 meters in length at the Port of Guayaquil’s Berths 2 and 3.

Oil service and mapping firms still emerging from an industry recession have received a boost from about $800 million of data sales to energy firms considering bidding for Mexican oil and gas blocks. Mexico will on Wednesday hold its most important auction since a 2013 reform ended the 75-year monopoly on the energy sector held by state-run oil firm Pemex. The government of President Enrique Pena Nieto hopes the deepwater sale will attract tens of billions of dollars of investment to turnaround a slump in the country's oil output. Seven previous auctions drew investment pledges of $61 billion.

The Iranian tanker that sank after a collision in the East China Sea, causing the worst oil ship disaster in years, had its paperwork in order, according an initial review by maritime authorities in Panama, whose flag it was sailing under. The large tanker Sanchi (IMO:9356608) sank on Sunday after crashing into the freighter CF Crystal (IMO:9497050) and drifting ablaze for days. The ship's crew of 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis are believed to have been killed. Fernando Solorzano…

Tropical Storm Nate killed at least 22 people in Central America on Thursday as it pummeled the region with heavy rain while heading toward Mexico's Caribbean resorts and the U.S. Gulf Coast, where it could strike as a hurricane this weekend. In Nicaragua, at least 11 people died, seven others were reported missing and thousands had to evacuate homes because of flooding, said the country's vice president Rosario Murillo. Emergency officials in Costa Rica reported that at least eight people were killed due to the lashing rain, including two children. Another 17 people were missing, while more than 7,000 had to take refuge from Nate in shelters, authorities said.

Naval experts from around the world are meeting in Cartagena, Colombia, for the Operations and Technology (OPTECH) South 2017 conference. The event is being conducted by the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Littoral Operations Center (LOC), supported by the Office of Naval Research-Global and the Colombian Naval Science and Technology Office and Swedish defense company Saab. The littoral is the complex “near shore” environment where hydrography, geography, commerce, fishing…

Far out in the South China Sea, where dark blue meets bright turquoise, a miles-long row of fishing boats anchor near Scarborough Shoal, backed by a small armada of coastguard projecting China's power in Asia's most disputed waters. China still calls the shots at the prime fishing spot and has boosted its fleet there, nine months after an international panel ruled its blockade of the lagoon was illegal. Beijing rejected that ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which invalidated China's claim of sovereignty over most of the South China Sea. But the presence of Philippine boats dotted between Chinese vessels shows a degree of compliance with the ruling.

BHP Billiton has advanced its exploration and production interests in the Gulf of Mexico by executing a contract with PEMEX Exploration & Production Mexico (Pemex) to complete work on the significant Trion discovery in Mexico. In December 2016, BHP Billiton successfully bid on the resource that, once fully appraised, is expected to be in the top 10 fields discovered in the Gulf of Mexico in the last decade. The agreement includes a commitment to deliver a Minimum Work Program, which consists of drilling one appraisal well, one exploration well and the acquisition of additional seismic data. The signing ceremony today was attended by President of Mexico…

Mexico's economy minister said his country was ready to renegotiate trade rules with the United States and that any change in U.S. tax policy that affected imports would have to be countered with a "mirror action" in Mexico. U.S. President Donald Trump told a meeting with U.S. executives on Monday that companies would face a "major border tax" if they shifted jobs outside the United States. Such a measure could affect Mexico's exports to the United States, its top trading partner. "If there is any action that punishes imports to the North American market and encourages U.S. exports, you have to reflect it in a mirror action to counteract the change of incentives that this would make for activity and investment in Mexico…

Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) recently celebrated the completion of its terminal in Webb Dock in Melbourne, Australia ahead of schedule. The celebration was headed by Enrique K. Razon Jr., International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) Chairman and President, along with His Honor Luke Donnellan, Victoria State Minister of Ports; Councillor Bernadene Voss, Port Phillip City Mayor; and Brendan Bourke, Port of Melbourne CEO. “This is an achievement that everyone who have helped build the terminal and are invested in the success of the State of Victoria should celebrate,” said Mr. Razon as he addressed VICT employees, VIPs and guests. “Once we start operations in January, VICT will be the most technologically advanced container terminal in the world,” he adds.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) made its first port call in Batumi International Container Terminal (BICT) in Batumi, Georgia, marking the launch of Gioia-Ukraine & Georgia feeder service, says International Container Terminal Services, Inc.(ICTSI). “M/V Max Carrier made its first call to Batumi International Container Terminal (BICT) in Batumi, Georgia, marking the launch of the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s (MSC) Gioia -- Ukraine & Georgia feeder service,” ICTSI said in a statement. The new service features fast connections between the Port of Batumi and the ports in Gioia Tauro, Italy; Burgas, Bulgaria; and Ilichevsk and Odessa in Ukraine. BICT is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of ICTS49, and Batumi Sea Port Ltd. (BSP). The port operator, controlled by billionaire Enrique K.