Government & Military News

Military Sealift Command hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to signify the opening of its new Center for Excellence located on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, March 25.The Military Sealift Command Center for Excellence provides MSC-centric basic training for newly employed civil service mariners (CIVMAR).“Ultimately, the new Military Sealift Command Center for Excellence is replacing the MSC training center in Earl, New Jersey,” said Military Sealift Command Total Force Management Director Mike Morris, who co-officiated the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Venezuela's main oil export port of Jose and the country's four crude upgraders have been unable to resume operations following a massive power blackout on Monday, according to industry workers and a union leader close to the facilities.The most recent oil shipment for export, on the carrier Dragon chartered by Russia's Rosneft, left Jose, which is owned by state-run PDVSA, on March 24, according to Refinitiv Eikon vessel-tracking data and PDVSA's trade documents."There is no electricity, everything is paralyzed," oil workers' union leader Jose Bodas told Reuters on Tuesday.The blackout, Venezuela's second major power outage in a month…

Last week, the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee (NOSAC) overwhelmingly approved recommendations that the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) remove the hinderances that prevented U.S. energy-industry vessels, from assisting Puerto Rico with recovery efforts after Hurricane Maria.The offshore energy industry is serviced by highly specialized vessels. Offshore supply vessels (OSVs) have large open decks to carry cargo to offshore rigs. OSVs typically also have massive internal tanks to carry and pump water, drilling mud, or fuel to offshore facilities.

British ship insurer UK P&I Club has received approval from the Dutch regulator for a new subsidiary in Rotterdam to ensure continued access to trade in the European Union in case Britain loses single market access, it said on Tuesday.UK Club is the second specialist Protection and Indemnity (P&I) club to announce regulatory approval for Brexit trading arrangements in the EU. Rival club North said in January it got the green light for its Dublin subsidiary from Ireland's central bank.P&I clubs - mutually owned by their members which are shipping companies - have been an integral part of the City of London for nearly two centuries, insuring ocean going ships against pollution and injury claims…

The USCG Captain of the Port has updated vessel traffic coordination directives. Facility cargo operations as of March 25, 2019 include Limited Opening of the San Jacinto River during Daylight Hours and Resumption of Cargo Operations.This MSIB is issued in regard to vessel traffic and facility cargo operations as a result of the chemical fire at ITC Deer Park in the Upper Houston Ship Channel (HSC).As of March 25th, 2019, the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port (COTP) has opened the San Jacinto River to allow for vessel traffic during daylight hours only.

Four people, including a baby, died early on Tuesday morning when a dinghy carrying migrants sank off the northwestern coast of Ayvacik in Turkey, the Turkish coast guard said.A search and rescue operation ended after the coast guard retrieved the 11 other migrants who were onboard, the coast guard said. Reuters video footage showed the surviving migrants, including at least one child, were later rushed wearing blankets aboard ambulances.The boat was carrying Iranian and Afghan migrants, Hurriyet newspaper reported, citing security sources.Turkey became one of the main launch points for migrants taking the sea route to European Union territory in 2015, many fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

Twelve people were arrested in Croatia on Tuesday on suspicion of causing over one billion kuna ($152.16 million) in financial damage to the country's biggest shipbuilding group Uljanik and the state budget, the interior minister said.Uljanik, which is 25 percent state-owned and operates two shipyards in the northern Adriatic cities of Pula and Rijeka, has been battling to stave off bankruptcy due to liquidity problems that began in 2017. Workers are currently on strike, seeking unpaid wages."This morning the police began action during which 12 people were arrested…

The European Union is considering a six-month extension to its Mediterranean mission, which is aimed at cracking down on smugglers and migration from Africa, but only for air patrols and training Libya's coast guard, according to a draft statement.The current mandate of the so-called Sophia mission expires this week and Italy wants to change it so that its ships are no longer patrolling and picking up people in the sea. Other states such as Germany want to prolong Sophia.A potential compromise discussed by national diplomats in Brussels on Tuesday…

Ghana and Denmark signed a Memoranda of Agreement to enhance e-navigation in the maritime sector and support implementation of international maritime regulations.The Minister of Transport, Ghana  Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, along with the newly appointed Director General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Thomas Kofi Alonsi and the Director General Andreas Nordseth from the Danish Maritime Authority, signed the contract for three-year collaboration.The contract was also signed by the Danish…

Royal Dutch Shell Plc and LyondellBasell Industries cut production on Monday at their Houston-area oil refineries because of shipping disruptions along a waterway affected by a petrochemical fire and spill, according to people familiar with the matter.A fire and fuel leak at Mitsui & Co Inc's Intercontinental Terminals Co (ITC) storage facility in Deer Park, Texas, last week sent gasoline, water and fire suppressant foam into the Houston Ship Channel, which connects Houston to the Gulf of Mexico, and is home to nine oil refineries.The U.S. Coast Guard said it was reopening portions of the channel to daytime travel and requiring vessels moving out of the area nearest ITC to be inspected for chemical contaminates.Houston Pilots…

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday reopened portions of the Houston Ship Channel with restrictions on waterways affected by the petrochemical leak outside Houston that has disrupted ship traffic.The busiest U.S. oil port, shut last Friday after a chemical leak into the water, led Royal Dutch Shell Plc and LyondellBasell Industries to cut production on Monday, according to people familiar with their operations.In a midday announcement, the Coast Guard said it is allowing daytime transits only through the ship channel…

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Tampa returned to Portsmouth Monday following a successful 85-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.During their patrol off the coasts of Central and South America, Tampa’s crew successfully interdicted approximately 18,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated wholesale value of $240 million.The Coast Guard increased U.S. and allied presence in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Basin, which are known drug transit zones off Central and South America, as part of its Western Hemisphere Strategy.

Tehran has in the past threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping route at the mouth of the Gulf, in retaliation for any hostile U.S. action, including attempts to halt Iranian oil exports through sanctions.Still, the U.S. official noted that the agreement would expand U.S. military options in the region for any kind of crisis.Duqm is ideal port for large ships. It is even big enough to turn around an aircraft carrier, a second official said."The port itself is very attractive and the geostrategic location is very attractive, again being outside the Strait of Hormuz," the official said, adding that negotiations began under the Obama administration.COMPETITION WITH CHINAFor Oman…

The United States sent Navy and Coast Guard ships through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, the U.S. military said, as part of an increase in the frequency of movement through the strategic waterway despite opposition from China.The voyage risks raising tensions with China further but will likely be viewed by self-ruled Taiwan as a sign of support from Washington amid growing friction between Taipei and Beijing.The two ships were identified as the Navy destroyer Curtis Wilbur and the Coast Guard cutter Bertholf, a U.S.

The U.S. government has named a Russian ship on a list of vessels suspected of providing fuel to Pyongyang, a month after Reuters reported the same ship violated sanctions by carrying out a clandestine transfer to a North Korean tanker.The Treasury Department, which oversees U.S. sanctions, included the Russian vessel, the Tantal, on a new list of "vessels believed to have engaged in ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean tankers."The list was included in updated https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/dprk_vessel_advisory_03212019.pdf guidance on addressing North Korea's illicit shipping practices published by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the USCGC JOSEPH DOYLE, the 33rd Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard took delivery on the 21st of March, 2019 in Key West, Florida. The 154-foot Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter has a flank speed over 28 knots, state of the art command, control, communications and computer technology, and a stern launch system for the vessel’s 26-foot cutter boat. The FRC has been described as an operational “game changer,” by senior Coast Guard officials.

How to make the Capital Construction Fund work for all vessel owners and operators.The Red and White Fleet is a passenger vessel operator on San Francisco bay with roots back to 1892. We make no secret of the fact that we want to build new vessels with zero environmental signatures, all in an effort to increase employment for shipyard workers, provide new jobs for US mariners, and provide a training ground to support the growth of the U.S. flag deep sea ships. That mission is, today, unnecessarily difficult. The reasons why are easy to see.Not too long ago, H.

The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard delivered his first State of the Coast Guard address Thursday at Coast Guard Base Los Angeles-Long Beach in San Pedro.Speaking from the largest port in the nation, Adm. Karl Schultz highlighted Coast Guard security and marine safety operations, which facilitate $4.6 trillion in annual economic activity.Schultz also recognized the service and sacrifice of Coast Guard men and women deployed around the world ensuring global peace and prosperity, including servicemembers supporting U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command.

HMS Tamar, the fourth of the Royal Navy’s five cutting-edge new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), has been formally named in Glasgow.HMS Tamar was the latest second-generation River-class ship to be officially launched, lowered into the water at BAE System’s Govan yard, then towed three kilometres downstream to the firm’s Scotstoun facility, where fitting out took place.The 90-metre vessel, which is equipped with a 30mm cannon and flight deck capable of accommodating a Merlin helicopter…

At least 79 people died when an overloaded ferry carrying families on an outing sank in the Tigris river in Mosul in northern Iraq, medical sources told Reuters on Thursday.Most of the casualties on the ferry were women and children who could not swim, said the head of Mosul's Civil Defence Authority Husam Khalil.He said the ferry had been loaded to several times its capacity. "It can normally carry 50 people. There were 250 on board before the incident," he said.Five ferry workers were arrested after late on Thursday, security sources said. Rescue workers were still looking for missing passengers.The boat was ferrying people to a man-made island used as a recreational area by families…

Last night’s arrival of United States Coast Guard Cutters Alder and Mackinaw signaled that the 2019 commercial shipping season is soon to commence for the Port of Duluth-Superior and the entire region.The Alder and Mackinaw made their way across Lake Superior from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, opening a 100-foot lane in the ice that will be widened soon by Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley in support of breakout efforts that will also include local tugs from the Great Lakes Towing Company and Heritage Marine.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is not taking appropriate steps to review and assess potential maritime terrorism risks facing U.S. sea ports, the Justice Department's internal watchdog has found.The audit, released on Thursday by Inspector General Michael Horowitz, found that while top FBI officials believe the country faces a low maritime terrorism threat, that view is actually based on "incomplete and potentially inaccurate information."Moreover, the audit found that the FBI had not conducted its own formal assessment of the matter.In a letter to Horowitz dated Aug.

At least 30 migrants are believed to be missing after their boat sank off the western Libyan city of Sabratha this week, a coastguard spokesman said on Thursday.According to a survivor the boat was carrying almost 50 migrants, coastguard spokesman Ayoub Qassem said. The body of one child was recovered and 16 migrants were rescued, he added.Previously, officials had said at least 10 migrants were thought to have died in the incident.Libya's western coast is a main departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe, though numbers have dropped since an Italian-led effort to disrupt smuggling networks and support Libya's coast guard.Reporting by Ahmed Elumami

Consistent Regulations Critical to Maritime Commerce, American Prosperity.“The ease of moving people and cargo on America’s waterways is a competitive advantage and wellspring for economic prosperity and national security,” states the U.S. Coast Guard’s Maritime Commerce Strategic Outlook, released last fall by ADM Karl Schultz, Commandant. The owners and mariners of the vessels that ply our nation’s waterways, transporting the commodities that power the American economy, are a vital component of that prosperity and security.

Poland’s LNG import terminal in Świnoujście will receive a EUR128mln grant from from the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund to expand its regasification capacity.The European Commission said in a notification that it has approved plans to support the increase of the regasification capacity, and the development of additional functionalities of the LNG terminal in Poland.The plans were approved under EU State aid rules and would see the terminal capacity increase…

An Italian charity ship was escorted into the port of Lampedusa by police on Tuesday after rescuing 49 Africans in the Mediterranean, with Interior Minister Matteo Salvini calling for the crew to be arrested.A judicial source said a magistrate had ordered that the boat, the Mare Jonio, be seized as an investigation is launched into allegations of aiding and abetting human trafficking.The vessel picked up the migrants, including 12 minors, on Monday after their rubber boat started to sink in the central Mediterranean…

Safety Zone; Missouri River, Mile Markers 450–625, St. Joseph, MO to Omaha, NE.The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on the navigable waters of the Missouri River from mile marker (MM) 450 to MM 625 between St. Joseph, MO and Omaha, NE. This action is necessary to provide for the safety of persons, vessels, and the marine environment on these navigable waters as a result of flooding on the river that has resulted in some reported levee failures and is threatening…

Firefighters on Wednesday extinguished a fire at a Mitsui & Co petrochemical storage site outside Houston that has been billowing acrid smoke for days, the company said.The blaze at Mitsui unit Intercontinental Terminals Co in Deer Park, Texas, was put out by 3 a.m., but fire crews continued to spray foam and water on the tanks to help keep them cool and prevent the fires from starting again, the company said in a statement.No serious injuries were reported, it said. Fire officials…

The United States Supreme Court held that, in the maritime tort context, a product manufacturer has a duty to warn when its product requires incorporation of a part that the manufacturer knows or has reason to know that the integrated product is likely to be dangerous for its intended uses and the manufacturer has no reason to believe that the product’s users will realize that danger. In the instant case, the manufacturers produced equipment for three Navy ships. The equipment required asbestos insulation or asbestos parts to function as intended…

The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics' Electric Boat subsidiary a $2B contract modification for long lead time material to support construction of Block V Virginia-class submarines. The award modifies a contract awarded in 2017 that provides funding for long lead time material for steam and electrical plant components, main propulsion unit and ship service turbine generator efforts and miscellaneous hull, mechanical and electrical system components. This modification brings…

Houston officials and environmental groups raced to expand air monitoring on Tuesday after a raging fire at a Mitsui & Co petrochemical storage site produced billowing acrid smoke that could be seen and smelled miles away.The blaze at Mitsui unit Intercontinental Terminals Co in Deer Park, Texas, burned for a third day after firefighting water pumps broke down for six hours on Monday evening, the company said.The fire began on Sunday when a leaking tank containing volatile naphtha ignited and flames quickly spread to nearby tanks…

As tensions mount globally, naval budgets are growing in tandem. While the U.S. Navy and its global footprint are well recorded and widely reported, other navies from smaller countries are less known, but nonetheless important to the fabric of global security operations, particularly working in tandem with allies. Navies operate on a spectrum between deterrence and defense, to include offensive operation, support of foreign policy, and power projection to civil affair and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

Mr. Cernak was AAPA’s immediate past Chairman and its 2019 Cruise Award recipient.Port Everglades Chief Executive and Director Steven M. Cernak passed away over the weekend, following a long, valiant battle with cancer. He was the immediate past Chairman of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) and immediate past Chairman of the Florida Ports Council.Upon learning of Mr. Cernak’s passing, AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle said: “Today we mourn the loss of one of the greatest champions of the port industry…

Hybrid is not only here, it is growing, and with that growth it will soon reach far beyond coastal applications.For those who were around for the arrival of Y2K, you will remember the anticipation, preparation and perspiration as the maritime world waited for the failure of communications, navigation, security and machinery associated with the digital change of the clock. The forecasts, now historical urban legend, left the world without a digital catastrophe.We wait now for 2020 and the advent of the IMO maritime emissions regulations.

United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Christopher A. Hutchinson, 30, of Cushing, Maine was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge D. Brock Hornby to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for Seaman’s Manslaughter for causing the death of two crewmen who were then 26 and 15 years old. Hutchinson pleaded guilty on September 25, 2018.According to court records, on November 1, 2014, after smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol, Hutchinson took his lobster boat, the No Limits, out into a predicted storm with two crewmen aboard. After he had ingested oxycodone, the boat capsized. The two crewmen were not wearing personal floatation devices or survival suits. The No Limits’ Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon alerted at about 1:20 p.m.

At least 10 migrants died when their boat sank off the Libyan coast near the western town of Sabratha on Tuesday, a Libyan security official said.About 17 others were rescued, Aiman Dabbashi, Sabratha's security operations spokesman, said.Libya's western coast is a main departure point for migrants fleeing poverty and wars to reach Europe, though numbers have dropped since Italy and the European Union stepped up efforts to support the Libyan coast guard."According to a survivor from Sudan, the boat was carrying about 27 illegal migrants who set off from (the western town of) Zuwarah but we are still finding out more," Dabbashi told Reuters."We rescued about 17 illegal migrants including a woman who all were taken to the hospital.

America's largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced the installation of the mast on the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, part of a $2.8 billion overhaul of the ship.The shipyard installed the final piece of the ship’s new main mast—the 34-foot upper mast section—that raises the ship’s distinctive profile 123 feet above the flight deck, said a press release from the Fortune 500 shipbuilding company.The  refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) is now 50 percent complete at ewport News Shipbuilding division…

A massive fire at a fuels storage company along the Houston Ship Channel may burn for two more days, an official said on Monday as the blaze spread a plume of black smoke across the city, shutting schools in two nearby communities.The fire began Sunday morning in a giant storage tank containing naphtha, a volatile substance used to create octane-boosting components of gasoline.No injuries were reported from the fire but nearby residents were encouraged to remain indoors. The entire city of Deer Park, Texas, a Houston suburb, was told to shelter in doors all day Sunday.

A fire broke out aboard the mine countermeasures ship USS Devastator (MCM 6) while the ship was pierside at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain at approximately 8 p.m. local, March 14, the U.S. Navy said. No personnel injuries were reported.The ship declared the fire out at approximately 9 p.m. local, and Sailors continued to cool hot spots to prevent a reflash.The extent of the damage is being assessed, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.Sailors aboard Devastator…

The Coast Guard issued a waterway closure to all vessel traffic on the Missouri River from mile marker 450 near St. Joseph, Missouri, to mile marker 550 approximately 50 miles south of Omaha, Nebraska, due to high water levels and dangerous currents, Friday.The Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers are requesting all operators create as minimal wake as possible between mile marker 375 near Kansas City, Missouri, to mile marker 450 near St. Joseph, Missouri, on the Missouri River to minimize levee damage.Restrictions to operations will be lifted as soon as conditions improve.“The safety of the maritime public is the Coast Guard’s top priority,” said Lt.

A second maritime firm has told Venezuela's state-run oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela it would end all charter contracts with the company as a result of U.S. sanctions, according to an internal document and a person familiar with the matter.U.S.-based McQuilling Partners Inc, which provided PDVSA with four contract tankers, joined German tanker operator Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) in withdrawing from providing oil-shipping services to Venezuela.The United States levied…

Captain Pat Folan outlines the way forward, especially for the smaller towboat firms. It’s not rocket science, but it does involve common sense. July 20, 2018 came and went, and we are all still here – mostly. The reality of Sub M has begun to sink in and for some it signals the end of a business and career. The AWO RCP members, oil movers and early adopters are going to make it. But for some of the ‘Mom & Pops,’ this is looking like a bridge too far.And some of this group are the ones that needed to be weeded out.

President Donald Trump included $138 million in his budget for the coming year to help deepen Charleston Harbor to 52 feet so it can handle larger container ships, said Charleston District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.The project, in the works since 2011, had never been included in a president’s budget until now. The U.S. Army Corps last year revised a formula that measures the project’s economic benefit, putting it above the threshold needed for consideration.The Charleston…

A section of the the lower Mississippi River has been closed to vessel traffic after a towing vessel sank near Baton Rouge, La., Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders in New Orleans received a report at 11 a.m. that the towing vessel Michelle Anne sank at Baton Rouge General Anchorage near mile marker 226 on the Mississippi River.The four crewmembers aboard the Michelle Ann escaped and were rescued by a nearby tug. There were no reported injuries.The waterway is closed from mile marker 224.5 to mile marker 226.A Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge incident management team deployed to the scene to look for signs of pollution.

ABS announced it was assigned Recognized Organization (RO) status by the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND). ABS is now authorized to survey non-combatant vessels and undertake certification activities in key hazard areas identified by the Naval Ship Code.“ABS was selected as the exclusive classification organization for all non-combatant vessels in service with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in 2017 before expanding our class and certification services to the entire Canadian Coast Guard fleet in 2018—and now we have been assigned RO status by the DND…

On Saturday,February 23, 2019, Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) hosted a keel laying ceremony, marking the start of construction on the first of three Multi-mission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPVs) for the South African Navy. These vessels will aid in protecting the country from threats such as trafficking, illegal fishing and piracy, as well as support job creation and enterprise development.The keel laying ceremony is a maritime tradition that dates back to the times of wooden…

GE Marine's LM2500 gas turbines now power two Littoral Combat Ships built by Austal USA that were recently commissioned by the United States Navy: USS Tulsa (LCS 16) and USS Charleston (LCS 18).The powerful LM2500 gas turbines are “Made in America” at GE’s Evendale, Ohio, manufacturing facility, just north of Cincinnati, Ohio.The commissioning for LCS 16 was held in San Francisco, California, on February 16; LCS 18 was commissioned March 2 in Charleston, South Carolina. According to a U.S.

The expedition crew aboard the late Paul G. Allen’s research vessel (R/V) Petrel discovered wreckage from USS Wasp (CV 7), which was sunk in 1942.Wasp, found Jan. 14, was sunk Sept. 15, 1942, by four Japanese torpedoes from the Japanese submarine I-19 while escorting transports carrying the Seventh Marine Regiment to Guadalcanal as reinforcements. Of the 2,162 on board, 176 were killed as a result of the attack. The sunken aircraft carrier was found in the Coral Sea, 4,200 meters (nearly 14,000 feet) below the surface.“Paul Allen’s passion for U.S. history lives on through these missions.

Even as the minimum Random Drug Testing Rate is raised to 50 PCT, the Coast Guard wants its mission to consist of 90% outreach and just 10% enforcement. Really.The domestic waterfront got some less-than-happy news when the U.S. Coast Guard announced that the calendar year 2019 minimum random drug testing rate had been set at 50 percent of covered crewmembers. It’s safe to say that nobody is happy about it, much less the Coast Guard itself.In truth, the Coast Guard had little to say about the matter.

On 14 March 1757, Admiral John Byng, Royal Navy, was executed by firing squad while he was kneeling on the forecastle of HMS Monarch in the Solent. Admiral Byng had been court-martialed for personal cowardice, disaffection, and for not having done his utmost to prevent Minorca from falling to the French following the Battle of Minorca on 20 May 1756. He was convicted only of “failing to do his utmost”. The British and French fleets were numerically equal (ten ships each), but the British had scrapped their group together hastily and its ships were in disrepair. The British fleet suffered significant, but not fatal, battle damage. When the French fleet departed at the end of the engagement, Admiral Byng did not order his fleet to follow.

French authorities battled on Thursday to contain an oil slick after the Italian Grande America ship capsized in the Atlantic this week.The Grimaldi Lines container ship capsized and sank on Tuesday, after catching fire while sailing from Hamburg to Casablanca. Britain's Royal Navy frigate Argyll rescued all 27 crew members from the water.The ship was carrying 2,200 tonnes of heavy fuel when it sank some 330 km (200 miles) off the coast from La Rochelle in western France. Footage…

Maritime contractor Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) is considering to stop managing Venezuelan state-oil company PDVSA's tankers by the end of this month or in April following U.S. sanctions against the country, BSM said on Thursday.It also said in a statement that recent political developments made managing assets for the Venezuelan government "an almost impossible task", and it was working on returning Venezuelan vessels to PDVSA's maritime arm PDV Marina and its subsidiaries.The German firm…

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) reacted to the Trump Administration’s release of an outline of its top-line FY20 budget numbers yesterday. Today, the Corps of Engineers released its account and project-specific funding levels. For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program, the FY20 budget proposes $4.827 billion, a 31% cut from the FY19 appropriated amount of $7.0 billion. Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) proposed funding in FY20 is $55.5 million, with a total of $111 million requested for the Lower Mon Project (Monongahela River, Pittsburgh), funding it to completion.

For Indiana’s state-established, but autonomous Ports of Indiana, 2018 was a record setting year, both for system-wide numbers and among the three individual Ports. These consist of Burns Harbor, on Lake Erie; Jeffersonville, on the Ohio, across from Louisville, KY; and Mount Vernon, also on the Ohio River, about 140 miles downriver from Jeffersonville.Not only were actual numbers robust, but Port officials reported “unprecedented tonnage increases” within the three-port system.

Gulf Island Shipyards was awarded a $63.5 million contract for the detail design and construction of the new Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship which will be based on existing commercial towing offshore vessel designs and will replace the current T-ATF 166 and T-ARS 50 class ships in service with the US Military Sealift Command.Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer has announced the new class of Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ship will be named Navajo.The new class of vessels will…

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) reacted to the Trump Administration’s release of an outline of its top-line FY20 budget numbers yesterday. Today, the Corps of Engineers released its account and project-specific funding levels.For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program, the FY20 budget proposes $4.827 billion, a 31% cut from the FY19 appropriated amount of $7.0 billion.Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) proposed funding in FY20 is $55.5 million, with a total of $111 million requested for the Lower Mon Project (Monongahela River, Pittsburgh), funding it to completion.

According to a blog by Rear Admiral Randy Crites posted on the Navy Live, the official blog site of the U.S. Navy, the Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 20 Budget request submitted to Congress is $205.6 billion, a 4.8% increase from the FY19 enacted budget. Specifics of the budget are focused on six specific dimensions:The FY20 budget requests funding for more ships – as the navy continues to progress toward a 355-ship fleet – submarines, aircraft and people, and highlights include…

On August 18, 1990, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) was enacted into law. Section 4202 of that Act amended the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA or Clean Water Act) to require tank vessels and marine transportation-related facilities to prepare and submit to the US Coast Guard plans for responding, to the maximum extent practicable, to a worse case discharge, and to a substantial threat of such a discharge, of oil or a hazardous substance carried in bulk as cargo.

Phillystran has been awarded a five year contract to supply mooring lines to the US Navy. The new contract follows the successful completion of a five year contract in which Phillystran supplied over 1 million feet of Aramid mooring lines to US Navy ships.Part of the WireCo WorldGroup, Phillystran has worked with the US Navy and US Coastguard for over 40 years, developing and supplying ropes that set the benchmark for fiber rope performance and innovation. Phillystran ropes are NAVSEA approved for lifelines…

Indonesia has approved the development plan for the Mako gas field, Empyrean Energy PLC and Coro Energy PLC said.Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) has approved the plan of development (POD) for the Mako gas field at the Duyung production sharing contract (PSC), offshore Indonesia, said a joint statement.Mako is located on the Duyung production sharing contract, which covers 890 square kilometres offshore the Riau Islands province.Tom Kelly, CEO of Empyrean…

STADT has signed up for designing a new generation of naval ships utilizing the Stealth AC drive technology for electric propulsion to one of the NATO allied countries. Particular details about the projects is not supposed to be revealed at the moment. Unique features of this technology is its reliability and long lifetime, its noise free characteristics, compact footprint and low weight, and many other operational advantages.The STADT Lean Propulsion solution can be used in any size of ships due to its scalability.STADT delivered its Stealth Lean Drive technology to SAAB AB a year ago…

The U.S. Coast Guard and good Samaritans assisted the crew of the 63-foot catamaran Kaulana after it reportedly struck a rock off Manele Bay, Hawaii, Saturday morning.A Station Maui 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew arrived on scene and assisted with damage control. The crew of the vessel Maui Princess transferred the 15 passengers from the Kaulana and towed the stricken vessel to Lahaina. The RB-M crew remained with both vessels until they enter the harbor channel. There are no reports of injuries.“We are thankful for the quick response from the crews of the Maui Princess and Quicksilver…

Emergency overflow parking spaces for up to 700 trucks have been created near Rotterdam port, Europe's largest, in anticipation of backups caused by Britain's departure from the European Union.Authorities in the Netherlands said on Monday they expect around 400 trucks per day destined for Britain will arrive at the harbour without proper customs paperwork after the March 29 Brexit day.Five overflow areas have been designated where trucks can park and drivers can file the proper…

New Research Doubles Service Life Estimate of Marine Workboat Engines, Reveals Big Opportunities for Diesel Emissions Reductions. New Research also Underscores Cost-Effective Opportunity to Upgrade to New Diesel Engines and Reduce Emissions for Vulnerable Communities. Commercial workboat engines, which are essential for maritime commerce, are staying in service more than two times longer than predicted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to new research from the Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Open America’s Water Act of 2019 last week, according to a press release from the senator, a bill which would repeal the Jones Act and allow all qualified vessels to engage in domestic trade between U.S. ports.“Restricting trade between U.S. ports is a huge loss for American consumers and producers," said the Senator in the press release. "It is long past time to repeal the Jones Act entirely so that Alaskans, Hawaiians, and Puerto Ricans aren’t forced to pay higher prices for imported goods—and so they rapidly receive the help they need in the wake of natural disasters.”In 1920, Congress passed the Merchant Marine Act (the Jones Act), which requires all goods transported by water between U.S.

Piracy and Sea Robbery Situation in Asia in February 2019A total of three incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported in Asia in February 2019There was no report of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern SabahThere was no report of hijacking of ships for theft of oil cargoHowever, the abduction of crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah remains a serious concernOf the three incidents reported in February 2019, one incident occurred on board ship anchored at Caofeidian anchorage in China, one incident on board ship anchored at

The U.S. Department of Transportation's  Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced the availability of $19.6 million in federal funding to support capital improvements and employee training at small U.S. shipyards.The grants are provided through the Small Shipyard Grant Program, and are available to U.S. shipyards with less than 1,200 production employees.The grants support a variety of projects. This includes capital and related improvements as well as equipment upgrades that foster ship construction, repair and reconfiguration.

US LNG export project developer NextDecade Corporation signed a lease agreement with the Brownsville Navigation District (BND) for its Rio Grande LNG project.The proposed $15 billion Rio Grande LNG export terminal and pipeline at the Port of Brownsville, Texas, was considered and approved during a meeting of the BND Board of Commissioners.The lease agreement, which covers an approximately 984-acre parcel of land in Cameron County, Texas, carries an initial term of thirty years, with two options to renew and extend the term of the lease for periods of ten years each.

Royal Australian Navy reports that its frigate HMAS Ballarat seized two tonnes of hashish worth approximately $71 million in street value during a boarding operation on 28 February 2019.The boarding was conducted in international waters by the Combined Task Force 150 under the direction of the Combined Maritime Forces as part of Operation Manitou.Following the suspicious behavior of a local fishing vessel (dhow), the boarding team searched and discovered 100 hessian bags of hashish on board…

CLEVELAND — The U.S. Coast Guard and local agencies rescued 46 ice fishermen from an ice floe that broke free near Catawaba Island, Saturday.An additional estimated 100 people were able to self-rescue themselves from the ice floe either by swimming or walking on ice-bridges that were still connected to the floe initially.At 8:13 a.m., Coast Guard Station Marblehead received notification from an Ohio Department of Natural Resources representative that there were approximately 100 people stranded on an ice floe and that there were an additional 30 to 40 people in the water.

The Union government of India (GoI) has concluded the strategic sale of Dredging Corporation of India (DCIL) to a consortium of four ports Vishakapatnam Port Trust, Paradeep Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust & Deendayal Port Trust.The share purchase agreement was executed between GOI and the four ports on March 08. The government held 73.47 per cent equity stake in the company.Of 73.47 per cent, the Vishakapatnam Port Trust bought 19.47 per cent, Paradeep Port Trust 18 per cent…

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Group and Korea Development Bank (KDB) signed on Friday a definitive agreement to acquire Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), in the presence of Kwon Oh-gap, Vice Chairman & CEO of HHI Holdings; Ka Sam-hyun, President & CEO of HHI; and Lee Dong-gull, Chairman & CEO of KDB.Under this definitive agreement that builds on the heads of agreement signed between HHI and KDB on January 31, 2019, KDB will make a contribution-in-kind to Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE…

The Round Table of international shipping associations plus the OCIMF representing the global shipping and oil industry have announced the geographic boundaries of the ‘High Risk Area’ for piracy in the Indian Ocean have been reduced, with new advice issued to merchant ship operators.The High Risk Area reflects the area where the threat from piracy exists, whilst recognizing the ongoing containment of pirate attacks in the Indian Ocean. The industry group of shipping and oil industry organisations BIMCO…

Iranian naval forces intervened to repel pirates who attacked an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, state television reported on Friday.The broadcast said pirates in 11 speedboats attacked a tanker with a cargo of 150,000 tonnes on Thursday. It showed naval forces opening fire on speedboats, without saying whether the footage was from the latest incident.Iran’s navy has extended its reach in recent years, dispatching vessels to the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden to protect Iranian ships from Somali pirates. (Reuters, Reporting by Dubai newsroom Editing by David Goodman)

The Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) has won an order for providing classification services for a series of 8 Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes to be constructed for the Indian Navy. The order was awarded under competitive bidding in which other classification societies participated, after qualifying stringent technical requirements.The ships are to be constructed at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd, Kolkata and will be built to IRClass’ Naval Rules 2015.These ships are designed for combating threats posed by submarines and special underwater craft…

Five crewmembers have been rescued from a towing vessel that sank in the Mississippi River near Laplace, La., Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.At approximately 3 p.m Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report that the St. Rita, owned and operated by Marquette Transportation Company, sank on the right descending bank on the Mississippi River.The five crewmembers that were on board the vessel were rescued by nearby towing vessel, Rod C, and then transported to shore. No injuries were reported. There are no reported impacts to vessel traffic and the river remains open, the Coast Guard said.According to the Coast Guard, the St.

Marad announces Small Shipyard Grant Application deadlines, conditions and rules.Under the Small Shipyard Grant Program, $19,600,000 is currently available for grants for capital and related improvements to qualified shipyard facilities that will be effective in fostering efficiency, competitive operations, and quality ship construction, repair, and reconfiguration. This notice announces the intention of the Maritime Administration to provide grants to small shipyards. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 20.814.Potential applicants are advised that it is expected…

Iranian naval forces intervened to repel pirates who attacked an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, state television reported on Friday.The broadcast said pirates in 11 speedboats attacked a tanker with a cargo of 150,000 metric tons on Thursday. It showed naval forces opening fire on speedboats, without saying whether the footage was from the latest incident.Iran’s navy has extended its reach in recent years, dispatching vessels to the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden to protect Iranian ships from Somali pirates.(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by David Goodman)

Bipartisan Congressional Leaders Highlight Importance of Jones Act, Employing 650,000 Americans incl. Veterans, for National & Economic Security. Following the signing of an Executive Order by President Donald J. Trump to create an easier pathway for veterans to transition into maritime careers in the U.S. Merchant Marine, congressional and maritime leaders convened for two hearings exploring the state of the domestic maritime industry and the role of the Jones Act. These hearings…

Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA said on Thursday it has not halted business with maritime firm Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), even after the German firm said it would remove the crews that have been operating 10 of 15 PDVSA vessels over unpaid fees and return the tankers.On Tuesday, PDVSA's maritime arm PDV Marina declared an emergency due to lack of staff to immediately receive the 10 vessels BSM proposed to return to Venezuelan ports due to unpaid bills of at…

A joint effort between the Royal Australian Navy and the Sri Lankan Navy will set out to solve one of the remaining maritime mysteries of World War II, after new information has come to light regarding the whereabouts of a sunken warship.Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire sank on April 9, 1942 as the result of an intensive Japanese air attack off the Sri Lankan coast. The destroyer was broken in half by several bombs and went down in less than 10 minutes, killing nine sailors while hundreds more were rescued by the hospital ship Vita and local fishing vessels.

The global port operator are in discussions with Kazakhstan government to invest in new infrastructure in the country’s ports and logistics sectors.The potential of DP World investing in new infrastructure in Kazakhstan’s ports and logistics sectors was the focus of discussions between global trade enabler DP World’s Chairman and CEO Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem and Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister H.E. Askar Mamin in Astana today.This follows the signing of two framework agreements with…

Today, the American Waterways Operators testified before two congressional committees on the state of the American maritime industry.Tom Allegretti, President & CEO, testified before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee while across the Capitol, Jennifer Carpenter, Executive Vice President & COO, appeared before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. In written testimonies submitted to the Committee and Subcommittee, both Mr. Allegretti and Mrs.

Salvors used a unique lift method that combined two heavy lift vessels and four cranes to raise a Norwegian frigate that had become partially submerged following a collision with an oil tanker off the coast of Norway in November.On November 8, 2018, Norwegian heavy frigate KNM Helge Ingstad collided with the tanker Sola TS near Bergen, and sank on the inclined slope of a fjord. The accident injured eight people and caused the temporary closure of the Sture Oil Terminal near Bergen and the nearby Kollsness gas-and-condensate terminal…

Israel's navy could take action against Iranian oil smuggling, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, urging world powers to foil any effort by Tehran to evade U.S. sanctions.The Israeli leader told naval officers that Iran was still resorting to clandestine measures to ship fuel that it first used prior to a 2015 nuclear deal easing Western sanctions on its oil sector.U.S. President Donald Trump last year quit the nuclear deal and reimposed some sanctions, aiming to cut Iran's oil exports to zero."Iran is trying to circumvent the sanctions through covert oil smuggling over maritime routes, and to the extent that these attempts widen…

Rolls-Royce has secured a contract with Italian shipbuilder Cantiere Navale Vittoria for the supply of a marine propulsion package to a new Offshore Patrol Vessel under construction for the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM).The 1800ton displacement, 74.8 meter, twin-screw vessel will feature a Rolls-Royce scope of supply that includes a pair of PROMAS controllable pitch propellers and rudders, SC722 FCP steering gear, a TT1300 bow thruster, a TT100 stern thruster, Fin Stabilizers, and…

Maritime NZ detained the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Daiwan Justice on Saturday, March 2, 2019, at Lyttelton after a complaint the crews’ wages had not been paid for almost four months.Maritime NZ Southern Regional Compliance Manager Michael Vredenburg said, the detention was lifted later on Saturday after the ship’s operator, Taiwanese company, Wisdom Marine International Limited, paid the crew.Last year Daiwan Fortune, another Wisdom Marine International ship, was also detained.

Nova Scotia-based Bluedrop Performance Learning  through its subsidiary Bluedrop Training & Simulation Inc has been awarded a contract to provide advanced training systems for the Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels.Seaspan Shipyards has awarded Bluedrop contract for work on the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) new Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels (OFSV), said a press release.Bluedrop represents one of several Atlantic Canadian suppliers to date that Seaspan is working with to meet its commitments under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).Bluedrop designs and develops highly specialized…

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) hosted commencement exercises on Saturday, March 2, 2019, for 157 graduates of The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding. The apprenticeship is a rigorous four- to eight-year program designed to develop the next generation of shipyard leaders. The Apprentice School, which first opened in 1919 with 126 apprentices, is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. Over the last 100 years, the school has produced more than 10,800 graduates.“To casually say that you build ships falls woefully short of how you serve the United States of America…

Semco Maritime participates in the salvage operation in raising the frigate KNM Helge IngstadIn cooperation with the salvage company BOA and the Norwegian Navy and Material Command, Semco Maritime participates in the current salvage operations of the frigate KNM Helge Ingstad.The frigate has partly been raised and the job is now to prepare and complete the next phase, which involves lifting and securing the frigate onto a special barge for her transport to Haakonsvern naval base.The frigate has arrived at Semco Maritime's yard facilities at Hanøytangen…

It seems the U.S. cannot do enough to fast-track the construction of its new icebreaking fleet, as the USCG announce last night that the 150-member crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star fought a fire at approximately 9 p.m. PST Feb. 10 that broke out in the ship's incinerator room about 650 miles north of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.After initial response efforts using four fire extinguishers failed, fire crews spent almost two hours extinguishing the fire. Fire damage was contained inside the incinerator housing…

The merger of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri with STX France will go ahead as planned, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday, speaking after a period of tension between the Italian and French governments."The STX-Fincantieri deal will happen because we want it, because it is our ambition and because it is in our interest to create a shipyard giant, notably in Asia," Le Maire said, speaking at a Franco-Italian business summit in Versailles also attended by his Italian counterpart, Giovanni Tria."I believe in this merger, I believe in a tie-up between France and Italy in naval matters

Over 202 billion rubles ($3.09 billion) will be allocated for the construction of the Zvezda shipbuilding complex in Russia's Far Eastern Primorsky Region, of which 66 billion rubles have already been given.According to Sputnik, the Zvezda shipyard, once completed, will comprise production facilities and workshops for that will be used to build marine equipment, including gas carriers, tankers and nuclear icebreakers.The report quoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov…

ABS has updated its Guide for Building and Classing International Naval Ships (INS Guide), expanding its guidance to strengthen safety and protection against a range of threats.“ABS is a world leader in naval classification and our 2019 INS Guide takes this to the next level,” said ABS Senior Vice President for Global Government, James Watson. “Naval vessels face an increasingly sophisticated range of threats and the ABS guidance is evolving to keep pace with the challenges they face…

At the end of December, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) announced its selection of ten dredging projects that will form the core of a pilot program to advance the beneficial use of dredged material.The recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ announcement culminated a program required by Congress, established within the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2016, specifically Section 1122. Congress directed that the ten pilot projects selected were required to present environmental…

Turkey's military launched the largest naval exercise in its history on Thursday, February 28, carrying out drills with frigates, corvettes and submarines in the Black Sea, Aegean and eastern Mediterranean.The nine-day exercise is aimed at testing the readiness of command bases and operation centers throughout Turkey's territorial waters, the defense ministry said.On board the frigate TCG Barbaros, gunners fired live ammunition at mock targets floating on the waves. Nearby, helicopters lowered soldiers onto a ship's deck…

The 570-foot Singapore-flagged chemical & oil tanker Bow Mariner sank 15 years ago when the ship caught fire and sustained two explosions, resulting in the deaths of 21 out of 27 crew members, 45-miles off the coast of Virginia, Feb. 28, 2004.The vessel was transporting over three million gallons of ethyl alcohol on a voyage from New York to Texas. It had previously carried methyl tert-butyl ether, MTBE, in its other 22 cargo tanks that were discharged in New York.The cause of…

The Inland Waterways View.At the start of any new year, we are often asked what our challenges will be or what we are going to do differently in the year ahead. However, in 2019, just like each year since Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) was founded in 2003, we intend to stay the course to advocate for full and efficient funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue its Civil Works mission to construct and maintain navigation projects on the inland waterways.The Corps’…

The importance of maintaining chemical toilets onboard ship has been raised following an incident in February onboard a Sydney Harbor-operating passenger ferry in which a high level of toxic gas was detected in a toilet cubicle after a passenger was fatally injured.A 39-year-old passenger was found unconscious in a toilet cubicle aboard the Lady Rose and could not be revived by paramedics. While the reasons behind her death are unconfirmed, during the initial investigation HAZMAT…

Two crane ships early on Tuesday began raising a submerged Norwegian navy frigate which collided with an oil tanker in November and has remained stranded off Norway's west coast since, the armed forces said.The accident injured eight people and caused the temporary closure of a North Sea crude export terminal, Norway's top gas processing plant and several offshore fields.Raising the Helge Ingstad, one of Norway's five frigates, is expected to take five to six days and will require calm weather."The work must be synchronised, so the cranes must be completely stable, next to each other," Norway'

A.P. Moller Maersk said on Tuesday a U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) investigation into the practices of container shipping companies had closed and the group was released from any obligations.In 2017, the DoJ ordered top executives from several container shipping lines including Maersk to testify in an antitrust investigation over practices by an industry that is the backbone of world trade."We are pleased to confirm that the United States Department of Justice has closed its…

New solution incorporates National Institute of Standards and Technology Cyber Security Framework (NIST CSF). ABS Advanced Solutions announced a first-of-its-kind cyber security solution to aid regulated maritime facilities in complying with US Coast Guard (USCG) guidance. The suite of services provides a turnkey solution for port and terminal facility operators responsible for maintaining USCG regulated Facility Security Plans (FSPs).In 2017, the USCG announced the intent that regulated maritime facilities in the United States address cyber security in their FSPs.

U.S. President Donald Trump has warned OPEC not to tighten the oil market too much and risk another spike in prices that could harm the global economy – and his re-election campaign in 2020.“Oil prices getting too high,” the president warned in a message posted on Twitter on Monday. “OPEC please relax and take it easy. World cannot take a price hike – fragile!”The president has kept up a regular commentary on oil prices over the last year and has pressed Saudi Arabia, de facto leader of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries…