Oil Systems News

Fuel-agnostic and suitable for newbuilds and retrofit, Organic Rankine Cycle waste heat recovery systems are making headway as an energy-efficiency measure.Market prospects are looking so good for waste heat recovery systems that Orcan Energy recently expanded its industry relationships by partnering with Goltens on installations.Andreas Sichert, CEO of Orcan Energy, said: “Waste heat recovery is one of the most powerful and underutilized tools for improving energy efficiency.

Federal regulators on Wednesday gave Cheniere Energy  permission to introduce natural gas into its Corpus Christi expansion project, a document showed.The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said Cheniere could introduce natural gas to its fuel gas and hot oil systems. The decision follows an October 17 order allowing Cheniere to take liquefied gas from the Stage 3 plant to its refrigerated liquid storage facilities.The decision moves Cheniere Energy one step closer to producing first LNG from its Stage 3 LNG plant.Cheniere is the largest U.S. LNG exporter and the world's second largest producer of the superchilled gas. The company has played a key role in helping the U.S.

A loss of propulsion due to a false alarm led to cargo vessels colliding near Port Arthur, Texas last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.While transiting the Sabine Pass on August 21, 2022, the general cargo ship Damgracht lost propulsion when the vessel’s main engine shut down due to “high oil mist density” sensed by its oil mist detector (OMD). Due to the abrupt loss of propulsion, the Damgracht began veering into the path of the bulk carrier AP Revelin.

MAN Energy Solutions launched a monitoring device for industrial lube oil.The MAN Fluid Monitor for lube oil is a light and robust system developed to meet the needs of the owners of industrial installations where lube-oil quality is a critical setting. It is said to enable owners to actively monitor – on an ongoing basis – the degradation and contamination of lube oil and protect their industrial assets. The fluid monitor immediately detects even the tiniest anomalies in the lube-oil systems of four stroke engines…

Marine News showcases the best of North America’s 2017 workboat deliveries. There is something for everyone. Notwithstanding the lingering offshore energy downturn, there were plenty of bright spots for North American shipyards in 2017. If a hull was delivered in 2017, we took a look at it, with several areas as a focus for inclusion into this edition. For starters, it is always exciting when a domestic yard delivers a vessel – or multiple vessels, for that matter – to foreign buyers. We can compete in a foreign arena; on price, quality and on-time delivery. This year was no different. No less important is the environmental footprint of a vessel, and there was plenty to report on from that angle in the past 12 months. The domestic waterfront is indeed getting greener and cleaner.

A new worldwide distributor deal signed between Yorkshire-based maritime diesel engine specialist Maktec Marine and Midlands headquartered lubricant giant Exol aims to catapult the U.K. lubricants manufacturer into the maritime industry. “Exol is a sleeping giant in the maritime sector,” said Mark Cornforth, owner of Maktec, a brand with 20 years of maritime industry experience. “Exol is flourishing in the industrial, automotive, agriculture and transport sectors but wants to ramp up activity in the shipping industry, which is Maktec’s specialist area.

Nicole Foss, the final of Foss’ three new state-of-the-art Arctic Class tugs designed to operate in the extreme conditions of the far north, was christened last week at the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma, Wash. The vessel was built at the Foss Rainier, Ore. shipyard and will enter service this summer. Foss president and CEO John Parrott made opening remarks, praising the hard work and dedication of the people, designers, and customers that made the project possible. Scott Merritt, chief operating officer of Foss also spoke, praising the team at the Rainier Shipyard.

As the oil industry awaits a much-needed rebound, Foss Maritime’s robust presence in the Arctic region underscores its commitment to the region, the environment, and a business plan that looks ahead to the next chapter. Reports of the death of commercial Arctic activities have been greatly exaggerated. While Arctic energy projects have, by and large, been put on the back burner – like most things related to energy in other places – there are still many projects ongoing; and still others being planned.

Victaulic is the originator and has been the world’s leading producer of mechanical pipe-joining solutions since 1919. In the maritime industry, Victaulic grooved piping products are used on a wide range of vessels, including tugs and workboats. Victaulic systems offer a number of advantages for newbuilds, retrofit and repair services, as they reduce system downtime and time out of service. Victaulic’s line of grooved mechanical couplings and grooved-end valves, fittings and accessories are Type Approved by IACS members.

The hallmarks of a successful vessel operator are the same whether they are carrying liquid, physical or human cargo: A laser focus on safety, a twin commitment to customers and crew, and the vision to embrace and invest in the future. However obvious the bar, it is not easy to meet. “I don’t think there is any magic formula,” says Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum services, Crowley Marine Solutions. “The difference is that everything we work on regards providing a high quality of service to customers, pays off. In a rising market, it’s easy to do well.

The second of three new state-of-the-art Arctic Class tugs, the Denise Foss, was christened June 1, 2016 at the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma, Wash. Built at the Foss Rainier, Ore. Shipyard, the Denise is designed to operate in the extreme conditions of the far north, and will enter service this summer. Foss COO John Parrott conducted opening remarks. Parrott applauded the hard work and dedication of the people, designers, and customers that made this project possible. He also introduced Denise Tabbutt…

Processing of steel for Hull 483 started on sheet-cutting machine in Shipbuilding Industry Split on 22 September 2015. It is the largest square-rigged ship contracted for a Monaco buyer, the company Star Clippers Ltd. It will be 162 meters long and 18.5 meters wide, with deadweight of 2000 tons, five masts and sails with overall surface of 6.347 square meters. The type of Clipper sailing boat with such sail-plan is called barque. Marine platform that will be at the the stern will be equipped with the mechanism for opening and lowering until the sea level so that the passengers will have the direct sea access. The ship will have steel construction while the deck will be fully covered by the highest quality teak.

Viega LLC, a provider of pipe-joining solutions, announced the availability of the Viega SeaPress system for a variety of marine pipe-joining applications from potable water, to fuel, to fire sprinkler. The Viega SeaPress system is a 90/10 copper-nickel alloy suited for seawater systems, and according to the manufacturer is the only copper-nickel press fitting with a double-press connection. Viega SeaPress is available with adapters to transition to imperial and metric sizes.

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) ANNEX VI Regulation 14 requires ships with Marine Compression-Ignition Engines at or Above 30 Liters per Cylinder use fuel with sulfur content less than 0.1%, after 01 January 2015 within the Baltic Sea area – as defined in Annex I of MARPOL, North Sea area – as defined in Annex V of MARPOL; within 200 miles of the North American area and when operating in the United States Caribbean Sea area – as defined in Appendix VII of Annex VI of MARPOL.

The first of three Arctic Class tugs being built at the Foss Rainier, Ore. Shipyard was christened Thursday, April 9, at the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma, Wash. The vessel, the Michele Foss, will see its first assignment on an oil field sealift this summer from South Korea to the Alaskan Arctic. Mike Magill, Vice President of Foss' Technical Services, made opening remarks at the christening, praising the hardworking men and women who constructed the vessel. "As we know, a construction project of this magnitude requires significant teamwork to accomplish," Magill said.

The inaugural Danish Maritime Days was held with the goal of providing an open platform for a diverse range of industry stakeholders to collaboratively address some of the largest issues facing the maritime sector; but the event also showcased a resurging maritime nation asserting itself on the international radar. From October 6-10, 2014, maritime stakeholders from across the globe convened in Denmark for the inaugural Danish Maritime Days (DMD), held via a public-private partnership between Danish Maritime, the Danish Maritime Authority and the Danish Shipowner’s Association.

PYPLOK Receives United States Coast Guard Acceptance Letter Extending Product Use in New Vessel Applications. W&O, a global supplier to the marine and marine offshore markets for pipe, valves and fittings, valve automation, and engineered solutions, is excited to announce the United States Coast Guard (USCG) has issued an acceptance letter for PYPLOK® mechanical fittings, a Tube-Mac® Piping Technologies Ltd., product line, approving its use in a wide range of applications onboard vessels.

From January 1, 2015, the maximum sulphur content of fuel oil used within the MARPOL Annex VI Emission Control Areas (ECAs) will be 0.10%, unless using an approved alternative means for controlling sulphur emissions. In most cases, the fuel used will be low-sulphur distillate oil (LSDO). Many ships operating both inside and outside ECAs will changeover between LSDO and residual fuel oil (RFO) when entering and exiting ECAs. The Lloyd’s Register (LR) Rule requirements for fuel oil systems are contained within Pt.5 Ch.14 sections 2, 3 and 4; these contain design requirements for systems which are to operate on either LDSO or RFO grades, or both. LR also offers the optional descriptive note, DIST, for shipowners and operators applying industry best practice to the use of LSDO.

The demand for effective solutions to monitor hydraulic and lubricant systems is constantly increasing. Oil condition – or the result of the natural aging of the substance, decomposition of additives and contamination by foreign particles – is therefore the significant factor in determining the optimal point in time for an oil change. Changing the fluid too early generates unnecessary costs; changing it too late increases wear within the system and can lead to component failures and therefore even higher costs.

Kongsberg Maritime has introduced two new Diesel Electric models for its Engine Room Simulator, K-Sim Engine (previously Neptune). The DE88 Semi-Submersible Drilling Rig model, containing eight Wärtsilä 16V26 engines and eight thrusters, is already available, while the DE66 Drill Ship model, simulating full operation of six MAN 16V32/40 diesel generators powering six thrusters, will be released in Q1 2014. Both new models are designed to support critical learning objectives for offshore engineering crew including complete system understanding under normal operation…

Responding to new oil and gas industry opportunities, Foss Maritime Company is building the first three tugs in an innovative Arctic Class of tugs, a fleet expansion that broadens its capacity to take on large projects in extreme environments. Construction on the first tug starts in early 2013 at the Foss’ Rainier, Oregon shipyard, which will be expanded by an additional 10,000 square feet, and will require additional staff, in part to accommodate this project. The delivery date for the first hull is December of 2014, with the second to follow in December of 2015, and the third, a year later in December of 2016. Glosten Associates is Foss’ naval architecture partner on the project.

Marine survey reports frequently contain engineering terminology, which can often be unfamiliar to the non engineers in the wider spectrum of the shipping industry. In an attempt to bridge this gap, Braemar (Incorporating the Salvage Association) has released the second edition of its Guide to Hull & Machinery, a key reference book covering some of the common terminology used for ships, their engines, and ship’s related operation, which is often encountered in survey reports.

Tug and barge operator to build three new Arctic Class deep-sea tugs at Northwest shipyard. Responding to new oil and gas industry opportunities, Foss Maritime Company will build the first three tugs in an innovative Arctic Class of tugs, a fleet expansion that broadens its capacity to take on large projects in extreme environments. Construction on the first tug starts in early 2013 at Foss' Rainier, Ore., shipyard, work which will bring additional jobs to the growing Columbia River facility. "At Foss we innovate," said Gary Faber, Foss' President and Chief Operating Officer.