Rice University News

Venezuela's oil exports last year declined due to infrastructure outages, U.S. sanctions and rising competition in its key Asia market despite assistance from ally Iran, according to shipping data and documents.Exports this year are expected to get a lift after the United States relaxed oil sanctions by authorizing some partners of state-run firm Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) to resume taking Venezuelan crude.Iran expanded its role in Venezuela last year, sending supplies to boost exports and technicians to repair a refinery.

U.S. oil company Chevron Corp is sending two oil tankers to Venezuela, one of which will load the first cargo of crude destined for the United States in nearly four years, according to a person familiar with the matter and shipping data.On Friday, a Chevron-chartered vessel approached the South American country's waters to pick up a cargo of Venezuelan crude. A second tanker carrying a cargo of diluents to a Chevron oil joint venture is due to arrive in Venezuela early next month, the person said.The U.S. last month issued a six-month license to Chevron authorizing it to take an expanded role at four Venezuelan oil joint ventures that produce, process and export oil, and to bring their oil to the United States.The U.S. license will reopen oil flows that were shut by U.S.

Chevron Corp on Saturday received a U.S. license allowing the second-largest U.S. oil company to expand its production in Venezuela and bring the South American country's crude oil to the United States.The decision grants broader rights for the last big U.S. oil company still operating in U.S.-sanctioned Venezuela. However, it restricts any cash payments to Venezuela, which could reduce the oil available to export.License terms are designed to prevent state-run oil firm Petróleos de Venezuela, known as PDVSA PDVSA.UL, from receiving proceeds from Chevron's petroleum sales, U.S. officials said.

Classification society ABS announced it has appointed veteran offshore industry leader Miguel Hernandez to head its offshore division. The former MODEC general manager of sales and marketing is now ABS Senior Vice President of Offshore Business Development, leading global offshore including the FPSO, FPU and floating offshore wind sectors.“As the world’s leading offshore class, we are always looking to innovate and develop our services for clients. This is why we have appointed Miguel…

Hornblower Group announced Monday that Adam C. Peakes has joined the company as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Peakes will report to Kevin Rabbitt, chief executive officer, Hornblower Group.As Hornblower Group’s CFO, Peakes will oversee the company’s global shared services functions of finance and accounting, human resources, information technology and marine operations.“I am excited to welcome Adam to the Hornblower family and work with him as a trusted partner,” said Kevin Rabbitt, chief executive officer, Hornblower Group.

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm The Shearer Group, Inc. (TSGI) announced it has promoted two members of its team.The Houston-headquartered designer of inland towboats, ferries, workboats, marine construction equipment and barges said on Friday it has promoted Joshua S. Sebastian, P.E. to the position of vice president – operations and Harrison C. Brann, P.E. to engineering manager.Sebastian, a 13-year veteran of the firm, has served as TSGI's engineering manager for eight years.

Victaulic appointed Rick Bucher as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding John F. Malloy, effective January 31, 2021. Dr. Bucher was named President of Victaulic in April of 2020, following a June 2019 appointment as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to joining Victaulic in 2009 as Vice President of Engineering, Dr. Bucher worked for 15 years for W.L. Gore, a manufacturer of technologically advanced composite materials. Dr. Bucher received a B.S. and M.S. in engineering from Rice University and a Ph.D. in material science from Virginia Tech.Dr.

Mechanical pipe-joining systems manufacturer Victaulic announced Rick Bucher has been appointed to the position of President and COO, effective immediately. Bucher will continue reporting to John F. Malloy who has served as Chairman, President & CEO for the past 16 years. Malloy will remain Chairman and CEO.Bucher began his career with Victaulic in 2009 as Vice President, Product Development, and rose to the position of Executive Vice President, Technology & Product Development. In June 2019, he was named COO.

New marine fuel rules to boost diesel prices for at least a year -analystsGlobal prices for diesel and marine fuels should rise by October ahead of a January switchover to new, very low-sulfur marine fuels, and remain higher for at least a year as refiners shift production to make more of the new fuels, analysts said.Marine fuels containing no more than 0.5% sulfur by weight, down from the 3.5% currently used, to power ocean-going vessels will be required for ships without exhaust scrubbers on Jan.

Harvey Gulf International Marine’s parent, HGIM Corp., has announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors to serve following the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 proceedings.The seven member Board includes two current members remaining on the Board and five new members, each with expertise in individual areas particularly suited to support the company’s operation and development and collectively, creating a leadership platform that will enable Harvey Gulf to adjust and thrive in an ever-changing market. Shane Guidry. Mr. Guidry remains the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer for HGIM Corp. Mr. Guidry is the third generation in his family to lead Harvey Gulf. Mr.

Len Badal has joined the senior executive team of BioBlend Renewable Resources, LLC, as the company grows its management team to help meet growing demand for environmentally friendly lubricants. Badal is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and holds an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Rice University in Houston. Throughout his career Badal has held a number of high-level positions with both Chevron and ExxonMobil and delivers a diverse range of experience that will aid BioBlend’s future growth, the company said.

Grant Johnson has joined Foss Maritime as Vice President of Health, Safety, Quality and Environment (HSQE), responsible for overseeing, growing and strengthening HSQE performance. Johnson arrives at Foss from TechnipFMC, an international energy services provider, where he served in various capacities including Director of Worldwide Fleet Management, Asset Technical Director, and most recently as manager of TechnipFMC's contract with Marine Well Containment Company. Before joining TechnipFMC, Johnson held various positions with BP's Alaskan, Shipping and U.S.

Today Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc. (MHIA), a Group company overseeing the business of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) in North America, commenced full-scale operations at its newly relocated Head Office in Houston, Texas, following a move from its previous base in New York. MHIA held a reception at Rice University today to mark the occasion in the presence of guests including The Honorable Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas. Present at the reception, MHI President & CEO Shunichi Miyanaga offered the following remarks: "I am delighted that we have been able to set up a new base in Houston to better serve our customers and oversee our Group operations in North America.

The 2016 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) will honor this year’s Distinguished Achievement Award recipients on Tuesday, 3 May, in Houston. As part of the OTC Distinguished Achievement Awards Luncheon, the conference will recognize Robert (Don) Vardeman of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation for individual achievement, the Marine Technology Society Dynamic Positioning Committee for institutional achievement, and both George Hirasaki and Yuri Makogon with its Heritage Award. Founded in 1969, OTC brings together industry leaders and professionals from more than 120 countries. Its large international participation provides excellent opportunities for global sharing of technology, expertise, products, and best practices that address current and future industry conditions.

U.S. shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today a number of changes across its leadership team. HII’s Board of Directors has elected Christopher D. Kastner to succeed Barbara A. Niland as the company’s chief financial officer and corporate vice president, business management, effective with Niland’s retirement on March 1, 2016. Furthermore Philip Luna, corporate vice president and president, UniversalPegasus International (UPI), a subsidiary of HII, has been promoted to the HII senior executive team, effective immediately.

The CFO of Houston-based National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NOV) is stepping down to become CEO of Transocean Ltd. (RIG), one of NOV’s largest customers. Effective April 22, Jeremy Thigpen will become CEO of Switzerland-based Transocean, which has its main U.S. office in Houston. Thigpen succeeds Ian Strachan, who had been serving as interim CEO since Steven Newman stepped down in February. Strachan, who is also the company's Chairman of the Board of Directors, will retire from the Board at the end of his term at the 2015 Annual General Meeting following approximately 16 years of service. Prior to joining Transocean, Thigpen spent his career in various roles at  NOV and has served since 2012 as NOV's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Activity across Port of Houston Authority docks continues to show strength as February 2015 tonnage figures reflected a 22-percent increase compared to February 2014. Executive Director Roger Guenther released the information today during the monthly meeting of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. Guenther reported that the Port Authority's Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals were particularly busy. A combined 40 percent more loaded containers than a year ago was handled. ". . . Our sharp increases in container volume are not just from East Asian services and diversion from the West Coast," Guenther said. The Port Authority, which handled a record 37 million tons of cargo in 2014, moved more than six million tons through the first two months of this year.

An international consortium of environmental scientists has expressed strong concern about the impact of a controversial Central American canal across Nicaragua. The leading researchers from 18 institutions in the United States and Central and South America -- have voiced their opposition to the Nicaragua Interoceanic Grand Canal and the haste with which the project has been initiated, reports UPI. The path of the Nicaragua Interoceanic Grand Canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans will cut through Lake Cocibolca (aka Lake Nicaragua), Central America's main freshwater reservoir and the largest tropical freshwater lake of the Americas.

Fossil fuel subsidies cost governments in emerging markets more than $500 billion every year and are a major contributor to climate change, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) and International Monetary Fund (IMF). The biggest subsidies are concentrated in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and parts of Latin America, according to the IEA's Fossil Fuel Subsidy Database (http://www.iea.org/subsidy/index.html). Moreover energy-exporting countries accounted for three quarters of all consumption subsidies in 2012, according to the IEA and OPEC members account for more than half the world's subsidies. Subsidies account for 82 percent of the cost of electricity and fuel in Venezuela…

Shanghai-based Wison Offshore & Marine Ltd., a subsidiary of the Wison Group, announced that Vice President of LNG Sales, Tor-Ivar Guttulsrod, will speak at the Canada LNG Export Forum on Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 4:10 p.m. Guttulsrod will speak on the topic of The Emergence of Mid-Scale Barge-Based LNG Plants comparing the value of mid-scale floating LNG vessels to the large FLNG projects currently under development. Mr. Guttulsrod is a chemical engineer with more than 25 years of experience in the hydrocarbon processing and related maritime industries. He has extensive management and operational experience from both staff and project positions.

OSV fleet owners Tidewater have elected the recently retired President of FMC Technologies, Robert L. Potter to join its Board of Directors for a term beginning December 1, 2013 and expiring in July 2014. Robert L. Potter will retire from his position as President of FMC Technologies, Inc. on November 30, 2013, a position he has held since August 2012, following 40 years of service with the company. Mr. Potter joined FMC Technologies in 1973 after his graduation from Rice University.

Port industry veteran Don Allee will assume control of the Port’s Cruise and Tourism Division in January, following the retirement of current Director J. Robert Jumonville. Jumonville, who will retire in January after 25 years at the Port, oversaw the planning and construction of all three Julia St. Cruise Terminals, including the present consolidation of the two terminals into one modern terminal completed in 2011. Jumonville was also instrumental in the design and construction of the Erato Street Cruise Terminal and Parking Garage Complex…

Capt. Howard Goldman relieved Capt. Todd Cramer as commander of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport during a change of command ceremony on Friday, Nov. 14. A naval submariner originally from Baltimore, Md., Goldman is a 1987 graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas, with a bachelor of science degreein mechanical engineering and a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Naval War College with a master’s degree in International Security and Strategic Studies. He also…