The port of Singapore recorded its first year-on-year decline in bunker sales of 2017 during the month of May, according to preliminary estimates released by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). According to Reuters report, Sale of marine fuels in Singapore in May fell to 4.181 million tonnes, down 4.2 percent from the same period last year, the second lowest monthly sale by volumes this year. The May volumes were also down 1.7 percent from April, the data showed. The last time monthly sales were lower this year was in February.

Three to four tankers storing fuel oil, down from eight or nine. Independent trading house Mercuria and Chinese state oil giant PetroChina are selling fuel oil stored in vessels off Singapore and southern Malaysia on strong demand from the shipping and power sector, several trade sources said on Friday. The number of vessels storing fuel oil has halved from a month ago as Mercuria and PetroChina may have resold cargoes purchased over March to May, the sources said. Geneva-based…

Singapore's Offshore support vessel (OSV)-focused Pacific Radiance said that it has won US$45.3 million of new contracts including options, which will add to its operating cash flow. Under these contracts, ten of the Group’s offshore support vessels, including a diving support vessel, are being deployed to support projects in Asia and the Middle East. They are chartered to new and existing clients to provide services which include towing, repair and maintenance, transportation and platform support.

Singapore welcomes Hong Kong pledge on handling of dispute. Singapore's defence minister on Monday said the nine armoured vehicles seized in Hong Kong could not be detained or confiscated, but that he welcomed Hong Kong's pledge for the dispute to be handled in line with its laws. Hong Kong customs seized the troop carriers in November as they were being shipped to Singapore from Taiwan after military exercises on the island that Beijing regards as a breakaway province, sparking tension between Singapore and China. Beijing, which regained sovereignty over the former British colony of Hong Kong in 1997, then warned countries against maintaining military ties with Taiwan. The vehicles were Singapore property, said Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, answering questions in parliament.

The 28,000-square-meter terminal, which was built at a cost of 500 million Singapore dollars (400 million U.S. dollars) and operated by the SATS-Creuers Cruise Services, will effectively double Singapore's berth capacity. The terminal has the capability to dock ships of up to 220,000 gross register tonnage (GRT) and measuring up to 360 meters in length with a hull draft of up to 11.5 meters. It also has a spacious arrival and departure hall comprising 80 check-in counters and up to 40 immigration counters…

Perkins marine diesel auxiliary engines have been supplied to four RAmparts 3200-CL tugs built by Cheoy Lee Shipyards Ltd, Hong Kong for operations in Australia and Indonesia. Multico Power Drive Pte Ltd, the distributor for Perkins marine engines in Singapore, has supplied two Perkins 6TWGM engines to each of the following tugs: Hawksbill, Flatback, Loggerhead and Limin ASD 55. Each tug is 32m L.O.A. and built to Lloyds’ requirements with special notations. The Perkins 6TWGM is part of the 1006 Series.

Majestic Fast Ferry’s newest ferry, the Majestic Dream, set sail on a maiden voyage from Singapore Cruise Centre’s (SCC) HarbourFront terminal. The 11th vessel in Majestic Fast Ferry’s fleet will ply the operator’s existing routes between Singapore and the Riau Islands in Indonesia. It will serve passengers travelling to and from SCC’s HarbourFront and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore, Batam Center and Sekupang terminals in Batam as well as Tanjung Pinang in Bintan. The ferry was designed by Australian naval architect and engineering service firm Incat Crowther.

According to a recent Reuters report, the Singapore government will take over development of its first $1 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal from a consortium to avoid more delays due to the credit crunch. The PowerGas-led consortium, in which GDF had a 30 percent stake, had been due to make its final investment decision this month for the project. The LNG’s completion was deferred by a year, from 2012 to 2013, making it the latest of several Singapore projects to be delayed due to the financial crisis.

Australia's HMAS Ballarat has completed a port visit to Sepanggar, Malaysia as part of a three month South East Asia deployment. She was in the region to enagage with the Royal Malaysian Navy, and load supplies before she returns to Australia for further exercises. Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral David Johnston, said Ballarat’s deployment provided an opportunity to engage with many nations in South East Asia. “Our enduring military to military engagement activities contribute to security and stability in our region,” he said.

The Baltic Exchange is looking into launching freight indexes for grains and liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the London-run business targets new markets after its acquisition by Singapore Exchange last year, the Baltic's chief executive said. Founded in 1744 as a forum for chartering vessels, the Baltic Exchange now produces benchmark indexes for global shipping rates and owns a trading platform for the multi-billion dollar freight derivatives market. SGX's ownership of the Baltic has enabled the exchange to set its sights on developing new areas…

Last week has seen four more States become Party to International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Ballast Water Management Convention, designed to counter the threat to marine ecosystems by potentially invasive species transported in ships' ballast water. The Convention enters into force on 8 September 2017 and will require ships to manage their ballast water, which can contain thousands of aquatic or marine microbes, plants and organisms, which are then carried across the globe.

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Ballarat has completed a passage exercise with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Royal Canadian Navy and United States Navy ships during her South East Asia deployment. The exercise, conducted in the South China Sea from 8-10 June, included Japanese ships Izumo and Sazanami, Canadian ship Winnipeg and USS Sterett. The ships completed close quarters manoeuvres, helicopter operations, personnel exchanges, gunnery exercises and air defence training.

Current markets make it profitable to store oil for future sale; many tankers sitting around Singapore storing oil. A 10-percent decline in oil prices since late May could push traders to keep crude in storage, looking to sell down the line when forward prices are higher. That would undermine the impact of supply cuts led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which partly aimed to force traders holding oil in storage to sell to reduce bloated inventories that have sapped global prices .

Abu Dhabi port authorities have eased restrictions on oil tankers going to and from Qatar, according to industry sources and shipping circulars seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Abu Dhabi Petroleum Ports Authority issued a new circular on Wednesday removing previous restrictions on non-Qatar owned, flagged or operated vessels sailing to and from Qatar. This effectively allows direct trade between the two ports and co-loading of crude cargoes, a Singapore-based shipbroker said. A Middle East-based industry source said there had been no official notification on halting the co-loading of crude cargoes. The ban on vessels carrying the Qatari flag and vessels owned or operated by Qatar is still in place, according to the circular.

The latest report of a tanker hijack in Southeast Asia has prompted Dryad Maritime to issue an advisory to its shipping clients, on the basis that the crime follows a pattern, which has seen up to six such attacks, over the last nine months. The Company issued its advisory to maritime clients from its 24/7 Portsmouth, UK-based operations facility, explaining that the [Thai tankship] MT Orapin 4 laden with a fuel oil cargo, departed Singapore on 27th May 2014 and became the subject of a missing vessel alert the next day when attempts by her shipping company to contact her failed.

Gulf tensions fail to ignite VLCC market; owners waiting for July MidEast cargoes that could buoy rates. Freight rates for very large crude carriers (VLCCs) face an uncertain week, possibly coming under pressure from a dearth of new Middle East cargoes but they could also find support from geopolitical tensions over Qatar, brokers said on Friday. There is also continuing unpredictability over whether tankers could co-load Qatari crude with other grades and the impact on future trading activities if tankers did load Qatar crude. "No one is really sure what is going on.

Members of the G6 Alliance announced today that their groundbreaking cooperation in Asia-Europe container shipping will begin operation in the first week of March – one month ahead of schedule. “We are eager to roll out our competitive products to benefit customers by offering a comprehensive and increased coverage of 40 ports in the Asia-Europe market with more sailing frequency,” the members said in a statement. The G6 Alliance, serving the Asia-to-Europe-and-Mediterranean market was announced last December. The G6 Alliance members are the carriers in the Grand Alliance and New World Alliance: APL, Hapag-Lloyd AG, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line.

Singapore LNG Corporation Pte Ltd (SLNG) has successfully performed its first small scale Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Gas-Up/Cool-Down and Reload at its Terminal on Jurong Island. The operation was carried out from 18-20 June 2017 for the newly built, 6,500m3, Cardissa, an LNG bunker vessel owned by Shell and co-financed by the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility that will serve customers in Northwest Europe. The operation was conducted at the SLNG Terminal’s Secondary Jetty, which is originally designed to accommodate LNG vessels from 60,000m3 to 265,000m3 in size.

Twenty more maritime companies came together to sign the Maritime Singapore Green Pledge to signify their commitment towards promoting clean and green shipping in Singapore. They join the 40 companies that have already signed the Green Pledge so far. The signing took place during the Singapore Registry of Ships Forum on "Responsible Shipping" and was witnessed by Lam Yi Young, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The 20 new signatories of the Green Pledge are listed in Annex A and include shipping lines, salvage companies and offshore service providers. A total of 60 organizations have signed the Green Pledge and pledged their commitment to promote clean and green shipping in Singapore.

Hong Kong is to release armoured vehicles belonging to Singapore impounded in the Chinese-ruled city on their way home from military exercises in Taiwan, Singapore said on Tuesday. Hong Kong customs seized the troop carriers in November. Beijing, which regained sovereignty over the former British colony of Hong Kong in 1997, then warned countries against maintaining military ties with Taiwan. Singapore's foreign affairs ministry said Hong Kong authorities would release the Singapore Armed Forces' troop carriers and other equipment to the Singapore government but the ministry did not give details. Hong Kong's commissioner of Customs and Excise, Roy Tang, said in a statement the vehicles were seized because of "a suspected breach of the Hong Kong law".

Facing less-than-expected market demand, members of the G6 Alliance announced additional void sailings within the container shippers’ Asia-Europe service, suspending its Loop 6 service until further notice. The G6 Alliance, which consists of APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line, said it continues to offer various services between Asia and Europe covering major port pairs with weekly sailings. The shippers said further service adjustments are possible as the G6 Alliance continues to review its product profile…

Maersk Line welcomes the Maritime Singapore Green Initiative and actively supports a joint industry approach to cleaner fuels in Singapore. Copenhagen, Singapore: April 13, 2011 - Today, Maersk Line announced its active participation in the Maritime Singapore Green Initiative by committing to switching to low-sulphur fuel in Singapore. The announced fuel switch backs up the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s engagement with the shipping line community to reduce carbon and sulphur emissions in Singapore.

Asian luxury cruise line Dream Cruises said it will homeport its inaugural vessel, Genting Dream, year-round in Singapore from December 3, 2017. Christened in November 2017, Genting Dream currently sails from Hong Kong or Guangzhou. With the move, the 151,300-metric-ton cruise ship will tap new markets, calling at more than 10 ports in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Significant growth in the Asian cruise industry over the recent years has presented new opportunities for the region, and Dream Cruises said it aims to be a pacesetter in Singapore.