Maritime Industry Top News
Shipping's Switch to Cleaner Fuel Has Been Smooth Sailing -ING Bank
Seven months after the United Nations' shipping agency brought in hotly anticipated new rules to curb emissions, the raft of technical issues and leap in fuel prices that were expected to result have failed to materialize, ING Bank said on Tuesday.Global shipping and oil firms had flagged major concerns over potential disruptions from International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules implemented at the start of 2020, which capped marine fuels' sulphur content at 0.5% against 3.5% previously.Howeve
India's Deepwater Gas Output Pressured by Low Spot LNG Prices
India’s new deepwater gas production could be under pressure from low spot LNG prices, says Wood Mackenzie.Deepwater is expected to drive India’s gas production growth, adding over 1 billion cubic foot per day (bcfd) of new supply by 2023. However, only 15% or 200 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of this supply has been contracted to date. With market demand impacted by Covid-19, and low spot LNG prices expected to persist at least until 2022…
US Holds Naval Exercises with Allies in Asia amid China Tension
The United States is conducting two military exercises in Asian waters this week involving allies Japan, Australia and India, the U.S. navy said on Tuesday.The exercises come as military rivalry between the United States and China is intensifying and days after the United States said China’s claims of sovereignty in the disputed South China Sea were illegal.The United States has long opposed China’s expansive territorial claims on the South China Sea…
Video: 'Hawk' Brings In Moray East Offshore Wind Farm Jackets
OHT’s heavy transport vessel Hawk arrived on Tuesday at Global Energy’s facility at the Port of Nigg, carrying 10 offshore wind jackets destined for the Moray East offshore wind farm, off the Aberdeenshire coast in Scotland.The vessel arrived with nine wind turbine jackets and one offshore substation substructure, each standing 75m – 80m high.The jackets will be offloaded at Nigg, where they will…
Marine Scrubbers: Yara Marine Plots the Path Forward, Post-COVID-19
Yara Marine Technologies COO Ina Reksten and Research and Development Manager Shyam Bahadur Thapa reflect on the effects of the coronavirus crisis and share their vision for a future beyond the pandemic.2020 will go down in history as the year that changed everything for many industries, not least the marine exhaust gas cleaning segment. “The coronavirus turned our world upside down virtually overnight,” confirms Ina Reksten, Yara Marine Technologies COO.
Canada: Hibernia Oil Platform Shuts Output after Leak
The Hibernia oil platform in Canada was shut after a leakage of drilling and production fluids, the Hibernia Management and Development Co (HMDC) said late Monday.Hibernia sits roughly 315 km (200 miles) east of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. ExxonMobil owns the largest stake in the oil platform, followed by Chevron Canada and Suncor Energy Inc."Water sampling late on July 19, during drill well flow back operations…
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mellon Completes Final Patrol
One the U.S. Coast Guard's last remaining 378-foot high endurance cutters recently wrapped up its final patrol before its scheduled decomissioning in August.A 150-person crew on Coast Guard Cutter Mellon (WHEC 717) left Seattle April 17 to conduct missions throughout the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea and returned to homeport July 7.During the patrol the crew conducted 38 law enforcement boardings…
Delivery of World's Largest Cruise Ship Delayed Due to COVID-19
Delivery of the world's largest cruise ship Wonder of the Seas has been delayed due to coronavirus impacts at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The shipyard delays mean Royal Caribbean's new record-breaking cruise ship will not enter service from Shanghai in spring 2021 as planned, a spokesperson for the cruise line confirmed to MarineLink after the news was announced on Royal Caribbean's Chinese website. A new delivery has not been specified.
Profiles in Training: Marcus Cheesman, Founder, Seven Seas Preparatory Academy
Marcus Cheesman started his maritime training in 1987 at the early age of 13, attending Trinity House Navigation School, the UK’s only Nautical school. Upon graduation he was selected for a deck cadet apprenticeship with P&O Cruises and continued to progress through the ranks with P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line (including Windstar Cruises) and Disney Cruise Line, ultimately obtaining his Master Mariners license in 2002.
Lithium Ion Battery Fires: A Threat to Container Shipping
From 2015 to present an estimated 250 incidents related to electric hoverboard fires have been recorded according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. The same commission reports that 83,000 Toshiba laptop batteries were recalled in 2017 due to fire and safety concerns.In January 2017 a NYC garbage truck was the source of a neighborhood surprise when a Lithium ion battery exploded in the compactor of the truck.
US Warship Assists Distressed Sailing Vessel
A U.S. Navy warship came to the aid of a sailing vessel drifting about 150 nautical miles east of the Bahamas on Saturday.After the distressed vessel radioed for help on Friday morning, U.S. Coast Guard District 7 coordinated with USS Mitscher (DDG 57) , the closest ship able to render aid. Mitscher rendezvoused with the vessel later that evening and towed it overnight to the closest port of San Salvador, Bahamas.The 51-foot sailing vessel had a damaged steering shaft and was unable to maneuver.
Denmark to Allow Crew Changes
Denmark will allow merchant sailors stranded on the high seas since the outbreak of the coronavirus to come ashore and be reunited with their friends and families, the Business Ministry said on Monday.Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, 200,000 seafarers have been stranded on merchant ships, some for more than a year, because travel restrictions have made it almost impossible to rotate crews."While many Danes have used the corona crisis to spend more time with the family…
Posidonia 2020 Canceled
Another major maritime trade fair has been called off due to health concerns and travel challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Posidonia 2020, originally planned for June 2020 and subsequently postponed to October 2020, has been canceled."We have reached this difficult decision following close consultation with many exhibitors and with our shipping community stakeholders, after assessing the current state of COVID-19 in countries around the world…
Halter Marine Wins US Navy Contract for the T-AGOS Program
Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder Halter Marine Inc. said Monday it has been awarded a contract for industrial studies for the auxiliary general ocean surveillance ship (T-AGOS(X)) program.The U.S. Navy awarded the $981,000 contract for the T-AGOS class series of vessels, which ultimately will replace the existing fleet of four T-AGOS 19 and one T-AGOS 23 small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) ships, which are reaching the end of their service lives.
River Cruising Returns on the Danube
River cruises are making a quiet comeback on the Danube after the COVID-19 pandemic brought global tourism to a standstill and forced companies to suspend voyages.Holiday makers are adapting to strict new safety measures on the elegant ships with Germany’s Nicko Cruises the first to restart Danube trips on June 22.The company is now operating three vessels for the six to eight-day trips from Passau…
Crew Kidnapped from Tanker in the Gulf of Guinea
Armed pirates have reportedly kidnapped 13 seafarers from a Liberian-flagged product tanker in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, continuing a rise in attacks on…
Maritime Cyber Attacks Increase 900%
Cyber-attacks on the maritime industry’s operational technology (OT) systems have increased by 900% over the last three years with the number of reported incidents set to reach record volumes by year end.Addressing port and terminal operators during an online forum last week, Robert Rizika, Naval Dome’s Boston-based Head of North American Operations, explained that in 2017 there were 50 significant OT hacks reported, increasing to 120 in 2018 and more than 310 last year.
Gallery: Heerema's Sleipnir Breaks Offshore Jacket Removal Record
Heerema Marine Contractors' giant heavy-lift vessel Sleipnir has broken a record for the largest single lift jacket removal. HMC said Monday that the record was broken in the Norwegian North Sea, where Sleipnir removed the 8100-tonne Jotun-B jacket for client Vår Energi. The platform was installed in 1998 by Heerema's Thialf, which returned to the Jotun Field last year to remove the topsides and conductors.For the jacket removal…
Shipments Resume from Pemex FPSO After Collision
An oil production and storage vessel operated by Mexican state oil firm Pemex in the Gulf of Mexico has resumed crude shipments after a tanker collision halted exports earlier this month, according to a person with knowledge of the matter and data from Refinitiv Eikon.The FPSO facility (floating production, storage and offloading), which has the capacity to store up to 2.2 million barrels of crude…
Oldendorff Presses on With Its Newbuild Program
German shipowner Oldendorff Carriers says it has recently taken delivery of two new bulk carriers, continuing a string of newbuild deliveries from Chinese and Japanese shipyards.The 63,000 tdw Ultramax Britta Oldendorff and 100,000 tdw Post-panamax Diane Oldendorff, both built by Japanese yard Oshima Shipbuilding and handed over during the second quarter of 2020, are among 23 bulk carrier delivered to Oldendorff since early 2019.
