Maritime Industry Top News
Petrobras Extends Charters for Three Subsea 7 PLSVs
Brazilian oil company Petrobras has extended contracts with offshore services company Subsea 7 for three pipelay support vessels (PLSVs) operating offshore Brazil. Subsea 7 said Friday that the extensions of long-term contracts had a combined value of about $155 million, net of agreed reductions to the current day-rates.The extension increases Subsea 7's backlog relating to the four Brazilian PLSVs to $493 million at August 31…
DNV GL Awards GASA to HHI for VLCC Concept
DNV GL has presented Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) with a general approval for ship application (GASA) for a new concept of very large crude carriers (VLCCs) with a centreline oil-tight longitudinal bulkhead. The new design will reduce potential damage and operational risk by featuring a simpler structural arrangement, loading patterns and piping arrangements. Vidar Dolonen, DNV GL Regional Manager for Korea & Japan…
Seatankers Hires Investment Chief, Invites Outside Capital
Seatankers, the powerful holding company of Norwegian-born billionaire John Fredriksen, said on Thursday it had hired a veteran fund manager to broaden the group’s portfolio and bring in outside capit
Carnival's Shares Surge as Costa Cruises Prepares to Sail
Carnival Corp’s shares surged 11% on Thursday after its Italian brand Costa Cruises said two of its ships would resume sailing this weekend, with more to follow.Cruise companies, among the worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, were forced to halt voyages for months after ships in Japan, Australia and California made headlines because of large numbers of infections onboard.So far this year, Carnival’s shares have lost nearly two-thirds of their value, while peer Royal Caribbean Cruises Group has lo
Austal USA Delivers USNS Newport (EPF 12)
Austal Limited announced Thursday that USNS Newport (EPF 12) has been delivered to the United States Navy from Austal USA's shipyard in Mobile, Ala.USNS Newport is the 12th Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ship to be delivered to the U.S. Navy – and brings the total number of ships delivered to the Navy by Austal USA to 24 in 10 years, including three this year. USS Oakland (LCS 24) was delivered in June…
Partnering on the Digital Ship: Inside Denmark’s ShippingLab
When will the first fully digitized, autonomous and environmentally friendly ship be ready to sail? The answer is uncertain but the Danish Maritime Authority’s ShippingLab project aims to have most of the technical and managerial challenges solved in as little as two years from now. Tom Mulligan reports.Denmark’s ShippingLab project is a three-year initiative that commenced its work in March 2019 with the aim of developing the first fully commercially operational…
US Seizes $27 Mln Found on a Cargo Ship in the Caribbean
U.S. authorities in San Juan, Puerto Rico seized $27 million of undeclared currency found inside boxes aboard a cargo ship bound for St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.Customs…
PDVSA, Eni Looking at Options to Offload Oil from Idle FSO
Venezuela's state-run PDVSA and Eni are looking at options to safely offload crude from a floating storage facility on Venezuela's eastern coast that has remained idle for over a year due to U.S.
Draft U.N. Plan on Ship Fuel Ban in Arctic Seen as Lax
Draft U.N. proposals to ban the use and transport of heavy fuel oil by ships in the Arctic contain waivers that will allow many vessels to keep sailing without enough regulatory control over their emissions, a study released on Thursday found.Antarctic waters are protected by stringent regulations, including a ban on heavy oil fuel (HFO) adopted in 2011, even though no cargo moves through the turbulent southern waters.
Japan Trio Begins Work on an Ammonia-Fueled Tugboat
As the marine industry works to find the ‘fuel of the future’ to address increasingly stringent emission regulations, an interesting development from a trio of marine powers in Japan seeks to develop the world’s first ammonia-fueled tugboat. The joint research and development agreement was signed by NYK, IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd., and ClassNK recently to put the world's first ammonia-fueled tugboat into practical use.With the entry into force of the Paris Agreement in 2016…
DP World, Canadian Fund Ponder $4.5 bln Investment in Port Terminals
Global port operator DP World and Canadian pension fund Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec are nearing a deal to invest an additional $4.5 billion in their global portfolio of port terminals, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.DP World and the Canadian pension fund manager could announce the injection of funds as early as this week, the report added.DP World…
Fully Loaded Oil Tanker Catches Fire Off Sri Lanka
A fully loaded oil tanker has caught fire off the east coast of Sri Lanka, which has dispatched an aircraft and two navy ships to help in the rescue, a Sri Lankan…
Future USS Savannah (LCS 28) Christened
Austal announced that the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) has been christened at Austal USA’s manufacturing facility in Mobile, Ala. The future USS Savannah is the 14th of 19 Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) Austal USA has under contract with the United States Navy.Austal Limited Chief Executive David Singleton said the continued success of the Independence-class LCS shipbuilding program demonstrated the extensive capabilities of the high-caliber Austal USA team.
Livestock Carrier Capsized in Storm off Japan, Rescued Crewman says
A ship carrying 43 crew and nearly 6,000 cattle from New Zealand to China capsized after losing an engine in stormy weather in the East China Sea, the only crew…
Australia Bans Another Bulker Over Unpaid Wages
A Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier has been banned from Australian ports for six months over the operation of several sets of wage accounts and multiple conflicting seafarer employment agreements…
Winter Sea Ice in Bering Sea Reached Lowest Levels in Millennia
The Bering Sea ice cover during the winters of 2018 and 2019 hit new lows not seen in thousands of years, scientists reported on Wednesday, adding to concerns about the accelerating impact of climate change in the Arctic.Satellite data provides a clear picture of how sea ice has changed over the last four decades in the region between the Arctic and northern Pacific oceans. Beyond that, the only ice…
Foreship Appoints Sward to Head US Operations
Naval architecture and marine engineering company Foreship Ltd has appointed Benjamin Sward as President of Foreship LLC to take responsibility for the company’s U.S. activities. Based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sward will also oversee Foreship’s Seattle operation.The appointment sees a return to Foreship for Sward, who served the company as a Naval Architect and Project Manager between 2015-2018 and led a variety of upgrade projects for high-profile cruise clients such as Royal Caribbean…
OCIMF Extends Remote Inspection Option for Offshore Vessels
From today, the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) is including a remote vessel inspection option as a temporary tool within its Offshore Vessel Inspection Database (OVID), the inspection protocol for offshore vessels. The option to use remote inspections within OCIMF’s Ship Inspection Report (SIRE) program was rolled-out in August 2020, following a robust management of change process.Supporting…
Harvey Gulf Upgrades PSV to "Tri-fuel" Vessel
U.S.-based offshore vessel owner Harvey Gulf said Wednesday it completed an upgrade of its platform supply vessel Harvey Energy, making it the first "tri-fuel" PSV in the U.S.Harvey completed the installation of a Wartsila battery-power system on the PSV which was already a dual-fuel vessel capable of fully operating on LNG or diesel. At the same time, Harvey said it had started operations at its new diesel bunkering facility in Port Fourchon…
Schottel to Open New Brazil Service Center
SCHOTTEL do Brasil will soon be able to offer more services for marine customers in a new service center located in Itajaí, Santa Catarina. German propulsion specialist SCHOTTEL enabled its Brazilian subsidiary to acquire land in 2019, and the construction work has been making progress. The 10,500m² sized plot will be home to a spacious administration, repair and warehouse location. It is expected to be opened in 2021.“Key aspects for the premises’ design will be a more efficient supply chain…