Maritime Industry Top News
India's Oil Imports Surged in 2017
India's oil imports rose by about 1.8 percent in 2017 to a record 4.37 million barrels per day (bpd) as the country boosted purchases to feed its expanded refining capacity, ship-tracking data obtained from sources and data compiled by Thomson Reuters Oil Research & Forecasts showed. To meet its growing fuel demand India, the world's third-biggest oil consumer, raised its refining capacity in the second half of 2017.
Maersk, IBM to Launch Blockchain Joint Venture
The world’s largest container shipping firm A.P. Moller-Maersk is teaming up with IBM to create an industry-wide trading platform it says can speed up trade and save billions of dollars. The global shipping industry has seen little innovation since the container was invented in the 1950s, and cross-border trade still leaves an enormous trail of paperwork and bureaucracy. Success of the platform, which will be made available to the ocean shipping industry around mid-2018…
Cheniere Signs 15-year LNG Supply Pact with Trafigura
U.S. natural gas producer Cheniere Energy Inc said on Tuesday Singapore-based commodity trader Trafigura Pte Ltd would buy about 1 million tonnes of natural gas per year from its unit for 15 years, starting 2019. The agreement with Cheniere Marketing, LLC would help the Houston-based company to fund its expansion plans, Chief Executive Jack Fusco said. The company has been expanding its presence in Asia to benefit from the rising demand for liquefied natural gas from the region.
Petrobras: Fire Contained on Platform in Lula Field
Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petróleo Brasileiro said on Tuesday a fire at a platform in the Santos Basin was contained and did not cause injuries or environmental damage. Production there remains halted until safety tests can be completed, the company said. The fire was discovered early on Tuesday on a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit in the Lula Field. The unit is operated by Petrobras in consortium with Royal Dutch Shell and Petrogal .
Norway Awards 75 Oil Exploration Licenses
Norway's energy ministry has awarded 75 offshore exploration blocks to oil companies in a so-called predefined areas (APA) licensing round, handing out acreage to 34 firms, of which 19 got at least one operatorship, it said on Tuesday. A total of 39 firms had applied for the offered acreage, up from 33 companies that applied in the previous round a year ago, when the ministry awarded 56 exploration licenses.
Norden Boosts Earnings Expectations
Danish shipping firm Dampskibsselskabet Norden A/S said its unaudited and preliminary results indicate an adjusted result for 2017 in the range of $20 million to $35 million, up from previous expectations of -$10 to $30 million. Norden said the anticipated earnings improvement is a result of a stronger than expected performance in the fourth quarter of 2017 in both the tanker business and dry cargo business, including the dry operator.
DNV GL Launches Project to Test Biodegradable Lubricants
Classification society DNV GL has launched a new joint development project (JDP) in cooperation with marine insurers The Swedish Club, Norwegian Hull Club, Gard and Skuld to test the potential influence of Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs) on failures in stern tube bearings. DNV GL will oversee detailed laboratory testing of EALs by Leonardo Testing Services Ltd. at the University of Sheffield (UoS), UK.
Algeria Inks Deal with Vitol to Cut Fuel Imports
Algeria's state energy company Sonatrach said it has signed a deal with oil trader Vitol to send crude abroad for refining as the country seeks to reduce a record fuel import bill. CEO Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour said Sonatrach would pay processing costs before bringing refined fuel back to Algeria, and said it was also negotiating to buy shares in a foreign refinery, but did not give details. "Our goal is to reduce our imports of gasoline…
Shell Announces Plan for Penguins Filed Redevelopment
Shell announced the final investment decision for the Penguins field redevelopment project in the U.K. sector, which includes the construction of a new-build Sevan…
MOL Acquires Seafarers Manning Company
Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has announced that MOL acquired 100% of the issued shares of Azalea Maritime B.V. on December 21st, 2017. Azalea Maritime changed…
Lauritzen Reflags Two Gas Carriers to Denmark
Lauritzen Kosan has reflagged two of its ships to Denmark for the first time since 2003. The registers of the two vessels, the Helena Kosan and the Linda Kosan,…
Port of Rotterdam: 2017 in Review
Over the past year, 29,646 seagoing vessels entered the port of Rotterdam, up more than 600 from 2016's 29,022. The number of incidents in the port fell from 159 to 129…
Search for ONGC Offshore Helicopter Crew Continues
The Indian Navy has widened its search operations for the missing crew members of the Pawan Hans helicopter (C/s VT-PWA) which crashed off the Mumbai coast on Saturday.
Two Missing after Ship Sinks in South China Sea
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said that a ship sank in South China Sea on Friday, 11 out of 13 crew were rescued and two remained missing. According to the survivors…
Imabari to Acquire Minaminippon Shipbuilding
Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. has reached an initial agreement to acquire compatriot Japanese shipbuilder Minaminippon Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The takeover, which…
Top 20 Cruise Ports: Apply Now
The January/February 2018 edition of Maritime Logistics Professional will focus on today’s cruise shipping trends, how cruise lines are achieving a greener signature…
MV Werften Cuts First Steel for Crystal Endeavor
Shipbuilder MV Werften said it has begun building Crystal’s new luxury expedition yacht, Crystal Endeavor, with first steel cut on January 15 at its shipyard in Stralsun, Germany. Set to debut in 2020, Crystal Endeavor will be Crystal’s largest and most spacious purpose-built Polar Class ship featuring all-suite, butler-serviced accommodations, and adventure in polar regions and other remote destinations.
Robot Lasers Prolong Engine Pistons’ Lifespan
New robotized laser cladding technology aims to revolutionize the reconditioning of large bore pistons in two-stroke engines. A new reconditioning process from Wärtsilä Services’ maintenance and repair services business Line QuantiServ minimises welding, causes less thermal shock to the base material and replaces the old chromium layer’s galvanic application. “In addition to its environmental efficiency…
Turkey Reveals Route for New Canal to Ease Bosphorus Shipping
Turkey announced on Monday the route for a planned canal that would reduce shipping traffic on the busy Bosphorus Strait and transform the European half of Istanbul into an island. Work on the 45-km (28-mile) Kanal Istanbul, linking the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara west of the Bosphorus, will begin this year, Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan said, adding it formed part of Turkey's most expensive construction project.
Crowley Orders ATB at Bollinger
Crowley Fuels LLC has signed a contract with Bollinger Shipyards for the construction of a new 100,000-barrel-capacity articulated tug-barge (ATB) to transport multiple clean petroleum products in the Alaska market. The Alaska-class vessel will be built at Bollinger Marine Fabricators Shipyard, in Amelia, La., with an expected delivery in the fourth quarter of 2019. The build contract includes an option for a second ATB.
