Maritime Industry Top News
Port of Houston Reports Banner Year
Houston’s Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria delivered the 2014 State of the port address in early November. Completing her second year, chairman Longoria reported to a capacity crowd of almost 500 people that the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) is enjoying business success, also stressing PHA’s efforts to carry out its mission of economic development, with continued commitments to safety, maritime education, environmental stewardship and the community.
Great Lakes Ore Volumes Surpass 2013 Figures
Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.9 million tons in November, an increase of 5.8 percent compared to a year ago. That increase finally pushed the…
Bunker Holding Adds Subsidiary Unioil Supply
The Bunker Holding Group has established a new subsidiary operating under the name Unioil Supply A/S. The physical setup, based in Aalborg, consists of professionals…
US Lawmakers Give Preview of Oil Export Fight
U.S. lawmakers gave a preview on Thursday of a looming fight next year on lifting the ban on crude exports with supporters saying it would sustain the drilling boom…
Fort Ripley: Multi-Missioned & Fully Capable
On a beautiful Autumn afternoon in Charleston, SC last month, MarineNews Editor Joseph Keefe had the good fortune to attend the christening on the nation’s first dual purpose, rapid response vessel and pilot launch. As the first vessel to be designed for offshore salvage and firefighting requirements, it was also notably the first commercial application of Volvo Penta’s IPS drive propulsion. The vessel also represents an interesting twist in the Charleston Branch Pilots’ business model.
Safeguarding GPS When Global Positioning Doesn’t Work
Suppose the Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers used for your vessel, offshore oil platform, or port facility could not generate position data needed for your operations. How would your crew or staff respond? Initial troubleshooting efforts may indicate equipment failures, antenna masking, or possibly human error. Additionally, the lack of position data will likely force your crew or staff to resort to secondary means to obtain position information.
Houston Ship Channel Celebrates 100 years
A host of dignitaries gathered November 10 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Houston Ship Channel. During the ceremony, Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria lauded early leaders and their vision for the Port of Houston. Hundreds of guests, including elected officials, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association, Houston Pilots, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, current and former Port Commissioners…
IMO, UN Agencies Address Maritime Migration
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has joined with other UN agencies in calling for concerted action from the international community to address the problem of the loss of life, injury, trauma and serious human rights violations affecting migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees traveling by sea. In a joint statement, IMO, along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)…
Making a Conscious Change: Seaspan Marine’s Conversion to EALs
Vessel fleets face an increasing number of environmentally focused regulations, adding complexity to their operations and creating urgency around compliance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the Vessel General Permit (VGP), requires that all vessels over 79 feet use an “Environmentally Acceptable Lubricant” (EAL) in oil-to-water interfaces unless technically infeasible. The 2013…
Marathon Petroleum Repowers Three Towboats
When Marathon Petroleum wanted to repower its inland river towboats, the company turned to its Cat dealer Whayne Power to get the job done. Marathon had installed…
US Navy Deploys Shipboard Laser Weapon
Officials at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced the laser weapon system (LaWS) - a cutting-edge weapon that brings new capabilities to America's Sailors and Marines - was for the first time deployed and operated aboard a naval vessel in the Arabian Gulf. The operational demonstrations, which took place from September to November aboard USS Ponce (AFSB[I] 15), were historic not only because they showed a laser weapon working aboard a deployed U.S.
EnerMech Secures $53.4m Cranes Contracts
EnerMech has secured six new or renewed cranes and lifting contracts in the UK North Sea sector valued in excess of $53.4 million. The Aberdeen headquartered mechanical engineering group agreed extensions to contracts with Apache North Sea, Maersk Oil and Marathon Oil, and first time or additional workscopes with Centrica Storage/HRL, Aker Solutions and a number of projects on behalf of Technip. The…
KOC Names Tug Newbuild in Romania
A naming ceremony for the Kuwait Oil Company’s (KOC) new ASD 3212 tug vessel, KOC Shahem, was held October 30 at Damen Shipyards Galaţi. The KOC Shahem is the second in a series of 14 tugs that Damen is building for KOC to assist tankers at near shore loading terminals and at new single point moorings offshore. The two companies have a lasting relationship that spans over 25 years. KOC awarded Damen the contract to design, construct and deliver the series of tugs in September 2012.
NASSCO Licenses LNG Containment Tech to Braemar
General Dynamics NASSCO and Braemar LNG BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of Braemar Shipping Services PLC, have signed a technology licensing agreement for Braemar to use NASSCO’s intellectual property in its design and construction of Flat-Panel, Semi-Membrane, Prismatic-Shaped (FSP) LNG containment systems. FSP is a new multipurpose Type B flat-panel, semi-membrane, prismatic-shaped LNG tank-containment system which uses flat plate technology and a universal joint configuration.
Libra Ramps Up Container Ship Buying, Bets on Upturn
Global conglomerate Libra is snapping up container ships, betting on a sector recovery and lower oil prices which will cut costs and boost profitability, the group's chief executive said.
Overtonnage, Regulations Bruise Shippers' Confidence
Overall confidence levels in the shipping industry fell during the three months to November 2014 to their lowest level for two years, according to the latest Shipping Confidence Survey from international accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens. The survey revealed increasing concern about the high cost of achieving compliance with new regulations, and ongoing doubts about overtonnaging. But it was not all bad news…
Vessel Hijacking Reported on Niagara River
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Customs and Border Protection, Canada's Niagara Regional Police and the Niagara County Sheriff's Office are investigating a reported hijacking of a Canadian-flagged charter vessel by two Canadian men Tuesday afternoon. About 1:30 p.m. the master of an 18-foot Canadian charter vessel took his boat to Coast Guard Station Niagara, New York, to report that just moments ago two men…
Two New Tugs to Serve Western Australia
Robert Allan Ltd. The RT Discovery and RT Endeavour, ART 80-32 class Rotortugs, have been delivered by Cheoy Lee Shipyards to Owner’s Elisabeth Ltd. The vessels are currently in Hong Kong and are ready for deployment to a busy commodity Port in Western Australia. These two vessels represent the first half of Elisabeth Ltd’s four boat order with Cheoy Lee Shipyards. The Advanced Rotortug (ART) designs incorporate the patented triple Z-Drive Rotortug…
Final Gate Transits the Panama Canal for New Locks
The Panama Canal Expansion has completed today the transfer of all gates belonging to the new locks of the Expansion in the Pacific side. The last gate that transited today completes the transfer of the eight gates to the Pacific construction side. The transits began on October 22 to move all eight gates through the waterway aboard a barge from the Atlantic temporary dock to the Pacific, assisted by Panama Canal tugs.
Bollinger Adds Drydock Lift Capacity
Bollinger Shipyards has taken delivery of two drydocks with a total lifting capacity of 12,000 tons. Terms and conditions of the purchase were not made available. One of the docks, a 10,500 ton dry-dock will be located at the Bollinger Port Fourchon facility, and measures 320-ft. x 100-ft. between the wing walls. Bollinger now has three commercial drydocks located in Fourchon with a combined lifting capacity of over 22,000 tons.
