Bulk Jupiter Search and Rescue Ongoing
No new crewmembers or debris from the sunken vessel Bulk Jupiter have been detected during the recent search operations, ship’s owner Gearbulk Holding Limited reported.
John Anthony Chamberlain
A Founding Father of Signal Passes Away (December 12, 1940 – January 1, 2015). It is with great sadness that the Managers of Signal Mutual Indemnity Association Ltd. must report the unexpected passing of John Chamberlain at the age of 74. A founding father of Signal, John began work for Charles Taylor in 1969; moving to the United States in the early 1980s to work with a leading maritime consulting and claims adjusting firm…
Van Oord Orders 2 Dredgers to Be Built in Spain
Van Oord has ordered two trailing suction hopper dredgers to be built by Spanish Construcciones Navales del Norte S.L., LaNaval at its yard in Bilbao. Both vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2017. According to Van Oord, the order is in line with its innovative investment program and is part of the replacement program of older trailing suction hopper dredgers. The new vessels are a contribution…
Petrobras Finds Oil in Offshore Pudding Well
Brazil's state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA said on Monday it had found "excellent quality" oil in an off-shore well known as Pudim, or pudding, in the Espirito Santo basin.
HHI Sets 2015 Order Goal of $22.95 Billion
Kwon Oh-gap, president and chief executive officer of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), issued a New Year’s address, highlighting the company’s challenges and goals for 2015. “The picture does not seem very cheerful this year,” Oh-gap said, adding that the company strives to recover its competitiveness through internal improvements and innovations. Despite its difficulties, HHI has set its 2015 order target at 22.95 billion dollars, while its sales target is 24.3259 trillion won.
Hempel: Born in Maritime
As Hempel approaches its 100th anniversary in 2015, Christian Ottosen, Group Marine Marketing Director, offers insights on the company’s initiatives and drivers. Here’s a hint: protecting ships at sea and protecting the environment. Hempel was created 99 years ago as a specialist marine paints provider. Its founder, JC Hempel, was the first person to develop an antifouling product for a ship’s hull.
NASSCO: The Face of US Shipbuilding
General Dynamic’s NASSCO in San Diego arguably has the most diverse and enviable shipbuilding backlog in the U.S., with its navy and commercial orderbook stretching out for three years. With the yard humming at record pace, we sat down with Kevin Graney, VP & GM in San Diego to discuss how he and his team intend to keep the momentum rolling forward. General Dynamics National Steel & Shipbuilding Co. – NASSCO – has quietly become the face of U.S.
As Interest in LNG Surges, Regulators Struggle to Keep Pace
The use of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a transportation fuel for ships, barges and ferries has surged in recent months. This surge is due, in large part, to the boon in the production of natural gas in the U.S.; new low sulfur rules for the North American Emission Control Area (ECA), which go into effect on January 1, 2015; and new technologies for the construction of engines capable of running on LNG. Regulatory regimes both in the U.S.
FPSOs Require Special Monitoring to Support IMR
MARIN has used measurements from one of the Advisory Hull Monitoring Systems for FPSOs to improve inspection schedule planning and to support operators in making maintenance decisions. Maintenance is essential for operators of high performance craft and offshore units and relevant and up-to-date information is required to make well-informed decisions. As an FPSO does not enter drydock for regular inspections in-field maintenance is very important.
Maritime Quarantine & Isolation
Seven years ago, I authored an article on quarantine and isolation. With the outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa, it is time to dust off and update that article. The concepts of quarantine and isolation lie at the juncture of medicine, law and public safety. When these concepts intersect with the maritime community, things quickly get both interesting and complicated. Quarantine and isolation have been invoked in cases of communicable diseases throughout human history.
Satellites Reveal Worldwide Ship Traffic Up 300%
Maritime traffic on the world’s oceans has increased four-fold over the past 20 years, according to a new study quantifying global ship traffic. The research used satellite data to estimate the number of vessels on the ocean every year between 1992 and 2012. The number of ships traversing the oceans grew by 60% between 1992 and 2002. Shipping traffic grew even faster during the second decade of the study, peaking at a rate of increase of 10 percent per year in 2011.
MLC2006 Impact: 113 Ships Detained
August 20, 2014 marked the first anniversary of the entry into force of the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC, 2006). During these first 12 months 113 ships were detained…
Bulk Carrier Freight Rates Predicted to Peak in 2016
“A fundamental and sustainable dry bulk market recovery is expected in the second half of 2015 and throughout 2016, when the total dry bulk market balance could peak at 88%, with peaks during the fourth quarter close to 92%. The supply/demand imbalance that drove dry bulk markets down to 2009 levels during the first half of the year is set for adjustment, with Newport Shipping Group predicting an improved tonnage balance over the next couple of years…
Second US Navy Ship Joins AirAsia Search
USS Fort Worth joins USS Sampson as second U.S. Navy ship assisting with AirAsia QZ8501 search efforts. USS Sampson has been on station since December 29. Fort Worth is the littoral combat ship (LCS) on a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet and brings maneuverability, speed and a shallow draft, which allows her to conduct expeditious visual and radar searches in a congested, shallow water environment.
Ship Apprehended for Overloading Passengers
A cargo-passenger vessel in Cebu was held in Cebu by the Philippines Coast Guard Saturday, January 3, for overloading passengers. M/V Graceful Star, skippered by Capt.
Charleston Harbor to Be Deepened
The South Carolina Ports Authority, Lowcountry Open Land Trust, Coastal Conservation League and the Southern Environmental Law Center announced a milestone agreement…
Warplane Bombs Greek-operated Oil Tanker at Port
A Libyan warplane from forces loyal to the internationally recognised government bombed a Greek-operated oil tanker anchored off the coast, killing two crewmen in…
CMA Names Tsakos 2015 Commodore
Capt. Panagiotis N. Capt. Panagiotis N. Tsakos, Founder of the Tsakos Group, has been named as the Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) Commodore for the year 2015.
Russia Makes Shipbuilding a Priority
Russia’s renewed focus on the commercial shipbuilding industry was set as a key aim by Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev in his recent discussions on the development of the sector through 2015. The 2015 impetus on competitive opportunity coincides with the 13th International Maritime Exhibition and Conferences of Russia – NEVA 2015. This event provides a collaborative, global platform to promote Russia's Commercial Shipbuilding, Ship Equipment and related Maritime industries.
McDermott Wins PEMEX Installation Contract
McDermott International, Inc. has been awarded a contract to install the offshore jacket, deck and piles for the Ayatsil-A drilling platform for PEMEX Exploracion y Produccion in the Bay of Campeche Ayatsil field. The value of the award is included in McDermott’s fourth quarter backlog. “The Ayatsil-A installation award from PEMEX is a direct result of the substantial local capabilities and operations of McDermott in Mexico…