Nam Cheong Sells PSV & Two AHTS
Nam Cheong, Malaysia’s largest Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) builder, ends year with record number of sales. Sales of the Platform Support Vessel (PSV) and the two…
Rig Breaks Adrift, Pounds Alaskan Island Foreshore
Shelll's drill rig 'Kulluk' broke towlines again in the storm & finally washed up on Sitkalidak Island, near Kodiak, on New Year's Eve. Salvage crews are on stand-by until the weather moderates (the National Weather Service reports seas in the area of being up to 30 feet high, though they're expected to drop down to 22 feet by Tuesday afternoon). Meanwhile the rig appeared sound so far, with no breach in the hull and no discharge of any pollutants into the water, reports the 'Alaska Dispatch'.
Mercator Lines (Singapore) Terminate Ship Charters Early
Mercator Lines (Singapore) agree early termination & settlement agreements with owners of bulkships 'Chaitali Prem' & 'Chanchal Prem'. Briefly, the existing charter of M.V.
World's First LNG Fuelled PSV Charter Extended
Statoil Petroleum grants Eidesvik Offshore ASA a 2-year extension charter for the LNG fuelled Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) 'Viking Energy'. The Viking Energy was the first LNG fueled PSV in the world when it was delivered in 2003, and has been on contract for Statoil since delivery. The new contract has a further two by two years options for extension included in its terms. "Eidesvik have worked for Statoil for more than 30 years.
China Eximbank & CCS Ink Cooperation Agreement
The Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) joins hands with China Classification Society (CCS) to support the country's shipping industry. China Eximbank and CCS…
Electronic Fuel Monitoring Alliance
Macsea's Fuel Vision announces that its system now works with KRAL rotary displacement flow meters for high-accuracy fuel monitoring. By combining Dexter Fuel Vision with the KRAL flowmeter, fuel data acquired aboard ships can be displayed in real-time throughout the vessel and also sent ashore to track fleet-wide energy conservation and emissions reduction efforts. Energy saving is a mandate in today’s shipping business climate and will likely continue well into the foreseeable future.
US Warship Raps in New Year
QM3 Patrick Cunliffe, USN, posted the ship’s traditional New Year’s midnight log entry in 'Rap-style' aboard 'USS Reuben James'. On New Year's Eve the ship was on routine patrol in the South China Sea. Continued the watch underway as before, 
with warship Five Seven on her final tour. The crew lay asleep in their comfy racks,
entrusting their shipmates would have their backs. The night was so peaceful, like many before,
as the watch teams waited for what lie in store.
Staten Island Ferry LNG Conversion Planned
Plans are in hand to convert one of the two diesel oil-fuelled 'Austen-class' ferries to use Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). A pilot program conducted on one Staten Island Ferry, if successful, could save the city nearly half the boat's fueling cost annually, reports the 'Staten Island Advance'. An unspecified Austen Class ferry will be converted from using ultra-low-sulfur diesel to liquefied natural gas (LNG) during a routine dry docking in 2013.
Deep Profiling Float Descends to 4000-meters
Teledyne Webb Research's new version of its Autonomous Profiling Explorer (APEX®) makes a record 13,123 ft dive off Hawaii. APEX floats are based on a buoyancy engine and have been commercially available since founder Doug Webb started Webb Research in 1982. APEX floats descend to a programmed depth where they become neutrally buoyant and drift. After some interval, usually five to ten days, the buoyancy engine makes the float positively buoyant and it rises to the surface…
Floating 2013 e-Navigation Conference
e-Navigation Underway Conference 2013 will be held aboard Denmark's largest cruise ship 'Pearl Seaways'. • IMO E-Navigation Strategy Implementation Plan in 2014 – where are we now? • How do we benefit from industrial innovation? • What are the benefits and risks of electronic devices in shipping? • Costs of e-Navigation: necessary infrastructure, services, communications ... Who will pay? • E-Navigation drivers – regulation or market forces?
Statoil Expands Brazil Offshore Exploration
Statoil expands its exploration portfolio with the acquisition of 25% participating interest from Vale SA in BM-ES-22A in the Espirito Santo Basin offshore Brazil. BM-ES-22A is comprised of the two Blocks ES-M-468 and ES-M-527. Petrobras is the operator with 75% equity and Vale holds a 25% share. It is located in the Outer Espirito Santo Basin partially adjacent to the BM-ES-32 license where Statoil is partner and which holds the Indra discovery.
STX Group Seeks 2013 Turnaround
Korea-based conglomorate STX saw tough times the past year due to severe cash shortage, but is seeking a turnaround in 2013 after offloading some assests. Market analysts have mixed views for STX.
US Offshore Wind Survey Contract for Fugro Atlantic
Fugro Atlantic to undertake a geological and geophysical survey for the Virginia Wind Energy Area for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The survey area covers over 45…
Hi-speed Ferry Hits Beacon: 26 Injured
A Macau to Hong Kong jetfoil hit a marker beacon in poor visibility while exiting the Macau Outer Harbour entrance channel. The ferry with 177 passengers and 8 crew on board at the time of the incident was towed back to the terminal with reportedly minor structural damage. Twenty-six injured passengers aged between four and sixty were admitted to the Centro Hospitalar Conde de São Januário for treatment. Ferry services from Macau were suspended for 45 minutes.
Maersk Ship Plastic Balls as Fruit
Maersk Container Industry (MCI) purchased 116,000 plastic balls for a trial to test & increase the effectiveness of its refrigerated containers in delivering fresh produce.
Gulf of Alaska Storm Rig Under Tow Again
Battling the storm a tug and a support vessel succeed in getting lines aboard the abandoned Shell drill rig 'Kulluk'. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley returned to the Kulluk’s location Sunday evening, after repairing their fouled port propeller in Kodiak, and relieved the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Spar as on scene commander. The crews of the response vessels Alert and Aiviq re-established…
