Chinese Icebreaker's Antarctic Response Gains Recognition
China’s research vessel and icebreaker 'Xue Long' has entered an area of clear water, after more than ten hours spent breaking up ice. A change in wind direction loosened the floes packed around the vessel, providing an 80-meter stretch of water for the Xuelong to navigate in, reports CNTV. The vessel's helicopter had earlier evacuated all 52 passengers from the stranded Russian ship Akademik Shokalskiy to the Australian icebreaker Aurora Australis.
Houston LPG Terminal Capacity to be Expanded
Oiltanking Partners, L.P. says it has expanded its terminal agreement with Enterprise Products Partners, L.P. to further increase exports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at the Partnership's terminal on the Houston Ship Channel. With an expected completion date of year-end 2015, the expanded LPG export terminal will have total loading capacity in excess of 16 million barrels per month of low-ethane propane and/or butane.
BAE to Drydock 'USS Wasp'
The Department of Defense has issued a $13,895,899 modification to a previously awarded Navy contract to BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, Va., for the warship's dry-docking planned maintenance, which includes maintenance, alterations, and modifications. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and is expected to be completed by November 2014. USS Wasp was built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Litton in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
MRA Launches Marine Salvage Fire-Fighting Data App
Marine Response Alliance (MRA), an association of the top U.S. emergency responders providing OPA 90 Salvage Marine Firefighting (SMFF), says it has launched an exclusive mobile app, providing ship owners/operators, qualified individuals (QIs) and the U.S. Coast Guard with immediate access to the MRA’s resources for Salvage Marine Fire Fighting as per OPA 90 compliance as well as the ability to report incidents through TITAN Salvage (MRA partner) around the world.
Kongsberg Open 'Subsea Valley', Oslo, Office
The company says it has installed 330 employees in a new building which will be the main headquarters for the Group's Oil & Gas business area in addition to accommodating some of the Group's defence activities. According to the cluster organisation 'Subsea Valley', the area between Fornebu and Drammen currently includes some 200 enterprises that represent nearly 57 000 workplaces and roughly NOK 111 billion in sales.
Winter Grips But Great Lakes Group Keeps Busy
The Great Lakes Towing Company says it has been extremely busy providing icebreaking assistance, and Great Lakes Shipyard has started repairs and maintenance on Interlake Steamship vessels, with more vessels contracted to follow. Recently, the 140-foot USCG Bay-class Icebreaking Tug Katmai Bay (WTGB 101) was dead in the icy waters and required towing assistance to its homeport dock, and the towing company's tug Missouri was dispatched to break ice and assist it back to its dock.
Mass Gulf of Aden Pirate Attack Foiled
An attempt by pirates to hijack an Iranian oil tanker in international waters has been foiled by the timely action of Iranian warships present in the region, reports Iran's FARS News Agency, citing Admiral Siyavash Jarreh. The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is an important energy corridor, allowing Persian Gulf oil to be shipped to the West via the Suez Canal.
WTS Wins Xflow Watermist Fire Fighting Contracts
Ulsteinvik-based Island Offshore has specified Unitor XFlow for two vessels under construction by Vard at its Brevik facility. The scope of the contract includes supply of a total flooding water mist system for the ship’s engine room and a local protection water mist system. The vessels which are being built to a Rolls-Royce design will be delivered to Island Offshore in 2014 and Q1 2015. Bergen-based…
New Cardinal Division Offers 24/7 Offshore Vessel Services
Cardinal Companies International, headquartered in Alvin, Texas, has launched Cardinal Marine to provide ship repair and dockside services, offering 24/7 marine services for topside repairs with the capability to deliver support and services world-wide. The company says it mobilizes its crews to meet clients where it’s most convenient for them to berth and perform any repairs and services on-site at local ports throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
DHT Opts for Third VLCC Newbuild from HHI
DHT Holdings, Inc. today announced that it has declared its option to construct a very large crude carrier (VLCC) at Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HHI) in…
Tidewater Barge Lines Selects MarineCFO Enterprise
MarineCFO, a division of VerticaLive Inc., announced today that Tidewater Barge Lines has chosen to implement the full MarineCFO Enterprise software suite, including Personnel…
Port of L.A. Ready for Calif. Shore-side Power Requirements
With more berths for ships to plug into shore-side electric power, or Alternative Maritime Power (AMP), than any other port in the world, the Port of Los Angeles…
Career Glance: Starting off on water as a deckhand
When José Tamayo and Calvin Aubry step foot onto the deck of the Galveston Island Ferry, they can be in for a long day as deckhands. But as they both see it, what's better than a day out on the water?
Navy Helicopter Crashes 20 Miles off Va., Rescue Ongoing
The Coast Guard is responding to a Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter that crashed with five people aboard Wednesday approximately 20 miles east of Cape Henry, Va. A Navy aircrew contacted Coast Guard 5th District Command Center watchstanders at approximately 11 a.m. reporting the Sea Dragon crashed and another Navy aircrew dropped a life raft to the people in the water. Sector watchstanders issued…
CANDEN Marine Fuel Services Opens New Office
Montreal-based CANDEN Marine Fuel Services Ltd. announced the opening of its new East Coast Canadian office. The organization forms one of the independent marketers of marine fuels in Canada with a focus on the Canadian and American East Coast ports, as well as the ports in the Caribbean. The new office will be led by Gayle Lewis, who brings years of expertise in the Canadian markets along with ties to the Montreal and East Coast shipping communities.
Non-tank Vessel Response Rules – Their Impact Examined
Long awaited, much hyped, the new rules require compliance in January. Will industry and more importantly, the response community, be ready? In September, the U.S.
Innovation Spotlight: U.S.-Built Security Vessels
Building patrol boats is big business, especially for foreign defense needs. U.S. yards compete on a global stage in the all-important maritime security workboat arena. Patrol boats have continued to enhance bottom lines at many U.S. vessel builders this year through sales that are usually government directed or assisted. Budget cuts are a concern, but the sector’s federal funding remains high. Patrol boats are sold to other nations under the U.S.
Naval Architecture Students Target Safety and Innovation
Marine Engineering and naval architecture students provide a fresh perspective on design, safety and innovation, too. When most of us board a passenger ferry, thinking about the safety and stability of the vessel will rarely cross our minds. Typically, those thoughts are obscured by other “more important” things, along with the distractions of electronic devices that keep us so pre-occupied that we even tune out the essential safety briefing that occurs during departure. While the record of U.S.
ASRY Repairs 4,000th Ship
Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (ASRY), said it has recently achieved a milestone with the repair of its 4,000th ship. The vessel, the Gas Al Gurain, is an LPG Tanker owned by Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) one of ASRY’s longest standing customers. ASRY, established in 1977, noted that reaching the 4,000-ship mark was achieved in part thanks to some of the world most prestigious fleets, including KOTC, Maersk, UASC, Odfjell MidEast and many more.
Today in U.S. Naval History: January 8
Today in U.S. 1847 - In the Battle of Rio San Gabriel, U.S. Navy, Marines and Army defeat Mexicans in Calif. For more information about naval history, visit the…
