Pemex Signs Agreement with the British Council
Pemex signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the British Council to promote the training of their workers. The agreement was signed by the director general of Pemex…
EBDG-designed Passenger Vessel Launched
Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG), a naval architecture and marine engineering firm with offices in Seattle, New Orleans and Ketchikan, today announced that the passenger vessel Hornblower Guardian, built to its design, is now in service. EBDG partnered with Hornblower Cruises and Events of San Francisco to engineer the multipurpose vessel for that company's Niagara Falls operation. The new 68-foot long monohull vessel carries up to 150 passengers and has a unique…
New GTT Training Center Awards First Certificates
Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) announced that its new training center awarded certificates to the first group of delegates to complete a LNG Cargo Operations (SIGTTO management Level) training course. The delegates who participated received training in the cargo operations typically conducted onboard LNG carries in a course which is approved by DNV GL as complying with the SIGTTO (Society of International Gas Tanker and Terminal Operators), suggested competence standard.
Concordia Refloating Slated for July 14
The Costa Concordia’s salvage team has confirmed that the ship refloating operation is set to proceed starting on Monday, July 14. As was the case for the parbuckling project, the operation’s commencement is subject to authorization from the observatory and also weather forecasts over the next few days. Therefore, final confirmation of the start of the refloating operation will not be announced until the day before the refloating will begin.
Vic-Press Receives Five New Type Approvals
Victaulic, a manufacturer of mechanical pipe-joining systems, has received type approvals from American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Bureau Veritas (BV), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Korean Register and Lloyd’s Register for Vic-Press, a flame-free press system for joining small-diameter stainless steel pipe. With these new approvals, more shipbuilders will be able to take advantage of Vic-Press as a means of joining stainless steel pipe in new-vessel construction, retrofit and repair operations.
Chilean Port Workers Strike
Port workers in Chile have been on strike since the afternoon of Tuesday, July 8 in respect of a dispute over a new law which affects workers' lunch and rest breaks, Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) advises. The strike, organized by the Union Portuaria, is affecting a number of ports and disrupted operations are primarily impacting container and dry cargos. The strike will be indefinite until ongoing negotiations between the Union and the Chilean Government can be resolved.
French Govt to End Corsica Ferry Blockades
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Wednesday he would take steps "within hours" to end blockades of ports in Marseille and Corsica by workers of the SNCM ferry operator…
Palfinger Secures Follow-up Order from Sentinel
Palfinger Boats, Palfinger Ned-Deck and their partner Outreach Ltd. have secured a follow-up order from Sentinel Marine Ltd. The delivery of Sentinel Marine Ltd's fast rescue and aluminum daughter crafts order for four emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRVs), led to the company's announced letter of intent (LOI) for Outreach to be involved in the sale of an additional four ERRV ship sets. Both…
CWind Wins Health and Safety Award
CWind Ltd, a provider of services to the offshore wind industry, is once again among the winners at the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2014. The Gold award in the prestigious annual scheme run by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) was presented during a ceremony at the ExCeL London, on June 17, 2014. Through the scheme, which is open to businesses and organizations of all types and sizes from across the U.K.
Maritime Reporter @ 75: The Daily Cartoon
Maritime Reporter & Engineering News was founded by John J. O'Malley (1905-1980) in 1939, and today ranks as the world's largest audited trade publication in the world serving the maritime industry, with a circulation of more than 35,000 worldwide, including ship and boat owners, ship and boat builders, naval architects and marine engineers. Today Maritime Reporter heads a group of four print and 10 websites serving the global maritime, offshore and subsea sector.
Carnival Extends Deal with Port of New Orleans
The Port of New Orleans and Carnival Cruise Lines signed a new agreement that will keep the world’s largest cruise line sailing at least two ships year-round from New Orleans through 2019. The new agreement supersedes a 2013 three-year extension and offers three one-year options that could guarantee Carnival homeports at least two ships of equal or greater size than the Dream Class and Fantasy Class ships sailing from the Port today through 2022. The new agreement began July 1, 2014.
Lakes Iron Ore Trade Down 17% at Midyear
The Lake Carriers' Association reported that iron ore shipments on the Great Lakes total 19.2 million tons through the end of June, a 17 percent decrease from a year ago and the trade’s long-term average. Higher water levels have not been able to offset the interminable delays suffered during the winter of 2013/2014. Shipments from U.S. ports through the second quarter stand at 16.8 million tons, a decrease of nearly 19 percent compared to a year ago.
Ivory Coast Increases Budget on Higher Cocoa, Gas, Port Revenues
Ivory Coast has increased its 2014 budget by nearly 4 percent on expectations of higher earnings from cocoa, natural gas and the country's ports, a government spokesman announced on Wednesday.
US Imports Surge as Ports Contract Remains in Limbo
With West Coast longshoremen still negotiating a new contract, retailers are bringing holiday merchandise into the United States at record levels to protect against potential supply chain disruptions, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates. Import volume at major U.S. container ports is expected to total 1.5 million containers this month.
Today in U.S. Naval History: July 9
Today in U.S. Naval History - July 9 1846 - Sailors and Marines from USS Portsmouth occupy and raise flag over San Francisco. 1944 - Organized Japanese resistence ceases on Saipan, Marianas. 1960 - USS Wasp departs Guantanamo Bay to support United Nations effort to calm the newly independent Congo. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.
Two Vessels Join SAL Heavy Lift’s Fleet
SAL Heavy Lift, one of the world’s leading heavy lift vessel operators, has added two ships, Calypso and Amoenitas, to its fleet to serve clients with lift requirements of up to 900 metric tons. SAL's type 183 vessels and 176 vessels are well planned ahead, so SAL's expansion with type 116 responds to the growing demand for its mid-range services on the part of customers worldwide. “As our vessels are in great demand…
Second WTS Firefighting System for Prospector
Successful retrofit to first newbuilding sees Aberdeen-based owner specify further Low Expansion Foam system for second China-built jack-up. Wilhelmsen Technical Solutions (WTS) has received a repeat order to install its Unitor Low Expansion Foam fire extinguishing system on a second jack-up newbuilding for Prospector Offshore Drilling. The specialized firefighting systems will provide fire protection…
EURONAV Private Offering Raises $125m
EURONAV announces that it has raised $125 million in total in gross cash proceeds through a private placement of 10,556,808 new shares to institutional investors selected through an accelerated book build offering. Following strong demand, Euronav decided to upsize the initial offering from $100 million to $125 million. All of the newly issued shares were placed at a price of €8.70 per share (or $11.84 at the current EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.3610)…
HMC Chooses Kongsberg Offshore Simulator
Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) has selected Kongsberg Maritime’s K-Sim Offshore simulation platform to enhance crane operator training and the safe, efficient implementation of heavy lift operations. With the contract signed on May 21, 2014, delivery of what Kongsberg said will become the world’s most advanced offshore heavy lift crane simulator is planned for September 2015. It will be installed at a new simulation centre in the HMC Academy at the company’s HQ in Leiden, the Netherlands.
India's JSW Raises Iron Ore Imports
JSW Steel, led by billionaire Sajjan Jindal and India's third-largest maker of the alloy, will import 6 million metric tons of iron ore this fiscal year compared…
