New North Sea CNR Contract Requires Second Harkand Vessel
![Harkand Da Vinci: Photo courtesy of the owners](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/harkand-da-vinci-photo-courtesy-24442.jpg)
Subsea inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) group Harkand says it is to position a second dive support vessel in the burgeoning North Sea sector after securing a major contract with CNR International (CNRI). The contract will see Harkand deliver jacket life extension works, IRM scopes and inspection services in the second quarter of 2014 for CNRIÂ’s Ninian South platform and Lyell field, located approximately 150km north-east of the Shetland Islands.
DryShips to Make US$500-Million Notes Offering
Greece's DryShips Inc. through its majority owned subsidiary, Ocean Rig UDW Inc., informs that it intends to offer $500 million in aggregate principal amount of…
Australian Warship Returns from Billion-Dollar Drug Interdiction
![Arrival HMAS Melbourne: Photo credit RAN](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/arrival-hmas-melbourne-photo-credit-24441.jpg)
Families, friends and well-wishers joined Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Assistant Minister for Defence Stuart Robert and Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs AO, CSC, RAN at Garden Island, Sydney to welcome home HMAS Melbourne from a successful Middle East mission. Assistant Minister for Defence Stuart Robert congratulated the 232-strong ship’s company of HMAS Melbourne on her successful deployment, which saw her intercept more than $1 billion in illegal drugs.
Parana River Push Boats Named at UZMAR Turkey Shipyard
![Hidrovias push boat: Image courtesy of Robert Allan Ltd](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/hidrovias-push-boat-image-courtesy-24440.jpg)
The first two in a series of 8 in total Robert Allan design SDP 4600 Class push boats have been named at a ceremony in the UZMAR, Turkey shipyard. The shipbuilders say that these are the world’s most powerful diesel electric triple Z-drive shallow draft push boats ever built, able to transport a 16 barge flotilla of 48.000 dwt capacity over a 2500 km range. These push boats were ordered by Hidrovias do Brasil S.A.
Port of LA Throughput Negatively Impacted by Chinese New Year
![Port of Los Angeles container ship: Image courtesy of the Port](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/port-of-los-angeles-container-24448.jpg)
February 2014 cargo volumes in the Port of Los Angeles decreased 8.9 percent compared to the same month last year informs the Port in its latest report. The Port considers that the decrease is due in part to the Chinese New Year, which closed many factories in Asia for two to three weeks in February. Last year, the holiday was found to have had a negative impact on March container volumes. Container imports decreased 10.6 percent…
Houston Ship Channel Collision: Tank Barge & Cargo Ship
![Hull damage: Photo credit USCG](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/hull-damage-photo-credit-uscg-24439.jpg)
The cause of a collision between the cargo ship 'Genius Star VII' and a barge loaded with 840,000 gallons of #6 fuel oil in the Houston Ship Channel is being investigated by the US Coast Guard. Watchstanders with Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Texas City received a report at approximately 8:30 p.m., on Friday concerning a collision, which occurred between a loaded barge and a 394-foot cargo ship loaded with grain. There has been no report of injuries or pollution from either vessel.
Tsunami Warning Issued Following Chile Earthquake
![Image CCL](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/image-ccl-24438.png)
A tsunami early warning was announced at 18:16 hours on Sunday, in the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Iquique and Antofagasta. According to pointing SHOA, the odds of a minor tsunami occurs between the towns of Arica and Tocopilla in mainland Spain, reports BioBio Chile. Citilng information from The National Seismological Centre, University of Chile, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake was recorded, with epicenter located 75 kilometers Southwest of Pisagua, and a depth of 20.6 kilometers.
USCG Rescues 4 from Sinking Vessel
A U.S. Coast Guard boatcrew rescued four people approximately 30 miles south of Cape San Blas, Fla., Friday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Panama City, Fla.…
PPG PMC Terminates Sales Agreement in Mexico
PPG Industries’ protective and marine coatings (PMC) business announced that it has terminated its licensee agreement with Comex Group in Mexico and that customers…
German Investor Eyes Burgas Shipyards
First Investment Bank, the main creditor of the Burgas Shipyards AD, has expressed interest in handing over management of the company to a German investor. Radoslav Valchev…
GCT Statement on Vancouver Truckers Dispute
Stephen Edwards, President & CEO of GCT Global Container Terminals Inc., issued a statement on Port Metro Vancouver’s trucking dispute. “Due to the backlog of import…
Electric Rates Reduced at Port of Long Beach
![Photo: Port of Long Beach](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-port-of-long-beach-24437.jpg)
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved reduced electric rates at the Port of Long Beach for the next 24 years and a program for Southern California Edison to install major electric infrastructure at no cost to the port or its tenants, so that the Port and its tenants can proceed with critical electrification and environmental improvement projects. The new rates and electric infrastructure are the result of an intensive effort by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners…
Diesel-Electric Propulsion for Offshore
![Photo courtesy of Eastern Shipbuilding](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-courtesy-of-eastern-shipbuilding-24436.jpg)
Long reserved for specialized applications such as icebreakers, diesel electric has enjoyed a rapid growth for marine propulsion in the past decade. Throughout that period, Cummins Marine has been a leader, supplying more than 900 diesel electric packages since delivering its first genset 2003. Early adopters of this flexible propulsion technology included the US firm Rigdon Marine with twenty vessels and France-based Bourbon Offshore with over 100 vessels.
Industry Urges Senate for Vessel Discharge Legislation
On March 13, a diverse coalition of 59 national and regional organizations representing a wide array of business, maritime and labor interests signed on to a letter to Senate Commerce…
NewLead Buys Two Bulk Carriers
NewLead Holdings Ltd. announced that it has executed definitive agreements for the acquisition of two eco-type 31,800 dwt, Handysize bulk carriers built in 2012…
Scorpio Sells Seven Tankers in Construction
Scorpio Tankers Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement whereby the company will sell its seven Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) under construction…
Maritime Reporter @ 75: The Daily Cartoon
![© New Wave Media](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/new-wave-media-24431.jpg)
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.
Boat Company Fined for Operating Unlicensed Vessels
A senior director of a canal boat company has today been ordered to pay £3,600 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to operating passenger vessels in North Yorkshire…
OW Bunker Expands North America Distribution
OW Bunker, a physical distributors and resellers of marine fuel, announced the launch of physical distribution operations in Los Angeles and Long Beach, further…
Coast Guard's Eighth FRC Enters Service
![The cutter’s command group, (left to right) Petty Officer 1st Class Nicole Thomas, first officer of the deck, Lt. j.g. Graham Sherman, executive officer, and Lt. Kevin Connell, commanding officer, were on hand to bring the ship to life. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Sabrina Laberdesque)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/the-cutters-command-group-left-24426.jpg)
Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton was commissioned into service March 8 at Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla. The Sexton is the second of six Fast Response Cutters to be homeported in Key West, and the eighth vessel to be delivered through the Coast Guard’s Sentinel-class FRC recapitalization project. The cutter is named after Machinery Technician 1st Class Charles W. Sexton, who drowned during a rescue operation conducted off the coast of Washington. On Jan.