India Essar's Oil Imports from Iran Jump Sharply
Essar Oil, a key buyer of Iranian oil, in January sharply raised imports from the Islamic state and also became the first Indian refiner to ship in the Brazilian heavy grade Polvo…
Subsea Crane Ordered from China for New AHTS
MacGregor has secured an order from Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry for a 100-metric-ton SWL active heave-compensated subsea crane. The MacGregor crane will be installed…
HHI Orders Two MacGregor Subsea Cranes
![Photo: MacGregor](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-macgregor-23678.jpg)
MacGregor, part of Cargotec, saidi it won an order for two subsea cranes from South Korean shipyard Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd. The active heave-compensated cranes will have an SWL of 100 and 25 metric tons, respectively. They will be fitted on board a new 160-meter heavy construction vessel being built at the yard for global offshore specialist, Subsea 7. The MacGregor subsea cranes will support…
Record Volumes at Port Metro Vancouver
![Photo: Port Metro Vancouver](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-port-metro-vancouver-23680.jpg)
Canada's largest and most diverse port has released its 2013 year-end results showing continued growth, including a repeat of record volumes in the container and bulk sectors. In 2013, Port Metro Vancouver also advanced several ongoing capacity building infrastructure projects, updated and extended environmental initiatives and participated in substantial community engagement activities. The 2013 year-end statistics report shows that Port Metro Vancouver handled 135 million metric tons of cargo…
TUI Cruise Ship Keel Laid at STX Finland
![Photo: STX Europe](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-stx-europe-23677.jpg)
On 25 February 2014, approximately nine months after the keel laying of TUI Cruises’ first newbuilding Mein Schiff 3, TUI Cruises and STX Finland celebrated the keel laying of Mein Schiff 4 in the Turku shipyard. Following the old shipbuilding tradition, the lucky coins were placed under the keel block of the ship. In the lucky coin ceremony, held on the bottom of the drydock, the shipowner was represented by Richard J.
MTN Delivers OceanPhone Mobile
![](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/-23671.jpg)
Calling, Messaging and Voicemail Solution, Specially Designed for the Crew. MTN Communications (MTN) announces the general availability of the first calling app for maritime crew. MTN OceanPhone Mobile leverages the Wi-Fi infrastructure on vessels, as well as the MTN network, for calling and messaging. The app runs independently of other subscribed services. MTN OceanPhone Mobile, an extension of MTN’s OceanPhone calling solution for crew…
Golden Ocean Sees Dry Bulk Market Upswing
Reuters - Dry bulk shipping firm Golden Ocean reported fourth-quarter earnings broadly in line with expectations on Tuesday and said it expects the market to continue…
Issues Linger for Trans-Pacific Trade Deal
Reuters - Ministers in 12-nation Trans-Pacific trade talks said on Tuesday they have made progress trying to finalize a deal during a four-day meeting in Singapore…
Qatar's Nakilat Q4 Profit Falls 13%
![Photo: Nakilat](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-nakilat-23670.jpg)
Reuters - Qatar Gas Transport Co (Nakilat), one of the world's largest shippers of liquefied natural gas, posted a 13 percent drop in fourth-quarter net profit on Tuesday. The company made a fourth-quarter profit of 176.5 million Qatar riyals ($48.5 million), down from 203.3 million riyals a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations based on its financial statements. QNB Financial Services had forecast Nakilat would make a quarterly profit of 201 million riyals.
MOL's Net Profit Halves in Q4
Reuters - Hungarian oil group MOL's net profit halved in the fourth quarter due to a squeeze on gasoline margins as well as big impairment charges related to its…
Maritime Charity Amassing Stories for History Book
A national maritime charity is set to publish a commemorative book in celebration of its 150th anniversary and is calling for people to come forward with their stories and memories.
Quest for More Lethal U.S. Warship Could Raise Cost
![The littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS 2). U.S. Navy photo by Doug Sayers](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/the-littoral-combat-ship-uss-23668.jpg)
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's decision to stop building the current class of coastal warships after 32 vessels and focus on ships with more firepower and protection will result in higher costs, U.S. defense officials said on Monday. Hagel said that given the new threats, he had "considerable reservations" about building all 52 coastal warships as planned, which would account for one-sixth of the future 300-ship Navy.
Latest on Proposed Scania Buyout
![Scania engine detail: Image courtesy of the manufacturers](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/scania-engine-detail-image-courtesy-23661.jpg)
The Independent Committee of the Scania Board of Directors has begun its work to consider Volkswagen's buyout offer and confirms it has noted that Volkswagen does not foresee any significant changes with regards to Scania and that Scania’s headquarters and its development centers will remain where they are today. Deutsche Bank and Morgan Stanley have been retained as financial advisors to the Committee. Mannheimer Swartling has been retained as legal advisor and JKL as communication advisor.
Navy Updates Plans for a Changing Arctic
![USS Seawolf surfaced in ice: Photo credit USN](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/uss-seawolf-surfaced-in-ice-23659.jpg)
"This updated Navy Arctic Roadmap prepares the U.S. Navy to respond effectively to future contingencies, delineates the Navy's Arctic leadership role within the Defense Department, and articulates the Navy's support to achieve national priorities," writes Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert in the Roadmap introduction. In the coming decades, as multi-year sea ice in the Arctic Ocean recedes, previously unreachable areas may open for maritime use for a few weeks each year.
DP World's Rio de la Plata Terminal Switches to Navis N4 TOS
![File photo CCL](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/file-photo-ccl-23657.jpg)
Cargo movement technology experts Navis inform that DP World’s Terminales Rio de la Plata (TRP), the largest container facility in Argentina, successfully went live on the Navis N4 terminal operating system (TOS). A Navis SPARCS and Express customer since 1994, Buenos Aires-based Terminales Rio de la Plata handles containers from deep-sea vessels from Europe, Asia and North America, as well as feeders vessels to both the East and West coasts of South America and barges upriver to Rosario.
U.S. Anti-Piracy Ship Crew Treatment in India 'An Outrage'
![MV Seaman Guard Ohio: Photo courtesy of Advanfort](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/mv-seaman-guard-ohio-photo-23656.jpg)
The International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P), says 35 U.S. anti-piracy ship crew members are being treated unfairly, following the arrrest of their ship, 'Seaman Guard Ohio', describing it as 'an outrage' that they are being subjected to inhumane conditions in an Indian prison. MM&P inform that officials are withholding proper medical treatment, bathing facilities and adequate food and…
Latest DoD Navy Contracts
![Contract file photo CCL](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/contract-file-photo-ccl-23658.jpg)
General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp. has been awarded a contract modification for NRMD tasks in support of operational nuclear submarines. Secondly, York International has been awarded a contract for shipboard air-conditioning & refrigeration system work. General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn. The company is being awarded a $36,137,340 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-13-C-4311) to provide a Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department (NRMD).
Maersk Drilling Takes Delivery of First of Four Ultra-Deepwater Drillships
![Maersk Viking: Photo credit Maersk Drilling](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/maersk-viking-photo-credit-maersk-23660.jpg)
Maersk Drilling informs it has taken delivery of its first ultra deepwater drillship, 'Maersk Viking', from the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) shipyard in Geoje-Si, South Korea. The new vessel has started its voyage to the US Gulf of Mexico where it will commence a three year contract with ExxonMobil. The owners explain that Maersk Viking is the first in a series of four ultra deepwater drillships to enter Maersk Drilling’s fleet.
Scorpio Tankers Cuts Loss in FY 2013
![Photo courtesy of the owners](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-courtesy-of-the-owners-23663.jpg)
For the year ended December 31, 2013, Scorpio Tankers report a net loss of $3.7 million or $0.03 basic and diluted loss per share, as opposed to a net loss of $26.5 million or $0.64 basic and diluted loss per share on 31, December 2012. On February 21, 2014, the Scorpio Tankers' board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share, payable on March 26, 2014 to all shareholders as of March 11, 2014 (the record date). There are currently 198,791,502 shares outstanding.
Big Growth in Mediterranean Transhipment Business Observed
![Transhipment volumes: Image courtesy of Drewry Maritime Research](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/transhipment-volumes-image-courtesy-of-23655.png)
Virtually all large Mediterranean transhipment hub ports recorded double digit growth in 2013, well above regional and global growth levels, notes the latest edition of Drewry's Container Insight Weekly. Once all full year data is collated, global container port traffic is likely to have grown by around 3.3% whilst that for the regions bordering the Mediterranean Sea will probably have grown by between 3 and 6%.