Cosco Shipping Executive Murdered in Pakistan
A Chinese shipping company executive was murdered in Karachi, Pakistani on Monday in what police say appears to be targeted attack. The man, identified as Chen Zhu, the Pakistan general manager of Cosco Shipping Lines Co, shot dead while in his car in the port city of Karachi, Reuters reported. Chen suffered a single bullet wound in the head, according to police who said at least 10 shots were fired at the car.
New Vessels to Help Philippines Fight Illegal Fishing
Two new 50-meter multi-mission offshore vessels (MMOV) will soon help the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) fight illegal fishing in Philippine waters. The sister ships – DA BFAR MMOV 5001, named BRP Lapu-Lapu, and DA BFAR MMOV 5002, named BRP Francisco Dagohoy – were built by Manilla-based Josefa Slipways, and have recently completed speed and endurance trials ahead of their upcoming delivery.
California to Ban Crude from Trump Offshore Drilling Plan
California will block the transport of petroleum from new offshore oil rigs through its state, officials told Reuters, a move meant to hobble the Trump administration’s effort to vastly expand drilling in U.S. federal waters. California's threat to deny pipeline permits for transporting oil from new leases off the Pacific Coast is the latest step by states trying to halt the biggest proposed expansion in decades of federal oil and gas leasing.
Volvo Penta Names Kelleher VP Customer Support, Training
Volvo Penta of the Americas announced the appointment of Tony Kelleher as vice president for customer support and training. Kelleher will be responsible to support both marine and industrial segments within the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Kelleher was previously director of the marine leisure segment with responsibility for OEM and dealer sales and partnership development for North America.
US Icebreaker Suffers Flooding, Engine Failure in Antarctic
America’s aging, sole remaining heavy icebreaker suffered several engineering challenges, including flooding and engine failure, on its way to completing a recent mission in the Antarctic, highlighting the U.S.’ need for new polar icebreakers. The 1970s-era U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is called upon each year to aid the delivery of fuel and supplies for National Science Foundation research stations in Antarctica…
Panama Canal Expects LNG Tanker Traffic to Rise 50%
The number of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers traversing the Panama Canal is expected to jump 50 percent by September due to rising exports of the fuel from the United States, the head of the canal's governing agency told Reuters. After adding a third set of locks in 2016, the Panama Canal Authority expects that growing global demand for LNG will boost transit through the waterway, said Jorge Quijano, head of the authority.
Baltic Index Inches Up On Increased Capesize Activity
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, crept higher on Wednesday on firmer capesize rates. The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, inched up 2 points, or 0.18 percent, to end at 1,097 points. "Following seasonal weakness in the dry bulk sector resulting from the Chinese New Year…
Allseas Plans World's Largest Construction Vessel
Swiss offshore services firm Allseas is planning to build a vessel big enough to be able to remove the world's largest oil and gas platforms when they reach the end of their production lives, its chief executive said. The vessel, to be called Amazing Grace, is designed to remove the heaviest platforms in a single lift and could reduce decommissioning costs for global oil and gas producers, the firm said.
USCG Approves Meridian Global Consulting as TPO
The Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise (TVNCOE) posted on its website February 2, 2018, that the U.S. Coast Guard has approved Meridian Global Consulting, LLC as a third-party organization (TPO) to carry out certain functions in accordance with Subchapter M. The current list of all Subchapter M approved TPOs is maintained on TVNCOE’s TPO webpage. In accordance with 46 CFR 139.110, classification societies that are recognized and/or authorized meet the requirements of a TPO.
ASEAN Pushes for South China Sea 'Code of Conduct'
The Association of South East Asian Nations is hoping to expedite negotiations on a code of conduct with China for the South China Sea but it is not realistic to expect an agreement within a year…
Georgia Ports Plans 10 Million TEU of Growth by 2028
Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Griff Lynch outlined a plan that will double container handling capacity to 10 million TEUs at Garden City Terminal within 10 years.
Ocean Installer Gets Two SURF Contracts From Statoil
Norway's Ocean Installer has secured two subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) contracts with Statoil for work on several fields offshore Norway. The subsea company has secured two contracts…
DP World Reports Record Volume Growth
Dubai-based terminal operator DP World has reported record container volumes of 70.1 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) for 2017, a jump of 10.1 percent year-on-year.
Hyundai Merchant Marine, AAL Shipping Join for MPV Service
South Korea's Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) announced it is beginning its cooperation with Singapore based carrier, AAL Shipping, for Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) service. Specialist multipurpose carriers and long-standing collaborators, AAL and Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), are entering a global cooperation that will see both carriers expand their trade route coverage, sailings frequency, and MPV fleet capacity.
CMA CGM Adjusts EURAF 5 Service
The CMA CGM Group announced it is reinforcing its service from Europe to West Africa through a new call at Kribi (Cameroon) and shortened transit times from North Europe on its EURAF 5 service.
Handforth is New CEO of Aberdeen Harbor Board
Michelle Handforth has taken over the role of chief executive at Aberdeen Harbor Board, the U.K. offshore oil and gas port. This comes after an extensive recruitment process…
Hapag-Lloyd Opens Ghana Office
German-based Hapag-Lloyd opened a new office in the Ghana port city Tema, on February 1, 2018. Effective immediately, the company will be represented at the local…
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Reports Highest-Ever Container Traffic
India's biggest container port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) handled 0.418 million TEUs in January this year, which was highest ever container traffic handled…
Østensjø Rederi’s Sister SOVs Named at Gondán
Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Gondán said it recently celebrated milestones for the two latest newbuilds under construction for owner Østensjø Rederi A/S. On Saturday, the first Spanish-built service operation vessel (SOV), Edda Passat, was named at Gondán's Figueras shipyard, and the day before, also after the celebration of her naming, sister vessel, Edda Mistral, was launched into the Ria del Eo.
Elcome Completes Satcom Switchover for LNG Tanker Fleet
Elcome International said it has completed a satellite communications retrofit program for a major fleet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers providing broadband data and voice services. “Our team decommissioned the existing VSAT systems and installed new SAILOR 900 antennas and below-deck systems on 40 ships within four months. Most of the installations were performed at sea, and the others were made at ports in eight different countries…
