Spanish Crude Oil Imports Fall to Six-year Low
Spanish crude oil imports fell 11.7% in the first three months of 2020 from the same period in the previous year, national oil and gas agency CORES said on Friday, as movement restrictions to stop the new coronavirus spreading sapped demand for fuel.Spain imported 5,063 kilotonnes of crude oil in March, 10.6% less than in the same month last year, CORES said.The quantity imported in the first quarter was the lowest for that period of the year since 2014, CORES said.(Reporting by Isla Binnie, Edi
Vietnam Protests Beijing's 'Fishing Ban' in South China Sea
Vietnam protested on Friday against what it calls China's unilateral fishing ban in the disputed South China Sea from May 1 to Aug.
Guyana's Liza Phase 2 on Track for First Oil in 2022
Liza Unity, an under-construction FPSO that will be Guyana's second offshore facility in production, remains on schedule for first oil in 2022, Hess Corp. said Thursday.Guyana became an oil-producing nation in December 2019, when Exxon brought online the Liza Destiny FPSO.Hess, a partner in the ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek block the Liza Destiny is operating, said Thursday that Liza Destiny would reach full capacity of 120,000 gross bopd in June.
Miura BWMS Secures USCG Type Approval
The U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center issued a Ballast Water Management System Type Approval Certificate to Japanese company Miura Co., Ltd., after a detailed review of the manufacturer’s application determined the system met the requirements of 46 CFR 162.060.The treatment principle of the Miura HK-(E)R consists of filtration and UV treatment during uptake and UV treatment during discharge. This…
Euronav Sells 2005-Built VLCC for $38M
Tanker operator has sold its 2005-built Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) TI Hellas for $38.1 million.Euronav, based in Belgium, said Friday that a capital gain of around $1.6 million will be recorded in the current quarter from the sale of the VLCC:"The vessel will be delivered to her new owners at the end of May after completion of the current voyage. Euronav considers regular fleet rejuvenation an important function of vessel management in providing quality services to our clients…
Hyundai Heavy Sheds More Light on Tanker Order
South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries has shared more details on its newly secured contract to build two crude oil carriers.The company had on Thursday issued a brief statement on the Korea Exchange sharing it had won contracts to build two tankers for a European client. The order value is 149,8 billion South Korean Won, or $122,2 million.In a subsequent release issued on Friday on its website…
IMO Endorses Shipping Industry's 12-step Plan for Crew Changes
The need for ships to change crews and for the world's 1.2 million seafarers to be able to fly home at the end of their periods of service have emerged as two of the biggest challenges facing the shipping industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.To help governments put in place coordinated procedures to facilitate the safe movement of seafarers, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) issued a 12-step plan to 174 member states…
Chinese Tug Has Coronavirus Quarantine Space
A Chinese tug has been fitted with a space to quarantine crew members as the global maritime industry continues to implement precautionary health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.The vessel, Jin Gang Lun 32, owned and operated by Tianjin Port has been equipped with a 20-foot container fitted to the aft deck as an isolation/temporary quarantine space.The air-conditioned container features large watertight windows and contains basic living facilities including a sofa settee…
Wicker Urges Congress to Stay on Course to 355 Ship Navy
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., on Thursday participated in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to consider nominations for the Department of Defense. At the hearing, Wicker pressed members of the committee and the nominees to devote more resources to meeting the needs of America’s military, including shipbuilding and aviation.At the hearing, Wicker asked Kenneth Braithwaite, nominee for Secretary of the Navy…
Norwegian Has Enough Cash to Stay Afloat for 18 Months
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd’s $3.5 billion in cash on hand will be enough to bankroll the company for “at least 18 months” without any new revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic that has halted voyages, Chief Executive Frank Del Rio said on Thursday.“That’s enough to cover our cash burn under a zero-revenue environment for at least 18 months, not 12, 18 months,” Del Rio told Reuters in a phone interview.Norwegian’s shares…
Princess and Other Cruise Lines Extend Service Suspensions
Carnival Corp’s Princess Cruises said on Wednesday its voyages would remain suspended through the end of summer as reduced flights and travel bans around the globe bring the industry to a virtual standstill.Holland America Line, Carnival’s another unit, said it has canceled all cruises for Alaska, Europe and Canada and New England for the year, as well as its Amsterdam vessel that was scheduled to depart in October to Fort Lauderdale…
Ruby Princess Reaches the Philippines
A cruise ship at the heart of Australia’s biggest coronavirus cluster arrived off the Philippines on Thursday to repatriate more than 200 crew, leaving behind weeks…
Signs Led to Japan's Second Coronavirus Cruise Ship Hot Spot
Seven days before Japan quarantined a cruise ship near Tokyo early this year, in what became one of the first coronavirus hot spots outside China, another cruise ship docked in southern Japan.For the next five weeks, as the virus took hold in Japan and the Diamond Princess in Yokohama port grabbed global attention, the Japanese authorities issued no warnings to the Costa Atlantica 1,200 km (750 miles)…
Vard Marine Names Carson CEO
Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Vard Marine Inc. announced Thursday that Wade Carson will succeed Dave McMillan as president and CEO upon McMillan's retirement on May 31.Carson has been with Vard for 18 years. For the past six years he has led the business’s strategic direction as VP Business Development and most recently was on assignment as interim Managing Director of affiliate company Vard Electro Canada.Following his 30-year tenure with Vard Marine…
Cyprus Adopts Formal Crew Change Process
The Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry (SDM) formally announced it has adopted a new process to facilitate crew changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Crew changes for vessels are possible in Cyprus provided certain conditions are met. The relevant decrees issued by the Ministry of Health also permit the long-term stay in anchorage of vessels, including cruise ships (warm lay-up).Cyprus is actively supporting and implementing such measures…
Vendors Sought to Inform Electric Ferry Design
Skagit County Public Works and vessel designer Glosten say they are seeking technical information and cost estimates from vendors to inform design decisions related to the electrical system, the propulsion system, the shore side electrical system, and the automated charging plug of the all-electric ferry design to replace the 41-year-old M/V Guemes currently in operation on the U.S. West Coast.“This is relatively new propulsion technology – we need to make sure we get this right.
US Barging Industry Navigating Black Swan Events
The combination of the coronavirus pandemic and oil price freefall have affected most maritime markets, including inland waterway shipping. Looking at U.S. river transport in particular, the impacts of these two black swan events vary greatly depending on the type of cargo being carried.David Grzebinski, CEO of the America’s largest tank barge operator, Kirby Corp., said in a March conference call…
COVID-19 Economic Recovery Should Include Infrastructure Investment
As the nation continues to be impacted by COVID-19, there are silver linings to the crisis: family time and togetherness, gratitude for what we had before it was taken away, and a chance to seek opportunities to be better and more productive.As funding bills related to the COVID-19 crisis move forward, there may be an opportunity for the nation to better itself by modernizing its infrastructure.Congress has, to date as of this writing, passed three phases of a coronavirus relief package.
Royal IHC Awarded Dredger Contracts
Dutch shipbuilder Royal IHC said Thursday it has signed three contracts with the Jordan-based Arab Potash Company (APC) to deliver two cutter suction dredgers (CSDs) and implement a new maintenance agreement. The first contract comprises the delivery of a custom-built CSD, the second is a three-year maintenance contract for the IHC dredgers Jarash and Mutah, and the third involves another dredger, which will be a copy of Jarash.The newly built CSD Alkaramah is based on a modified…
Hydrographic Survey Vessel to be Converted for Unmanned Operations
A hydrographic survey vessel will operate in multiple areas of the Wadden Sea, commanded from shore by personnel in an office in Amersterdam.U.S.-based Sea Machines Robotics, a developer of autonomous command and advanced perception systems, said Thursday that Dutch company Deep BV will equip one of its vessels with a Sea Machines SM300 autonomous control system to enable remote command of the vessel…
