Kilo Marine Joins KVH Watch Solution Partner Program
KVH Industries, Inc. announced that marine technical services firm Kilo Marine has joined the KVH Watch Solution Partner program and will offer KVH Watch connectivity as part of a wide range of marine services. In particular, the digital services that Kilo Marine offers via its V-Node platform will use KVH Watch to provide dedicated connectivity and on-demand Remote Expert Intervention, allowing Kilo Marine technicians to support their customer base anywhere around the world.
Chouest's LaShip Shipyard Adds New Welding Robot
Finnish welding and production automation company Pemamek said it delivered a new welding robot station to Edison Chouest Offshore's (ECO) LaShip shipyard in Louisiana.The newly commissioned PEMA VRWP-C robot station is a compact solution to automatize micro panel welding, but also other small-to-medium-sized constructions. The system is based on PEMA WeldControl 200 which enables easy weld path creation…
Report: Nord Stream 2 Set to Resume Pipelaying Works in Danish Waters
The Russia-led Nord Stream 2 consortium said on Thursday that work to lay its subsea gas pipeline to Germany would resume in Danish waters on Jan. 15, the TASS news agency reported…
U.S. Blacklists China's CNOOC over South China Sea Actions
The Trump administration added China’s CNOOC to a U.S. economic blacklist on Thursday, accusing the oil giant of helping Beijing intimidate neighbors in the South China Sea and ratcheting up tension days before U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes office.Alongside blacklisting CNOOC, the Commerce Department added China’s Skyrizon to the Military End-User (MEU) List over its ability to develop military products including aircraft engines, restricting its access to U.S.
Sweden Clearing Legal Path to Reexamine Estonia Wreck Site
A new examination of the wreck of the ferry Estonia, which sank in the Baltic in 1994 with the loss of 852 lives, will be possible from the summer when a change to Swedish law comes into force, news agency TT reported on Thursday.The official investigation concluded in 1997 that the roll-on, roll-off ferry’s bow shield had failed, damaging the bow ramp and flooding the car deck.But a recent television…
BIMCO: Zero Tonnes of Saudi Crude Oil Imported by the US
In the seven days up to 1 January 2021, the US did not record any crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia. It is the first time this has happened. Previously, imports have averaged several hundred thousand barrels per day (bpd), BIMCO said in "BIMCO’s Shipping Number of the Week" report.For the moment, this drop to zero appears to be a one off as imports in the week ending 8 January totalled 328,000 bpd.
European Firms Facing U.S. Sanctions over Nord Stream 2 Pipeline
The U.S. State Department this month told European companies which it suspects are helping to build Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that they face the risk of sanctions as the outgoing Trump administration prepares a final round of punitive measures against the project, two sources said on Tuesday."We are trying to inform companies of the risk and urge them to pull out before it's too late," a U.S. government source said on condition of anonymity.The U.S.
China's 2020 Crude Oil Imports Hit Record
China's total crude oil imports surged 7.3% in 2020 despite the coronavirus shock early in the year, with record arrivals in the second and third quarter amid plunging oil prices and expanding refineries, data showed on Thursday.For 2020, the world's top oil buyer brought in a record 542.37 million tonnes of crude oil, or 10.85 million barrels per day (bpd).December shipments were 38.47 million tonnes, equivalent to 9.06 million bpd, according to data released by the General Administration of Cu
Egypt Reopens Red Sea Ports Shut Due to Bad Weather
Egypt has reopened three Red Sea commercial ports and one fishing port which were shut earlier on Wednesday because of high winds and rough seas the Red Sea Ports Authority and two sources said.The reopened ports are Suez, Zeitiyat, Adabiya and the fishing port of al-Ataka, they added.Two other ports, Nuweiba and Ain al-Sokhna, remained closed, the authority and sources said.(Additional reporting by Youssry Mohamed; Writing by Mahmoud Mourad; Editing by Barbara Lewis and Alistair Bell)
Ocean 100: Profits from World's Seas Dominated by 100 Companies
Just 100 companies account for most of the profits from the world’s seas, researchers said on Wednesday, calling on them to help save the oceans from over-fishing, rising temperatures and pollution.Together, the companies generated $1.1 trillion in revenues in 2018, or about 60% of the total, according to a study that sets out for the first time which firms profit the most from marine industries.Oceans play a critical role in capturing planet-warming gases…
Forslund Joins BMT as Commercial Business Development Manager
Bill Forslund recently joined naval architecture and marine engineering design consultancy BMT as commercial business development manager, concentrating on West Coast new business, passenger vessels, navy and commercial tug and barge projects. He will be responsible for actively engaging federal and commercial customer communities to identify and develop new partnerships and projects.Forslund spent the past 15 years as advertising manager for Philips Publishing Group…
NASSCO Launches First New Oiler for the US Navy
U.S. shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO launched the future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), the first of six vessels in the John Lewis-class fleet oiler program designed to support the U.S. Navy.Construction of the future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) began in the fall of 2018. The 742- foot long vessel is designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy carrier strike group ships operating at sea, the oilers will feature the capacity to carry 157…
Equinor Selected for US' Largest Offshore Wind Award
Norwegian energy company Equinor said it has been selected to provide New York State with offshore wind power in one of the United States' largest renewable energy procurements to date.Under the award, Equinor and partner BP will provide 1,260 megawatts (MW) of renewable offshore wind power from Empire Wind 2, and another 1,230 MW of power from Beacon Wind 1, each calling for more than 90 turbines…
Maritime Security: Neo-colonialism in the Gulf of Guinea
Is neo-colonialism in the Gulf of Guinea the answer to West Africa’s maritime crime crisis?In October 2020, China’s transport ministry established an ad hoc workgroup to lay down precautionary measures for ships and seafarers passing through high piracy risk West African waters.The move came as China told its vessels to up vigilance and implement a series of precautionary measures to ensure the security…
Carnival Cruise Line Names Campbell CFO
Carnival Cruise Line said it has named Darrell Campbell as chief financial officer. He joins the U.S.-based cruise operator from parent company Carnival Corporation where he has served as corporate treasurer since 2017.Prior to his role at Carnival Corp, Campbell served as an audit partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. He is a licensed CPA in Florida and New Hampshire. He has master's degrees in accounting…
Tech File: 3D Printed Prop for French Warship
Naval Group manufactured a new-generation propeller via a metal 3D printing process, mounted on a tripartite minehunter.This propeller is 2.5-m in diameter, supported by five 200-kg blades. The equipment left the workshops of the Naval Group site of Nantes-Indret in October 2020 for the site of Brest in order to be mounted on the ship's propeller shaft. As part of its major technical stop, the assembly…
Ship Insurers Primed to Raise Rates After Red Sea Attacks
Insurers are set to raise the cost of providing cover for merchant ships through the Red Sea after a series of incidents that have hit vessels around Saudi Arabian waters, industry sources said.The possibility of more attacks on commercial shipping carrying oil and commodities through these waterways is growing after the outgoing U.S. administration’s move to designate Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement…
US' First LNG ATB Ready for Service
Q-LNG Transport and Shell Trading (US) Company announced Wednesday that the first offshore liquified natural gas (LNG) bunkering articulated tug and barge (ATB) in the United States, the Q-LNG 4000 is ready for operations along the southeast U.S. coast.Built by Halter Marine in Pascagoula, Miss., the ATB is designed to provide ship-to-ship transfers of LNG to vessels utilizing LNG and ship-to-shore…
Interpol Issues Red Notices for Ship Captain, Owner Over Beirut Blast
Interpol has issued red notices for the captain and owner of the ship that carried the chemicals which devastated Beirut in an explosion in August, killing 200 people, Lebanon’s state media said.Five months since one of the biggest non-nuclear blasts on record, big questions remain about the ammonium nitrate that detonated after being stored at the port for years.The Interpol notices, which are not international arrest warrants…
MARAD Administrator Mark Buzby Resigns
Mark Buzby, the Trump-appointed head of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), has resigned following the violent intrusion of the U.S. Capitol by the President's supporters, the agency confirmed to MarineLink.“I no longer believe that I am able to serve as a member of the administration while remaining true to the values which have been the core of my service to the people of our nation,” said Buzby, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral.Buzby's resignation took effect Monday, January 11.
