Venezuela Diverts Oil Cargoes as Cuba Terminal Fire Continues
Venezuela's state oil firm PDVSA diverted two crude cargoes set to discharge at Cuba's Matanzas terminal, Refinitiv Eikon data and company documents showed on Tuesday, as a fire that devastated 40% of the island's main storage facility continued for a fifth day.Lightning on Friday set one crude storage tank at the 2.4-million-barrel facility ablaze, later spreading to three others, resulting in massive…
Petrobras Awards $130M Charter Extension for Sapura Esmeralda PLSV
Malaysia's Sapura Energy has, through a joint venture company, secured a charter extension with Brazil's Petrobras for the pipelaying support vessel (“PLSV”) Sapura Esmeralda.
Five More Migrants Lost at Sea from Capsized Makeshift Vessel off Florida
The U.S. Coast Guard has called off its search for five migrants missing in waters off the Florida Keys since their makeshift vessel capsized on Friday, adding to the dozens lost at sea in attempted boat crossings from Cuba in recent months.The five who disappeared about 14 miles (23 km) south of Sugar Loaf Key brought to seven the toll of dead or presumed dead in Friday's accident, even as the Coast…
Norwegian Cruise Says Pre-pandemic Occupancy Still a Year Away
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd forecast a loss for the current quarter and revenue below estimates as occupancy rates remained stubbornly below pre-pandemic levels, sending its shares down 12% on Tuesday.Its second-quarter occupancy of 65% compared with more than 107% in 2019, a level the company does not expect to reach till the second quarter next year.In contrast, rival Royal Caribbean Group…
Brittany Ferries to Install Wärtsilä's 'Smart' Camera System
Wärtsilä Voyage, part of the technology group Wärtsilä, announced that its Smart Panoramic Edge Camera System (SPECS) will be used by Brittany Ferries to improve the safety and efficiency of its passenger ferry operations. SPECS will be first installed onboard the Salamanca – the 214.5 meter, 1015 passenger ferry which started operations between Portsmouth and Bilbao in March 2022.The SPECS super-wide cameras will give the crew a 360° view…
Kovalski Named VP, Engineering at Ocean5
Stuart, Florida-based Ocean5 appointed Roger Kovalski as Vice President of Engineering. He was previously Senior Project Engineer & Yacht Designer, and began his career with OCEAN5 in early 2012.Kovalski has been in the engineering and design profession for over 25 years, coming to the U.S/ from his native home in Brazil in 2001. He is fully conversant with the engineering needs of any project including the design of aluminum…
Empty Containers in East Coast Ports enter FMC's Crosshairs
While there are many layers to the continued container shipping supply chain woes, and the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission has set its sites on the nuisance of empty containers clogging traffic, on the heals of FMC Chairman Maffei's visit to the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey."In my view, the congestion emanates from the lack of accountability in moving the buildup of empty containers back into the terminals," said Carl W. Bentzel, Commissioner with FMC.
Baltic Index Steady as Lower Rates for Smaller Vessels Offset Capesize Gains
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index was little changed on Tuesday as declines to multi-week lows in the panamax and supramax segments countered gains in capesize rates.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, and supramax shipping vessels, edged down two points to 1,564 points.The capesize index .BACI was up for the second session, gaining 45 points, or 3.1%, at 1,510 points.Average daily earnings for capesizes…
Green Yard Kleven to Refit Two Oceanica PSVs
Green Yard Kleven in Norway said it has signed a contract with Brazilian shipowner Oceanica to convert two platform supply vessels (PSV) for operations with remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) and offshore crane.The two ships, both Marin Teknikk MT6009 design, have recently been purchased by Oceanica. One is already at Green Yard Kleven, and the other will arrive at the shipyard in the next few days.
USS Farragut Deploys with George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group
US Navy's Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) deployed as part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG) from Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Aug. 6.According to the U.S. Navy, this is a routine deployment for Farragut and the first after a dry-dock maintenance period in 2021.Farragut returned to operational capability in the summer of 2021 and has completed a rigorous training cycle…
Russia, Ukraine Agree to Protect Ukraine Grain Shipping Channel
Ships exporting Ukraine grain through the Black Sea will be protected by a 10 nautical mile buffer zone, according to long-awaited procedures agreed by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations on Monday and seen by Reuters.The United Nations and Turkey brokered a deal last month after Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine halted grain exports, stoking a global food crisis that the United Nations says has pushed tens of millions more people into hunger.Since then Russia…
Atlantic Towing PSVs Rescue Crew from Sinking Fishing Vessel
Two platform supply vessels (PSV) stationed in eastern Canada came to the rescue of a crew from a sinking fishing vessel off the coast of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, on Monday.Atlantic Towing said its PSVs Atlantic Griffon and Atlantic Shrike picked up a radio transmission from a nearby vessel stating the fishing boat Gypsy Mariner had lost power and was taking on water. The PSVs immediately contacted the Canadian Coast Guard…
Turkey Sends New Oil and Gas Drillship to the Mediterranean
Turkey sent its new hydrocarbons drilling ship to the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday but President Tayyip Erdogan said it would operate 55 kilometres (34.18 miles) off Turkey's coast, in an area outside waters also claimed by Cyprus.Speaking at the launch ceremony in the southern province of Mersin, Erdogan said the area of operation was within Turkey's sovereign territory and that there was "no need for permission from anyone" for it to drill there.(Reuters - Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen, Editing
Devastating Fire May Force Cuba to Resort to Expensive Floating Oil Storage
An inferno at Cuba's largest oil storage facility has killed at least one firefighter, injured many more, and threatens to further swell the fuel import bill for the impoverished island nation that relies on foreign oil for everything from transportation to its power grid.Cuban officials may need to scramble to set up expensive floating storage capacity to handle imports aimed at easing an acute fuel scarcity…
US Coast Guard Cutter Collides With Fishing Vessel Near Puerto Rico; One Dead
A U.S. Coast Guard cutter was involved in a fatal collision with a small fishing boat Monday afternoon off the coast of Puerto Rico.The 154-foot Sentinel Class fast response cutter Winslow Griesser and the 23-foot commercial fishing vessel Desakata collided, approximately four nautical miles north of Dorado, Puerto Rico.Following the collision, the cutter crew recovered the two fishermen aboard Desakata…
Cox Marine Charts U.S. Growth with Key Appointments
New Regional Director Doug Ross will lead CXO300 diesel outboard engine manufacturer’s expansion in North America with Sales Manager Chuck Gould in support.Cox Marine announced two sales appointments in North America as it builds its regional team to drive business growth. Doug Ross was confirmed as Regional Sales Director, North America, to lead Cox Marine’s sales strategy, overseeing all business channels in the country and working closely with the U.S.
First-ever U.S. Sour Crude Cargo Sails to Germany as Russia Sanctions Bite
A tanker of U.S. sour crude was delivered at Germany's port of Rostock last week for the first time ever, according to sources, analysts and vessel tracking data…
Equinor Extends Solstad Offshore PSV Charter
Norwegian offshore vessel owner Solstad Offshore has secured a contract with Equinor for the platform supply vessel Normand Searcher.More precisely, Equinor has declared an option to extend the contract for the PSV for one more year to September 2023. The financial details were not disclosed.The oil and gas company has the option to extend the contract with a further four one-year contracts.The platform supplier has been on contract with Equinor since 2017.
Third Oil Storage Tank Collapses in Cuba Terminal Following Fire, Spill
A third crude tank caught fire and collapsed at Cuba's main oil terminal in Matanzas, its governor said on Monday, as an oil spill spread flames from a second tank that caught fire two days earlier in the island's biggest oil industry accident in decades.Cuba had made progress fighting off the raging flames during the weekend after drawing on help from Mexico and Venezuela, but late on Sunday the fire began spreading from the second tank…
Oil Tank Platform Collapses, Oil Spills in Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana
The U.S. Coast Guard is responding to an oil spill after an oil tank platform collapsed at the Hilcorp Caillou Island facility in Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana, on Monday.Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Houma personnel initially received a notification from the National Response Center stating the platform experienced a structural failure causing a tank to fall into the water and spill the oil. Environmental Safety & Health Consulting Services has been hired as the oil spill removal organization.
