Belships Names Yngve Aslaksen Gram CFO
Oslo-based bulk carrier owner/operator Belships announced it has appointed Yngve Aslaksen Gram as CFO.Gram, who currently serves as the company's VP Finance, will assume his new position on July 1…
Vard's New Offshore Patrol Vessel Earns LR AIP
Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) said it has awarded approval in principle (AIP) to Vard Marine Inc., a Fincantieri company, for its Vard 7 125 Next-Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV).The design of the 125-meter vessel is based on the Vard Series 7 OPV reference vessels and can be tailored to a broad range of military and naval missions. Enhancements include an upgraded weapons and sensors package…
Jordan's Container Port Sees Pickup in Syria- and Israel-bound Traffic
Jordan's only container port on the Red Sea has been capturing traffic to Syria, Israel and the West Bank as higher ocean freight costs give it an edge over closer but heavily congested Mediterranean ports, its CEO said on Tuesday.Crises from COVID-19 lockdowns to Russia's invasion of Ukraine have fed into a global supply chain crunch, with one study this month showing one-fifth of the global container…
Baltic Dry Index Rises for Fourth Month
The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index rose for a fourth straight month, though gains were capped as it slipped for a sixth consecutive session on Tuesday.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, lost 5 points, or 0.2%, to 2,566.However, the index gained about 6.7% for the month.The capesize index fell by 74 points, or about 2.9%, to 2,668 points…
How Much Oil Does the EU Import from Russia?
The European Union has agreed to ban the bulk of imports of Russian crude and oil products in its latest round of sanctions following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.The ban on seaborne crude imports will be phased in over six months and for seaborne refined products over eight months. It excludes deliveries via the Druzhba oil pipeline which supplies refineries in Eastern Europe and eastern Germany.Yet…
First Emissions-free Pusher Tug Elektra Delivered
A first-of-its-kind emissions-free push boat has been christened and delivered in Germany.The unique and innovative vessel, Elektra, was built over the course of nearly 2.5 years at Hermann Barthel GmbH in Derben and features battery-electric propulsion system combined with hydrogen and fuel cell technology, reportedly the world's first for a push boat. It will now undergo long-term prior to commencing commercial operations.The basis of the newly developed hybrid system is the battery package…
Svitzer Aims to Be Fully Carbon Neutral by 2040
A.P. Moller-Maersk's towage operator arm Svitzer on Tuesday announced its commitment to become fully carbon neutral by 2040.The Denmark based company said it will am to reduce the CO2 intensity of its entire fleet by 50% by 2030, paving the way for fully carbon neutral operations in 2040 in line with A.P. Moller-Maersk’s ambition. Svitzer will measure progress against a 2020 baseline, which saw the company’s fleet of approximately 400 vessels emit 280…
EU Agrees Gradual Russian Oil Embargo, Gives Hungary Exemptions
European Union leaders have agreed an embargo on Russian oil imports that will start kicking in towards the end of the year and which exempts, for now, pipeline imports that Hungary and two other landlocked Central European states rely on.The toughest sanction yet on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, agreed overnight after weeks of wrangling, aims to remove 90% of Russia's crude imports into the 27-nation bloc by year-end…
Passenger Vessel Goes Adrift Off Galveston
A passenger vessel lost steering and went a drift in a highly trafficked area near Galveston, Texas, on Saturday.The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston received a call on VHF-FM channel 16 at about 11 a.m. from the captain of the Baywatch Too stating the dolphin sightseeing vessel had lost steering and was drifting toward a dredge pipe near Seawolf Park with 33 people…
Sapura Energy Sells Pipelayer to UAE-firm for $71.5M
Malaysian company Sapura Energy has agreed to sell its pipe-laying and crane vessel Sapura 3000 for $71.5 million to Safeen Feeder Company – Sole Proprietorship LLC, a company in the Abu Dhabi Ports Group of Companies."The proposed asset disposal exercise is part of the Group’s reset plan, which focuses on Sapura Energy’s long-term sustainability by improving its liquidity position, streamlining its operating model and providing greater flexibility for strategic growth…
Callan Marine Powers Ahead
Galveston-based Callan Marine possesses one of the youngest, most powerful dredge fleets in America. “Our oldest dredge is 11 years old, so we have a nice modern, new fleet, which really helps us in our performance,” said the company’s president, Maxie McGuire. “I’m very proud that we have one of the newest fleets in the industry.”McGuire and Callan Marine have plenty to be proud of. McGuire, a U.S. Air Force veteran with an Operation Desert Storm tour under his belt, took a job with the U.S.
Floating Production Market Going Gangbusters
The global oil and natural gas markets are contending with rebounding energy demand on top of supply disruptions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, activity and business sentiment in the floating production sector have seldom been stronger. Brent crude has been trading above $100 over the past three months, generating record profits for E&P operators -- providing an incentive to increase…
Yokogawa, Mitsubishi to Build Robots for Offshore Platform Inspection
Yokogawa Electric Corporation and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd (MHI) have been selected by the Nippon Foundation, a private, non-profit grant-making organization, to develop an automatic robotic inspection system to predict hazards on offshore oil and gas facilities, and improve the safety of inspection work on offshore platforms."The use of a wide variety of robots to enable unmanned operations…
Saipem 7000 Crane Vessel Returns to Work at Seagreen Wind Farm
Saipem's giant Saipem 7000 semi-submersible crane vessel is set to return to operation at the Seagreen wind farm site in the UK a month and a half after it was involved in a tilting incident in Norway.As previously reported, in mid-April, Saipem 7000 tilted in a fjord in Norway with 275 people aboard. The vessel tilted during the planned 5 years main cranes load test, when, as Saipem said, the main…
US State Secretary Blinken Condemns Iran's Seizure of Greek Vessels
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday condemned the "unjustified seizure" of two Greek-flagged vessels by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard last week, the State Department said.Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf on Friday, shortly after Tehran warned it would take punitive action against Athens over the confiscation of Iranian oil by the United States from a tanker held off the Greek coast.
Fincantieri Floats Out EXPLORA I Luxury Cruise Ship
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri on Monday announce the float out of EXPLORA I, the first of four luxury cruise ships ordered by the Cruises Division of MSC Group for its new luxury brand Explora Journeys. The float out took place at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.The vessel construction began in June 2021, and the ship is expected to enter service at the end of May 2023. At the same time…
UK Cancels P&O Ferries Contract Over Job Cuts
Britain says it has canceled a contract with P&O Ferries "with immediate effect" in its latest action against the DP World-owned company following its decision to axe hundreds of staff earlier this year.The Home Office (interior ministry) said it was ending its agreement with the firm to provide contingency travel services to "juxtaposed ports" where British staff operate border controls in Belgium and France to check passengers and freight destined for Britain.It comes after P&O Ferries…
India's Imports of Cheap Russian Crude Surge Since Ukraine Invasion
India has received 34 million barrels of discounted Russian oil since Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, according to Refinitiv Eikon data, more than trebling the value of total imports from Russia, including other products, compared with the same period of 2021.The volumes of India's seaborne oil imports from Russia exclude CPC Blend oil, which is also exported via Russia's Black Sea port, but mostly…
Tokyo Kisen Co Holds Naming Ceremony for Electric Tug Taiga
Tokyo Kisen Co on May 26 held a naming and launching ceremony of the electric tugboat Taiga, built at Kanagawa Dockyard Co., Ltd in Japan.The Taiga is powered by an electric propulsion system that combines e5Lab-developed large-capacity lithium-ion batteries and a diesel engine."It is an eco-ship designed to protect the environment in areas surrounding the ports of Yokohama and Kawasaki, and also a crew-friendly tugboat…
Norwind Offshore Takes Delivery of Norwind Breeze Vessel
Norwind Offshore, a Norwegian offshore wind-focused vessel owner has taken delivery of its first vessel - the Norwind Breeze - from Vard.The delivery took place Monday at 1 p.m. local time from Vard, Brattvåg, in Norway. Before the conversion, the service operation vessel used to be a platform supply vessel, previously known as MMA Responder.The vessel arrived in Norway in November 2021 where the rebuilding and outfitting process started.The vessel has been equipped with…
