Maritime Industry Top News
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.
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.
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…
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.
Chevron Mulling Participation in Brazil's March Oil Auction
Chevron Corp is considering taking part in an oil auction next month in Brazil as part of a consortium of companies, Brazilian oil regulator ANP said on Tuesday on its website.
Anadarko Posts Quarterly Profit on Higher Crude Prices
Anadarko Petroleum Corp on Tuesday beat analysts' estimate for quarterly profit, helped by improved crude oil prices and lower costs. Crude prices are recovering from the lows hit in 2016 after a global crude oil glut. The company cut its 2018 capital investment outlook to a range of$4.1 billion to $4.5 billion, from $4.2 billion to $4.6 billion it previously forecast. Total full-year sales volume outlook was cut to a range of 238-248 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBOE) from 245-255 MMBOE.
Crystal Symphony Completes Dramatic Redesign
Luxury cruise ship Crystal Symphony emerged from dry dock at German shipyard Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven, where a number of newly designed spaces, features and amenities were added over a month-long redesign. The work performed in Q4 2017 included the addition of new open seating and dining venues, penthouses and high-tech conveniences, marking the most expansive makeover in the ship’s 23-year history.
PVA Elects 2018 Leadership
Gus Gaspardo, President of the Padelford Packet Boat Company, was elected Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) President for 2018 at the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2018, held January 28-31 in Savannah, Ga. Gaspardo is President of Padelford Packet Boat Co. Inc., St. Paul, Minn. Founded in 1969 by Capt. William Bowell Sr., Padelford provides a wide variety of public cruises and private events…
Campbell Shipping Migrates to Inmarsat Fleet Xpress
Inmarsat said it has reached an agreement with Campbell Shipping, a ship management company headquartered in Nassau, The Bahamas, to migrate its fleet of dry bulk carriers to Fleet Xpress. The commitment will involve a migration and upgrade from Inmarsat’s XpressLink services to Fleet Xpress, in a move to ensure ships managed by Campbell ships will continue to have the best satellite connectivity service available on the market, according to Capt.
Interview: Chia Yoo Soon, Chevron Marine Lubricants
OK. Full disclosure. We spent more than ‘five minutes’ on the phone with Chia Yoo Soon, General Manager, Finished Lubricants – Marine, Chevron Marine Lubricants. But given that we are based in New York and he is based in Singapore, the time difference mandated an efficient conversation for both. Without overstating the obvious, ship owners are under tremendous pressures. A relentless regulatory hammer continues to pound out new and ever stricter environmental and emission rules…
