Maritime Industry Top News
Offshore Vessel Firm Bourbon Sets Up Offshore Wind Division
![Credit: Bourbon](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/credit-bourbon-135467.png)
French offshore vessel services firm Bourbon has set up a new division dedicated to offshore wind called Bourbon Wind, which will support the group's ambition to become a major player in the entire value chain: pre-studies, transport and installation services, field maintenance, floaters repair, and personnel transport. Bourbon Wind will coordinate all the group's activities in the offshore wind field…
Tidewater Orders NES Battery Package for PSV
Tidewater, one of the world's largest owners of offshore support vessels, will upgrade one of its platform supply vessels (PSV) North Pomor with a new battery package.Norway…
Seattle Dispute Disrupts US West Coast Port Labor Talks
![© Cliff / Adobe Stock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/cliff-adobe-stock-135460.jpeg)
A work assignment dispute in Seattle is interrupting labor talks covering 29 U.S. West Coast ports and 22,000 employees that handle almost 40% of U.S. imports, the union representing dockworkers said on Tuesday.International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) employer group have been negotiating a new contract since July 1. The ILWU's announcement on Tuesday comes after the two sides have traded jabs in the media about automation…
Op-ed: Jones Act Waivers Do Little as Disaster Relief
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Like swallows arriving in the spring, a chorus for Jones Act waivers can reliably be anticipated to accompany the annual parade of hurricanes across the geographical region covered by the Act. The logic: emergency situations dictate maximum emergency relief, and the Jones Act is perceived to be an obstacle to providing that relief. That perception is wrong.A review of hurricane induced disaster situations…
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Awarded Fire Island Dredging Contract
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Houston-based dredging contractor Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform dredging near New York's Fire Island.Great Lakes was the sole bidder for $24,498,050 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of the Fire Island Inlet to Montauk Point dredging Moriches and Shinnecock Inlets.Work will be performed in Bay Shore, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of March 17, 2023.
US Coast Guard Decommissions Bahrain-based USCGC Baranof
![Bahrain USCGC Baranof (WPB 1318) moored pierside in Manama, Bahrain, Sept. 26, 2022, prior to its decommissioning. (Photo: Noah Martin / U.S. Army)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/bahrain-uscgc-baranof-wpb-1318-135455.jpg)
The USCGC Baranof (WPB 1318) was decommissioned during a ceremony aboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Monday.“USCGC Baranof’s exemplary service to our nation is a testament to both the Island-class platform and the crews that have manned Baranof over the past 34 years,” said Vice Adm. Kevin Lunday, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, who presided over the ceremony. “Whether it was conducting law enforcement and search and rescue in the Caribbean…
US Offshore Oil Output Drops as Hurricane Ian Approaches
![(Photo: NOAA)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-noaa-135453.jpg)
U.S. offshore oil producers on Tuesday were keeping a wary eye on Hurricane Ian's track as the powerful storm shut-in at least 480,000 barrels of oil production as it heads toward Florida.The hurricane entered the U.S. Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and is forecast to become a dangerous, Category 4 storm over the warm waters of the Gulf, according to National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecaster Eric Blake.Ian weakened after crossing Cuba and was packing winds of 115 miles per hour (185 km per hour)…
What is Known About the Nord Stream Gas Pipeline Leaks?
![(Photo: Danish Ministry of Defence)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-danish-ministry-of-defence-135452.jpg)
Unexplained gas leaks detected in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines from Russia to Germany have prompted investigations by European countries into the cause, including possible sabotage.Denmark's armed forces on Tuesday released video showing bubbles rushing to the surface of the Baltic Sea above the pipelines, and said the largest gas leak had caused surface disturbance of well over 1 kilometer in…
New Workboat Delivered to Long Island
![(Photo: Silver Ships)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/photo-silver-ships-135448.jpg)
Mobile, Ala. boatbuilder Silver Ships recently delivered a multi-mission Explorer 40 Landing Craft vessel to the Suffolk County Public Works Department located on New York's Long Island.Suffolk County Public Works Department oversees all county properties and projects while maintaining safe public navigations including waterways, bridges, docks, marinas, sewerage systems and more. The custom-built…
Port of Corpus Christi Obtains Texas Cybersecurity Certification
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The Port of Corpus Christi has become the first port in the state to obtain the Texas Cyberstar Certification, issued by the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR).The Cyberstar Certificate Program was launched in May by the Texas DIR to recognize public and private organizations in the state that voluntarily meet specific criteria for cybersecurity best practices.“We remain committed to our CyberSecurity program at the Port of Corpus Christi.
New Bill Aims to Increase US Federal Funding for Public Ferry Service
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A new bill recently introduced by Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) aims to increase federal funding for public ferry services in the United States.The “Ferry Service Expansion Act” would boost funding for both the Federal Highway Administration’s formula and the Federal Transit Administration’s competitive grant programs to the levels requested by the Public Ferry Coalition…
Capesize Dip Drags Baltic Dry Index Lower
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The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, edged down on Tuesday pressured by a dip in rates for the larger capesize vessel segment.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, fell 6 points, or about 0.3%, to 1,807.Even after an improvement in both basins (Atlantic and Pacific) last week for the capesize segment…
Petrofac Hires AHTS to Assist with Northern Endeavour FPSO Disconnection
![Skandi Atlantic - Credit: DDW Offshore](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/skandi-atlantic-credit-ddw-offshore-135440.jpg)
Akastor's subsidiary DDW Offshore has won a one-year contract with Petrofac for the AHTS vessel Skandi Atlantic. The AHTS will support the disconnection of the FPSO "Northern Endeavour" together with towing and well isolations work in the Laminaria Corallina oil fields in the West Timor Sea. The contract start date is September 27th, 2022.The Australian Government earlier this year awarded London-listed…
NOV Launches Solution that Promises to Cut Offshore Wind Blade Installation Cost
![Credit: NOV](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/credit-nov-135435.jpg)
GustoMSC and NOV Lifting & Handling said Tuesday they had developed a solution to improve offshore wind turbine blade installation efficiency."Blades are highly susceptible to wind loads, so they currently take the most time to install," the companies said.The solution has been named Sjøhest - Norwegian for “seahorse.""Like the seahorse’s unique and strong grasping tail enables it to resist ocean currents…
Greater Tortue Ahmeyim FPSO Returned to Quayside after Drifting Off Due to Typhoon
![Tortue Ahmeyim illustration - Credit: BP](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/tortue-ahmeyim-illustration-credit-bp-135434.jpg)
Oil and gas company Kosmos Energy said Tuesday that the FPSO for the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project had been returned to the quayside of the COSCO shipyard in China, following the recent incident in which the vessel drifted away due to the impact of Typhoon Muifa.The floating production, storage and offloading vessel (“FPSO”) for the GTA development in Mauritania/Senegal is being constructed at the COSCO yard.
Uniwise Offshore Boosts OSV Fleet Cyber-Security with Inmarsat's Fleet Secure UTM
![Credit: Inmarsat](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/credit-inmarsat-135431.jpg)
Uniwise Offshore, a Thailand-based offshore support vessel (OSV) company, has boosted cyber-security standards across its OSV fleet by adopting technology from Inmarsat, a mobile satellite communications specialist."With reliable connectivity delivered by Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress, Fleet Secure Unified Threat Management (UTM) provides Uniwise with end-to-end functionality to protect its network from cyber-attacks and intrusion via infected devices…
Tankers to Discharge Iranian Crude, Condensate at Venezuela's Main Port
Tankers carrying about 1.22 million barrels of Iranian crude and 2 million barrels of condensate are scheduled to discharge at Venezuela's Jose terminal in the coming days…
Safe Bulkers Sells 2006-built Kamsarmax
Dry bulk shipping company Safe Bulkers announced on Monday that it has entered into an agreement to sell one of the older vessels in its fleet to an undisclosed…
Seven More Crop-laden Ships Leave Ukrainian Ports
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Seven more ships laden with agricultural produce left Ukrainian ports on Sunday, the country's infrastructure ministry said, bringing the total to 218 since a U.N.-brokered corridor through the Black Sea came into force at the start of August.Ukraine, a major agricultural producer, was left unable to export through the Black Sea after Russia's invasion on Feb. 24 until the agreement of the grain deal…
Alfa Laval to Use Fossil-free Steel in Heat Exchangers
![Alfa Laval's concept zero plate heat exchange (Image: Alfa Laval)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w200h200c/alfa-lavals-concept-zero-plate-135425.jpg)
Alfa Laval on Monday announced it has signed an agreement with Swedish steel company SSAB to develop the first plate heat exchanger made using fossil-free steel.Alfa Laval’s heat exchanger portfolio includes plate heat exchangers that are suitable for both traditional and alternative fuels. The partners aim to have the first unit made with hydrogen-reduced steel ready for 2023.“Our marine plate heat exchangers are already key to decarbonizing on board…