MarEx eNewsletter - February 4, 2010

February 4th, 2010 Vol. 8, No. 5 Obama's "State of the Union" Speech: Trying to Recapture the Magic What's in it for maritime? No mention, but encouraging references to offshore oil & gas and to doubling exports in five years. As a former speechwriter, I take great professional interest in the pronouncements of presidents, CEOs, politicians, diplomats, economists, and luminaries in the worlds of entertainment ... Read More>>>Back to Top $80 Oil On The Way to $100 By Early 2010 Op-Ed by Dr. Michael J. Economides--a Professor at the Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Energy Tribune. Publications include authoring or co-authoring professional texts and books. Oil is now over $80 per barrel. In January, while many other analysts ... Read More>>>Back to Top MarEx Mailbag Dear Editor, Reading your article about the Panama Canal with interest I would like respond to the introduction: "(Rapidly expanding) possibilities through Arctic waters for deep draft traffic may provide shippers with viable alternatives to canal in the not-too-distant future. What this and the ... Read More>>>Back to Top Maritime Budgets Struggle as Obama Administration Tackles the Budget Deficit Joan Bondareff, of Counsel Blank Rome LLP, offers MarEx readers an executive review of the requested 2011 MARAD budget. On February 1, 2010, the Obama Administration submitted its FY2011 budget to Congress, thereby kicking off the year-long budget deliberations for the Federal government, including the key maritime ... Read More>>>Back to Top Groundwork Completed for Revised STCW Convention and Code Sub-Committee on Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW). Draft amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (the STCW Convention), and its associated Code, have been approved by the Sub-Committee on Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW) and are ready for ... Read More>>>Back to Top Second Annual International Maritime eLearning Symposium The 2nd Annual International Maritime eLearning Symposium will be hosted at the campus of the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School in Easton, MD. The Conference begins on July 20th with half and full-day workshops, followed on July 21st and ... Read More>>>Back to Top UN Says Vessel Operators Not Using Proper Safety Precautions Off Somali Coast During 2009, nearly $60 million in ransom was paid to Somali pirates as 47 vessels and approximately 300 crew members were captured. Meanwhile, the United Nation's Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia has formally adopted a mode of cooperation between China and the Western ... Read More>>>Back to Top New Emission Control and Fuel Standards for Large Marine Engines In conjunction with international standards, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its new emission and fuel standards for Category 3 marine diesel engines, which were proposed in mid-2009. The amendments were harmonized to the October 2008 amendments to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of ... Read More>>>Back to Top San Francisco Bar Pilot Trainee Program Applications Now Being Accepted San Francisco Bar Pilot Trainee Program Applications now being accepted for the next exam scheduled on June 28, 2010. Applications must be received by April 30, 2010 for consideration. Contact Nancy Bennett at the BOPC Nancy.Bennett@bopc.ca.gov or the Board of Pilot Commissioners For the ... Read More>>>Back to Top Maritime Casualties--February 4, 2010 Fishing Boat Hit by Cargo Ship and Pirates Release Bulker • Fishing Boat Collides with Cargo Vessel A Troon fishing boat off the west coast of Scotland was struck by a 2,900 tonne cargo vessel last Wednesday morning. According to the Marine Accident Investigation ... Read More>>>Back to Top UAE National Transport Authority Partners with NAMEPA on Environmental Summit The United Arab Emirates is an emerging force as a global maritime center. Since 2006 is has launched its successful ship registry, developed its extensive maritime resources, and experienced continued growth in every maritime sector. The UAE is also a leader in environmental stewardship, and will be ... Read More>>>Back to Top U.S. Shipbuilders/Vessel Operators Servicing The Offshore Market, Generate $18 Billion in Annual Spending More than 100,000 jobs, OMSA Economic Impact Study shows. U.S. Economic Impact Significant in Areas of New Sales, New Household Earnings, Jobs and Taxes A new, first-of-its kind study shows the impact that American vessels involved in the offshore energy industry and the shipyards ... Read More>>>Back to Top Deltamarin Received Two New Ferry Design Contracts Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd and Société des traversiers du Québec have both ordered new passenger ferry designs from Deltamarin. Both companies name sustainable design and excellent energy efficiency as important criteria in the designs. The order of the Scottish Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) comprises the concept ... Read More>>>Back to Top USCG Grants Approval of Donjon-SMIT, LLC'S OPA-90 Salvage Services Contract and Funding Agreement Alexandria, VA—Donjon-SMIT, LLC, an OPA-90 Alliance, has received unconditional approval from the U.S. Coast Guard for its Salvage, Marine Firefighting and Lightering Contract and Funding Agreement. The Coast Guard's full acceptance of the contract means that Donjon-SMIT, LLC now has the required approvals for a mechanism to contract with vessel ... Read More>>>Back to Top Grand Opening of New Kongsberg Maritime Headquarters Cutting edge 20,000 m2 building supports market growth strategy. The opening of Kongsberg Maritime's brand new extension to its Kongsberg, Norway, global headquarters located in Kongsberg Technology Park, took place yesterday, 28th January 2008. The seven storey, 20,000 m2 building has space for approx. 550 employees and ... Read More>>>Back to Top EMAIL UNSUBSCRIBE Copyright © 2010 The Maritime Executive. 3200 S. Andrews Avenue, Suite 100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316