|  Between the Isle of Wright and Hampshire Coast, 5 ships ran aground within hours in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. The Solent sandbanks the vessels hit are not normally exposed, but it is believed that the “supermoon” phenomenon led to unexpectedly lower tides. Known to affect the progression of tides, the moon was closest to the Earth as it had been in 19 years when the groundings took place, only 221,567 miles away, leaving it hard to believe the super moon wasn’t the culprit for the low tides. Tides are strongest at new or full moon, and even stronger at lunar perigee, resulting in a more disparate range of high and low tides. Usually, a supermoon will only lower tides around 1 inch, but sometimes a sea can lose more a depth of 6 inches, like in the case of Solent. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) stated that there had been a... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Last week a large bulk carrier, the MS Oliva, ran aground Nightingale Island in the UK-territory Tristan da Cunha chain in the South Atlantic, spilling an unknown amount of the 1,500 tons of heavy fuel oil into the sea of the uninhabited and largely pristine island. According to salvage sources, a great deal of the fuel is still contained on the Panamax-sized bulk carrier, however there are fears that this could become a major environmental disaster as the oil is heavily affecting the bird species of the island, and the economically lucrative rock lobsters. Currently of most concern to environmentalists is the already endangered species, the Northern Rock Hopper penguins, in which around 40% of the world’s population of these penguins are located on the Cunha island chain. 200,000 penguins and millions of sea birds are at risk from the oil slick, which is now surrounding the... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The U.S. Coast Guard announced Tuesday that a civilian employee of the service is the U.S. candidate for Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization.
Jeffrey Lantz, the Coast Guard’s Director for Commercial Regulations and Standards, will be a candidate in the International Maritime Organization’s elections scheduled for the 106th International Maritime Organization Council in London, June 27 to July 1, 2011. Lantz is responsible for developing U.S. national maritime safety and environmental protection regulations and policies. He also oversees U.S. initiatives in the development of international maritime safety, security and environmental protection standards. “Jeff is one of the Coast Guard's best senior leaders who has superbly managed commercial maritime regulation with the care and precision it requires," said Coast Guard Commandant... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The U.S. Coast Guard is working to ensure the safety of the maritime transportation system in the aftermath of the tragedy in Japan. Based on an analysis by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, there is no indication that harmful radiation will reach the U.S., whether it is the West Coast, Hawaii, Alaska, or U.S. territories including Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The U.S. government has determined that radiation levels outside a zone of 50 miles centered on the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant do not pose a human health hazard. As a result, the Coast Guard has issued a Navigational Warning advising vessels to avoid transiting within a precautionary area of 50 miles of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. As vessels and cargo which remain outside of the precautionary area do not pose any human health hazard, they will not be subject to additional... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) Director Michael R. Bromwich today announced that the bureau has approved an Exploration Plan, submitted by Shell Offshore Inc., following the completion of a site-specific Environmental Assessment (SEA) for deepwater oil and gas exploration. This is the first new deepwater exploration plan approved since the Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting oil spill. An exploration plan describes all exploration activities planned by the operator for a specific lease or leases, including the timing of these activities, information concerning drilling vessels, the location of each planned well, and other relevant information that needs to meet important safety standards. Once a plan is approved, additional new applications for permits to drill can be issued. “The reforms we have implemented have... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) commends the Indian navy’s latest action against piracy off the country’s west coast, which saw a mother ship neutralised and 61 pirates captured. The action, undertaken on 14 March 2011, saw the MV Vega-5 captured some 600 nautical miles off Mumbai. The vessel itself had been hijacked by Somali pirates on 28 December 2010, and her position and the number of pirates found onboard suggest that the vessel had been used to stage multiple attacks on shipping in the Indian Ocean. The captured pirates have been taken to Mumbai to be questioned. IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan commented: “IMB congratulates the Indian navy on the firm stance taken by them against the pirates and particularly the capture of a large number of pirates. This instance shows that the pirates were planning attacks against ships on an industrial scale. This action has... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) today approved a third additional deepwater drilling permit that complies with all of the new safety standards, including demonstrated containment capacity, implemented in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and resulting oil spill. The approved permit is a revised permit to drill a new well for ATP Oil & Gas Corporation’s Well #4 in Mississippi Canyon Block 941, located approximately 90 miles south of Venice, La. “This permit approval demonstrates that deepwater drilling can and will continue in the Gulf of Mexico provided that operators have successfully demonstrated their ability to operate safely,” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich. “Further deepwater energy development is necessary and appropriate so long as it is done safely and in an environmentally responsible... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Facts About Dredging Around Coral Reefs Coral reefs are large, long-lived bio-geological structures that include all associated marine plants and animals. Although Coral Reefs are robust and have often withstood the forces of storms, climatic change, sea level change and predators, the living elements are just a very thin veneer of delicate tissue, highly sensitive to the surrounding environment. Healthy coral reefs provide an array of services to human communities, including food, especially protein, shoreline protection, support for the livelihoods of local communities, such as fishing and tourism and they help sustain cultural traditions. In contrast, unhealthy or degraded coral reefs are often linked to a decline in natural resources. One estimate puts the economic value of... Read More>>> Back to Top |  GreenField lubricants from Castrol Offshore are likely to remain the only products fully tested to environmentally-responsible standards set by Norwegian authorities through 2011. Changes to Norwegian Activities Regulations introduced on January 1st 2010 require discharged lubricants and chemicals, used in closed systems in amounts of more than 3000kg a year per facility, to be registered for use offshore.
Applications including crane hydraulics, thrusters, drilling system hydraulics and mooring winch gears, require Harmonised Offshore Chemicals Notification Format (HOCNF) registered products. Castrol Offshore proactively registered its products before the January 1st 2010 deadline. Castrol Offshore’s environmental specialist, Susannah Linington, explains, “We believe we remain in the unique position of being... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The Baltic Exchange has announced that at the request of the Board, current Chairman Mark Jackson will continue in the role for one further year, extending his current two year term which commenced on 8 July 2009. The plan was initiated by the Baltic Exchange’s Vice-Chairman Paul Over and unanimously ratified at a recent Board meeting. "Right now the Baltic needs both stability and continuity of leadership. Mark has done an excellent job in broadening the activity of the Baltic in step with the developments of its markets and the Board is very keen that he should stay on to complete the task. His leadership in the freight derivatives arena has been indispensible. With the Baltic on the cusp of launching Baltex, a centralised trading screen for the dry freight derivatives market, we are pleased that our constitution permits the flexibility to extend Mark’s tenure,” said Paul... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Overall confidence levels in the shipping industry dropped for the third successive quarter in the three months ending February 2011, to reach their lowest level for fifteen months, according to the latest survey by leading accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens. Over-tonnaging and the uncertainty created by political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa were the dominant themes running throughout the responses to the survey, which also revealed an increase across all categories in the number of respondents who expected finance costs to rise over the coming year. In February 2011, the average confidence level expressed by respondents in the markets in which they operate was 5.8 on a scale of 1(Low) to 10(High), compared to 6.0 in the previous survey in November 2010. Confidence over the three-month period covered by the latest survey fell most noticeably on the part of brokers (down... Read More>>> Back to Top |  International flight and maritime operations can continue normally into and out of Japan’s major airports and sea ports, excluding those damaged by the tsunami, according to the latest information available from the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization. While there is currently no medical basis for imposing restrictions, the United Nations organizations are monitoring the situation closely and will advise of any changes. Screening for radiation of international passengers from Japan is not considered necessary at this time. Currently available information indicates that increased levels have been detected at some airports, but these do not represent any health risk. Further information is available on the website of the World... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Following the devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake which struck Japan, triggering the 23-foot Tsunami that damaged the terrestrial fixed and mobile networks, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in coordination with Thuraya have deployed vital satellite communication equipment to enable relief efforts. This includes the world’s smallest broadband solution, Thuraya IP and satellite handheld phones. Satellite communications are providing reliable and robust communications which are being used by local government organisations responsible for coordinating search and rescue efforts. “Thuraya has always played a pivotal role in providing reliable communications during and after natural disasters to facilitate search and rescue operations and assist humanitarian efforts within our 140-country coverage area. Thuraya IP is easily deployable, rugged and backed by a robust satellite network... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The U.S. Maritime Administration has approved the request from Boldini, S.A. of Brazil for financing guarantees reaching $227million over the span of 25 years for construction of 5 platform supply vessels at Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Florida. This appears to be the last hurdle for Eastern Shipbuilding and Boldini in the 2-year long Title XI loan process. Pre-engineering work will begin for the 282-foot long platforms destined for the growing offshore industry in Brazil. Florida Senator, Bill Nelson, has been an integral advocate in the entire recruitment process with Brazil and stated that the work can commence in as little as 6 months. The contract is integral for the recovery of Florida’s waning economic climate, especially after the dramatic spill in the Gulf. Senator Nelson says it will create as many as 300 well-paying jobs for multiple... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Both APM Terminals Pier 400 Los Angeles, and APM Terminals Tacoma are recognized for Accident Prevention performance in 2010. APM Terminals’ Pier 400 Los Angeles facility, the largest container terminal in the Port of Los Angeles, was awarded First Place for the fourth consecutive year in the Pacific Maritime Association’s Coast Accident Prevention Awards ceremony in the category of Terminal Operations, Group A, representing terminal operations with one million or more man-hours worked in 2010. APM Terminals Tacoma won Second Place in the Group C category, which includes facilities of between 100,000 and 499,999 man hours worked for the year. “I join with the Americas Safety Council in congratulating our Pier 400 and Tacoma terminals for a difficult job well done” said APM Terminals Americas Region President Eric Sisco. The Accident Prevention Awards... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The International Transport Forum is an Intergovernmental Organisation within the OECD family that acts as a global transport policy think tank and organises an annual summit with transport ministers, decision-makers from business, top academics and leading figures from civil society from its 52 member countries and beyond. The 2011 summit will take place on 25-27 May in the city of Leipzig, Germany, and focus on the theme of Transport for Society. To enable journalists from outside Europe to attend the 2011 summit, the International Transport Forum offers a number of Media Travel Grants for overseas journalists to travel to Leipzig in May. Journalists from the following countries are eligible for travel grants: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, Korea, Turkey, USA. Journalists from other countries may... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Grampian Industrialist of the Year 2009 George Yule has joined the Board of Aberdeenshire-based Romar International as executive Chairman and will lead the company’s growth across the global oil and gas sector. Formerly CEO of Dominion Gas, where he led the company through an MBO in 2007 and two follow-on acquisitions, Mr Yule will join co-owners Robbie Gray and Martin McKenzie as a shareholder in Romar International. Mr Yule said: “This is a terrific opportunity for me to join an established SME with an impressive track record. The company has a firm focus on international growth, having already built a strong reputation as the market leader in the North Sea drilling fluids and magnetic separation sectors.” Romar International, with a turnover in excess of £2million, provides magnetic separation products and services to operators and drilling contractors.... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The SpecTec Group has opened their newest office in Rio de Janeiro: officially, AMOS Brasil Sistemas de Gestão de Recursos e Consultoria de Software Ltda., or SpecTec Brazil, will serve as region headquarters.
“With our recently opened office in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and now in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, SpecTec Latin America is on a strategic course for continued expansion and growth in both the shipping and oil & gas industries”, says Giampiero Soncini, CEO of the SpecTec Group, “and we’re now better positioned to provide superior service and steadfast support to our customers throughout the region.”
SpecTec’s new local team has been formed and includes professional technical consultants to provide project management and customer support, as well as a business development team. The region is managed by David Reyes, Managing Director, Latin...
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