|  After the Coast Guard suspended search efforts on Friday for crew members following the sinking of fishing vessel the Sandy Point in the Gulf of Mexico, independent salvage divers have recovered the bodies of the 2 remaining crew members off the Mississippi coast. The 163-foot Sandy Point collided last Wednesday with a 600-foot container vessel, the Eurus London, as it was bound for Texas approximately 8 miles offshore Gulfport. The Sandy Point could not withstand the collision, sinking with a total of 16 crew members aboard. A pilot boat had recovered 11 of those crew members from the water transferring them to a safe vessel. Two more crew from Sandy Point made it aboard the Eurus London on their own from the water. Omega Protein Inc., the parent company to the Sandy Point, released a statement explaining that the 2 reclaimed bodies from the salvage team were... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Local police of Mumbai, India have claimed that on Sunday they busted a racket of an oil smuggling mafia after arresting two men and seizing their ship which was anchored off the coast of Mumbai and pumping petrol for diesel for smuggling in the city. The two suspects known as Abdul Kadar, 35, and Akbar Pingar, 45, where they using the vessel, Sahar Sevak, as a floating petrol bunk 8 miles off the coast of the Dongri area. The ship was raided and seized on Sunday, as reported from special detection squad official of the Mumbai police. The vessel that was seized is believed to be owned by neither of the men in question, as well as that there was currently no oil on the ship at the time of the raiding. Mumbai police says that the oil smuggling team obtains the petrol by pumping from containers of arriving ships into the Mumbai coast and keeping the captains aboard the Sahar... Read More>>> Back to Top |  After four Somali pirates were captured by South Korean officials in a commando raid in January, their trial began Monday on multiple charges of maritime robbery, kidnapping, and attempted murder, facing sentences punishable by life imprisonment. The pirates were captured from the South Korea-operated chemical freighter, the Samho Jewelry. It was hijacked in January in the Arabian Sea and held captive for six days before South Korean Navy SEALs raided the ship, killing eight pirates during the raid and obtaining five. One of the five will be tried separately in accordance with admitting the charges against the group. The landmark trial is taking place in the port city of Busan, marking the first attempt of South Korea to punish foreign pirates. A lengthy translation process has been delaying the case which will boast a relatively large 12-member jury alongside... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Shell announces final investment decision on Prelude Floating LNG project in Australia. The Board of Royal Dutch Shell plc (Shell) has taken the final investment decision on the Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) Project in Australia (100% Shell), building the world’s first FLNG facility. Moored far out to sea, some 200 kilometres from the nearest land in Australia, the FLNG facility will produce gas from offshore fields, and liquefy it onboard by cooling. The decision means that Shell is now ready to start detailed design and construction of what will be the world’s largest floating offshore facility, in a ship yard in South Korea. From bow to stern, Shell’s FLNG facility will be 488 metres long, and will be the largest floating offshore facility in the world – longer than four soccer fields laid end to end. When fully equipped and with its... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Every time we learn of an Amver ship that performs a rescue we send a note to the shipping company thanking the Master and crew of the vessel for a job well done, for giving hope. We also ask for any photos or video that may have been taken by the crew. Finally, we request a short narrative from the Master or crew. We usually receive some good photos of the survivors being rescued and some details of the rescue. Nothing, however, prepared us for the eloquence of Captain Ely C. Sinoy, Master, Daio Azalea. He wrote about the recent rescue of two Italian sailors, "I for one as Master did not call to mind that one day I will be into a real rescue operation. It is not an everyday experience wherein someone can memorize and predict the moves. But saving lives where you were caught in a situation struggling against the forces of nature is one of the toughest job to do. The motivation on... Read More>>> Back to Top |  ABS announces the release of its updated Ballast Water Treatment Advisory to assist industry in understanding and addressing the evolving regulatory regime of ballast water treatment (BWT). This latest publication in ABS’ Advisory series provides practical guidance to shipowners, operators and builders as they make important investment decisions concerning the best-suited technology to use in their operations. “The industry is in a ‘wait and see’ mode when it comes to ballast water management,” explains Kirsi Tikka, Vice President of Global Technology and Business Development. “Until the proposed international, regional and local regulations are ratified and/or finalized, there is a great deal of uncertainty among ship operators as to how they should proceed with their system selections. The initial Advisory published last year was so well received by the industry we felt it was... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Hyde Marine, Inc. will showcase the full range of Hyde GUARDIAN® Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) Systems at Nor-Shipping, May 24-27, 2011, in Oslo, Norway. A skid-mounted Hyde GUARDIAN suitable for small research vessels and ferries, as well as the new Superflow filter, which is part of Hyde’s BWT solution for the world’s largest bulk cargo and tanker vessels, will be featured on Hyde Marine stand E04-41. The chemical free Hyde GUARDIAN treatment process uses filtration and ultraviolet disinfection, scaled according to required capacity, to treat ships' ballast water to prevent the spread of invasive species from port to port. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Type Approved Hyde GUARDIAN systems offer a compact, modular design, with low power consumption, low-pressure drop, and simple, fully automatic operation. These advantages make it a technically attractive and... Read More>>> Back to Top |  On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, the Interlake Steamship Company vessel M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar will be christened at Duluth, MN. Mr. Oberstar and his wife Jean, the Sponsor of the ship, will be on hand for the christening. Due to Homeland Security regulations, only invited guests will be allowed access to the vessel for tours beginning at 9 am, followed by a press conference at 9:30 am and the christening ceremony at 10:30 am. The general public wishing to view the ceremony can get a birdseye view from the Canal Park side of the blue pedestrian bridge. Congressman Oberstar served the US House of Representatives for nearly a half century, first as a senior Congressional aide for 11 years, and then as a representative from Minnesota for 36 years. Most recently, he served as Chairman of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, where he earned a reputation... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) today announced that it is taking the first step toward issuing a lease that would authorize the testing of equipment designed to use ocean currents offshore Florida to generate electricity on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). “This is the first lease application BOEMRE has received to test ocean current equipment on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf,” said BOEMRE Director Michael R. Bromwich. “Before a leasing decision is made, we are preparing an environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act and are providing an opportunity for public input concerning these activities.” Florida Atlantic University has applied for a lease to deploy an experimental demonstration device, which is the action that has prompted the need for BOEMRE to conduct an Environmental Assessment (EA). The... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Two world trade union federations will meet in Frankfurt this week as part of their mission to hold the big five worldwide logistics companies to account – and will make their presence felt at DHL’s annual general meeting in the city too. The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) and UNI global union’s joint global delivery network will meet on 23 to 24 May as part of their oversight of how DHL, UPS, TNT, FedEx and DPD Geopost treat their workers. In a special event the day after the conference, 25 May, delegates will hold a rally at 08.30 outside the DHL AGM at the Kultur-und Kongresszentrum (www.jahrhunderthalle.de), and also put questions on the treatment of workers and their rights direct to the meeting inside. The global delivery network has already built solidarity and aims to further expand union rights in the big five logistics giants.... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Interim guidance on the employment of privately contracted armed security personnel on board ships transiting the high-risk piracy area off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean was approved by IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), which met at the Organization's London Headquarters for its 89th session from 11 to 20 May 2011. The MSC approved an MSC Circular on Interim guidance to shipowners, ship operators, and shipmasters on the use of privately contracted armed security personnel on board ships in the High Risk Area, and Interim recommendations for flag States on the use of privately contracted armed security personnel on board ships in the High Risk Area. Both sets of guidance are aimed at addressing the complex issue of the employment of private, armed security on board ships. The guidance to shipowners notes that flag State... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The Atlantic basin is expected to see an above-normal hurricane season this year, according to the seasonal outlook issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center – a division of the National Weather Service. Across the entire Atlantic Basin for the six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA is predicting the following ranges this year: • 12 to 18 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which: • 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including: • 3 to 6 major hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5; winds of 111 mph or higher) Each of these ranges has a 70 percent likelihood, and indicate that activity will exceed the seasonal average of 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. “The United States was fortunate last year. Winds steered most of the season’s... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Civil service mariners aboard Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson rescued five people lost at sea in a small boat near the Solomon Islands May 18. While conducting routine operations in the Solomon Sea May 17, Ericsson received notification from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers in Australia and Papua New Guinea at about 11 p.m. to be on the lookout for a missing commercial vessel. At about 8 a.m. local time the following morning, Ordinary Seaman Tyrone Mouzon spotted a small commercial vessel with five individuals aboard waving frantically. Mouzon notified the watch officer, Third Mate Timothy Gervais, who alerted Ericsson’s civil service master, Capt. Richard Kirk. Kirk immediately ordered the ship to sail towards the small craft to render assistance. “Visibility at the time was very limited by rain squalls so it was... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Washington, DC Area (Linthicum Heights, Maryland), USA
June 6-7, 2011
MITAGS
An international survey (Michel et al., 2005) has identified over 8,500
sunken shipwrecks in marine waters around the world, including more than 1,500 sunken tank vessels (≥ 150 gross tons) and nearly 7,000 sunken non-tank vessels (≥ 400 gross tons). These wrecks may contain as much as 20 million tons (140 million barrels) of oil and other hazardous materials. Sporadic or continuous leakages or potential sudden massive spillages from these wrecks, 75 percent of which stem from World War II, pose a con/nual risk across the globe.
The problem of potentially-polluting wrecks has long been discussed and recent incidents around the world have caused government agencies and responsible parties to look... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The latest report by shipping industry recruiters Faststream reveals that there is a rising global demand for ex-seafarers in shore based positions. In its Maritime Employment Review - Technical Shipping published today (20 May 2011), Faststream reveals an upsurge in candidate placements in 2010/11. Globally speaking, the average age of a technical shipping candidate in the past 12 months was 42 and the average salary of £55K (USD $89K / SGD $111K). Typically, the company was able to find and place a candidate within nine weeks. Key findings of the report include: • UK employers feeling impact of immigration cap
• Growing demand for technical people from commodity houses
• Classification societies hiring again
• Technical superintendent salaries firm
• Continued growth of Singapore as a ship management centre Read More>>> Back to Top |  Commercial Practice in Bunkering By Nigel Draffin M.I.Mar.E.S.T. Commercial Practice in Bunkering is a valuable source of information and guidance on the process and methods of buying and selling bunker fuels. It assumes a little knowledge of ships, commerce and marine fuel and is intended as a ready reference for those who need to understand how the commercial side of the business really works. Any commercial deal between a seller and buyer can be frustrated at any stage of the process, and bunkering can be particularly prone to contractual problems. In Commercial Practice in Bunkering, Nigel Draffin deftly guides the reader around the pitfalls, using simple and sometimes entertaining language to explain often complicated issues. The book examines every aspect of the commercial deal, from the... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The owner, namely the Swedish state, has proposed Lars G Nordström as the new Chairman of the Board of Vattenfall. An extraordinary meeting will be held on June 14 at which his election will take place. Lars G Nordström has extensive and solid experience of executive positions in several sectors with a focus on the financial industry. He had a significant influence on the formation of the Nordic bank group Nordea, which merged four major national banks, and was the bank’s President and CEO from 2002 to 2007. He has been a director of Nordea since 2003. From 2008 to 2011 Lars G Nordström was CEO and President of Posten Norden AB. In his role as CEO he was responsible for merging the Danish and Swedish postal services. He was also a director of TeliaSonera AB between 2004 and 2010. “It is with great enthusiasm that I accept the offer to become Chairman of the Board of... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Transpetro, the transport and shipping subsidiary of Brazilian energy giant Petrobras currently involved in a $1bn expansion scheme linked to the country’s new energy riches, is eyeing Norway for business partners.
Sérgio Machado, President of Transpetro, underlined the importance of building business relationships with Norway commenting "I believe it is a unique moment for strengthening partnership between Brazil and Norway.” He added “I am delighted to be part of TradeWinds Oslo Shipping Forum and to present new opportunities for those who want to be our partners.”
Jon Chaplin, Managing Director of forum organiser NHST Events commented: “This year’s Forum is built around the topic of ‘Finding Opportunities at a time of Risk’. We are particularly delighted to welcome Sergio Machado and indeed, all the high-profile... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Gel Lift System (GLS) Offers Multi-Million Pound Savings on Installation Costs
Aubin, a leading independent supplier of specialist chemicals to the energy industry, has today launched a game-changing new product that could save millions of pounds when installing offshore renewables infrastructure.
The Gel Lift System (GLS), which can be seen in action at stand AB31 in the Aberdeen City & Shire Pavilion at All Energy 2011, offers the potential for significant cost savings and risk reduction in the critical installation phase of offshore renewables development.
The technology, which uses a novel low-density gel, can be used to install all types of offshore renewables including wind, wave and tidal. The gel which can be reused is non hazardous and environmentally responsible.
By reducing the specification and complexity of cranes and crane... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Xodus Group to carry out environmental study for Statoil for potential floating offshore wind pilot park Aberdeen headquartered energy consultancy Xodus Group today announced that it will plan and carry out an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for Statoil for a potential pilot park for the world’s first full-scale floating wind turbine.
Xodus made the announcement at the All Energy conference in Aberdeen and First Minister Alex Salmond welcomed the news. The Hywind turbine is based on the Hywind Demo prototype, which has been successfully tested by Statoil in Norway for over a year. An area off the North-east coast of Scotland will be assessed as a potential candidate for a possible first pilot park of up to five units, generating renewable electricity offshore.
Based on technologies from the oil and gas industry, Hywind has been designed for deep,... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Safebridge, an innovative online maritime training portal, is proud to announce a partnering agreement with Transas Marine, a leading navigation equipment manufacturer. It is the third partner after signing contracts with Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine and Imtech Marine Germany. As a result of agreement, Safebridge will launch an online type-specific training that offers their students an intensive hands-on exercise on the Transas Marine navigation products, installed on-board of the vessels they sail. With Safebridge online portal it is now possible to train anytime, anywhere. The first course to become available is for Transas Navi-Sailor 4000 ECDIS. It gives understanding of how ECDIS can be used for navigation, route planning and monitoring, display of navigation data, loading charts, performaing updates etc. Transas (TRANsport SAfety... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) has announced that its workforce has achieved a major safety milestone: 10 million hours worked without an OSHA Day Away From Work Case (DAFWC). Of those hours, Crowley contributed towards working 20 percent of them, or 2 million hours, safely. This means that since June 2009, no TAPS worker, including the more than 225 Crowley employees, has been injured to the extent that they missed a day of work.
For more than 30 years Crowley has provided tanker escort, response ship assist and vessel operations for TAPS operator Alyeska Pipeline Services Co. in Valdez, Alaska. The safety milestone is especially exceptional considering a majority of these employees work in the field and in environments with cold weather and heavy seas conditions.
"I am very proud of our Crowley Valdez team," said Charlie Nalen, Crowley vice president, Valdez.... Read More>>> Back to Top | | |
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