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| September 30th, 2010 Vol. 8, No. 73 |
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 Cummings Lights A Fire For the US Maritime Industry
The US Merchant Marine (USMM) has been an integral factor in building a secure and wealthy nation since its birth. But, it has fallen on hard times since the 1970s due to weak government policies. In fact, today’s maritime policies and funding are pathetic at best as the US government continues to dump billions upon billions into broken highway systems that are constantly in need of maintenance while the maritime industry gets next to nothing in support. However, the USMM has a real champion in Representative Elijah Cummings (MD-07), who grilled MARAD’s administrator David Masuda at a hearing yesterday, challenging his knowledge and ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Early Wednesday, a Panama-flagged chemical tanker was hijacked off the Tanzanian coast.
The MT ASPHALT VENTURE was sailing from the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Durban in South Africa when it was boarded by pirates around 4 a.m. local time. The vessel is now headed towards Harardhere, a well known pirate base in Somalia.
The ship, with an Indian crew of 15, is managed by Mumbai-based Omci Ship Management Pvt and owned by Bitumen Invest AS of United Arab Emirates.
Read More>>>Back to Top |  Congressman Cummings looks forward to modernized Coast Guard acquisition process
Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, was pleased today with the passage of H.Res. 1665, concurring in Senate amendments to H.R. 3619, the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010. The bill authorizes slightly more than $10 billion in annual funding for the United States Coast Guard, and will make several major changes to the service.
Cummings chaired four hearings on the Deepwater acquisition program and participated in multiple hearings of the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to consider Coast Guard acquisitions. Coast Guard procurement was heavily examined, including circumstances ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  A new report by the research arm of the International Labour Organization (ILO) says a long “labour market recession” is worsening the social outlook in many countries.
The new study entitled “World of Work Report 2010 – from one crisis to the next?” acknowledges that three years into the crisis, the global economy has resumed growing, with some countries witnessing encouraging signs of employment recovery – significantly in emerging economies in Asia and Latin America.
However, the report by the ILO’s International Institute for Labour Studies also warns that “despite these significant gains ... new clouds have emerged on the employment horizon and the prospects have worsened significantly in ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  International accountant and shipping consultant Moore Stephens reports an average fall of 2.0 per cent in total annual operating costs in OpCost 2010, its unique ship operating costs benchmarking tool. This is the first time since 2002 that OpCost has revealed a fall in total operating costs, which compares with the 15.8 per cent average increase recorded in OpCost 2009. All cost categories were down this time, except for crew costs, which in recent years have been the single largest contributor to total increases.
OpCost 2010 reveals that the majority of vessel categories experienced a decrease in total operating costs in 2009, the financial year covered by the survey. Costs for the ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Chevron won a second court order today forcing Greenpeace activists to end their protest of deepwater drilling.
The protest began last week when the Esperanza, a Greenpeace ship caught up to the STENA CARRON, a Chevron leased drill ship, off the Shetland coast. Four activists from the Esperanza managed to attach themselves to the anchor chain using climbing gear.
A day later the environmental group attached a pod to the drill ship anchor providing activist’s shelter from the elements. Greenpeace claimed they would be able to live in the pod for a month, with food and even a makeshift toilet.
Chevron called on the company to ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Capt Mangouras' Bail is Set at Euros 3 Million, ECHR Finds the Amount to be In No Violation of the Human Right to Liberty and Security
In the case of Captain Mangouras of the Prestige v Kingdom of Spain, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has decided by a 10/7 majority that there has been no violation of Article 5 & 3 (right to liberty and security) of the European Convention on Human Rights in setting bail at Euros 3m for the release of the captain of a ship which caused pollution.
INTERTANKO is horrified at the outrageous majority finding that it is ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  H.R. 3619, AS AMENDED, THE “COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2010”
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE JAMES L. OBERSTAR
H.R. 3619, as amended, the “Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010”, is the annual authorization act for the Coast Guard. Specifically, the legislation authorizes annual appropriations for the service and authorizes the end-of-year strength for military personnel, and incorporates other provisions addressing marine safety, port security, Coast Guard management structure, and acquisition reform.
Specifically, the bill:
Establishes necessary funding levels. Establishes authorization levels to provide funding to allow the Coast Guard to meet its critical missions of marine safety and maritime security. H.R. 3619 authorizes $10.2 billion ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  BP is to create a new safety division with sweeping powers to oversee and audit the company’s operations around the world.
The Safety & Operational Risk function will have authority to intervene in all aspects of BP’s technical activities.
It will have its own expert staff embedded in BP’s operating units, including exploration projects and refineries. It will be responsible for ensuring that all operations are carried out to common standards, and for auditing compliance with those standards.
The powerful new organization is designed to strengthen safety and risk management across the BP group. It will be headed by Mark Bly and report directly to incoming ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  The partners in block 15/06 announce a successful oil discovery in the Cabaça South East-2 well in block 15/06, located offshore Angola.
“I am very pleased with the successful discovery in block 15/06. This illustrates that this profilic basin will continue to deliver significant volumes to Statoil, also in the future,” says senior vice president for Statoil’s Global Exploration, Tim Dodson.
Statoil holds a 5% stake in block 15/06, which has proven to be an important venture for the company enabling Statoil to deepen its knowledge of the deep water reservoir in Angola.
"To date seven out of eight exploration wells have been commercial discoveries, which ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Field to Produce up to 11 Million Barrels of Oil in 2011
Exxon Mobil Corporation3 (NYSE:XOM) announced today the startup of production from the Odoptu field at the Sakhalin-1 project offshore northeastern Russia. ExxonMobil subsidiary Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL) is operator on behalf of the five-company international Sakhalin-1 Consortium.
“The project applies industry-leading technology to successfully operate in a safe and environmentally responsible manner in one of the most challenging sub-arctic environments in the world, while providing important economic benefits to Russia”
The Odoptu field is expected to add up to 11 million barrels (1.5 million tons) to Sakhalin-1 oil production in 2011. The startup is ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Last night, at the Dorchester Hotel in London, LR won the 'Best Classification Society' category at the Lloyd's List Global Awards.
Last night, at the Dorchester Hotel in London, LR won the 'Best Classification Society' category at the Lloyd's List Global Awards.
Receiving the award from the category presenter, The Chairman of ASRY, was Lloyd's Register Surveyor, Apostolos Giannoulis.
The 400 or so assembled guests were told: 'Apostolos is one of Lloyd's Register's youngest ship surveyors and in receiving the award he represents the 1,800 ship and plan approval surveyors in Lloyd's Register and a 2,800 strong global Marine workforce'.
Present at the ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Keppel FELS Limited has secured new contracts worth about US$101 million (S$134 million) to complete and refurbish two semisubmersible drilling rigs respectively for Saipem S.p.A and Ensco plc.
Mr Wong Kok Seng, Executive Director of Keppel FELS said, "Rig completions and refurbishments are highly complex projects by nature, because every vessel that comes into our yard is different. Very often, these rigs are in transit from various locations across the world and require further assessments and engineering solutions with quick turnaround times.
"Leveraging our internal competencies, we are able to size-up the project requirements and recommend the best course of action to get the jobs done safely, on time ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Yesterday at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monfalcone there was the delivery of the “Queen Elizabeth”, the new flagship of Cunard Line, Carnival Group, the world’s leading cruise operator. Following the “Queen Victoria”, built in Marghera in 2007, the “Queen Elizabeth”, voted “ship of the year”, is the first vessel Monfalcone shipyard has built for Cunard and the second "Queen" Fincantieri has delivered to the prestigious British brand.
Cunard Line, which was founded in 840, is an icon of British tradition and classical style: over 170 years of seafaring and a glorious record of transatlantic service with liners which have made maritime history.
Present at the ceremony were David Dingle, CEO of Carnival ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  North Vancouver, BC -- Seaspan International is pleased to announce the largest tug build commitment of a single class of vessels in over 35 years.
The company recently signed a contract with Sanmar Denizcilik Shipyard, of Istanbul Turkey; to build four state-of-the-art ship assist tugs. The prime duties for these tugs will be to dock, undock and escort ships in Vancouver Harbor and Roberts Bank. The RAstar 28 m tugs will feature full fire fighting capability and upon arrival will be amongst the most powerful vessels to sail BC waters. Internationally renowned and Vancouver based naval architects’, Robert Allan Ltd., designed the new tugs.
The first vessel is scheduled ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Successful Safety Management - A Practical Primer
This 2 Day workshop is an overview of important Safety Management topics. This course combines in-depth knowledge with a practical approach to provide a better understanding of the safety management system process.
Successful Safety Management – A Practical Primer
Has your safety management system grown into a monster that is difficult to manage and understand? Have we lost the meaning and intent by overcomplicating with special interest and bureaucracy? Can we reduce the paper and be safer? Together, let’s explore the benefits of getting back to basics to ensure successful safety management.
Objectives
|  Donjon-SMIT, an OPA-90 Alliance, is pleased to announce it is lowering its retainer fee structure supporting salvage and marine firefighting response services under the new 2011 OPA-90 regulations. Effective immediately, its new rate will be $500 per vessel per year.
Rates were lowered as a result of prevailing market conditions and Donjon-SMIT's interest in remaining competitive in this emerging market segment.
The new rate will continue to provide access to the most complete OPA-90 salvage and marine firefighting standby services package available today. Donjon-SMIT remains committed to providing all related services necessary to cover all ports within the United States and its territories.
Paul Hankins, Vice ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Power Generation during Loading & Unloading (PLUG)
PLUG is a revolutionary solution to establish a safe, reliable, multi mega watt, and high voltage (up to 11,000 Volts) ship to shore power connection within a minute.
PLUG relies on an innovative automatic connector technology, which beyond safety gains and superior speed of operations, allows an extremely compact and low cost installation on board (typically within one frame space). Thus making shore power affordable even for retrofitting on existing ships.
On the terminal side, PLUG technology can be easily tailored to site specific constraints such as tide or quay geometry.
A standardized and optimized ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Expanded line up builds on proven performance
International Paint has improved and expanded its range of antifouling coatings. The enhanced line up includes higher volume solids products, meaning reduced coats per scheme, lower levels of overspray and reduced VOC emissions. The new range will help ship owners, operators and ship yards meet the challenges of fluctuating fuel costs and increasing environmental pressures by delivering a full range of operational cost, environment and in-service performance benefits.
The range features our highest-performing self polishing copolymer antifouling, Intersmooth®SPC; our economical option Interspeed®; and a blend of both technologies in our new Interswift® products.
Leading the way is our renowned ... Read More>>>Back to Top |  Exhibition and conference organizers to present international debate for shipbuilding industry
In 2011 the two maritime leaders Europort Istanbul and Mare Forum Istanbul Mare will join forces. By linking the two initiatives, taking place from 22 to 26 March 2011, an even larger maritime platform for the maritime industry in Turkey arises. Mare Forum Istanbul will be held one day prior to Europort Istanbul. This setup allows exhibitors and visitors to Europort Istanbul to also attend the conference. Mare Forum participants themselves have the opportunity to visit the exhibition.
Mare Forum Istanbul 2011 – The Turkish Expansion III
In a recovering global economy, demand for goods and services ... Read More>>>Back to Top |
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