daily collection of mar itime press clippings 2014 –...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 082

Distribution : daily to 28875+ active addresses 23-03-2014

Number 082 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Sunday 23-03-2014

News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

The OLYMPIC TAURUS mobilising in Velsen Noord – Photo : Geert Woord ©

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

The MS EURODAM deck team celebrate the end of another successful Caribbean season and look forward to returning to Europe for the summer. Photo : Oliver Roger Johnathon Teague ©

Financing is returning to shipping: Standard Chartered

Financing for shipping is r eturning following the earlier exit of several banks, especially European banks, since the post-Lehman crisis, and loans to shipowners are expected to increase beyond the $56bn seen in 2013, according to Standard Chartered Bank. Shipowners are seeing loan options being made available not just from the usual international banks, but also from regional banks, export credit agencies (ECAs) and even private equity funds, noted Nigel Anton, global head of shipping finance at Standard Chartered.

“What we have seen in the last three years is a whole range of new financial players, very much led by Chinese banks, and on their tails you see leasing companies and ECAs in particular China and South Korea coming into the market to fill the (financing) gap. There is also a growing number of regional banks especially in Singapore, Malaysia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, that are financing the local players,” Anton said. “And the last that we have seen over the past six to 12 months is the rise of private equity,” he pointed out.

In 2007, a total of $94bn was lent to shipping. After the global financial crisis, that amount fell to just $38bn in 2010. By 2013, lending to shipping rebounded to $56bn. “I predict that this year's amount will be even higher,” Anton said.

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He added that private equity was on “no one's radar” back in 2007. Last year, shipping received about $9bn from private equity and the amount is similarly expected to increase this year.

“Financing in the shipping market is definitely back and the participation by private equity is recovering. In particularly private equity has given a boost to the ordering book in traditional shipping segments of the dry and wet markets,” he said.

However, Anton cautioned that returns in the shipping market would generally take a longer period of time and it is an industry that investors cannot expect to enter and exit quickly. The efforts made by financial institutions on scrutinising owners for their credibility are more important amid the prolonged downturn of the shipping industry due mainly to the severe overhang of tonnage. Source: Seatrade Global

KOTUG’s SD REBEL assisting the TRANS BORG in the port of Rotterdam – Photo : Nico Ouwehand ©

Thome Ship Management introduces Competence Management System from Seagull Thome Ship Management has migrated its existing Thome Competence Management System (TCMS) into the Seagull Competence Manager online platform to manage its ever-growing demand for crew training and gap identification.

Thome Ship Management is a dynamic provider of integrated ship management services to the international shipping and offshore industries. Based in Singapore, and celebrating 50 years of service, the Thome Group of Companies represents a unique combination of the best elements of Scandinavian shipping tradition with the modern drive of Asian business enterprise.

The new regime covers the global shipmanager’s full technical management services, extending to 300 vessels supported by over 600 shore staff and a pool of 10,000 seafarers globally. After several years of using another software vendor to manage its Competence Management System, Thome has transferred over to Seagull Competence Manager platform. The process involved a system clean-up, review and restructuring of defined competences, which are ship and rank specific. Seagull also assisted Thome in the integration of the Thome Competence Management System with their Crew Management system.

“We have been using the Seagull CBT Training System onboard our vessels for the past few years and have been very satisfied with the products and services offered by Seagull,” says Sartaj Gill, Head of Group Training, Thome Ship Management. “Since we saw the need to improve the functionality of the software platform last year, we decided to transfer our competence elements and assessment results to Seagull’s Competence Manager allowing our employees to use one system for both training and assessment. We are very happy with the cooperation with Seagull during the process and are confident that we now have a solution that fully covers our needs”

Building a competent crew through continuous training, gap identification and assessment is the key to improving ship performance. The Seagull training and competence system has been designed for easy use by crew members, as well as giving managers ashore a full overview of each seafarer’s development and level of competence allowing them to identify candidates ready for promotion.

“When Thome Shipmanagement made inquiries to change their IT platform to manage their Competence Management System we were able to demonstrate that our solution is t he best available and is a working solution already used by many other major shipping companies,” says Frank Pete, Director Software Systems, Seagull AS . “We



were happy to take on the challenge as we see every such opportunity as a way to learn more about industry requirements and needs. We acknowledge our partners to be the most powerful resource to guide us on how to improve our products and services to ensure they have the most efficient tools available to solve their challenges. We look forward to continuing to work with Thome Ship Management on developing the competence of their seafarers and our systems and services.” Source: Thome Shipmanagement

The ALSTER BAY outbound at the Westerschelde passing Vlissingen – Photo : Huib Lievense ©

Demand for low sulfur bunkers will result in more quality issues

Demand for low sulfur bunker fuel grades will result in more quality issues, as sulfur regulations worldwide get increasingly stringent, bunker industry veteran Simon Neo said Friday at the Asia Pacific Maritime 2014event.

Neo, an active member of the International Bunker Industry Association and executive director of bunker company Piroj International Pte Ltd, said this trend would emerge once sulfur emission control areas reduce the maximum sulfur content to 0.1% from January 1, 2015.

This would be from the current ceiling of 1%, as mandated by the International Maritime Organization. For many bunker suppliers to be able to meet the 0.1% sulfur limit, they would need to blend more to achieve the desired result. Overblending would result in problems with the flashpoint in marine gasoil grades and problems with catalytic fines in fuel oil grades, said Neo.

High flashpoints could result in explosions on board ships, while catalytic fines, combined with other elements in the fuel, could result in severe damage to ships' engines.

The key question is what types of cutterstocks would suppliers use to blend and this "could be anything," possibly leading to "huge problems" when the regulation kicks in, he said.

COSTS

The immediate alternatives would be distillates to replace residual fuels as bunker fuel to comply with regulations, but this would have a huge impact on costs, Neo said.

The market is likely to see demand for low sulfur MGO increase and the cost of it to follow suit, he said. Conversely, the price of fuel oil grades of bunker fuel will fall as a result of less demand, unless the shipping industry collectively

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moves towards adopting scrubbers, he said. Scrubbers can be installed on board ships' engines to remove sulfur from bunker fuel. The increase in operating costs would also have a greater impact on credit in the bunker market, Neo said. With the bunker market typically trading on cash terms and on open credit with each other, the question is whether suppliers will end up playing the role of banker to bunker buyers, said Neo. As it is, current profit margins in the Singapore market are around $2-3/mt on average and whether these profit margins viable in relation to the cost of financing is a looming question for bunker suppliers, he added. The cost of fuel oil grades of bunker fuel are around $600-700/mt on average in the current Singapore market, compared with distillate grades of bunker fuel which are often above the $900/mt mark, said market sources. Source: Platts

SEVEN WAVES HANDED OVER

IHC MERWEDE has handed over the SEVEN WAVES to Subsea 7 in Rotterdam-Waalhaven earlier this week, Brian Rice (Subsea7), Arjan Kleinzoon and Willem van Noort (IHC-Merwede) and Ionel (Lloyds) signed the documents upon completion of signing the documents

Subsea 7’s Brian Rice received the Certificate Registry and the flags where changed the Dutch and the IHC Merwede flag were lowered and the Subsea 7 and Isle of Man flags were hoisted in the mast of the new High quality IHC Merwede built vessel.

During the reception upon completion of the document signing both Captains allocated for the SEVEN WAVES Capt John Rudd and Capt Jan Plug, received an watercolour of the SEVEN WAVES presented by IHC Merwede.Capt John will sail the vessel towards the Canary island for some final tests, upon completion of these test Capt Jan Plug will take over and sail the vessel to Brazil on behalf of all readers I would like both



Captains, Capt John and Capt Jan and their crews safe sailing and successful upcoming projects onboard this Dutch built Quality vessel

All photo’s Capt. Jan Plug ©

Master Divers to invest US$ 100 mln in ship repair yard, logistics centre in Hambantota

Port Master Divers will open a regional office in Hambantota to meet the growing demands of the shipping industry, the company said in its press release. Chairman Master Divers, Ariyaseela Wickaramanayake said they will open a ship repair yard and a logistics centre. “We are hoping to invest around US $ 100 million for this project,”he said. He said that today the shipping industry is growing which results in the ships needing more expertise and they have come forward to take this opportunity. He said that the criticism on Hambantota harbour is mainly politically motivated. “One can clearly see the facts; Singapore and Dubai harbours are getting congested and shipping lines are looking at alternative ports. Since Hambantota is located in a major shipping route soon we will see more business to this southern Port.” “I can say that the Hambantota harbour will be used mainly as a transshipment hub where large ships will unload their cargo for smaller ships to distribute them to other regional ports,”he said. He said that when this process gets going there will be a major demand for ship related industries and Master Divers wants to be the main supplier for these needs. “We see the future and this is why we are investing.”

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Master Divers which is an internationally acclaimed maritime company also hopes to issue ‘ship certifications’ for international ships which is similar to a health check. He said that they have already obtained land for this project and youth training is in progress. “We are hoping to open this facility by the end of the year.” Wickramanayake said the project will provide over 100 direct employment opportunities. He said that two artificial islands are also being built at the harbour premises and they will also provide technical assistance for this historic project. “Our company was also involved in the ongoing Colombo Port City project providing the feasibility study for the project. Source : portnews

Jan De Nul completes Maltese dredging Jan De Nul has completed an extensive dredging project across Malta Freeport Terminals’ facilities within the Maltese

Port of Marsaxlokk, according to local media reports. The project involved the development of a number of port facilities, for which Jan De Nul used a modern cutter suction dredger.

Left : the 2011 built LUX flag motor hopper BOUSSOLE berthed at Grand Harbour, Malta on Monday 24th February, 2014 after shifting on Thursday 13th February upon completion of dredging Marsaxlokk Harbour with csd NICCOLO MACCHIAVELLI and tshd PINTA.

It is understood the work included the dredging of the port’s inner and outer fairway, the inner turning circle, basin manoeuvring area and the approaches of terminal two in both North and south quays. Further dredging was carried out at the northern quay of terminal one. Media reports that all areas were dredged to a depth of 17m to allow for a maximum keel berthing draught of -16m. Malta Freeport Terminals says this will enable it to

handle extra-large Triple-E 18,000 teu vessels. In compliance with Malta’s environmental authorities, all dredging works were closely monitored to ensure all regulations were met. Apparently, a number of infrastructural developments were also carried out to prepare the terminal for the arrival of much larger vessels. This included the extension of terminal two North quay and the installation of rails, bollards and a fendering system. The P3 alliance, which consists of shipping majors Maersk Line, MSC and CMA CGM, already selecting Malta Freeport as one of their port hubs in the Mediterranean, shipping traffic is already set to increase significantly. Source : Maritime Journal

Seaway Heavy Lifting is awarded the foundation and substation installation contract for the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm project.

Dudgeon Offshore Wind Limited (owned by Statoil ASA and Statkraft) has awarded Seaway Heavy Lifting the contract for the transportation and installation of 67 foundations and 1 substation as part of the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm project. The contract will cover storage, transportation and installation of monopiles, transition pieces, jackets and the offshore substation jacket and topside. The monopiles to be installed vary from 60-78 meters in length and 600 – 1000 Mt in weight. The substation topside weight is estimated to 2000 Mt. The installation work will



commence between March and May 2016 and be completed in August 2016. The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm lies to the north of the Sheringham Shoal Wind Farm where Seaway Heavy Lifting successfully completed the installation of Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) foundations and substation topsides in 2011 on behalf of Statoil and Statkraft. “Seaway Heavy Lifting’s, Senior Vice President Renewable Energy, Bob Dunsmore commented: ‘’The award of this prestigious contract provides Seaway Heavy Lifting with the opportunity to build on our existing relationship with the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Limited owners. Our business strategy is based on building long term relationships with our clients through high performance and a collaborative and fair approach. We believe this award is a validation of our strategy and consolidates our market leading position in the UK and wider European offshore wind markets.‘’ The Seaway Heavy Lifting crane vessel “Oleg Strashnov” will be utilised for the inshore loading, transportation and installation of the monopile foundations from a storage site to the offshore Dudgeon installation site. The “Oleg Strashnov” is a self-propelled DP crane vessel with a main hook capacity of 5000 Mt and a hook height of 100m above sea level. With a maximum deck load of 8500 Mt “Oleg Strashnov” is capable to carry 4 monopiles, 4 transition pieces and all equipment required for the successful installation.

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21-03-2014 : The SEASPAN NINGBO downbound on the Fraser river – Photo : Robert Etchell ©

Nakilat has most expensive LPG carriers The Qatar Gas Transport Company, Nakilat, has the four most valuable Liquefied Petroleum Gas carriers in the GCC.

According to data from online evaluation and tracking service VesselsValue.com the 82,452-cbm LUBARA is the most expensive Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) in the region, estimated to be worth US$74.1m.

Nakilat also owns the next three most valuable LPG VLGC’s. They include a pair of 82,452-cbm vessels, the BU SIDRA and UMM LAGHAB both valued at $72.2m and the 80,840-cbm ALWUKIR, which is valued at $71.3m. The fifth most expensive LPG carrier in the GCC is the 82,258-cbm Gas Al Kuwait, valued at $70.1m. It is part of the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company’s fleet. Source: ASC


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Bravery award for Christos XXII tug crew rescue leader

A seaman who helped prevent an "environmental disaster" off the coast of Devon has been decorated in the latest round of military honours. Chief Petty Officer Neil Halsey led the Royal Navy's three-man team that prevented the Christos XXII tugboat from sinking off Torbay in 2013.

The tug, which was carrying 200 tonnes of diesel, collided with the boat it was towing. CPO Halsey will receive the Queen's Commendation for Bravery. The eight-strong crew of the tug was rescued. CPO Halsey, from Portsmouth, said: "Three of us got into our sea boat and took some equipment over to Christos XXII. "When we got there she was lolling around in the sea and we found out the engine room hold was rapidly flooding. "We found that there was 200 tonnes of fuel oil on board - the environmental damage that would have happened to the Torbay coast and the surrounding area would have been a horrible thing." The vessel was later taken to nearby Portland Harbour and

repaired. Peter Davies, from Brixham Coastguard, described the efforts at the time as a "success story which managed to avert an environmental disaster". The decommissioned Motor Vessel Emsstrom, which was being towed by the Christos, gradually sunk off Hope's Nose Source : BBC

POLEN (ex SMIT POLEN) LEFT MAASSLUIS After A maintenance period at the De Haas Shipyard the harbour / coastal tug POLEN left the port of Maassluis bound for the Lekhaven in Rotterdam ,

the POLEN was the last Smit tug in the port of

Rotterdam named after a country which was operating . The tug is sold to Dutch interests which wil use the tug in / off Ghana (West Africa) Photo top left : Peter.vd.Hoff © Photo top right : Nico Ouwehand ©




The SPIRIT OF AUCKLAND arriving at Port Chalmers - Photo : Ross Walker ©

Cosco Delivers Newbuild Pipelay Heavy Lift Barge to SapuraKencana

Cosco Corporation (Singapore) Limited reported Wednesday that Cosco (Nantong) Shipyard Co., Ltd , a unit of the firm's 51 percent owned Cosco Shipyard Group Co., Ltd, has delivered a pipelay heavy lift vessel, "SapuraKencana 1200", to Malaysia's SapuraKencana Petroleum Berhad. The delivery documents for the pipelay heavy lift barge were signed by and between Cosco Nantong and the SapuraKencana recently. The vessel, classed by ABS, is equipped for multiple functions including oil piping processing, laying, installation and heavy lifting. SapuraKencana 1200 is capable of working in shallow water of up to 656 feet (200 meters) with a 10-point mooring system. The vessel also has a DP3 dynamic positioning system, which enables it to carry out heavy-lifting installation of large-scale offshore structures such as platform blocks, modules and jackets, as well as S-type pipe laying operations in water depths of up to 4,921 feet (1,500 meters). SapuraKencana 1200 is approximately 504 feet (153.6 meters) in length, 115 feet (35 meters) in breadth, 55 feet (16.8 meters) in depth, with a design draft of 25 feet (7.5 meters) and a lifting capacity of 1,300 tons. Source : rigzone.com

Sunderland DFDS ferry fire accused claims court has no right to try him

A MAN accused of starting a fire on board a North Sea ferry will argue that the Crown Prosecution Service does not have jurisdiction to try his case. Boden Hughes, of Fulwell Road, Sunderland, is accused of starting a fire in a cabin of a DFDS vessel while it was 30 miles out to sea.

The 26-year-old appeared at Newcastle Crown Court – via videolink to HMP Durham – where he is due to be tried in June. He did not enter a plea to charges of arson reckless to endangering life and affray, and the court heard his defence team say that as the alleged offence happened on a Danish ship while at sea, the crown court does not have jurisdiction. Judge Jeremy

Freedman ordered a hearing to take place on May 8 to determine the jurisdiction argument.

He told Christopher Morrison, who defends Hughes: “In essence, you are challenging whether this crown court is the appropriate jurisdiction for the trial of the charge of arson.” Mr Morrison confirmed the defence team will challenge



whether the case should be heard at the crown court. Ian Lowrie QC said prosecutors will argue that the case can and should be heard at the crown court.Further expert evidence and the exact cost of the damage is being gathered.

Hughes was remanded in custody until the next hearing. Two crew members and four passengers had to be winched off the DFDS Seaways vessel after breathing in smoke as a blaze took hold. A further 15 passengers and eight crew members were treated by doctors for smoke-related injuries after the incident. The ferry was forced to return to the Port of Tyne in North Shields, where Hughes was arrested. The Amsterdam-bound ferry had 946 passengers and almost 130 crew were on board. The fire broke out in a passenger cabin at around 10.45pm and was extinguished by 11pm. RAF helicopters from Leconfield near Hull and Boulmer in Northumberland were scrambled to the 30,000-tonne ship, along with RNLI lifeboats from Bridlington and Filey.Source : Sunderland Echo

HAL’s VOLENDAM moored in Shanghai – Photo : Pim Zandee ©

Ghana Navy Conference Examines Security in the Gulf of Guinea

Coastal and Maritime Surveillance Africa 2014 conference examining threats, challenges, opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea The Navy of Ghana has invited industry experts and military and law enforcement leaders to Accra for the Coastal and Maritime Surveillance Africa 2014 conference. The delegates are examining the threats, challenges and opportunities that are present in the Gulf of Guinea and Africa’s Atlantic coast.

In welcoming remarks, Vice President of Ghana Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur said there is enormous opportunity in developing the resources of the Gulf of Guinea, but also a huge cost presented by insecurity, which constrains investment. The potential is being undermined by domestic, regional and international threats. “We’re looking for long term partnerships and standardization across our region. Working together is the best way to guarantee safety, security and economic prosperity of the region.”

Chief of Naval Staff of the Ghana Navy, Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro , said that the maritime security situation in the Gulf of Guinea has caught the attention of entire international community. “It is a threat to international peace and stability,” he said. “It is a challenge that transcends international boundaries.” Ghanas’s maritime domain has changed significantly in the last few years, Biekro said. “The discovery of hydrocarbon deposits will change the economic environment and become the engine of national progress.”

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He said the Ghana Navy is reorganizing to be more flexible, responsive, and adaptable, with platforms embracing modularity that can be quickly adapted for specific missions

The vision is for more cooperation and information sharing with domestic partners and regional neighbors. Industry partners are important, too, he said, with some offering “complete solutions.” But, he added, state institutions must lead way to safeguard issues of sovereignty. Other speakers have included senior officers from other nations in the region, including Nigeria, South Africa, Gabon, Cameroon, Benin, Ivory Coast and industry sponsors.

Participants were able to visit the Naval Dockyard at Sekondi and air base at Takoradi as guests of the Ghana Navy and Air Force. The event is produced by IQPC. Conference producer Michael Champion attributes the large attendance and smooth operation on the event to the close attention and involvement of the Ghana Navy. Source : marinelink

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POSH Terasea’s SALVICEROY moored in Rotterdam –

Photo : Alex Rodenburg - Posh Terasea Offshore Pte Ltd ©

Sao Tome Hosts Conference on Gulf of Guinea Piracy

Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, where 18 percent of the worldwide attacks took place, is the focus of an international conference in this capital city. According to "Safety and Shipping Review 2014" report published by the Allianz Global insurance company, the Gulf of Guinea is a emerging hotbed of piracy, with 48 incidents recorded in 2013, representing 18 percent of attacks worldwide.

The document, which refers to statistics from the International Maritime Bureau, shows that of that total, 31 attacks were carried out by Nigerian criminals. The aforementioned figure includes two hijackings, 13 vessels boarded and 13 vessels fired upon. One crew member was killed and 36 kidnapped.

The reports says that 22 States of Western Africa signed a code of conduct last June (2013) dealing with the prevention of piracy, armed robberies and other "illicit maritime activity". According to the conference program, there will be a call to highlight the need for shared regional responsibility, international support to combat maritime crime, build capacity and develop marine resources in West Africa.




Sao Tome’s prime minister Gabriel Costa will open the conference, organized by the British Royal Institute of International Affairs and to be attended by researchers from the British non-governmental organization Chatham House, Interpol representatives, and fisheries experts. The meeting will also be attended by officers from the regional naval forces within the Economic Community of Central Africa States (ECCAS) and from West Africa (ECOWAS) Source : plenglish

A successfully loading operation at Bahrain of the Admarine V onboard the Xia Zhi Yuan 6, Brokerage and total execution was done by DUTCH OFFSHORE CONTRACTORS BV.

Taiwan fishermen to use armed guards against pirates in Indian Ocean

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Taiwan-registered fishing vessels operating in the pirated-infested waters of the Indian Ocean have obtained permission to hire armed guards on board, the island's fisheries authorities said Tuesday.

The Fisheries Agency told Kyodo News the agency has approved applications of some 20 fishing boats operating in waters considered "threatened by piracy or illegal use of force" to hire private armed escorts to counter piracy.

Following the footstep of Japan's parliament, which enacted a similar bill last year, Taiwan's legislature approved amendments to the fisheries law in August last year allowing the deployment of armed guards employed by foreign security contractors on board Taiwan-registered fishing vessels operating in high-risk areas threatened by piracy or illegal use of force. The Fisheries Agency declared in January the areas are located at north of 10 degrees south latitude and west of 78 degrees east longitude in the Indian Ocean.

Such personnel can only board and disembark the vessels when they are anchored in a foreign port and are not allowed to enter Taiwan. The Indian Ocean is one of Taiwan's most important tuna fishing grounds.

The Fisheries Agency said Taiwan originally had about 600 fishing vessels operating in the Indian Ocean, but the number has dwindled to about 400 due to the rising threat of piracy in the area.

Edward Huang, secretary general of the Taiwan Deep Sea Tuna Boat Owners and Exporters Association, said his members have about 350 boats operating in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

About 50 to 100 of them operate in such piracy-prone waters as off Somalia and Seychelles and require the protection of armed guards, he said. Since 2005, around 10 Taiwan-registered fishing vessels have been attacked or hijacked by Somali pirates. A Taiwanese fishing boat was hijacked in 2011 by Somali pirates who used it as a mother ship. A Taiwanese skipper and three Somali pirates were killed in an exchange of gunfire when a U.S. Navy ship was sent to rescue the hijacked vessel. Source : globalpost

Dutch cruise market grows A total of 114,000 Dutch citizens embarked on a cruise holiday last year, according to figures collected by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Marking a 4% increase from the numbers recorded in 2012, the figures also indicated that around 68% of all Dutch cruise passengers preferred cruising in Europe, the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.

“Far-away destinations like Asia, Australia and South America are also becoming quite interesting,” said Nico Bleichrodt, national director of CLIA Netherlands, previously known as the Dutch Cruise Council.

CLIA Netherlands has predicted that passenger numbers are set to rise even further in 2014, estimating that around 160,000 Dutch citizens will choose a cruise holiday. In addition, more cruise operators are expected to focus on the Dutch market, which is set to increase significantly, with numbers at Rotterdam predicted to almost double by 2015.

Currently, Cruise Port Rotterdam host around 30 cruise ships each year, with operators attracted by the city’s many tourist facilities and sites, as well as the fact that the port offers easy access to nearby airports and is a 30-minute walk from the newly renovated Rotterdam Central Station. The station, which was inaugurated on 13 March 2014 by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander, King of the Netherlands, is also connected to the European High Speed Rail network. Source : Cruiseandferry

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NAVY NEWS PLA commissions new guided missile destroyer

Kunming

The Kunming guided missile destroyer was commissioned on Friday. (Photo/Xinhua)

A guided missile destroyer was delivered and commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy on Friday.

The warship Kunming with hull number 172 was officially handed over at a ceremony held at the port of Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) in Shanghai.

The warship belongs to the new generation of China-made guided missile destroyers and has a strong capacity for regional air defense and naval warfare, navy sources said. Navy commander Wu Shengli said at the ceremony that weaponry and equipment are vital to the building of a strong navy and the Kunming will greatly enhance the navy's fighting capacity. Source Want China Times

Indigenous Submarines an Unlikely Dream for Taiwan

Building a diesel-electric submarine looks technically and politically unrealistic.

Taiwan’s Defense Minister Yang Ming has stated that his Ministry of National Defense (MND) is considering the possibility of independently developing small diesel-electric submarines (SSKs), which would displace between 1500 and 2000 tons. After losing the opportunity to procure SSKs from the U.S. in the 2000s, an insufficient number of SSKs has been a major strategic flaw in Taiwan’s deterrence strategy. Its two Guppy II Class SSKs, of World War II vintage, are for

training only, leaving two Dutch Zwaardvis Class vessels obtained in the mid-1980s as its only operational assets. In principle, Taiwan does meet several conditions for indigenous submarine development, such as an established ship-building industry and financial affordability; nevertheless, a range of technical and political factors a likely to hinder the project.



Foreign Reliance

Independent SSK design today is still limited in a few traditional arms exporting countries, such as Russia and Germany. Despite their considerable defense industries, Israel and South Korea both rely on German designs and other technical assistance to develop their own SSKs. For inexperienced Taiwan, a purely independent design would be unrealistic. Yet if Taiwan wants to follow the Israeli or Korean pattern, China would doubtless exert comprehensive diplomatic and economic pressure to block its access to countries that have a submarine industry. After withdrawing its offer, the U.S. seems unlikely to provide a second chance in the near future. Moreover, since the U.S. has not produced any SSK since the 1960s, third-party technology would be necessary and again vulnerable to pressure from Beijing. Japan, which has lifted its ban on arms exports, has the potential to be a supplier of submarine technology, and its own geostrategic considerations may favor a stronger Taiwanese deterrence. However, quite apart from Chinese pressure, Taiwan’s Beijing-friendly policies and endless incidents of Chinese espionage among its armed forces may well dissuade Japan from exporting classified technology. Budget Constraints

In addition to the technical issues, Taipei faces a challenge with its budget. With an economy among the world’s twenty largest, Taiwan ought to have the resources to invest in a submarine project, but the significance of national defense has gradually decreased, despite serious strategic pressure from China. Since democratization in the early 1990s, the share of Taiwan’s GDP allocated to defense has continuously fallen, dipping below 3 percent in the mid-2000s due to domestic political struggles between the minority government and powerful opposite parties. After the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) returned to power in 2008 with a parliamentary majority, it opted to focus on improving relations with China through economic and other integration rather than beefing up national defense.

As a consequence, Taiwan’s defense spending remains below 3 percent of GDP and the number of military projects has declined markedly. Meanwhile, the shift to an all-voluntary military has raised personnel costs, further limiting the funds available for defense investment. Unless policymakers in Taipei radically shift direction, it is unlikely the MND will receive the money for a project as expensive as developing indigenous SSK.

Enough Time?

Even if Taiwan could overcome the technical and budget challenges, building a credible submarine force would be an exceptionally time-consuming exercise. For example, Australia spent more than 15 years developing its flotilla of six Collins Class SSKs, semi-indigenously designed and domestically built. Whether the MND adopts a purely indigenous design or succeeds in obtaining a foreign one, it will still face a series of lengthy tasks including development, trials, modifications and full production. Although Taiwan’s shipbuilding industry has successfully produced frigates, tankers and other types of surface vessels, it’s been four decades since Taiwan built a submarine, and then it was with Italian technical support. Developing the relevant capabilities may thus push the timeframe out even further. Given an increasing military imbalance across the strait, it is doubtful Taiwan can afford to wait that long.

Fait Accompli

Finally, SSKs will not prevent a Chinese fait accompli. In Crimea, Russia’s rapid military deployment created a fait accompli, effectively preventing any Western intervention. China could conceivably do the same, using agents and special troops covered as Chinese tourists, students or businesspeople in Taiwan, aided by airborne divisions backed by its tremendous civil aviation fleets. In that scenario, submarines would be useless. Submarines assume a scenario in which robust Taiwanese resistance withstands missile attacks and air raids, forcing the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to conduct a naval blockade operation or launch an amphibious invasion. However, recent events suggest that this scenario may no longer be as realistic as once assumed.

As an instrument of defense, SSKs would indeed be valuable for Taiwan, but defense is shaped by politics. And for Taiwan, the politics are likely to evolve too rapidly for a indigenous submarine project to be truly useful for its security. Source : The Diplomat

Russian Navy Flag Raised at Ukraine's Only Sub

The St.Andrew's flag of the Russian Navy was raised on Ukraine's only submarine, the Zaporizhzhia, on Saturday.

The Zaporizhzhia, commissioned in 1970, will join the Russian Black Sea Fleet, which previously had three submarines. Captain 1st Rank Anatoly Varochkin, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet's submarine flotilla, told RIA Novosti that half of the Zaporizhzhia's crew, including the captain, refused to serve in the Russian Navy and left the vessel.



"Half of the submarine's crew is ready to serve [Russia] and fulfill their tasks. They know their vessel and will continue service," Varochkin said adding that the submarine was in a poor technical condition. The submarine will be relocated to Yuzhnaya Bay where the Russian Black Sea is based.

A total of 72 military units in Crimea hoisted Russian flags earlier this week and applied to join the Russian armed forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday to ratify the treaty providing for the reunification of the Crimean Peninsula with Russia. Leaders in the predominantly Russian-ethnic republic refused to recognize the legitimacy of the government in Kiev that came to power amid often violent protests last month, instead seeking reunification with Russia. Source : RIAnovosti

China wants to scan seabed of Andaman sea for Submarine Operations With the search for missing Malaysian plane turning to India's neighbourhood, China has sought permission for sending its four warships into the Indian waters, causing a major dilemma for the authorities here.

India, which had suspended the search operations for last three days, resumed efforts on Thursday to locate the aircraft in South Indian Ocean region.

China, whose 150 nationals are on board the aircraft, has sent a formal request to India to allow their warships including a salvage vessel and two frigates to enter Indian waters in the Andaman Sea to locate the plane, sources said.

The Government, which has been taken by surprise, will take a decision the request after consulting the defence forces, particularly the Navy, the sources said.

The dilemma for the government is because its assets in the Arabian Sea are mainly to guard against China and these could get exposed if the Chinese warships are allowed in.

Meanwhile, Indian Navy and the Air Force along with Coast Guard ships resumed operations to locate the aircraft after keeping them suspended for three days awaiting instruction for looking into new areas. A Navy official said the naval and other assets have now been asked to look into the South Indian Ocean stretching south from Jakarta after the request from the Malaysian authorities. India has deployed six warships and five maritime surveillance aircraft to locate the missing airliner with 239 passengers on board. The assets deployed for the search operations include INS Saryu, INS Kumbhir and INS Kesari from the Navy and ICGS Kanaklata Barua and ICGS Bhikaji Cama.

The Navy has also deployed two of its P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft from INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu for locating the missing plane along with its Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft. The IAF has also pressed into action its C-130J Super Hercules Special Operations aircraft fitted with modern surveillance capabilities to find the plane. Source : Indian Defence

SHIPYARD NEWS ULJANIK Shipyard launches third ferry

for Jadrolinija On 14th March 2014, Yard 505 constructed by ULJANIK Shipyard for the Croatian national shipping company Jadrolinija from Rijeka was launched into the sea from slipway number one, the company said in its press release. This is the third of a series of four identical Ro-Ro passenger vessels designed for two-way direct sailing for the transportation of 600 passengers in summer months or 320 passengers in the winter period in the closed lounge. The ferries will also be able to transport 145 standard vehicles or 16 trailers of 40 tonnes each. Leading people from Uljanik and Jadrolinija attended the launching while the first lady of the ceremony, Ms Bojana Stanisavljević, an employee of the Technical department of Jadrolinija, released the vessel into the sea with the traditional cutting of the rope. Mr. Eduard Milovan, director of ULANIK Shipyard, addressed all those present, emphasising the employment capacitates of the shipyard and businesses in the local environment as well as the business collaboration between



Uljanik and Jadrolinija. At the end Milovan thanked for their contribution the inspectors of Jadrolinija, the inspectors of the Croatian Register of Ships as well as Uljanik workers who are planning to have 6 newbuildings launched this current year. The President of the Management Board of Jadrolinija, Mr. Alan Klanac, noted that this is the third launching that he is attending in such a short period of time and on that occasion he thanked all the participants in this project of construction of ferries for Jadrolinija. All the vessels from the series will be 99.8 m long, 17.5 m wide, draught 2.4 m, deadweight at maximum draught of 950 tonnes and will have a speed of 12.5 knots. Each vessel will be driven by four Volvo (Penta) main engines each having a power of 442 kW at 1800 rpm. The Contract for construction was signed on 4th March 2013, while the keel was laid in January of this year. Source : portnews

State-of-the-art RoPax ferry successfully launched

‘Loch Seaforth’ has room for 700 passengers and 143 cars

Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) successfully launched last Friday the ‘LOCH SEAFORTH for Scottish customer Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL). The ship is a state-of-the-art, complex RoPax ferry built to carry up to 700 passengers and 143 cars, or 20 trucks. In just three months time the 116 metre long LOCH SEAFORTH will link the mainland of northwestern Scotland with the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides on the Stornoway-Ullapool route. Because of her high-value, modern design and construction, the ferry is suitable for round-the-clock operation and as a result will replace two older ferry ships. “When we reached agreement on this project with CMAL a year and a half ago, the contract was dependent on the highest possible degree of reliability”, recalls FSG chief Peter Sierk. It was not only that CMAL wanted to start its service with ‘LOCH SEAFORTH on schedule in July of 2014. “It was also because LOCH SEAFORTH was to replace two older ferries in 24 hour operation on a dependable, no-delay time-table that CMAL

placed such very high demands on reliable and trouble-free daily operation”, adds Sierk. Today’s launch demonstrates FSG capability yet again. “We are completely on schedule”, commented Sierk “and we are convinced that we will be able to hand over this newbuilding to our customer right on time, as we have done with all our other ships over the past 15 years” It was in summer 2012 that the Flensburger Werft bid won the contract, over stiff international competition, because of many advantages: delivery and deadline reliability, high cost effectiveness, an outstanding price-performance ratio and top-class Flensburg shipbuilding quality along with low operational costs and low emissions. “The construction of LOCH SEAFORTH demonstrates once again that we succeed when we develop individual and innovative solutions on behalf of customers. Our strength lies in the fact that we understand the

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requirements of the customer, make intensive efforts to try to meet them and then develop a tailor-made solution. That’s something you find almost nowhere else”, says Peter Sierk. See the launch of the LOCH SEAFORTH at this movie : http://youtu.be/dkhCjnFOUso made by Markus Brinkmann

Smaller shipyards to be put into drydock 1,600 shipbuilding-related enterprises, many with excess capacity. The government plans to rationalize the industry. Provided to China Daily China signaled that it will cut its vast shipyard army to get industrial growth back on a healthy track this year, as its earning ability falters amid cheap vessel prices, blind expansion and speculation in the shipbuilding sector.

China will drastically curb the number of shipyards, docks, berths and maintenance facilities it opens, said Li Dong, deputy director-general at the department of equipment industry at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

"Blind investment activities in the shipbuilding sector must be restrained, especially in the regions of the Bohai Bay, Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta," Li said. Meanwhile, he said, "capable shipyards will be supplied with technical and financial assistance to develop high-end ships and offshore engineering products to catch up with rivals such as South Korea and Singapore".

As China's policy banks, such as China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China, become more cautious in approving refund guarantees-in particular, small and medium-sized shipyards-Li warned that unqualified shipyards should not even think about producing offshore engineering products such as oil rigs and offshore pipe-laying vessels for foreign ship owners.

"Small and medium-sized shipyards without orders or with a few orders will gradually withdraw from the market over the next five years," Li said. As the world's largest shipbuilding country, China has 1,600 shipbuilding-related enterprises (including 800 large shipyards), with an annual industrial output value of 800 billion yuan ($130 billion).

A total of 1.5 million people work in the industry, according to the National Development and Reform Commission.

New orders hit 69.84 million deadweight tons in 2013, up 242 percent from a year earlier. Ongoing orders totaled 131 million DWT, a 23 percent rise year-on-year. "Even though China received more orders than Japan or South Korea last year and this year, new ship prices hit rock bottom over the past two years, and there is no sign of recovery," said Zhang Guangqin, president of China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry. "It will take another five years for overcapacity to be eased." Concrete action already has been taken by major shipbuilding provinces. Shanghai announced earlier this month that it will cut its shipbuilding capacity to 12 million DWT before 2017.

Jiangsu also promised to cut 10 million DWT of shipbuilding capacity, down to 25 million DWT over the next five years.

In the meantime, the development and reform commission of Zhejiang province is drafting a plan to consolidate large shipyards and eliminate small and low-end shipyards within five years. The province is eager to optimize all its resources to develop high-end vessels and offshore engineering products such as liquefied natural gas carriers, drilling vessels, large icebreakers and chemical tankers.

Dong Liwan, a professor at Shanghai Maritime University, said the Crimea issue between Russia and the West will create an opportunity for Chinese shipyards to get orders from Europe for LNG carriers. "Russia may cut its natural gas supply to some members of the European Union if the conflict in Crimea continues to escalate. Therefore, countries such as Britain, Germany and Italy will turn to theirshale gas-rich ally the United States to resolve a possible energy crisis sooner or later," Dong said. The world's LNG ship market is dominated by South Korea, Japan and China. South Korea became the world's largest LNG vessel manufacturer last year, holding 68 percent of global orders. But its production capacity is already saturated. Japan faces the similar problem of currently producing LNG ships for domestic companies to secure its natural gas supply on sea routes, after the nuclear leak in Fukushima in 2011. "Under such circumstances, those European nations have no choice but to order a considerable number of LNG ships from China to ensure they can get sufficient gas from a seller across the Atlantic," said Dong. "LNG ships also are a good product with which China can upgrade its shipbuilding sector." Source : ECNS

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Coast Guard's IG reviews projects at Goa Shipyard

Inspector General S K Goyal, deputy director general (M&M), Indian Coast Guard, visited Goa Shipyard Limited on Friday to review the progress of the six new generation offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) indigenously designed and being constructed by GSL for the Indian Coast Guard with RAdm (Retd) Shekhar Mital, chairman and managing director, GSL. The Indian Coastguard had inked the contract for the vessels with GSL in May 2012. The new OPVs will be leaps ahead of the vessels currently in use, as they have been designed with a contemporary navigational integrated bridge system with bridge watch navigational call up system, CCTV system for surveillance, and additional features like quick response boats for rescue and anti -piracy as well as a four lane simulator for small arms training. The hull would be the most efficient form designed by GSL and would provide for fuel efficiency, crew comfort and excellent sea keeping qualities, Mital explained. Sources in GSL said that the first OPV is likely to be delivered in August this year, and by 2017, all six would be commissioned by the force. Till date, GSL has built 22 vessels for the Indian Coast Guard , including offshore patrol vessels, fast patrol vessels and advanced offshore patrol vessels ranging from 46m to 105m in length. GSL is the principal designer and builder of offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Coast Guard. Source : The Times of India

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

18 Pelni Ships Get IDR872,789 Billion Subsidies

The government through the Directorate General of Sea Transportation again provided Public Service Obligation (PSO) funding for subsidy dedicated to economy class passengers. In this, the PSO subsidy gave 18 vessels with 376 voyeges operated PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Pelni) for IDR872.789 billion.

The MoU for the PSO will be signed between the Director General of Sea Transportation, Capt.Bobby R. Mamahit the President Director of PT Pelni Syahril Japarin, Tuesday (03/18/2014), as reported by the Ministry of Transportation’s official site.

Director General of Sea Transportation said to increase public transport access to remote and outlying areas, especially in the border areas with neighboring countries, since in 2003 the government has provided assistance through the PSO subsidy to PT Pelni. He hopes with the signing of the Implementation Agreement Public Service Obligations Sea Transport Sector to the Economy Class passengers, Pelni can continue to improve maritime passenger transport services in accordance with the existing minimum service standards. Source : Caissat Prime Source : business.bisnis

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OHT’s FALCON came to anchor off Selmun 22nd March, at the island Of Malta. Petrosaudi Discoverer will be

unloaded and moves to an adjacent waiting area off the island. Piloted by Capt J.M Dalli Photo : Malta Maritime Pilots, www.maritimepilots.com.mt www.mmrtc.com.mt ©

Click HERE for the LIVE STREAM WEBCAM in Hoek van Holland Berghaven

KL to host Offshore Technology Conference

FOR the first time in its 44-year history, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), a key trade event for oil and gas professionals, will be held in Kuala Lumpur.

OTC Asia serves as a platform for local, regional and international firms to showcase cutting-edge offshore technology and share insights on the region’s burgeoning energy sector.

Held over four days from March 25-28, and capped by Formula One weekend at the Malaysian Grand Prix, the exhibition portion will feature over 150 companies, some 30% of them Malaysian. Petronas is the corporate supporting organisation for OTC Asia 2014. As power consumption in Asia-Pacific more than doubles, the region will need energy investments totalling US$11.7 trillion (RM37.21 trillion) in the 25 years through 2035, according to an estimate from the Asian Development Bank. Anchored by Petronas, Malaysia is projected to see the largest capital expenditure increase in the region of more than US$59bil (RM176bil) within the next five years, topping that of even China and India. Malaysia is No. 2 in South-East Asia by oil and gas reserves, and one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producers, as well as the No. 2 LNG exporter globally. The country achieved a milestone when it crossed the 100 production sharing contract (PSC)-mark in December.

PSCs are essentially joint ventures between Petronas and international oil companies that enables the exploration, development and production of petroleum within a specified area and duration. PSC contractors execute and finance all the operations at their own risk. Unlike the old concession system, the PSC allows Petronas, on behalf of Malaysia, to draw on the expertise of established oil and gas companies while limiting exposure to technical and financial risks.

More than RM300bil has been invested in Malaysia’s upstream oil and gas sector since the inception of Petronas and the adoption of PSCs in Malaysia. Prior to 1974, the concession system was used whereby the Government played a minimal role in the development of the petroleum industry. The Government was then only a “tax collector”, and oil companies had the right to explore and develop petroleum resources under leases of up to 40 years or more, subject to little control, and in some cases even owned the petroleum resources.

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Swire’s PACIFIC DISCOVERY and PACIFIC RIGGER in action during towing operations in Indonesia.

Photo : Capt. Kees Pronk ©

Scotland approves two offshore wind farms in outer Moray Firth

The Scottish government has approved plans for two new offshore wind farm developments in the outer Moray Firth, which are expected to generate 1.9GW of electricity and be worth £2.5bn to the country's economy.

Moray wind The government gave the go-ahead to Moray Offshore Renewables, a joint venture (JV) between Repsol and EDP Renovaveis, and to Beatrice offshore wind farm, a JV between SSE Renewables and SeaEnergy Renewables.

In total, the plans will deliver up to 326 wind turbines, and the consent has been granted subject to strict conditions on the impact of the development, including in relation to birds and other environmental considerations. The government claims that the developments, off the coast of Caithness, together will be the world's third largest offshore wind farm.

Scotland Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said the country has the potential to lead the development of a new renewables industry as offshore wind moves into deeper waters. "Offshore renewables represent a huge opportunity for Scotland; an opportunity to build up new industries and to deliver on our ambitious renewable energy and carbon reduction targets," Ewing said. "The Scottish Government is committed to the successful and sustainable development of an offshore wind sector, which could lead to a potential inward investment of £30 billion and support up to 28,000 direct jobs and a further 20,000 indirect jobs, generating up to £7.1 billion for the Scottish economy." Source : wind.energy-business

World's No 2 box maker 2013 profit down 43pc as revenue falls 16pc

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THE second biggest container manufacturer, Hong Kong's Singamas Container Holdings, posted a 43 per cent year-on-year profit decline in 2013 to US$34.3 million, drawn on revenues of $1.28 billion, down 16.5 per cent.

Soft demand for new containers, due to lower growth in global trade and the continuously depressed liner market was aggravated by stockpiling of new containers during the first half of the year, said the company.

"With the modest demand, a slow recovering global economy and excess supply of containers in the low season, the traditional peak season in the second half year failed to materialise," said Singamas chairman Teo Siong Seng said.

The company will benefit from the closure of its factories and that of its bigger competitor, China International Marine Containers (CIMC), for two months during the Lunar New Year.

"We are more optimistic about the market this year as new orders have pushed up the container [average selling] price to US$2,300 from below $2,000 last year," Mr Teo said. Source : Asian Shipper

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Over $850M in High Bids Offered on Central Gulf Lease Sale

Oil and gas operators offered over $850 million in high bids for 326 tracts covering more than 1.7 million acres in Wednesday’s central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 231. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, offered almost 40 million acres in the central and eastern Gulf. Fifty operators participated in central Gulf Lease Sale 231, offering 380 bids totaling over $1.08 billion. BOEM offered 7,511 tracts encompassing over 39 million acres in the sale. BOEM Director Tommy P. Beaudreau said the lease sale could result in the production of 1 billion barrels of oil and 4 trillion cubic feet of gas. “While domestic energy production is growing rapidly in the United States, the central Gulf of Mexico, as demonstrated by today’s lease sale, will continue to be one of the cornerstones of the nation’s energy portfolio,” he said. “The Gulf of Mexico is one of the most productive basins in the world, and the Obama administration supports the development of our nation’s offshore oil and gas resources in the Gulf of Mexico while protecting the human, marine and coastal environments, and ensuring a fair return to the American people,” Beaudreau commented. Freeport-McMoRan Oil & Gas LLC offered $68.7 million on Atwater Valley Block 198, the highest bid made on a block and the highest bid per acreage. This block received six bids, the greatest number of bids made on any block offered. Freeport-McMoRan submitted five of the top 10 single highest bids in the sale. Chevron Corp. subsidiary Chevron U.S.A. Inc. and Royal Dutch Shell plc also submitted single highest bids; Murphy and Ecopetrol America Inc. jointly submitted a top ten single highest bid. BP plc, which became eligible again to bid on deepwater leases following its settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over the Deepwater Horizon incident earlier this month, made 24 high bids totaling $41.6 million in the sale, making BP fourth on the list of top ten companies based on high bids submitted. Cobalt International Energy LP made 44 high bids totaling $25.8 million, the greatest number of high bids made by any company participating in the sale. Total E&P USA Inc., LLOG Bluewater Holdings LLC and GulfSlope Energy Inc. also ranked among the top five of the top ten companies in number of high bids. Other companies rounding out the top ten for number of high bids include EPL Oil & Gas Inc., Houston Energy L.P., Apache Shelf Exploration LLC, Freeport-McMoRan and Murphy Exploration & Production Company. Lloyd Ridge Block 457 in 10,049 feet (3,063 meters) of water was the deepest block to receive a bid in Lease Sale 231. Of the 326 bids made, 131 were for blocks in less than 656 feet (200 meters) of water, and 108 were made on blocks in over 5,249 feet (1,600 meters) of water. - The sum of high bids and total value of bids in Wednesday’s central Gulf lease sale were down from the $1.2 billion in high bids and over $1.5 billion value of all bids made in BOEM’s previous offering of central Gulf acreage, Central Gulf Lease Sale 227 in March 2013. Fifty-two operators participated in Lease Sale 227, offering 320 bids on over 1.7 million acres. Despite a lack of bids for Eastern Gulf Lease Sale 225, BOEM still sees the eastern Gulf as an important part of its Gulf of Mexico strategy, said Beaudreau during a conference call with


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reporters on Wednesday. BOEM plans to give industry another chance to express interest in the eastern Gulf the 2016 lease sale planned under BOEM’s Five-Year Oil & Gas Leasing Program. Eastern Gulf Lease Sale 225 was the first sale offering acreage in the area since 2008 and one of two in BOEM’s current leasing program. The sale encompasses 134 whole or partial unleased blocks covering approximately 465,200 acres 125 miles south of eastern Alaska and western Florida. BOEM officials also unveiled bids submitted for three blocks made by ExxonMobil Corp. that fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S.-Mexico Transboundary Hydrocarbons Agreement, which was approved by U.S. Congress in 2013’s Bipartisan Budget Act and recently signed by President Obama. The $21.3 million in high bids were submitted in August 2013’s Western Planning Area Lease Sale 223 for blocks located or partially located within three statute miles of the maritime and continental shelf boundary with Mexico. Lease sales 225 and 231 mark the fourth and fifth offshore lease sales under the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Lease Sale 231. The central and eastern Gulf lease sales highlight what Americans could gain by opening additional areas to offshore oil and gas development, said Erik Milito, director of upstream and industry operations for the American Petroleum Institute, in a statement. “Offshore lease sales have raised more than $17.3 billion for the government over the last ten years and allowed our industry to create more jobs and produce more energy here at home,” said Milito. “Holding lease sales in the Atlantic and more of the eastern Gulf of Mexico would make America stronger economically and diplomatically.” Milito called for a revenue sharing agreement like the one in effect for states bordering the U.S. Gulf to be extended to other coastal states. He also cited the economic benefits that could be realized from opening the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf to exploration. A study by Quest Offshore estimates that Atlantic OCS exploration could create almost 280,000 new jobs, raise $51 billion in new revenue for the government, and add up to 1.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day to domestic energy production – which is about 70 percent of current output from the U.S. Gulf. Source : Rigzone

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The CAUSEWAY on the Southampton Approach Channel Dredging Project. At the moment the newest TSHD of the

Boskalis fleet! Photo : Maarten de Wit ©

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