DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 –...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2008 – 217

Distribution : daily 4675 copies worldwide 8/20/2008

Number 217 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Thursday 21-08-2008 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles taken from various news sites.

SVITZER OCEAN TOWAGE Jupiterstraat 33 Telephone : + 31 2555 627 11 2132 HC Hoofddorp Telefax : + 31 2355 718 96 The Netherlands E-mail: [email protected]

The 57 mtr maintenance/accommodation/utility vessel MICLYN GRAND was launched in Chuan

Dong (China), her sister ship named the MICLYN GRACE was launched last month (left)

Photo’s : Diederik de Boer Miclyn Express Offshore ©



CONTENTS EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

• All bodies from sunken ferry to be identified, ICMP assures • Maritime Academy ship helps Coast Guard rescue two sailors • Wederom drugsvangst voor kustwacht • German Action Stations • Russian trawler arrested in Spitsbergen waters • Moving Plea

NAVY NEWS • British royal navy ship visits Nigeria • Operation SEACAT • Argentine school ship visits Guam, public invited to visit • Russia sends aircraft carrier to Syria

SHIPYARD NEWS • STX bags $310m VLCC order • Aker Yards loses its name • Transport minister supports Fredericia Skibsværft • ANOTHER 171LE ARRIVED IN FLUSHING • ASRY Offshore Services (AOS) awarded first contract • ABG to invest Rs 1,200 cr in new Gujarat shipyard

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES • Cancellation of New Building Contracts for Four Type 179 Vessels • ULSTEIN SEA OF SOLUTIONS DESIGNS UNIQUE VESSEL FOR BLACK SEA • Mexico plans to spend $785 million to expand Veracruz Port • Taicang-Jingtang-Ningbo feeder container line launched • Port of Felixstowe invests in new equipment • Billions of dollars to be poured into Russian ports • Evergreen Line to inaugurate direct service to Haifa • Torm announces all-time high profit • Norasia to add Lisbon to North Europe service • Torm orders more tankers from China • Asian shippers threaten law suit over price fixing • U.S. Army tug sold • Auckland-Tauranga port merger back in play • DUITSE DELEGATIE IN KATWIJK • Rotterdam starts actual construction of Maasvlakte 2 • HIGH UTILISATION AND STRONG CASH FLOW IN 2Q 2008 • FIRST CONTRACT FOR SUBSEA 7'S NEW GULF OF MEXICO SPOOLBASE • 19.18 percent increase in KPT cargo handling • Capital Product Partners L.P. Announces Successful Delivery of Its Eighteenth Tanker

'Aris II' • Sovcomflot becomes SCG Group • MISC to get two more LNG tankers in expansion move • DP World awards £400m London Gateway contract



EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS HIGH

DEEP

HEAVY

EURO DEMOLITION BV Lijndenweg 5, NL 1948 ND BEVERWIJK

www.eurodemolition.com

All bodies from sunken ferry to be identified, ICMP assures

FAMILIES still waiting for their loved ones to be identified can take comfort in the assurance that the chances of finding them are high, an official said. The bodies of 10 who died in the Princess of the Stars accident were released Sunday in Cebu City, ending their relatives’ wait, which lasted over eight weeks. Kathryne Bomberger, director general of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), assured they are doing everything they can to identify the victims, so their families can bring them home. “This is definitely a priority. We do not want to have these people wait. We are moving as quickly as possible,” Bomberger told Sun.Star Cebu. Bomberger explained that majority of their DNA specialists at their headquarters in Sarajevo, Bosnia are working round the clock on the case. “We have total of 170 staff members, with around 100 DNA staff. But the majority of the DNA staff are currently working full-time to make this happen,” said Bomberger. Bomberger is optimistic that most bodies from the mv Princess of the Stars, which sank off Romblon, will be identified. Because the authorities know that the bodies are from the vessel and since most families have come forward to have their blood samples drawn, the chances of identifying the bodies are high. “What I am concerned about are the persons missing from the other vessels as a consequence of typhoon Frank,” added Bomberger. Apart from the Princess of the Stars, smaller vessels sank when typhoon Frank crossed Philippine territory last June 21. “There is not much information about bodies recovered from other ships or families who reported missing persons from those ships,” said Bomberger. The ICMP and Interpol hope that more families whose loved ones went missing during typhoon Frank will come forward and have their DNA samples taken. “We hope for other families of the victims who were not on the ferry to come to us. If they would like to come forward and give reference samples, we would encourage them to do so,” said Bomberger. Another concern is how the bodies trapped inside the ferry might be affected, if a pesticide cargo leaks from the Stars before it can be refloated. Despite these uncertainties, Bomberger assured that majority of the bodies can be identified. Source : sunstar.com.ph



Maritime Academy ship helps Coast Guard rescue two sailors

A California Maritime Academy training ship assisted the U.S. Coast Guard with the rescue of two sailors Sunday off the coast of Monterey. The Coast Guard received a distress call at about 1:10 p.m. from the "Blue Chip", a boat 17 feet long with two passengers on board that was disabled and adrift 80 nautical miles west of Point Pinos. The Coast Guard asked any vessels in the area to divert to the skiff's location if possible. The "Golden Bear", returning from a two-month international training cruise, responded to the call at about 4 p.m. and agreed to assist. The training ship brought the two sailors safely onboard at about 9:55 p.m., according to the Coast Guard. The two passengers were reported to be in good condition. The Coast Guard advises mariners to make sure their boat is outfitted properly and is used only for its intended purpose. This includes having properly functioning navigation, communication, signaling and safety equipment Source : Contracosta times

Wederom drugsvangst voor kustwacht Na de succesvolle onderschepping van 160 kg cocaïne op zondagnacht, onderschepte de Kustwacht voor de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba gisteravond wederom een drugstransport. Ditmaal betrof het 192 kg marihuana die werd aangetroffen op een zeilboot in de territoriale wateren van Sint Maarten. Tijdens een patrouillevlucht bij de Bovenwindse Eilanden nam de DASH-8, het maritiem patrouillevliegtuig van de kustwacht, een verdacht vaartuig ten zuidoosten van Sint Maarten waar. De Super-RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) van het kustwachtsteunpunt Sint Maarten zette direct koers naar het vaartuig, om deze te onderzoeken. Aangekomen bij de oude zeilboot, ‘Minotaur’ genaamd, gooide de opvarenden verzwaarde pakketten overboord. De kustwachtmedewerkers wisten zeven ervan uit het water op te pikken. In totaal bevatten deze pakketten 192 kg marihuana. De vijf opvarenden van de ‘Minotaur’, vier mannen uit Saint Lucia en een vrouw uit Santa Domingo, zijn aangehouden en overgedragen aan de politie. De zeilboot is opgebracht naar de kustwachtsteiger Sint Maarten voor nader onderzoek. Bron : Kustwacht Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba

Rickmers owned OOCL MOSCOW seen at the Westerscheldt River - Photo : Richard Wisse ©



Harms Bergung: Fleet expands further! Harms Bergung is a world-wide operating and independent company. We offer a broad range of maritime services. The core business focuses on the areas offshore operations and long distance towages.

Because of our expansion, we are looking - at the earliest opportunity - for nautical andtechnical employees (cadet to captain) for our already existing and newbuild anchor handling tugs.

Job requirements: You are in possession of the appropriate certificate of competence, as required for the job. You are responsible, perseverant and flexible team player and able to empower the skills of your team members. Furthermore, you are confident and enthusiastic, with good communication skills and fluent in english. In return, we can offer a modern anchor handling vessel (100tbp to 280tbp) with great promotion prospects and excellent terms and conditions.

Are you motivated to pursue a career with a world-wide operating company? Then send your resume and motivation, by mail or e-mail, to:

Harms Bergung Transport & Heavylift GmbH & Co. KG Attn.: Mrs Michaela May Ehrenbergstrasse 66-68 22767 Hamburg GERMANY

e-mail: [email protected]

See you on Board!



German Action Stations The rising number of attacks on cargo ships passing through the pirate-infested Horn of Africa has become a source of concern to German shipowners and the issue has been raised in the Bundestag (German parliament), which is debating whether the German navy should be deployed in these waters that come under the sovereignty of Somalia. Merchant ships are frequently attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia to extract ransom money. There were officially 35 such incidents last year, but the figure could be higher as many of the incidents go unreported. Germany, which is precluded from engaging in any active military operations abroad because of its pacifist post-World War II constitution, is looking at the UN Security Council's resolution calling on all states to join together in combating piracy off Somalia's coast as a basis for the deployment of German naval ships in the region. Many German politicians are pushing for Bundestag's approval of the navy's deployment in the region, but others argue that this is not needed, considering other nations such as France and the United States already have their naval ships patrolling the waters of the region under the UN Law of the Sea. German naval experts feel the navy should not be policing other regions. "We do not want to play the role of world police," said German naval inspector Wolfgang Nolting. But in Hamburg, Germany's shipping hub, shipowners are deeply concerned over piracy incidents in Somalia's waters. They said they are forced to fork out huge sums of money as ransom to get their ships, crew members and cargo released but they remained tight-lipped about the actual amounts involved. The ransom paid for the release of ship and crew members varies from ship to ship. An African ship, for example, could involve a ransom of between US$120,000 and $150,000 while Asian ships, as was the case with North Korean freighter Sea Prince and Taiwanese trawler Ching Fong Hwa 168, the amount could be more than $500,000. The ransom money for European ships can run into millions of dollars. The latest incident involving a German vessel was the raid on merchant ship Lehmann Timber, owned by a Luebeck-based company. The vessel was attacked and captured by pirates off the coast of Somalia as it sailed towards the Suez Canal. Nigeria is another region of deep concern to Germany's shipping trade. In early 2007, crew members of a German ship belonging to the Duisburg based Baco-Liner were held for three and a half weeks by a group called the Niger Delta. According to an earlier resolution passed by the Bundestag, German armed forces cannot be deployed against pirates. This is considered to be the task of the federal German police which, however, cannot operate outside the sovereignty of Germany's waters. Only if they are attacked or are a witness to an attack, can German ships provide "emergency assistance". The presence of German war ships operating in foreign waters under the concerted international anti-terror "Operation Enduring Freedom" is essentially of a non-combative character. "The navy is allowed to intervene only to provide emergency relief assistance if anyone is attacked," said Thomas Kossendey, a parliamentarian from Germany's ruling party CDU and the highest ranking official in the German Defence Ministry. The navy cannot pursue the pirates. He said in a number of incidents, the German navy had merely watched and could do nothing near the scene of the attack. In order to change that, Kossendey has called for an amendment of an article in the German constitution. However, Rainer Stinner of Germany's liberal party FDP argues that changing the constitution is not necessary because the navy can be deployed against pirates under the Law of the Sea, which Germany ratified in 1994. To avoid piracy attacks, the shipowners association has advised its members to sail around - and not through - the affected region or, if they must, sail faster than usual and finish their business as quickly as possible. Such small



measures can be helpful, said Max Johns of the association, but added that ships should not carry arms as the situation could escalate further. Baco Liner has been taking protective measures for its ships sailing for Nigeria by equipping them with barbed wires and having six to eight Nigerian naval guards on board. The insurance industry is also deeply worried over what it described as the "grey zone" between terrorism and piracy. If the shipping routes are affected, this could easily lead to unforeseeable consequences for world trade, it said.

Source : ShipTalk

The SIREN seen in the port of Corfu - Photo : Carlo Schriek ©

Russian trawler arrested in Spitsbergen waters

The Norwegian Coast Guard this week detained the Russian trawler “Kordun” and accompanied it to the port of Tromsø. The trawler, which is owned by the Murmansk Trawler Fleet, is accused of having caught too big amounts of

under-sized fish. -The fish is too small according to Norwegian regulations, but according to Russian, trawler captain Nikolay Kravchuk says to B-port.com. The fishing vessel was detained by Norwegian coast guard vessel “Svalbard”.

-The fishery protection zone is subjected to Norwegian law, Head of the northern Norwegian coast guard division, Steve Olsen, says to NRK. He confirms that major amount of small fish was onboard the Russian vessel.

The “Kordun” was arrested also in 2001. The trawler company had a 3,4 million RUB economic loss following the confiscation of catch. Source : Barents Observer

IF YOU HAVE PICTURES OR OTHER SHIPPING RELATED INFORMATION FOR THE NEWS CLIPPINGS ?? PLEASE SEND THIS TO :

[email protected]



The HM CUSTOMS patrol vessel VIGILANT seen departing from Portsmouth - Photo : Ad & Cindy de Kruijf ©

CORRECTION In yesterdays clipping two photos were used of arriving Tallships in Den Helder, the photos were not

made by BART HAKSE as mentioned underneath the photos by BART JELLEMA of the Dutch Navy Sorry Bart for the mistake made in the family name from my side !!

Moving Plea The pilot of the container ship that struck the Bay Bridge in November and spilled more than 50,000 gallons of fuel oil into San Francisco Bay asked a federal judge to move his criminal trial to Fresno, saying inflammatory news coverage has prejudiced jurors against him. A review of hundreds of newspaper articles about the spill, the resulting environmental damage, and the alleged misdeeds of Capt. John Cota shows that it would be "difficult, if not impossible, for him to receive a fair trial before an unbiased jury" in San Francisco, Cota's lawyers said in papers filed with a federal judge. They asked that the trial, scheduled to begin Nov. 17, be transferred to Fresno. As an alternative, they asked the judge to order stringent measures to screen jury members for bias, including exclusion of other prospective jurors from the courtroom while each panel member is questioned. Cota was piloting the 901-foot Cosco Busan when it struck the second tower west of Yerba Buena Island in a thick morning fog Nov. 7. Spilled oil killed more than 2,000 birds and reached as far north as Bolinas and as far south as the San Mateo County coast. Cota is charged with two misdemeanors, for allegedly piloting the ship negligently and for killing or wounding migratory birds, and with two felonies, for allegedly lying to the Coast Guard in annual physical exams about the medicine he was taking. The misdemeanor charges are to be tried first, followed by a separate trial on the felony counts. The ship's operating company, Fleet Management Ltd. of Hong Kong, has been charged with criminal negligence and with falsifying documents to impede a federal investigation. In Monday's filing, Cota's lawyers said an expert analysis of some of the more than 200 articles The Chronicle has published about the spill found consistently negative references to Cota. The articles stressed the size of the spill, quoted a state investigation that blamed Cota, and delved into his past conviction for drunken driving and the medication he took for a sleep disorder, defense lawyer Jeffrey Bornstein said in court papers. He said the articles also "misleadingly attributed certain statements" to Cota that amounted to a confession.



In addition, Bornstein said, extensive coverage of the environmental damage and cleanup costs by The Chronicle and other Bay Area newspapers has given local jurors "a larger stake in the outcome of the trial because the event is seen as a crime against the community." Source : ShipTalk

NAVY NEWS British royal navy ship visits Nigeria

A British royal navy ship was due in Nigeria on Wednesday for a three-day visit, a Nigerian navy spokesman said. During the visit, the HMS Endurance will host a British High Commission-sponsored seminar on climate change on board, Navy Captain Henry Babalola said in a statement here. He said the ship which had already visited Ghana would carry out some training programmes for members of the Nigerian navy before leaving on Friday. Nigeria, a former colony of Britain before independence in October 1960, maintains cordial bilaterial ties with the European country.

Operation SEACAT The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is taking part in the annual Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercise with the United States Navy (USN) and navies from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Held from August 15 to 21, SEACAT, which was first held in 2002, is a series of annual exercises by the USN and navies of Southeast Asian countries to enhance maritime information-sharing and the coordination of maritime security responses. The Singapore leg of SEACAT 08 is being conducted from August 18 to 20. As part of the exercise, ships transiting through Singapore waters will be tracked, and liaison officers from the RSN and other navies, on board a USN platform, will compile and analyse the data to create a shared maritime picture for enhanced situational awareness. Other drills include the boarding of US civil resource ships participating in the exercise as merchant vessels suspected of terrorist activities. Singapore is taking part in this year's exercise with patrol vessels from the RSN, Police Coast Guard (PCG) patrol boats, a joint RSN-PCG Accompanying Sea Security Team (ASSeT), and maritime patrol aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), says a statement from Mindef. Personnel from the Shipping Control Squadron of the RSN's Coastal Command, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority are also taking part in the exercise. Source : ShipTalk

www.tos.nl TOS Rotterdam (+31)10 – 436 62 93 E-Mail [email protected]

Argentine school ship visits Guam, public invited to visit



Armada de la República Argentina Libertad arrived on Guam for a routine port visit. Libertad serves as a school ship in the Argentine navy. The public is invited to tour Libertad from 2 to 5 p.m. Aug. 20-22, according to a U.S. Navy news release. To access the ship, residents are to proceed to the main gate of U.S. Naval Base Guam between 1:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. Drivers are required to show a valid photo identification, proof of insurance, and vehicle registration. Visitors will be directed to the location of the ship and are only authorized to travel from the gate to the Libertad. Source : Pacific Daily News

Russia sends aircraft carrier to Syria The Russian aircraft carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov” is ready to head from Murmansk towards the Mediterranean and the Syrian port of Tartus. The mission comes after Syrian President Bashar Assad said he is open for a Russian base in the area. The “Admiral Kuznetsov”, part of the Northern Fleet and Russia’s only aircraft carrier, will head a Navy mission to the area. The mission will also include the missile cruiser “Moskva” and several submarines, Newsru.com reports. President Assad in meetings in Moscow this week expressed support to Russia’s intervention in South Ossetia and Georgia. He also expressed interest in the establishment of Russian missile air defence facilities on his land. The “Admiral Kuznetsov” also last year headed a navy mission to the Mediterranean. Then, on the way from the Kola Peninsula and south, it stopped in the North Sea where it conducted a navy training exercise in the immediate vicinity of Norwegian offshore installations. Source : Barents Observer

SHIPYARD NEWS ANGLO DUTCH SHIPBROKERS bvba

Waterstraat 16 2970 SCHILDE BELGIUM Tel : + 32 3 464 26 09 Fax :+ 32 3 297 20 70 e-mail : [email protected]

STX bags $310m VLCC order South Korean shipyard STX Shipbuilding said yesterday that it has won an order worth 322bn won ($310m) from a European client to build two oil tankers, writes Yonhap. The contract calls for STX to deliver the two Very Large Crude Carriers by March 31, 2012 to the unidentified client, the South Korean shipbuilder said in a regulatory filing. Source: seatradeasia

Aker Yards loses its name The name Aker Yards will soon be history. South Korean STX has now acquired almost 90 per cent of the shares, and has announced that Aker Yards will change name to STX Europe. Aker Yards in France becomes STX France Cruise, and the Norwegian yards will become STX Norway Offshore. Source: shipgaz.com



The Damen built patrol vessel P 131 ILIRIYA, for Albania seen returning at the builders during trials Photo : Ton Grootenboer ©

Transport minister supports Fredericia Skibsværft

SSG-RINGKØBING. Fredericia Skibsværft A/S has been given extra help in its battle against the municipaityl of Fredericia and its decision to terminate the lease on the land where the shipyard is situated from 2016. On Monday, the Minister of Transport, Carina Christensen, warned the Danish port authorities against chasing out good and healthy companies in the maritime industry just because they want something else on the land. That was not the intentions of the present legislation. “That is a really positive statement to hear”, says Thomas Andersen, owner of Fredericia Skibsværft A/S. “it is line with now almost 10,000 signatures on the protest lists compiled in the city of Fredericia”, he adds. “It seems that people in the city want jobs instead of housing on the waterfront”, says Thomas Andersen.

ANOTHER 171LE ARRIVED IN FLUSHING



A few days ago the Polish tug IKAR arrived in Flushing with a newbuilding hull for Amels shipyard (yard number 456) the yacht is the 6th 171LE type yacht to arrive for fitting out at the yard.

The Yacht was pulled above a BTS pontoon with the VLB2 and VLB7 after which the pontoon was de-ballasted from

where the newbuilding yacht will be delivered at the yard Photo : Wim Kosten - http://www.maritimephoto.com ©

ASRY Offshore Services (AOS) awarded first contract

Newly established Arabian Gulf oil and gas specialist ASRY Offshore Services (AOS) has won its first major contract, the upgrading of Hercules Offshore’s jack-up drilling rig Hercules 170.

Hercules 170, owned by US-headquartered Hercules Offshore and operated by its Doha, Qatar company, was built in Singapore in 1981 and is a Sonat Offshore cantilever jack-up design capable of operating in water depths of 170ft. The rig is now working in the Arabian Gulf region and will arrive at ASRY’s shipyard in Bahrain later this year for a work package that includes a number of upgrades to increase her performance and drilling capabilities. The work will include installing a new larger portside crane, additional generators, modifications to the lifeboats and also upgrade of the drilling systems, with work on the mud pumps, as well as blasting and panting of the hull and legs. AOS was established at the start of 2008. ASRY has over recent years seen a rapid growth in the offshore markets in the Arabian Gulf region and based on its own track record and expertise in the repair and conversion work on specialist vessels and rigs, has now established a separate operating company within ASRY to concentrate on this market. AOS will specialise specifically in the offshore oil and gas industries and will be undertaking work both onshore and offshore, from fabrication work for platforms to life extension programs for rigs and maintenance and repair work on offshore support vessels. A large new offshore fabrication area will be built within the next 18 months. AOS’ new purpose built offices have recently been completed and now houses all of the company’s specialist offshore staff. The new office block is located alongside the Bahrain shipyards two new slipways, among the largest of their type in the world, which came into operation this May. Both slipways, with a dry berth length of 255m each and capable of accommodating vessels with a maximum size of 140m x 20m, are now fully operational. Source : Offshore Shipping online



ABG to invest Rs 1,200 cr in new Gujarat shipyard

Buoyed by a spurt in orders, ABG Shipyard, a leading private shipyard, has decided to set up a greenfield shipyard in south Gujarat with an investment of Rs 1,200 crore. The new shipyard will be set up over 300 acres, largest among its two existing shipyards at Surat and at Dahej in Gujarat. ABG Shipyard CFO Dhananjay Datar said, “The new shipyard will cater to larger ships and offshore vessels. It will have a capacity of building six to eight ships a year.” The proposed shipyard will be set up near existing facility in Hazira and expected to be operational in three years. The company expects that the new shipyard will be able to generate revenues of over Rs 2,000 crore every year. ABG Shipyard manufactures marine ships, including bulk carriers, deck barges, interceptor boats, anchor handling supply ships, driving support ships, tugs and offshore vessels. The company is expected to double the size of its order book to Rs 10,000 crore in two years following cancellation of orders at various shipbuilding yards across the globe, including China. Analysts suggest that the Indian yards have recently recorded new orders in the offshore services, a segment benefiting from expansion of companies engaged in oil and gas exploration. “With huge order inflows last year, Indian companies are reasonably comfortable for the next few years and are focusing more on capacity expansions,” said an analyst. Bharti Shipyard is also going for a major expansion plan. A recent study suggests, about 17% orders for building new OSVs (offshore supply vessels) are with Chinese companies. But their delivery will be delayed, putting further pressure on vessel supply shortage and increasing demand. OSV comprises 45% of total order of new vessels. Source : IndiaTimes

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

REDWISE MARITME SERVICES B.V.Amersfoortseweg 12-E

3751 LK Bunschoten-Spakenburg The Netherlands

Phone : +31 (0) 33 42 17 860 (24 hr) Fax : +31 (0) 33 42 17 879 - [email protected]

www.redwise.com

Cancellation of New Building Contracts for Four Type 179 Vessels

SAL is to inform you that the new building contracts for four heavy lift vessels of Type 179 vessels have been cancelled in mutual agreement with the Sietas shipyard. These vessels were to feature a crane capacity of 2 x 1000ts and a Dynamic Positioning System to accommodate the needs of the offshore industry. SAL has invested significant financial and intellectual resources over the past two years to develop one of the most innovative heavy lift vessels in the market to service the oil and gas sector.



However, over the last few months a variety of reasons have emerged that have led SAL shareholders to the decision to withdraw from the new building contracts with the Sietas shipyard. Despite this short-term termination, SAL remains dedicated to the offshore market and is actively exploring alternative new building options with other shipyards incorporating and advancing the existing know how to further optimize our services to the oil and gas industry. Our valued clients will be kept informed shortly on further developments. Source : SAL

ULSTEIN SEA OF SOLUTIONS DESIGNS UNIQUE VESSEL FOR BLACK SEA

Romanian contractor GSP Drilling has signed a contract with Keppel Singmarine for the construction of the DP3 multipurpose vessel ‘GSP Titan’. The new vessel will be unique in the world as it efficiently and economically combines three offshore operating capabilities into one vessel design: pipelay, heavy lift and tender assist drilling operations. The unit has been designed by Dutch design office Ulstein Sea of Solutions and is scheduled for delivery in August 2011. Currently no similar types of vessels in the market are able to perform both construction works and deepwater tender assist drilling operations. Besides this unique combination of operational modes, ‘GSP Titan’ features other innovative aspects as well. It will be the first large pipelay/heavy lift vessel in the world that will be propelled by three Voith Schneider Propellers on the aft, which will also be used for roll damping. The customised 1800 mT Huisman heavy lift mast crane has been lowered and integrated in the starboard aft side enabling the vessel to pass Istanbul Strait underneath the Bosphorus bridge to enter the Black Sea. “The client requirements challenged the creativeness of our people to come with innovative solutions. We are proud this has been achieved also in close cooperation with the suppliers involved,” says managing director Bob Rietveldt. Main dimensions of the vessel are: Loa 161.5 m Lbpp 155.7 m Beam (moulded) 37.8 m Depth (moulded) 15.0 m Depth (freeboard) 9.1 m Draught (design) 6.2 m Transit speed 13 kn Installed power 6 x 4,300 kW Ulstein Sea of Solutions develops projects for operators, contractors and ship owners in the exploration, construction and production market, as well as the maritime transport market. It is a private company providing products and services on an independent and confidential basis. Beside designs for newbuild vessels, the company is actively involved in upgrade and conversion projects for existing offshore vessels.

Visit Ulstein Sea of Solutions at ONS 2008 in Stavanger! We are together with Ulstein Group at Stand B290/10.



Ferry ENOTRIA and ferry FATA MOTGANA seen while entering the Strait of Messina. Photo : Ronald de Bloeme © onboard MS Noordam.

MYSTERY TUG Huug Pieterse heeft vele reacties ontvangen van de lezers mbt de onbekende sleper welke was gezien bij de oude werf van Boele ( sorry was niet de Moerdijk zoals vermeld) De sleper is de oude RUPELMONDE in 1983 opgeleverd door Scheepswerf van Rupelmonde, Rupelmonde (453) aan Unie van Redding en Sleepdienst N.V., Antwerpen, 2.228 EPK, trekkracht 33 ton, in 2002 verkocht aan Cie. Normande d'Investissement, Bordeaux-Frankrijk, in beheer bij L. Thomas, Rouen, 13-5-2002 (e) herdoopt RM MARGAUX, 14-7-2006 op de Garonne bij Le Marquis tijdens de assistentie van een schip bij de Yara kunstmestfabriek te Bec de Ambes lek geraakt en gekapseisd, 4-8-2005 begonnen met de berging met o.a. de JACOMINA, Bufalorent, Cartagena Spanje, in beheer bij Sea Salvage SL, Cartagena, 8-2006 recht gezet. – info : Tugspotters.com

Names Huug alle “meedenkers” bedankt voor de reacties

Mexico plans to spend $785 million to expand Veracruz Port

Mexico plans to spend 8 billion pesos ($785 million) to expand and make the Port of Veracruz, one of the country's three busiest, more efficient. The government plans to call for bids on the projects next year, Alejandro Chacon, chief of Mexican ports and merchant marine, said in an e-mail statement. The government will cover about 55 percent of the investment and companies will pay for the remainder, he said. The projects include the construction of two container terminals that should open in 2010, according to the statement. Last year, the port handled 730,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, known as TEUs, as well as 650,000 automobiles and 18 million metric tons of general cargo. Source: bloomberg.com



The Stanislav Yudin installing last of four living Quarter jackets El Shareen oil filed Qatar Photo : Adri Haasnoot ©



Port of Felixstowe invests in new equipment

The Port of Felixstowe’s new state-of-the-art empty container handling fleet is up and running following completion of its commissioning period. The new fleet comprises 12 Empty Container Handlers, four Toplift Machines and one Reachstacker, all manufactured by Kalmar Industries of Sweden. Chris Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, which owns the Port of Felixstowe, commented: “The industry is constantly evolving, requiring greater productivity and efficiency than ever before. This new equipment will further secure the Port of Felixstowe’s position at the top of the field and provide our customers with the most proficient empty-handling service, driven by the latest technology.” The equipment was transported from the main factory in Lidhult, Sweden, with final assembly and engineering completed upon arrival at the Port of Felixstowe by Kalmar engineers. Following staff training and familiarisation, the vehicles were thoroughly tested before being declared fit for service. The new vehicles are equipped with Volvo TAD760VE engines and are able to stack five 9`6” containers high, with a total weight lift capacity of nine tonnes. These features will allow for faster turnaround times and greater manoeuvrability of containers around the Port. Two further empty container handlers are also due for delivery at the beginning of September. Source: portoffelixstowe

Taicang-Jingtang-Ningbo feeder container line launched

The container feeder line connecting eastern China's ports of Taicang, Jingtang and Ningbo has been officially launched after one month's trial, Xinhua reported. Yangpu Sinowell Shipping Co Ltd is operator of the line and has deployed a vessel named Jiangong 588 on the weekly service. Yangpu Sinowell Shipping Co Ltd was founded in March 2004 and mainly provides feeder service. It is now operating with a fleet of 22 ships with a capacity of 200,000 TEU overall. Source : Schednet



Evergreen Line to inaugurate direct service to Haifa

Evergreen announced it will began the service with a single vessel M/V Ital Ordine, in September this year. In November the service will run on a weekly basis Evergreen Line announced last week the inauguration of a new direct container service to Haifa from the Far East. The new service will run along the following route: Hong Kong, Nansha, Ningbo, Shanghai and Tanjung Pelepas. Evergreen announced it will began the service with a single vessel M/V Ital Ordine, in September this year. In October a second vessel will join and in November the service will enter into it final plan, a weekly call. Mr. Ohad Vered, director general of Green Shipping, Evergreen's port agent in Israel said in an interview with P2P correspondent that Evergreen has been for over 8 years in Israel and gradually improving its frequencies and quality of services. Vered added that the transit time to Haifa would be: From Shanghai – 22 days; From Ningbo – 21 days; From Nansha – 18 days; From Hong Kong – 16 days; From Tanjung Pelepas – 12 days. The service will continue from Haifa to Limassol, Pireaus and Istanbul. Evergreen Marine Corporation is part of the Evergreen Group conglomerate of transportation firms and associated companies. Evergreen calls on 240 ports worldwide in about 80 countries, and is the fourth largest company of its type, ranked behind Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company and CMA CGM. The company operates 161 container vessels with a total capacity of TEU 548,000. in the next few years 24 new ships will join the fleet increasing container capacity to TEU 655,000. Source: Ningbo Life

The 2007 built PORTO DI LIVORNO, owened by Fratelli Neri S.p.A. from Livorno, the tractor tug is built by Can. Nav. Rosetti, Ravena, Italy (Yno.86), the 200 DWT tug is powered by 2 x 2100 kW engines.

Photo : Marius Esman ©



Billions of dollars to be poured into Russian ports

According to the Russian ports organisation ASOP, more than USD two billion will be invested in ro-ro and container handling facilities in the Russian Baltic ports over the next four years. The aim is to challenge Finnish and Baltic States ports that today handles a large amount of the Russian seaborne cargo flow. The container throughput in Russian ports is relatively small today, with St Petersburg handling about 1.7 million TEU (2007), more than half of the total Russian port throughput (about 3 million TEU 2007). According to Lloyd’s List, about 90 per cent of all Russian investments in ports are made by private investors. Source: shipgaz.com

Torm announces all-time high profit SSG-RINGKØBING. D/S Torm has announced another adjustment to the full-year profit for 2008. The profit is now forecast at an all-time high of USD 355 –370 million (DKK 1.8 billion) after a most profitable summer period. The company’s product tankers continue to contribute higher revenues than expected. “That is why we expect a profit which will be the highest ever in the company’s history”, says CEO Klaus Kjærulff in a statement. It comes after several analysts from Danish Fionia Bank on Friday gave D/S Torm and D/S Norden a negative rating for potential buyers of shares. The analysts had looked at the Baltic Freight Index (Biffix) and saw a fall in rates for dry cargo as well as liquid cargos without takng into account the fact that D/S Norden has already covered around 85-90 per cent of its total number of ship days in 2008.

Norasia to add Lisbon to North Europe service Hong Kong-based shipping line CSAV Norasia will add the port of Lisbon, Portugal, to its ANE service from September 1. The Lisbon call will increase links between North and Central China and the Iberian Peninsula. The company stated one of the main benefits of Lisbon is that it provides a congestion-free gateway at the western point of mainland Europe, enabling its customers to reach to and from the major ports of Asia, North Africa and North Europe. A fleet of eight vessels with an average of 6,000 TEUs has been deployed on the route. The ANE port rotation is Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, Yantian, Hong Kong, Port Klang, Lisbon, Le Harve, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Port Klang, Da Chan Bay. Source: cargonewsasia



The Malaysian crewboat TAHADUA seen at Kuantan Offshore base - Photo : Capt. Jelle de Vries ©

Torm orders more tankers from China SSG-RINGKØBING. D/S Torm has signed up with the Chinese shipbuilder Guangzhou Shipyard International for a further two plus two 52,000 DWT product carriers for delivery in 2010. The orders at Guangzhou added to the record for the whole Danish-owned fleet in the first half of 2008. During the period, the contracted fleet has grown some 15 per cent to a total of 382 vessels with a value of DKK 85 billion. 32 per cent of the vessels on orders are container carriers. The Danish Shipowners' Association expect the growth in newbuildings to go as high as 25 per cent for the whole of 2008.

Asian shippers threaten law suit over price fixing

ASIAN shippers said they are ready to bring shipping lines to court should operators collectively fix prices in China where a new antitrust law came into force on August 1. Chairman of the Asian Shippers' Council John Lu said after the council's annual meeting in Macau on Monday that they believe the newly enacted antitrust law in China should take precedence over pre-existing Marine Regulations, which allow shipping lines to set rates collectively. However, there is at the moment no authoritative answer as to which law prevails and the council hopes the Chinese government will clarify the law and rule the cartel operations among shipping lines illegal. "In our view the new antitrust law should come before any sub-regulations. Antitrust law is over and above the others and the others have to be adjusted to meet the principle law. We take this opportunity to call on the Chinese government to address the issue and revise the present Maritime Regulations. "Failure to do so will result in unnecessary confusion, which will invariably be exploited by shipping lines to advance their interest," said Mr Lu. He added that it is to the benefit of China as the country is a huge exporter with insufficient ships. It has to rely on international shipping lines and thus should protect its shippers. Unlike Singapore and Australia, China has made no block exemption for shipping conferences. The China Shippers' Association had already sounded out the government, said Mr Lu, and members of the ASC supported their action. Mr Lu said the council is ready to resolve the matter in court should the shipping lines ignore the new law and fix charges in collective actions.



He said jurisdictions in the greater China region would be preferred if the matter is taken to the court. Asia is the world's largest shipping market with the intra-Asia trade making up 50% of the world's cargo flow, Asia-Europe 10% to 15%, and transpacific 20%, according to the council.

U.S. Army tug sold Marcon International reports that Kwajalein Range Services awarded the twin screw tug "Gulf Condor" (LT-101) to Northland Transportation Company of Seattle, Washington. The tug was sold on behalf of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command acting by and through U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll / Reagan Test Site. The 121' x 34' tug is a former ocean-going, anchor-handling tug acquired by U.S. Army from Zapata Marine, along with its sister-vessel "Gulf Raven" now named "Mystic" (LT-102). Both were built in 1981 by Quality Equipment of Houma, Louisiana for Gulf Mississippi Marine, later to become Zapata Gulf, and sent to Kwajalein Atoll in 1987. The tugs have always been kept in full ABS class with the notation +A1 Towing Service +AMS, in addition to being maintained to U.S. Army AR 56-9 standards. "Gulf Condor" is powered by a pair of EMD 12-645E6 diesels totaling 3,000 BHP at 900 RPM with Reintjes 4.95:1 gears driving fixed pitch, 4-blade 108" x 108" props in kort nozzles. Bollard pull is estimated at abt. 50 tons. The tug is fitted with an Intercon DD-200 double drum 200,000lb. line pull anchor handling / towing winch, Intercon HSW-20 hydraulic anchor windlass, hydraulic tow pins and a crane. Capacities include abt. 134,610g fuel, 15,500g fresh water and 2,500g lube oil. Air conditioned accommodations are provided for 11 crew in five staterooms. As expected due to her government ownership, "Gulf Condor" is fully fitted with communications and navigational aids including two Furuno radars, SSB, three VHF's, GMDSS, Autopilot, Sperry gyro with three repeaters, two GPS, fathometer, AIS, Navtex and Satcom. At the time of the sale, the tug was located at Kwajalein Atoll which is some. 1,405 nm from Guam, 2,157 nm from Honolulu and 4,566 nm from Seattle. Despite the tug's remote location, it attracted a lot of attention due to its good condition and relatively light use over the past 21 years. Fifteen bids were received from potential U.S. and foreign buyers halfway across the globe. The new owners are renaming the tug "Polar Storm" and plan to use it in their Pacific Northwest operations. Shortly after the tug's arrival in Seattle, Northland intends to start repowering the vessel with a pair of CAT 3516Cs developing a total of 4,000 HP at 1,600 RPM. The project is not expected to not be completed until April 2009 due to the delivery schedule of both the main engines and reduction gears. The primary reasons to the re-power is to achieve better fuel economy while at the same time getting another 1,000B HP. New generators will also be installed plus the winch converted over to hydraulic controls to help save on fuel costs. The new CAT 3516C engines are expected to consume about 2,500 gallons per day while delivering 4,000 HP compared to the original EMD 12-645E6s that used 3,000 gallons per day while only delivering 3,000 HP. With diesel fuel at abt. US$ 3.50 to US$ 4.00 per gallon, savings for a normal operating season of 220 days are expected to be about US$ 385,000 per year. Northland Services, Inc. operates a common carrier tug and barge service with year-round service to Southeast and Central Alaska as well as Hawaii, and seasonal service to Western Alaska ports and villages. In 2007, Northland's 30th year of operation, it handled more than 750,000 tons of cargo through its Terminal 115 facility in Seattle with a sailing schedule including nine Western Alaska sailings, 58 sailings to Southeast Alaska, 65 sailings to Central Alaska, and 25 sailings to Hawaii.



Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington acted as sole and exclusive broker in the sale. This was the twelfth tug sold by Marcon in 2008. Sales are pending on two additional U.S. flag tugs totaling over 10,000 BHP. Source : MarineLog

Auckland-Tauranga port merger back in play The power plays in the port sector took another twist today with Ports of Auckland revealing it has approached Port of Tauranga about buying its container business. Port of Tauranga fired off a press statement in response, saying "our container business is worth more than your container business." Last year Ports of Auckland's owner Auckland Regional Holdings, the commercial arm of Auckland Regional Council, rebuffed a proposal to merge the two ports. Ports of Auckland and Port of Tauranga are arch rivals and the battle has taken on a new dimension as ports contemplate how much they have to invest to be able to accommodate the next generation of container ships, expected to be able to handle 6000 standard sized containers. Currently 4100 TEU (twenty foot-equivalent units a measure of container size) ships are the largest that call in New Zealand. Ports of Auckland announced an after-tax profit in the year to June 30 of $21.1m today, down from $64.6m last year when there were one-time gains. "The sustainability of New Zealand's existing port sector investment, the industry's ability to invest in the future, and the global competitiveness of the country's supply chain might be assisted by the purchase of Port of Tauranga's container business by Ports of Auckland," Ports of Auckland managing director Jens Madsen said. He said though the merger plan was not successful the rationale for changes in the industry in the upper North Island was still strong. "New Zealand needs world class port infrastructure and a logical approach to future investment in the port and intermodal sectors," he said. A merger of the container operations of the two ports is seen as a way of stopping over-investment in cranes and dredging for bigger ships as the ports compete to be the country's hub port. Analysts said a purchase of Port of Tauranga's container business would allow Auckland to use Metroport, the inland hub that Port of Tauranga set up in Auckland to handle containers. Ports of Auckland, which is increasingly expected to use rail to move freight to and from the port, has been developing its own inland hub at Wiri. Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns said his port had always held the view that a full merger of Port of Tauranga and Ports of Auckland made good sense. "That view has not changed." Port of Tauranga is due to report its profit on August 28. The port is listed but is part owned by Environment Bay of Plenty. "A rough and ready calculation would suggest that Port of Tauranga's container business would be worth substantially more than Ports of Auckland's container business," Mr Cairns said. Analysts see the approach by Ports of Auckland as being at an early stage and they are waiting to see how the port would fund a purchase. One option would be to sell shares and relist the company. Ports of Auckland declared a $7.19m second half dividend to be paid to its council owner. It declared a dividend of $9.5m in the first half. It paid dividends of $22.7m in the year but this figure related to payment dates, not declarations for the period. Source : NZHerald



DUITSE DELEGATIE IN KATWIJK

Zaterdag 16 augustus 2008 heeft een delegatie van bestuurders, verenigingen en particulieren uit de Duitse stad Siegen de gemeente Katwijk bezocht om de 45-jarige stedenband te vieren. Voor de groep was er een uitgebreid

programma georganiseerd.

Een bezoek aan de KNRM en reddingsbrigade was gepland voor het ochtendprogramma. Hans Schonenberg, vice voorzitter van station Katwijk, gaf een presentatie over het reddingwerk in Katwijk en in het algemeen.

Hierna kregen de genodigden de gelegenheid om heel even mee te varen met reddingboot De Redder.

Foto : Arie van Dijk ©

*****Het KNRM Gala****** Zorg dat u erbij bent op 17 november in het Kurhaus

Heeft u interesse om met uw onderneming aan te sluiten bij dit maritime gezelschap? Neem dan contact op met het directiesecretariaat van de KNRM, mevrouw Ria Ravenstijn. Zij is te bereiken op 0255-548464 of via

[email protected] . Voor een goede beeldvorming van de avond verwijzen wij u naar www.knrm.nl/reddersgala

Rotterdam starts actual construction of Maasvlakte 2

The Port of Rotterdam Authority is to start actual construction work on Maasvlakte 2 at the beginning of September. This was announced by Hans Smits, Port of Rotterdam Authority CEO today, 19 August, during the presentation of the half-yearly figures. According to Mr Smits, the Port Authority now has all the necessary permits. A limited number of appeals have been lodged against these permits. They relate more to the use of Maasvlakte 2 and to part of the compensation to nature. After fifteen years of planning and preparation for Maasvlakte 2, a start will now be made on dredging sand in the Yangtzehaven, using the cutter suction dredger ‘Zuiderklip’. The sand will then be transported, via a pressure pipeline, to the place where the APM terminal is to be built, to the north of the Slufterstrand. Soon after this, the first hopper dredger will begin to build the soft coastal defences and suppletion off the coast. Over a year ago, contracts had already been signed for more than 40% of the planned sites (the APM terminal, the RWG and Euromax terminal). The container market is desperate for new sites on deep water. The space that



Maasvlakte 2 will shortly provide is desperately needed. Considering all the thorough and extensive studies involved in the permit applications, the Port Authority faces the current appeal procedures with confidence. Source: portofrotterdam

HIGH UTILISATION AND STRONG CASH FLOW IN 2Q 2008

Ocean HeavyLift ASA (OHL) continues to deliver strong results in the second quarter of 2008. TC equivalent revenues came to about USD 67,000/day and the utilisation rate was 92%. Year to date, the EBITDA result was USD 19.0 million and net profit USD 9.8 million. Delivery of HeavyLift Ancora took place on 17 June 2008 with total capital expenditure of USD 90.3 million. Highlights 2Q

• EBITDA of USD 9.0 million (USD 10 million in 1Q 08) • Net profit of USD 7.1 million (USD 2.7 million in 1Q 08) • Order backlog of USD 114 million (USD 119 million after 1Q 08) • HeavyLift Ancora was delivered 17 June at USD 90.3 million • HeavyLift Hawk estimated to be delivered early September 2008 at abt. USD 92 million

Results For the second quarter of 2008 OHL recorded gross freight revenues of USD 19.3 million and operating/TC revenues of USD 13.2 million. EBITDA amounted to USD 9.0 million. And EBIT was 7.5 million. Net profit came to USD 7.1 million. The fleet utilisation was 92% in the second quarter, a strong compared to the 97% achieved in the first quarter. Average fleet utilisation for the first half of 2008 was 94%. For the second quarter of 2007 the fleet utilisation was 55% and for the full year 2007 it was 66%. The EBIT of USD 7.5 million was significantly better than the USD 1.5 million EBIT of the second quarter last year. This is due to the improved fleet utilisation, where both vessels were sailing under contract close to all days, favourable mobilisation and satisfactory commercial rates. The company has been able to cope with the rising bunker oil prices due to favourable bunker escalation clauses in most of the heavy lift transportation contracts. The group recorded a net profit of USD 7.1 million after net financial items of USD -0.3 million in the second quarter. A part of the financial items is a mark-to-market gain of USD 0.9 million on the forward exchange rate contract. See financing section below. For the first half of 2008 the gross freight revenue amounted to USD 39.2 million; operating/TC revenue was USD 27.0 million. EBITDA came to USD 19.0 million; EBIT was USD 16.0 million and net profit came to USD 9.8 million. Operating profit for 2008 is expected to be considerably higher than in 2007 as the market firms, the fleet utilisation improves and the addition of HeavyLift Ancora and HeavyLift Hawk to the fleet. The improved utilisation is a result of improved scheduling of the fleet and better ability to capitalise on the strong demand for heavy lift vessels.

FIRST CONTRACT FOR SUBSEA 7'S NEW GULF OF MEXICO SPOOLBASE

Subsea 7 Inc , one of the world’s leading subsea engineering and construction companies, has won the first contract for its new fabrication and spoolbase facility at Port Isabel, Texas. The subsea pipelay fabrication and installation contract has been awarded by Marathon Oil Corporation and is valued at over US$ 45 million.



The supply agreement is part of Marathon’s previously disclosed procurement activities related to long lead time items associated with the Company’s Droshky discovery in the Gulf of Mexico. Marathon anticipates sanctioning the Droshky development in the fourth quarter of this year. The contract has been awarded for the fabrication and installation of two 8” flowlines totalling 58 km at the Droshky field development which is located approximately 180 km south of Houma, Louisiana, USA in water depths ranging from 1,350 ft to 3,000 ft in Green Canyon block 244. Marathon holds a 100 percent working interest in the Droshky development. Subsea 7’s full scope of work on the project includes project management, engineering, fabrication and installation services associated with the subsea infrastructure, including the flowlines, pipeline end terminations (PLETs) and risers. The pipeline will be fabricated at the company’s new fabrication and spoolbase facility at Port Isabel, Texas, development of which was announced in May 2008. Engineering work will be carried out from Subsea 7’s office in Houston. The offshore phase of the campaign will be carried out in the third quarter of 2009 and will be delivered by Subsea 7’s flagship rigid reeled pipelay vessel, the Seven Oceans.

Commenting on the award, John Evans, Chief Operating Officer for Subsea 7 said, “We are very pleased to be working with Marathon on this important project, which further solidifies Subsea 7’s position in the pipelay market in the region.” Mel Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer, Subsea 7 commented: “This is a very significant contract for Subsea 7. It justifies our investment in our new pipelay fabrication and spoolbase facility in Port Isabel and strengthens our position as the Subsea Partner of Choice for our customers in the Gulf of Mexico.”

19.18 percent increase in KPT cargo handling Favourable government policies, conducive environment and concerted efforts have galvanised the cargo handling at Karachi Port as was evident from the statistics of July 2008. Total cargo handling during the month recorded an increase of 19.18 percent with 3.54 million tons handled, against 2.97 million tons during July 2007, said a press release issued by Karachi Port Trust (KPT) on Monday. According to the release, the significant rise has been in the exports, primarily comprising cement, clinker, molasses and ethanol and other export commodities. During July 2008, 1.28 million tons export cargo was handled, against 0.74 million tons of July 2007, and handling of import cargo was also marginally higher, recording 2.259 million tons against 2.22 million tons of previous July. The breakdown showed that 1.08 million tons of dry cargo was handled, up from 329,000 tons as compared to last year. Similarly, bulk cargo export stood at 439,000 tons as compared to 226,000 tons last year, while container handling depicted a growth of 20 percent from last year, said the release. It said that with this growth in trade handling, 99 ships were handled during the period under review as against 88 last year. Overall statistics point to a healthy trend reflecting confidence in the soundness of policies of the government, added the statement. Source : Imran Farooq

Capital Product Partners L.P. Announces Successful Delivery of Its Eighteenth

Tanker 'Aris II' Capital Product Partners L.P. announced that it has taken successful delivery of its eighteenth tanker, the Aris II, from STX Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a leading Korean shipyard. The Aris II has a carrying capacity of 51,218 dwt and is capable of transporting a range of refined oil products, chemicals and crude oil worldwide. The vessel has been fixed under a bareboat charter commencing at the time of



delivery with Overseas Shipholding Group Inc. (OSG), for ten years at a base rate of $13,000 per day. The vessel's purchase price of $48 million has been funded with debt through draw-downs on CPLP's revolving credit facilities and with $2 million in cash. The Partnership has swapped the interest costs of the amounts drawn down until the end of the non-amortizing periods of its respective facilities. The Aris II is the third of three 51,000 dwt MR chemical/product tanker sister vessels delivered in 2008, all of which are under bareboat charter to OSG. OSG has an option to purchase each vessel at the end of the eighth, ninth or tenth year of its charter, which is exercisable six months before the date of completion of the relevant year of the charter. Source : Capital Product Partners L.P.

Sovcomflot becomes SCG Group Sovcomflot will change the group’s structure to separate the port businesses from other business areas. In October the new structure will take form, when every subsidiary in SCF Group will add SCF to their company names. Thus the group’s shipping companies will be renamed to SCF Sovcomflot and SCF Novoship. SCF Marpetrol and SCF Terminals are also part of the group. Source: shipgaz.com

MISC to get two more LNG tankers in expansion move

MISC Bhd will receive two more liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers costing between US$220mil and US$230mil each in its current financial year ending March 31, 2009. With the two additional tankers, MISC’s LNG tanker fleet will expand to 29 tankers. Chief executive officer Datuk Shamsul Azhar Abbas said one tanker was expected to be delivered by year-end and the other by early next year. “Both the 157,000-cu m capacity tankers will be chartered to TOTAL Gas & Power Ltd for the Yemen LNG project,” he said after the company AGM yesterday. Shamsul Azhar added that MISC would also receive 16 new chemical tankers over the next three years. It currently owns 13 chemical tankers, according to the company’s website. The expected deliveries of the LNG and chemical tankers are part of the group’s expansion plan that will see 32 newbuildings of vessels. MISC also operates petroleum tankers, container vessels and floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facilities. On the outlook of tanker rates, AET UK Ltd chief executive officer Amir H Azizan said the rates were expected to “ease off” for the rest of the year due to the “correction” of global oil prices. “For next year, we have not changed our stand that it will be a difficult year for the tanker market where supply is expected to exceed demand,” he said, adding that MISC had enjoyed a “pretty good ride” in terms of tanker rates for the first seven months of this year. AET is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MISC. According to Shamsul Azhar, MISC will be prepared for the rough waves ahead as it had been anticipating the decline of tanker rates for the past two years. “We expect the rates will start weakening in the third quarter of our current financial year and we have been carrying out cost-effective initiatives,” he said. On the company’s proposed reverse takeover of Ramunia Holdings Bhd, Shamsul Azhar said the plan was on track and expected to be completed before year-end. He said the injection of Ramunia into the group would add to Malaysia Marine and Heavy Industries Sdn Bhd’s (MMHE) exhausted resources and yard space. MMHE order book currently stands at US$4bil that spans over three years. For the financial year ended March 31, MISC posted revenue of RM12.9bil, up 15.7% against its previous financial year. Excluding a gain on disposal of ships, MISC recorded a pre-tax profit of RM2.4bil, down 2.6% against its previous financial year. The modest financial results were due to weakened freight rates and cost escalation globally. According to MISC, the average market bunker costs had increased by 43.9% over the previous financial year. Source: thestar



DP World awards £400m London Gateway contract

DP World today signed a £400 million contract to build the first phase of a new £1.5bn port at London Gateway to a joint venture between Laing O’Rourke and Dredging International. The contract, signed by London Gateway ceo Simon Moore, Laing O’Rourke coo Tony Douglas and Dredging International ceo Alain Bernard, will see the construction of the first phase of the project involving 1.2 kilometres of quay and large three berths over five years. “This contract is a major milestone in constructing the port,” said Moore. “London Gateway is vitally important for today’s UK economy. It will deliver the most efficient and technologically advanced port in the world and much needed deep sea capacity for the UK.” Upon completion the next 10 to 15 years, the 3.5m teu automated London Gateway project is expected to drastically change the logistics structure in the UK as consumer goods will be able to be transported to markets in and around London without having to transit through inland distribution centres. DP World has set a target of transporting 30% of all traffic through the port by rail and estimates that the move will eliminate the need for 2,000 trucks from the UK’s highways every day, thereby, reducing congestion, saving time, fuel and curbing carbon emissions. Construction work will begin later this year at the 1,500 acre site, just 25 miles from central London on the former Shell Haven oil refinery at Stanford-le-Hope near Thurrock, South Essex. The logistics park, which will offer 9.5m sq feet, is due to open in the latter half of 2010, with the first ships arriving in early 2011. Source : Seatrade Asia

MOVEMENTS

The STENA HOLLANDICA seen departing from Hoek van Holland - Photo : Piet Sinke ©

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…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The C.S. SAFE seen anchored off Singapore, built as the TS 51 SAFE during 1983 at the Elsflether Werft under yard number 404, renamed SMIT-LLOYD SAFE during 1993 and the AHTS got her present name during May 2006.

Photo : Jelle de Vries ©



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