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DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 211

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Number 211 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Monday 03-08-2009 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites.

Above seen the SMIT BORNEO testing her newly installed 500Ton Liebherr BOSS14000 crane, The crane-work-barge departed Singapore for the installation of the M3ENERGY

FSO of Thailand/Malaysia for Franklin Offshore Photo : John Bruinsma (c)



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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

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Above seen the departure of Spliethoff’s brandnew sixth unit out of the “D-Series” named DIAMANTGRACHT from the Nanjing Shipyard in Yizheng Photo : Theo Verhagen (c)



Port of Los Angeles to pay proposed $47,000 penalty

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a fine of $47,100 against APM Terminals Pacific Limited for violations of its storm water permit at its Port of Los Angeles facility. According to the EPA, between October 1, 2004 and January 17, 2008, APM Terminals Pacific Limited – one of the world's largest container terminal companies – reportedly discharged industrial-activity storm water at its marine shipping container terminal facility, a violation of Clean Water Act and the California National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. Polluted runoff is a major cause of water pollution, which can carry pollutants from industrial sources, such as metals, oil and grease, acidic wastewater, bacteria, trash, and other toxic pollutants into nearby water sources. The EPA requires industrial facilities to prevent water pollution by complying with federal and state water pollution requirements. Source: cargonewsasia

Unguided Missiles Too many merchant vessels are still sailing around Britain's coast with too few crewmen to operate safely and are a hazard to shipping, the head of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has warned. In one incident last year, a cargo boat ran aground after "ploughing on like an unguided missile" because the officer of the watch had been fast asleep for three hours. The risks facing the merchant fleet have been highlighted by Stephen Meyer, the chief inspector of marine accidents, in his introduction to the annual report of the MAIB. The report reveals that five merchant crewmen lost their lives in 2008, compared with a death toll of 12 the previous year. And eight fishermen died – the same total as in 2007. Mr Meyer said: "Complacency continues to be a major factor in many of the accidents investigated by the MAIB. The word 'complacency' is used by the MAIB, not to imply smugness or self-satisfaction, but to reflect the natural human consequence resulting from familiarity with a task or operation. "The number of crew deaths has resumed broadly at the same level as each of the preceding 15 years, after a significant increase in 2007. Each death is a tragedy, and each was avoidable." He added: "A large number of vessels on the short sea trade continue to trade around the UK with insufficient crew to operate safely. Many still fail to have a dedicated bridge lookout when required, and fatigued officers of the watch are a hazard to themselves and to others. "In the case of Antari, which grounded in Northern Ireland in January 2008, the officer of the watch had been asleep for over three hours before the accident, while the vessel ploughed on like an unguided missile." Source : ShipTalk



QUEEN MARY 2 Herewith some photo’s onboard the QUEEN MARY 2

Interior photos : Marius van den Ouden (c)

Right top, stored on deck the spare blades for the propulsion pods seen as dancing dolphins decoration Left : the SB side tenders and lifeboats Photo’s outside : Iain Forsyth (c)



Oil giant Chevron scales back LNG push US oil giant Chevron has moved closer to developing the huge Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project in Western Australia, starting early engineering and design works for an onshore gas export plant. However, at the same time it has flagged delays and a smaller project than initial estimates released last year had indicated. Chevron Australia managing director Roy Krzywosinski yesterday said first gas exports from the project would not start until 2016, which is a year later than indicated in project documents filed with the federal environment department last September. The initial plan to build two LNG processing trains will go ahead but total LNG output has been downgraded from 10 million tonnes a year to 8.6 million tonnes. Instead of the five million-tonne-a-year trains planned for Chevron's $50 billion Gorgon project, Wheatstone will use 4.3 million-tonne trains, which are the same size as that being used by rival Woodside at its Pluto project due to start producing at Karratha next year. Chevron will also shrink the size of a planned domestic gas plant to 200 terajoules a day, down from a previous plan of about 250. Yesterday, Chevron said it had awarded a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract to develop the onshore Wheatstone LNG plant it wants to build at Ashburton North near Onslow. Until last year, when Chevron declared plans to develop the offshore Wheatstone and Iago fields in the Carnarvon Basin on its own, they were seen as probable feed for an expansion of Woodside's Pluto development. Woodside recently said it would award a FEED contract on expanding Pluto this quarter, subject to buying or discovering enough gas. While Chevron has crept ahead in the design stage, a Pluto expansion would be quicker to build. Compared with the five years planned for Wheatstone construction, the first Pluto train is expected to be in production next year after being approved in 2007. Gorgon, the nation's biggest resources project to date, is expected to be approved by its owners, Chevron, Shell and Exxon Mobil, this quarter. Chevron said it expects the Wheatstone development to follow Gorgon's by about 18 months. Mr Krzywosinski said the company was in discussions with Shell, which owns part of the Iago field, about taking a stake in the Wheatstone project. Chevron would not give the value of the FEED contract, or the total project, saying only that it was significant. Mr Krzywosinski said FEED work had already started and that an offshore contract would be awarded in the next month or so. Source: The Australian

INDIAN UNIONS LOBBY FOR SEAFARERS' RELEASE

INDIAN seafarers’ unions have called on their government to support their campaign against the criminalisation of seafarers and help secure the release of the practice’s latest victims. The Indian Seafarers’ Federation - representing the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)-affiliated unions, National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) and the Maritime Union of India (MUI) – met with the Indian minister of shipping, GK Vasan, on 28 July. Delegates included NUSI secretary and treasurer, Abdulgani Serang, and NUSI president, Shanti Patel, who were accompanied by Jasprit Chawla and Syam Chetan, the two seafarers who were detained by the Korean government for 18 months before their release in June, and other industry representatives. Addressing the minister, the group expressed concern over the ongoing criminalisation of Indian seafarers on Indian vessels as well as on ships registered elsewhere. They urged the Indian government to intervene in the cases of captain Glen Aroza and able seaman Sakib Sakharkar. Capt Aroza, from Mangalore, former master of the VLCC Tosa, has been held in Taiwan since April this year after being accused of failing to aid a capsized fishing vessel; while, Sakib Sakharkar, from Ratnagiri has been held in Algeria since August 2008 after a stowaway on board the vessel on which he served died. The ITF says that Mr Vasan promised to look positively into the issues. The Indian Seafarers’ Federation has also sought support from the external affairs ministry and the maritime administration.



Earlier this month, the ITF joined the international call on Taiwan to release three crew members from the Tosa, including captain Aroza. Two were released but Aroza remains in detention. Mr Serang said: “The ITF, the Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association and other shipping associations nationally and internationally have strongly condemned the wrongful criminalisation of seafarers and have sought justice for the two detained Indian seafarers. That’s what we are seeking too.” Source : Maritime Global Net

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Radio chat prompts sacking of ferry crash employee

An employee on one of the ships involved in the Gotland ferry crash in July, has been fired for talking to local radio. The man was called in to his bosses at Destination Gotland, owners of the Gotland II ferry which collided with the Gotlandia II near Nynäshamn on July 23rd. He was told that his position was being terminated as it company policy dictates that only the CEO is authorized to speak to the media, according to the Aftonbladet newspaper. Destination Gotland's CEO Jan-Erik Rosengren confirmed that the employee has been sacked, but maintains that it had nothing to do with the company's media policy. "It is because he left his post. He was part of the security staff on board the vessel and should therefore have been taking care of the passengers. He instead chose to contact the radio station and make a statement," Rosengren told news agency TT. The two Gotland ferries crashed on July 23rd in thick fog off Nynäshamn. Around 1,900 passengers were onboard the ferries when the collision occurred resulting in a number of cancelled and delayed trips. Source : thelocal.se

Thank You BP BP Marine has come to the rescue of the Mission to Seafarers in Dubai, they have agreed to supply the mission’s motor vessel Flying Angel with its lube oil needs for the next 12 months. The boat has daily running costs of $750, so any donation is welcome.



We are very happy to have BP Marine on board, and its generous donation will help to maintain this vital link with distressed seafarers,” said the Rev Stephen Miller, the mission’s director and port chaplain in Dubai. The UAE’s east coast is the second largest bunker anchorage in the world, used by more than 10,500 ships each year. During this time, some 200,000 seafarers are unable to communicate with family and friends at home for weeks, sometimes months. The Flying Angel — commissioned by the Prince of Wales on Dubai creek in February 2007 — has an internet café, library with DVDs and books, a medical clinic and access to telecommunications. It also offers pastoral support. Five or six ships on average are visited daily. While there may be cutbacks in the air, it is both wonderful and refreshing to see such a huge corporation throw some much needed help in the direction of the mission...thank you BP, and well done! Source : ShipTalk

Merchant Marine Min. on ship safety Greece's Merchant Marine ministry on Friday strongly rejected a report by ADAC alleging that one in three passenger ferry ships did not meet international safety standards. In a statement, the ministry said it was examining all cases over the safety of ships operating in the country's coastal shipping industry and stressed that all ships were inspected by the ministry's inspection agency and by foreign organizations and shipping registers. "We cannot accept, however, that any private company evaluating the country's shipping industry," it added. The statement said that one of the ships mentioned in ADAC's report, "Sordinia Vera" has been already withdrawn from operations. Source : ana-mpa.gr

N Korea: South Korean ship intruded our waters

North Korea says that the South Korean ship it seized off the Korean Peninsula's east coast had "illegally intruded" into its territorial waters. The 29-tonne fishing boat, named the 800 Yeonanho, was captured and towed away by a North Korean naval vessel on Thursday after it crossed into the communist state's waters. "A patrol ship... captured one ship of South Korea on July 30 when it illegally intruded deep into the DPRK (North Korea) territorial waters in the East Sea of Korea," Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday. South Korea's military, however, claims that the vessel had strayed north of the maritime border due to a problem with its satellite navigation system. Seoul has asked for the immediate return of the boat and its crew of four. Fishing boats from both sides sometimes drift into each other nation's territorial waters, and similar incidents have been successfully resolved in the past, but the recent one comes at a time of chilling ties between the two Koreas following Pyongyang's recent nuclear test and Seoul's support for tougher international sanctions. In 2006, North Korea returned a South Korean boat after 18 days, following its incursion into the North's waters. Seoul also says that it has recently returned two Northern fishing boats that had strayed over the line. The ships stray across the boundary mainly because of engine trouble and problem with navigation systems Source : PRESS TV



CASUALTY REPORTING

Lasteskip grunnstøtte og lekker olje utenfor Langesund

LANGESUND (VG Nett) Et lasteskip med mannskap på 23 personer fryktes å synke utenfor Langesund i Telemark etter å ha gått på grunn. Skipet lekker olje, og flere lokale naturperler står i fare. Det 167 meter lange og 26 meter brede lasteskipet «Full City» har drevet på grunn ved Såstein like ved Langesund. Skipet tar inn vann og lekker olje, opplyser Hovedredningssentralen. Skipet hadde 1120 kubikkmeter tungolje om bord da ulykken inntraff, opplyser Kystverket. Sent i går kveld lå «Full City» for anker noen få nautiske mil sør-sørøst for Såstein, men rundt midnatt begynte skipet av foreløpig ukjente grunner å drive innover mot land. Klokken 00.30 fikk politiet melding fra et bekymret øyenvitne om at skipet var i ferd med å grunnstøte. Få minutter etterpå smalt det. I hele natt har kraftig vind og høye bølger pisket mot Langesundskysten. Store mengder drivstoffolje har lekket ut i havet, og flere vitner VG Nett har vært i kontakt med forteller om kraftig oljestank i Langesund by. Sjøsprøyten og vinden pisker opp olje som fyker innover land. Det regner olje over byen. Jeg måtte skifte fordi klærne mine var fulle av olje og diesellukt. Når jeg tar på bilen min får jeg fullt av fett på henda, sa lokalpolitiker Geir Glittum til VG Nett like etter klokka fem. - Det driver skum inn i sundet. Det er helt brunt, så det er ikke tvil om at det er olje i sjøen. Kystverket jobber med å begrense lekkasjen om bord på lasteskipet, og de jobber også med å få ut lenser. Grov sjø og pålandsvind har gjort arbeidet meget vanskelig. Lokale naturperler som Hydrostranda, Jyplevika og Rognstranda står i fare for å bli tilgriset.

En del av Såstein, kalt Lille Såstein, er et fuglereservat. Det er olje langt innpå stranda ved Krogshavn. Oljen har også kommet inn til Steinvika, sier Silje Lunde Lidal på telefon fra Langesund.

OLJESØL: Olje har drevet i land i Krogshavn, like utenfor Langesund. Foto: SILJE LUNDE LIDAL Samtidig har politiet i Telemark organisert mottak på land, og to slepebåter ligger og avventer situasjonen like ved skipet. Et Sea King-helikopter står for evakueringen. Kystvaktskipet Nornen er også på plass.



16 av mannskapet ble evakuert med Sea King-helikopter, og det er 7 personer igjen på båten, opplyser politiet i en pressemelding. Mannskapet på båten er kinesisk. - Kapteinen vil gjerne ha folk igjen på båten. Han vil prøve å redde båten, men det ser svært kritisk ut for den, sa Våge til VG Nett tidligere i natt. De evakuerte personene ble fraktet med helikopter inn til Langesund sentrum og deretter videre til sykehus for sjekk. Ifølge Våge ved Hovedredningssentralen skal ingen av personene som har kommet i land, være skadet. - Det er ikke noen umiddelbar fare for at skipet skal synke, men det er klart at hvis det blir liggende og hvis vinden øker er det uvisst hva som vil skje. Sånn som det er nå er det ikke mulig å få gjort noe for å få trukket det av, sier redningsleder Terje Langås i Hovedredningssentralen Sør-Norge til VG Nett i 6-tiden fredag morgen. Det var i natt fem til seks meter høye bølger i området, men været har roet seg noe på morgenkvisten.

NAVY NEWS

Kon. Wilhelminahaven zz 22 3134 KG Vlaardingen (Port No 650) The Netherlands www.mariflex.net tel (24 hrs) : +31 (0) 10 434 44 45 [email protected]

Navy submarine breaks down The Australian Navy's submarine fleet has struck more problems, with one submarine taken in for repairs. The Defence Department says HMAS Collins is being repaired in Adelaide, but will not say why it broke down. Neil James from the Australia Defence Association says the submarine had engine trouble during training south of the Great Australian Bight. "I understand it's got something to do with the propulsion," he said. "We just have to wait and see how serious it is." The Defence Department says the submarine is one of two active in a fleet of six. The others are in maintenance or used for training. The 45 crew members are stranded in Adelaide. Former senior defence official Alan Behm says the shortage puts the Australian Navy at a disadvantage should Australia go to war. "If it were serious ocean warfare though, we would be in a pretty poor position," he said. "It has a terrible effect on crew morale because the crews are not doing what they're trained to do." The department says most of the crew will return to base in Western Australia within the next month. It says the submarine is expected to be back at sea later this year. A spokesman for the Defence Minister, John Faulkner, did not return the ABC's calls. Source : ABC News



SHIPYARD NEWS

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

CDM goes into the offensive for support The Curaçao Dry Dock Company (CDM) is going into the offensive to acquire support in order to save the dockyard. Upon request of the Island, presentations were held for involved parties such as shareholders, banks, and trade unions on the plan of approach to guide CDM through this difficult period. It was the press’ turn yesterday. Support for the dock amongst others implies postponement of payments to contractors, but also premiums and taxes, additional credit

from banks – with government guarantee, but also transparency with the stepping up of the privatization process. Furthermore, Deputy Eugene Rhuggenaath (PAR) confirmed towards the Extra that the tax authorities had served a writ of attachment yesterday afternoon. He was not available for comment this morning. However, it is not strange as the dock company’s situation is awkward. There are hardly any orders as a result of the economical crisis, as the interim-manager Clift Christiaan mentioned again, yesterday. However, the management hopes that the dock will recover. Photo : Kees Bustraan (c) “The fact in itself, that the banks were prepared to listen to our presentation, contrary to December last year, when they refused such after a bridge over of five million guilders became necessary within a short

term. The confidence in the previous management has evaporated completely.” Moreover, CDM has internally started tightening purse strings and dismissing 164 dockworkers working on a contract basis through contractors, as well as cost reduction, working more efficiently, organizing financial data, implementing maintenance programs so that the dry dock company will not loose its ISO-certificate. The permanent personnel will also have to submit to sacrifices, such as postponement of wage increases and holiday allowance. There is employment until next year, but action is now required for the dock company in order to survive. If nothing happens, then this year’s loss will amount to an estimated 7 million guilders and 13 million guilders next year. The dock company has only lost millions annually since 2002, except for break-even in 2004 and in 2006 when a profit was booked of nine million guilders. No reserves have been built up, and a previous privatization attempt failed. A lot of time is being devoted to finding a strategic partner, and this requires all cooperation, as a serious candidate is not anxiously waiting for issues such as a years on end dispute with CPA on the payment regarding the use of the EEG-wharf, or an 80 million guilder claim for three Cuban dockworkers.



The government should arrange for the transfer of terrains, the trade unions should receive support from their members next week, and a constructive solution must be sought for the claim. In any case, CDM does not think that the American verdict could be executed on Curaçao, and certainly not for such an amount. In addition, the dockyard should go on the road. It is not sufficient to live off one’s reputation and quality provision. Aggressive marketing is also required. Luc Joos was appointed manager last May for the implementation of the turnaround plan. He said he had gained experience in similar situations at a dock in Belgium. “Latin America is considered a growing market, but we should also be looking towards Europe and Asia. We must make the most of our location and know how and to assert such.” The current material will keep CDM going for a while even though it looks dismal. An investment somewhere between 30 and 40 million guilders is required for a complete upgrading. However, not one bank will take this risk now. A period of 1½ years is scheduled for the privatization process, but this could be halved if it is stepped up. Christiaan expects that either at the end of this year or at the beginning of 2010, there will clarity on the strategic partner; as known, the Dutch Damen company is one of the interested partners. However, it will require everyone’s cooperation. “Good governance and transparency will certainly step up this process” according to Christiaan. Source : Amigoe

The MED DIECI seen under construction at the Damen Galati yard Photo : Hans van der Ster (c)

Keppel delivers OSVs to GulfMark and LUKOIL Keppel Offshore & Marine subsidiary Keppel Singmarine has delivered an Anchor Handling Tug/Supply (AHTS), Sea Comanche, to GulfMark Offshore and a Multi-purpose Duty Rescue Vessel, LANGEPAS to LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft respectively. “At Keppel Singmarine, we tailor-make quality solutions for our customers, giving them added advantage and flexibility to meet the operational requirement anywhere in the world. We are very grateful that our valued customers such as GulfMark and LUKOIL have entrusted us time and again with the construction of their premium offshore support vessels,” Hoe Eng Hock, executive director of Keppel Singmarine said.



“The growing market acceptance of our in-house ship designs attests to Keppel’s proven capabilities as a Builder of Distinction for highly-specialised offshore vessels. Looking ahead, we will continue to fortify our core competencies to offer innovative solutions that will fulfil the needs of the global offshore and marine industry.” he added. Designed by Marine Technology Development (MTD), the ship design and development arm of Keppel O&M, Sea Comanche, the last of a series of six AHTS vessels was delivered to GulfMark. Built by Keppel Singmarine’s sister yard, Keppel Nantong in China, it was presented a US$10,000 bonus for achieving a clean safety record of zero lost-time incident. The vessel will be deployed in Southeast Asia, and is capable of performing anchor handling and fire fighting among other support functions. Meanwhile, Keppel Singmarine has also delivered the sixth ice-classed vessel LANGEPAS to LUKOIL since 2003. The 60-tonne bollard pull vessel will be deployed in the Caspian Sea region to perform supply duty and rescue operations in temperatures as low as -20°C and ice thickness of up to 70 cm. LANGEPAS was jointly designed by MTD in collaboration with Robert Allan. Keppel Singmarine was awarded a US$5,000 safety bonus for achieving zero lost-time incident. Source: seatradeasia-online

Tanker project 19619 ATYRAU launched at Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard

Oil tanker project 19619 "ATYRAU" was launched at Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard (MNP Group). The tanker has been built under order KAZMORTRANSFLOT (Kazakhstan). The contract for construction of three tankers of 13,000 DWT was signed in April, 2009. According to the contract the delivery date of first tanker is September, 2009, the second - May, 2010, third - August, 2010. The total sum of the contract is $66 450 000. The tender for construction of tankers has been hold on March, 27th, 2009. Seven companies have taken part in the tender: Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard, Maritim Shipyard (Poland ), Hyundai Corporation (South Korea ), Astrakhan Shipbuilding Production Association (Russia), MGD Delfin AD (Bulgaria ), Vyborgskiy Shipyard (Russia), Wadan Yards Ocean (Ukraine). Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard became the winner. At present this tanker of project 19619 is the largest in the Caspian Sea, capable of entering any port without port terminal re-equipment. The design of the tanker was worked out by Engineering Bureau of MNP Group (at present - Volgo-Caspian Design Bureau). Tanker of 13,000 DWT is designed for transportation of crude oil and oil products with flash point less than 60 Celsius degrees. Double side and double bottom of the hull (fitted with ballast compartments) prevent from oil spillage at accident. Source: mnpglobal

Wadan secures $28.8m government loan GERMANY's Wadan Yards will receive two loans totaling €20.5m ($28.8m) from the government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The money will be used to set up two transitional companies for the 2,400 employees of the yards in Rostock-Warnemünde and Wismar. The European Union will support the transitional companies with an additional €10.1m and Germany's federal employment fund will provide €15.5m. The bankrupt shipyards have no money to pay their employees and the federal employment fund has been paying the workers' wages since May.



A bank consortium granted the yards a bankruptcy assets loan of €190m to finance the construction of two ferries for Swedish Stena Line, the only two orders the yards have in their books after filing for bankruptcy. But the loan cannot be paid out without Stena Line's confirmation that it will take over the vessels. Wadan Yards has been negotiating for months with the company over this issue. "We do not expect any results until August 1, when the insolvency money will run out," said spokesman Lars Rosumek. The employees will then switch to the transitional companies, which will pay their wages for up to five months and provide them with opportunities to obtain further qualifications. "This will give us time to talk to Stena Line and to potential investors," said Rosumek. Insolvency administrator Marc Odebrecht has held talks with a small group of companies that are interested in buying the yards, but has refused to give names. "We are feeling confident," Mr Rosumek said. There are a lot of positive signals." Once an investor has been found, the employees will be able to move back from the transitional company to Wadan Yards.

Krasnoye Sormovo launches 5,600-dwt tanker built for Saturn Shipping (Panama)

Krasnoye Sormovo (Nizhni Novgorod, MNP Group) has launches 5,600-dwt tanker project 19614 built for Saturn Shipping (Panama). The Titan tanker is one of three tankers the contract for which was concluded in April 2008, MNP press center says. According to the contract, the first tanker should be delivered in late 2009 (actually it will be delivered in October), the second – in June 2010, the third – in July 2010. The Option for the forth vessel was confirmed in summer 2008, the delivery is scheduled for October 2010. Tankers project 19614 are the largest river-going vessels. Their length is 141 m, breadth – 16.9 m, depth – 6.1 m, draft – 3.73/3.60 m, tonnage – 5,530/5,030, cargo tanks capacity – 6,720 cub. m, speed – 10 knots, crew – 14/16 persons, cruising capacity – 15/10 days. Navigation area – inland waterways and non-Arctic sea regions. The tanker is designed for transportation of diesel fuel, heavy fuel oil, crude and oil products (up to 5 different types of cargo). This double-side double-bottom vessel is registered as КМ IIСП ЛУI А3 of Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping. MNP Group incorporates the leading Russian shipyards: Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard (Nizhniy Novgorod), Volgograd Shipyard, as well as Sormovskoye Mashinostroeniye (Nizhniy Novgorod) and Volgograd Special Engineering Plant.

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Dutch Delay Dredging; Antwerp Frustrated The Netherlands Council of State this week suspended a routing decree and an implementation permit for deepening the shipping channel in the Dutch portion of the River Scheldt. The Belgian port of Antwerp, the largest breakbulk port in Europe, lies on the River Scheldt. Below Antwerp the Western Scheldt, Antwerp’s navigation outlet, passes through Dutch territory before it reaches the North Sea. This is the stretch of river affected by the Council’s decision. The routing decree, which was signed in 2005, covers dredging the Western Scheldt at 12 points which are currently not deep enough for the largest ships being built. Antwerp wants to deepen the Western Scheldt so as to afford tide-independent navigation for ships with a draft of up to 43 ft. and the two countries have collaborated on several long-term plans for the river. However, Antwerp has long been frustrated by a lack of concrete progress on the Dutch side, according to a statement from the port. The Dutch Council of State’s decision to suspend the routing decree and permits exacerbates prior delays and violates treaties ratified by both governing bodies and their respective parliaments, according to Antwerp. Netherlands-based environmental groups objected to the dredging because it would be done in a section of the Scheldt estuary that attracts large numbers of migratory birds, according to European news sources. The Council of State will rule on the matter later this year. "Good neighbourliness and mutual confidence are clearly not enough to get spadework going on the Dutch side. But given the economic importance both for Antwerp and for Flanders, we can no longer look on patiently and wait," alderman Marc Van Peel said in the statement from the port. He urged the new Flemish government to take "all necessary steps with the Netherlands, without delay" to get work started on deepening the Scheldt. The new delay in the Netherlands is liable to compromise the competitiveness of Antwerp, the second-largest port in Europe, along with the 180,000 direct and indirect jobs that it creates, the port said. Source : JOC

SeaFrance boss warns of bankruptcy risk SEAFRANCE chief executive Pierre Fa has warned that the Dover Strait ferry company risks having to file for bankruptcy if management and unions do not reach agreement quickly on a rescue plan. The company, which first announced a rescue plan involving 650 redundancies in February, has still to complete negotiations with unions at the company on terms for its implementation. In May, it announced a modified plan which reduced the number of redundancies to 550, but is still faced with deadlock. Its latest efforts to negotiate the most urgent measure in the plan, a change in the crewing and operating conditions

of its all-freight ferry Nord-Pas de Calais, have not produced agreement despite the expiry of several deadlines for doing so. Left : The SEAFRANCE NORD-PAS DE CALAIS seen arriving yesterday afternoon at the river Tyne for A&P, Hebburn No5 dry-dock Photo : Kevin Blair (c) Mr Fa has called an extraordinary meeting with employee representatives



on August 10 with the objective of fixing the deadlines for action after which he said the company's board would be unable to play its role as shareholder. In a letter to personnel, he said that "in the absence of negotiated agreements rapidly on all the measures envisaged in the recovery plan, we will be inexorably constrained to file for bankruptcy". He said that, in the current situation, French national rail company SNCF, which owns SeaFrance, was unable to proceed with its plans to recapitalise the company which has been losing money steadily since the autumn of last year. "Delaying the implementation of a new industrial project is to continue to deepen the deficit and endanger our prospects of recapitalisation in relation to the authorities in Brussels and deliberately choose to send us to the court of commerce (that is, into receivership)," he said. The company indicated in June that it was looking to reach agreement with the unions on the recovery plan by the end of August. It amended its original plan by agreeing to keep four of its seven vessels in service instead of three, adding the all-freight ferry Nord-Pas de Calais to its three most recent car ferries: the Rodin, Berlioz and Molière.

It said that it wanted to put the vessel on a "lightened" schedule but had so far failed to reach agreement on the question with the unions, despite several negotiating sessions over the last two months. The CFDT seafarers' union has indicated that it believes that most of the planned redundancies among the company's 1,200-1,300 seafarers can be avoided through the adoption of alternative cost-cutting measures pending a recovery in the Dover Strait ferry market. Source : Lloyd's List

The VOLVOX ASIA seen operating at Pulau Karimun with alongside the Spinner Dolphin assisting with the connection of the discharge hoses

Photo : Richard Bakker (c)



BEN-MY-CHREE NOTCHES UP 15,000 SAILINGS

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's flagship Ben-my-Chree completed her 15,000th sailing across the Irish Sea on Friday morning. The record sailing departed from Douglas to Heysham at 0845. Built by Van der Giessen de Noord in Rotterdam, at a cost of £24 million, the Ben-my-Chree first sailed into Manx waters on Tynwald Day 1998. Since then she has covered more than 875,000 miles and has an impressive reliability record of over 99%. The vessel has carried more than 2.5 million passengers and 4.5 million metres of freight since she entered service and has completed more trips than many of the former Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessels, which were twice as old as the Ben-my-Chree is now. Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: "The Ben-my-Chree has been the most intensively used vessel in our history and during this time her record of reliability has been outstanding. She has been a fantastic servant to both the travelling public and the Company and I am delighted to see her complete this impressive number of sailings across the Irish Sea. She is without question one of the most reliable ships ever used by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in its 179-year history and we look forward to many more years of service from her." The Ben-my-Chree is the sixth ship in the Company's history to bear the name.

Boulogne and Ramsgate Fast ferry Service EUROFERRIES announces it will commence its planned Fast Cross Channel Passenger Ferry Service between the ports of Boulogne & Ramsgate during August. EUROFERRIES recently announced fast ferry services will operate from its two dedicated ferry terminals located within the ports of Boulogne and Ramsgate and have now signed agreements with both Ports. The fast ferry the "Bonanza Express" will be operated by Euroferries in conjunction with its partner, FRED OLSEN who over the years has developed its highly regarded fast ferry service. EUROFERRIES initial service, commencing late August will comprise of 5 daily crossings, with Bonanza Express an Incat 96m with a capacity of 146 first class and 570 additional passengers, carrying a combination of cars and luxury coaches. Capable of an operational speed of 38 knots it enables



the channel crossing to be completed in a time that favourably competes port to port with the Channel Tunnel crossing time. A second vessel will join the Bonanza Express service increasing passenger capacity and will also carry a combination of cars and luxury coaches. EUROFERRIES are responding positively to passenger demand for a fast, efficient and friendly crossing, combined with the use of comfortable seating and attentive cabin crew providing an "in-seat" shopping service. The latest internet technology will further improve our customer experience bringing further added value customer benefits. Euroferries Chairman, Per Staehr today said : "Euroferries signing of this Agreement with Thanet District Council enables us to look forward to building a long term relationship with the local community. Our new five crossing a day high speed service, will be focused on tourist traffic and takes full advantage of the new motorways both to Ramsgate and Boulogne along with the fast turn round terminal facilities within both Ports. This agreement permits us to shortly announce the release of the new web booking service, further details and the provision of our new commuter coach service between London's Stratford Hub and Ramsgate serving Canterbury and the Medway towns. Whilst, today is Thanet District Council's special occasion, we are delighted to attend and to welcome our partner Fred Olsen. The impending arrival of Bonanza Express, Incat 96m in its new Euroferries livery will provide the opportunity for Euroferries to welcome you when we will make further announcements." Further announcements will be forthcoming in the near future including Euroferries partners, ferry services, timetable, pricing and booking arrangements in addition to further announcements regarding the introduction of Euroferries commuter coach service between London and Ramsgate. Source : Euroferries

Sri Lanka evaluates financial proposal for port terminal

Sri Lankan authorities have begun evaluating the financial proposal of the sole bid by China Merchant Holdings and Aitken Spence for a new container terminal in Colombo port, officials involved with the project said. "We opened the financial bid yesterday and have started evaluating it," said an official, referring to the bid by the consortium consisting of China Merchant Holdings, a big Chinese port operator, and local conglomerate Aitken Spence. "There is provision in the tender to negotiate with the bidder for better terms." The consortium was the sole bidder to build and operate the first container transhipment terminal in a new deep-water port being built next to Colombo port. Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) officials have said they were satisfied with the technical proposals in the bid. Aitken Spence had been part of a consortium led by Port of Singapore Authority which was declared the successful bidder by the tender board in the previous round of bids. That round was cancelled amid much controversy when the SLPA sought to give the deal to Hutchison Port Holdings, saying its bid was better. Officials said that in the present bidding round, the China Merchant Holdings-Aitken Spence consortium had offered a container throughput slightly above the minimum guarantee called for in the request for proposals. The royalty offered by the bidder and other revenue streams such as navigational dues are being examined, officials said. They said the financial bid would be scrutinised with a focus on the amount of cash the project would generate for the SLPA given its huge debt repayment requirements arising from a foreign loan to build the infrastructure of the new port. The Asian Development Bank is largely funding the dredging and breakwater construction of the new port which is underway. The new port, which has been delayed for years, is needed urgently to cater to the bigger vessels now being deployed on trade routes in order to maintain Colombo's position as south Asia's transhipment hub. Interest shown by shipping lines and global port operators before bids closed led to expectations it would attract many bids, given the potential growth in transhipment cargo from India.



Officials have said they believe only one bid came because of the global credit crunch with many companies not generating enough cash to make long-term investments. Investments by Chinese companies are increasing in the island with China Harbour Engineering Company building a new port in southern Hambantota and a big coal-fired power plant. Source : LankabusinessOnline

New Goliat rig not built for arctic conditions The drilling rig Scarabeo 8 is under construction in Italy and will be used to develop the Goliat field outside northern

Norway. However, the Norwegian petroleum safety authority has demanded operator ENI to make several improvements on the rig before it will be allowed to operate in the Barents Sea. Drilling in the harsh arctic climate of the Barents Sea require special constructions on the rig. The operator of the Goliat oil field, ENI Norway, is waiting for the completion of the Scarabeo 8 from the Italian ship yard Fincantieri. However, the Norwegian petroleum safety authority was not satisfied with the rig when they controlled the rig plans. - Rigs which are going to work in the Barents Sea during the winter season have to be reinforced for winter conditions. If this is not done, the rig will never be allowed to drill in this area, says Øyvind Tuntland in the petroleum safety authority to Stavanger Aftenblad.

ENI Norway says that the rig will be winter reinforced, but that is not what the Norwegian inspectors were told in Italy. The Goliat field development will start in 2010 and production of oil will start in 2013. Source : BarentsObserver

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HOS IRON HORSE CHRISTENED IN ROTTERDAM

Photo top : Frank Noordsij (c)

Friday July 31st did see the christening of the HOS IRON HORSE, which was moored at the Wilhelmina kade in

Rotterdam for this ceremony. Photo’s : Michel Kodde (c)

Capacity down on Far East to Europe routes Carriers hope that the tight space situation over the next few months will help persuade shippers to agree to pay a peak season surcharge on the Far East-Europe trades. This optimism comes on the back of significant capacity reductions on the Far East to Europe route over the past 12 months, with Alphaliner's projections for August at 322,000 TEU per week. As a result, the number of carriers to so far announce implementation of peak season surcharges has risen to 18 on the Far East-Europe trades, according to the Shipping Gazette. The peak season surcharges are said to range from US$100 to $200 per TEU for the Far East-Europe trade, with the surcharge coming into effect August 1 in most cases until the end of October. But a number of carriers have said the surcharges will apply until further notice, without providing an exact period. Furthermore, some carriers, which had announced earlier surcharge dates for the Mediterranean trade, are now delaying introduction of peak season surcharges until August.



Average supply is reported to be down 23 per cent compared to August 2008, when it stood at 418,000 TEU per week. The number of services is also said to have been reduced from 64 to 44 during the same period (excluding the two ANZ-Far East-Europe pendulums). The Far East-Mediterranean route saw the largest percentage declines, with 12 major services removed or merged as cargo volumes declined both in the west Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions. The service cuts came as total westbound volumes declined by 22 per cent in the January-April period to 4,387 million TEU, down from 5,633 million TEU last year, according to the ELAA. Alphaliner added that the average duration of Far East-Mediterranean strings now stand at 8.6 weeks compared to 7.5 weeks until two years ago. Meanwhile, Far East-North Europe strings currently turn around in an average 9.2 weeks, compared to 8.1 weeks in the past. The lengthened port rotations are mainly due to additional port calls and slower vessel speeds to offset bunker price hikes. However, the recent practice of routing some services around the Cape of Good Hope on the eastbound leg of Europe-Far East services is believed to have ceased. Source: transportweekly

Shipments volume of PRISCO tanker fleet down 15% to 6.6 mln t in H1 09

In the first half of 2009, vessels of Primorsk Shipping Corporation (PRISCO Group) carried 6.6 million tonnes of liquid bulk cargo having covered some 224,000 miles. According to the company’s statistics, the volume of cargo transported by PRISCO vessels fell by almost 15%, year-on-year. In the 6-month period of the current year some 70% (against 94% in the same period of the previous year) of total PRISCO shipments falls on 5 large-capacity tankers working for Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects. Those vessels chartered by Exon Neftegaz and Sakhalin Energy delivered 4.6 million tonnes of hydrocarbons from De-Castri and Prigorodnoye. Other tankers of PRISCO transported oil and oil products between different foreign ports under long-term time-charter agreements, the company says. In June, the company completed the first phase of its shipbuilding program. Last 6 months saw commissioning of four 100,000-dwt tankers and three 51,000-dwt tankers. Currently the company operates 19 tankers with aggregate deadweight of 1.78 million tonnes. Average age of PRISCO tankers is slightly more than 2 years. Source : Portnews

Diana Shipping Inc. Announces Time Charter Contract for m/v Naias

Diana Shipping Inc., a global shipping company specializing in the transportation of dry bulk cargoes, announced that it has entered into a time charter contract with J. Aron & Company, New York, the principal global trading subsidiary of Goldman Sachs, for one of its Panamax dry bulk carriers, the m/v Naias, at a gross rate of US$19,000 per day for a minimum eleven (11) to a maximum thirteen (13) month period. This employment is anticipated to generate approximately US$6.3 million of gross revenues for the minimum scheduled period of the charter. The charter is intended to commence August 24, 2009. The m/v Naias is a 73,546 dwt Panamax dry bulk carrier built in 2006. Source: Diana Shipping Inc.



The Fawly Tanker Terminal with seen moored alogside the Stolt Gannet, Rhone, Kensington & Ruddermanl Photo : Iain Forsyth (c)

Net profits tumble for Saudi shipping company

The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (NSCSA) has reported US$69 million in net profits for the first half of 2009, compared to $99.2 million during the same period in 2008. “The reasons of the decrease in profit in the first six months of 2009 were mainly due to the decline in the average crude transportation freight rates (TCE) and decrease in the General Cargo freight rates and volumes,” the company CEO Mumoud Al Ajlan stated in a press release. The company expanded its shipping fleet earlier this month with the delivery of a new vessel from Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) in South Korea. Source: Arabian Supply Chain

Ferry between Sydney and Port aux Basques running again three days after fire The Marine Atlantic ferry that caught fire earlier this week is running again. The Atlantic Vision left North Syndey, Nova Scotia early Saturday morning and travelled to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland. A fire in a thermal heating unit forced it to return to North Sydney on Wednesday. The ferry was supposed to return to service Friday but extended testing delayed the vessel. John Majchrowicz, vice-president of operations, says they are trying to accommodate traffic as best they can. Marine Atlantic is not accepting any new reservations this weekend but normal operations will resume on Monday. Source : The Canadian Press



The LUZOLO seen in Soyo (Northern Angola) Photo : Sean Minogue (c)

FINNLINES RETURNS TO BLACK DESPITE a “difficult market situation”, with cargo volumes staying low and the revenue dropping by about 37% compared to January-June 2008, Finnish owner Finnlines managed to increase its profit before depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) in Q2 by euros15.2m to compare Q1 when it made a loss of euros0.2m. Although the market has “shown no recovery during the second quarter” the company says it has addressed issues of surplus tonnage, vessel costs, IT costs, administration costs , headcount and the sale of non-core assets. Finnlines says: “Actions in all of these have brought good results in a very short time, but the work is not yet finished.” Finnlines says: The sharp drop in volumes experienced in the last quarter of 2008 continued during the first half of the year. During January-May Finnish seaborne imports carried in container, lorry and trailer units fell by 26.7 % and exports by 29.7% in comparison with the corresponding period of the previous year (measured in tons). Similarly, the trailer and lorry volumes transported by sea between the Southern Sweden and Germany declined by 22.9% from previous year. The passenger traffic between Finland and Germany decreased by 15.2% overall but the decrease was due to reduced lorry drivers accompanying their vehicles. The overall passenger traffic between Finland and Sweden increased by about 5.5%. Finnlines' pure passenger traffic volumes increased by 3 % during the first half of the year.” The company adds: “The rapidly deteriorated economic conditions in Europe and the whole world impacted Finnlines operations during the first half of the year. The company has responded to the sharply dropped cargo volumes by rationalizing and employing the tonnage in a much more efficient way, cost-saving initiatives, personnel adjustments and divestments. The market conditions are supposed to remain weak for the rest of the year. However, the company will benefit from the continuing measures of cost-efficiency on the major fields of cost drivers, synergies found on a total Group level, chartering out excessive tonnage and redelivery of tonnage by the end of the year. The savings from these actions will mostly be shown in the result during the remaining part of 2009. The company expects that the improvement in the earnings which has taken place in the second quarter compared to the first quarter will continue for the remaining part of the year.” Source : Maritime Global Net



…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

The newbuilding hull 705 (tbn SKANDI AKER) seen arriving in Søvik, Norway for final outfitting Photo : Capt. Levien Bijl - Master Skandi Aker/Nb705 ©

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