daily collection of mar itime press clipping s 2014 – 352

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 352

Distribution : daily to 31775+ active addresses 18-12-2014

Number 352 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Thursday 18-12-2014

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

S/V MYSTIC (170’ three masted schooner) underway December 13, 2014, from maintenance docking in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, under command of Captain Stefan Edick; bound for winter duty in the Virgin Islands. MYSTIC is operated by Mystic Adventure Sails: www.mysticadventuresails.com

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

SAFE BOREAS passing West Jurong Fairways on Monday, 15- 12-2014, with the assistance of several harbour tugs

Photo : Capt Hardi Susanto - Master MV. Salvern ©

Bert Bot wenst alle lezers Prettige Kerstdagen en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar CLICK on the cards !

Vanuit Middelburg wenst de Fam Kruit U prettige kerstdagen & gelukkig nieuwjaar

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Riverlake opens a new office in Curacao The Riverlake Group is excited to announce that it will enhance it sales efforts in the Caribbean region by opening an office in Curacao on 01/01/2015. This new entity will be locally managed by Wilbert Versteeg, a partner and a director of Riverlake Solutions in Rotterdam. This latest development enables Riverlake to further expand its worldwide business and presence. You can contact: Wilbert Versteeg at [email protected] The Riverlake Group is a shipping services company established in 1985. With offices

in Geneva, Lagos, Rotterdam, Bremen, London and now Curacao, the group specializes in providing logistical and associated services for the oil, dry & gas industry worldwide. More information about the Riverlake Group is available on www.riverlake.ch as well as www.riverlakesolutions.com

TT- Lines "ROBIN HOOD" during flag and name change in Port of Trelleborg at the 15th december 2014. At the bow is still the old name seen but at the stern is the new name "NILS DACKE" finished." Photo : Jörg Heuckeroth ©

Maritieme sectoren presteerden in 2013 wederom beter

Met een stijging van ruim 1300 banen en toename van zowel productiewaarde en toegevoegde waarde met 2% (€ 610 miljoen en respectievelijk € 266 miljoen) presteerde de maritieme cluster in 2013 wederom beter dan voorgaande jaren. In totaal werken er circa 224.000 personen in de cluster, dat is 2,5% van de Nederlandse werkgelegenheid. De landelijke werkgelegenheid toonde een afname van 1,3%. De 2% groei van maritieme toegevoegde waarde was ook groter dan het bbp (0,3%). Dit valt na te lezen in “De Nederlandse Maritieme Cluster: Monitor 2014”. Minister Schultz van Haegen (I&M) overhandigde op dinsdag 16 december 2014 het eerste exemplaar aan de voorzitter van Nederland Maritiem Land, Arie Kraaijeveld.

Schultz: “De maritieme sector is een visitekaartje van Nederland. In 2015 kom ik daarom met een Rijksbrede Maritieme Strategie om de samenwerking in de sector te verbeteren op het gebied van innovatie, export, infrastructuur en duurzaamheid. Mede daardoor kan ik het belang van deze monitor niet genoeg onderstrepen, Nergens ter wereld bestaat een vergelijkbare publicatie. Het geeft een volledig en actueel beeld van 11 sectoren en helpt ons beter in te spelen op de kansen, trends en bedreigingen binnen de maritieme wereld.

De totale productiewaarde van de maritieme cluster bedroeg bijna € 49 miljard, dit genereerde een gecombineerde toegevoegde waarde van ruim € 21 miljard. Dat is circa 3% van het Nederlandse bruto binnenlands product. De 12 maritieme sectoren: havens, offshore, maritieme toeleveranciers, scheepsbouw, zeevaart, waterbouw, maritieme dienstverlening en kennisinstituten, binnenvaart, Koninklijke Marine, watersportindustrie en visserij waren in 2013 goed voor een totale export van ruim € 21 miljard. Goed voor een aandeel van 4% aan de totale Nederlandse export.

Over de periode 2006 – 2013 is de totale exportwaarde van de maritieme cluster met 16% gestegen. De sectoren waterbouw en offshore lieten de sterkste stijging met 47% en respectievelijk 45% zien. Het grootste aandeel van toegevoegde waarde wordt door de havens (€ 8,8 miljard) gegenereerd, opgevolgd door de offshore (€ 3,3 miljard) en maritieme toeleveranciers (€ 2,5 miljard). De zeevaart, visserij, scheepsbouw, marine en binnenvaart genereerde een toegevoegde waarde die lager ligt dan in 2006 gerealiseerd. Voor zee- en binnenvaart wordt dit veroorzaakt door lage tarieven door overcapaciteit. Het aantal werkzame personen nam het sterkst toe in de waterbouw, gevolgd door de offshore en havens.


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Toekomstige ontwikkelingen

Binnen de maritieme cluster is de laatste jaren een toenemende verwevenheid tussen de sectoren onderling te zien. Arie Kraaijeveld: “De maritieme sector is blij dat de minister in 2015 komt met de rijksbrede maritieme strategie om een versnipperde aanpak van belangrijke thema’s te voorkomen, alle clusterpartijen helpen mee waar mogelijk”. Een van de drijvende krachten achter de toenemende verwevenheid is het toenemende belang van de offshore industrie voor de maritieme cluster. Voor de toekomst blijven de offshore activiteiten, waaronder de ontwikkeling, winning en distributie van windenergie op zee, van groot belang voor de maritieme cluster. Deze activiteiten zullen zich naar verwachting in de nabije toekomst, net als de afgelopen jaren, verder blijven ontwikkelen. Groeikansen voor de offshore zijn te vinden in hoogwaardige technologieën, specialistische equipment en kennis om opkomende economieën te helpen bij het winnen van olie en gas (ook in diep water). Door de dalende olieprijs is de verwachting dat in de olie en gas sector nieuwe projecten een vertraging zullen oplopen.

De Maritieme Monitor is een jaarlijkse thermometer, die meet hoe de 12.000 bedrijven in de sector ervoor staan. Er is niet alleen gekeken naar economische kracht, maar ook naar ontwikkelingen op de arbeidsmarkt en export. In opdracht van het Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu en in samenwerking met Nederland Maritiem Land heeft Ecorys de studie uitgevoerd. De hele Maritieme Monitor is te vinden op de site van Nederland Maritiem Land: www.maritiemland.nl.

Braveheart Shipping wenst U gezegende kerstdagen en een gelukkig Nieuwjaar

The MOONEN team wishes you a sparkling 2015 Rieky en Ruud Zegwaard wensen iedereen een fijne kersttijd CLICK at the CARDS

Apache to sell stakes in LNG projects to Woodside for $2.75 billion

Apache Corp (APA.N) said on Monday it would sell its stakes in two liquefied natural gas projects, Wheatstone LNG in Australia and Kitimat LNG in Canada, to Australia's Woodside Petroleum Ltd (WPL.AX) for $2.75 billion.Apache, under pressure from activist investor Jana Partners, said in July it planned to exit the two projects. The company is also evaluating a sale or spinoff of its international operations to focus on North American shale wells.Woodside Petroleum,

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Australia's top oil and gas producer, said in August it was looking at potential acquisitions as companies such as Shell and Apache offload assets, amid worries about high costs and future prices.

Apache said it would sell its 13 percent stake in Wheatstone, majority-owned by Chevron Corp (CVX.N), and its 65 percent interest in the WA-49-L oil and gas block, located offshore western Australia. The company is also selling its 50 percent stake in the Kitimat LNG project, a joint venture with Chevron, and related oil and gas assets in the Horn River and Liard natural gas basins in British Columbia, Canada.

Analysts expressed relief that Apache was able to strike a deal so soon in a time when crude prices have fallen more than 40 percent."This is a big win for Apache," analysts at Simmons & Co said in a note to clients. "Given the steep fall in oil prices, we were worried that it might take longer to close this deal. Bernstein Research analyst Bob Brackett described the purchase $2.75 billion purchase price as "fair."

The deals are expected to close in the first quarter of 2015, the company said. Apache will be reimbursed for its net spending on the two projects between June 30 this year and the closing date, which it estimated at $1 billion.More than a dozen LNG export projects have been proposed for British Columbia as energy companies from around the world race to export cheap Canadian gas to energy-hungry Asian markets.

But uncertainties over taxation, the regulatory process and aboriginal consent and fierce competition from rival projects in the United States have called into question whether any will get done.Apache's shares fell 25 cents, or 0.44 percent, to $56.19 in midday trading. Woodside shares closed up 2.3 percent on Monday. Source : Reuters (Reporting by Ashutosh Pandey in Bengaluru; Editing by Ted Kerr, Terry Wade and Leslie Adler)

The Rotterdam pilot helicopter operating at the pilot boarding ground North of the Maascentre buoy during NW 8 gale , just hoisted pilot Stephan Grol from the CENTAURUS and above seen enroute the JAKARTA EXPRESS

where Stephan was lowered again to pilot the container vessel into Rotterdam-Europoort. When you read this please also listen to “Riders On The Storm” (The Doors 1971) Photo : Stephan Grol ©

Petronas plans world’s first offshore CDU PETRONAS plans to install the world’s first offshore cryogenic distillation unit (CDU) for stripping CO2 from a gasfield that contains an unusually high proportion of the greenhouse gas. The Malaysian oil major has signed a technology development contract with Technip, UOP Malaysia, Twister and Generon as it seeks to develop the K5 field which contains just 30% hydrocarbons and 70% CO2.“This [CO2 percentage] is as high as anywhere in the world,” says Adrian Finn, a member of IChemE’s Oil and Natural Gas Special Interest Group. “This is as high as anyone has considered. It’s pushing the limits.” Oil producers are turning to more challenging developments as the easier fields dry up. Technip will work with Petronas to jointly develop the conceptual engineering design for an offshore cryogenic



distillation facility, The Star reports. Twister will help develop supersonic technology for CO2 separation, while Generon will provide membrane technology. Finn predicts that Twister’s technology will be used to refrigerate the gas before it sent to the CDU. The CDU will reduce the CO2 content from 70% to around 20%, and will then pass it through a membrane, lowering it further to 6.5%.Petronas reportedly wants to use the gas to produce LNG. Finn explains that the proportion of CO2 will need stripping to around 100 ppm, and any water and natural gas liquids will be removed before the gas can be chilled. “6.5% is still too high so they must be sending it to an onshore facility that has conventional acid gas removal at the front end to take it down to essentially zero.”Petronas plans to pump the separated CO2 back underground and store it in an aquifer.“The K5 project will also position Petronas as a forerunner in offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) and provide a stepping stone for a greener oil and gas industry, as no contaminants are emitted into the atmosphere, with zero venting and flaring,” says Petronas head of technology division, technical global, upstream Malaysia, Nasir Darman.Petronas has not given a date for when it expects to apply the technology, and the engineering challenges that must be overcome are significant, explains Finn.“You want a compact, low-height column. You want to minimise space and weight, and manage movement [from the seas] that may upset the process. So there are some real key engineering challenges with what is essentially big-scale technology that doesn’t naturally lend itself to an offshore platform.”The use of Twister’s technology – which includes no moving parts – and membranes which are low weight, appears to help address some of these issues. Finn says, if successful, the technology could one day be applied in the North Sea, which also has fields that contain high proportions of CO2.At the time of writing, Petronas has not responded to requests for comment. Source : TCE today

Dick Overduin wenst u allen een Goede Vaart in

2015

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Merry Christmas and a Happy 2015 from the Crew of the UNION

SOVEREIGN

Al Jaber unit wins second offshore Petrofac contract with Dh460m value

Al Jaber Energy Services (Ajes) said that it had won its second contract valued at Dh460 million from Petrofac Emirates for construction work on the Upper Zakum offshore oilfield. The Al Jaber Group subsidiary will complete various marine logistics over the next 33 months for the north and south islands, which are part of the four artificial islands developed by Zadco.The islands 84 kilometres off the coast of Abu Dhabi will hold drilling platforms, oil production facilities and supporting infrastructure to help increase production at the Upper Zakum field to 750,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2015 from 550,000 bpd currently.

The contract is an extension of three other ongoing projects Ajes has on the islands including another from Petrofac Emirates, Zadco and a Technip- NPCC consortium.“This project reflects the successful record of Ajes in the execution of giant projects with international construction standards,” said Obaid Khaleefa Al Jaber Al Marri, the chairman of Al Jaber Group.The previous contract awarded by Petrofac had Ajes building temporary facilities for Petrofac staff on all four islands.

Petrofac said that temporary facilities construction continued on the south and central islands, with permanent work commencing on the north and south islands in June and July this year, respectively.The London-based oil services firm has been affected by falling oil prices. Last month, Petrofac issued a warning, revising its expected net profit for next year to US$500m compared to previous analysts’ estimates of $675m.

The Petrofac chief executive Ayman Asfari said during the investor call last month that the firm would continue to focus on its activities in the Middle East. On Friday Deutsche Bank lowered its price target on Petrofac to 800 pence from 1,050 pence as the company dropped the most on the FTSE 100 list.“I am confident that Petrofac will meet the

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challenges presented by certain projects in our portfolio and the medium-term growth prospects for our business remain strong,” Mr Asfari said.Petrofac shares rose 1.25 per cent to 686 pence in early afternoon trading in London. Source : the national

BigRoll Shipping’s fleet expanded to four MC Class vessels

BigRoll Shipping has announced that COSCO Dalian Shipyard Co. Ltd has been contracted to build two more MC Class Module Carriers, bringing the total number of vesselsunder construction to four. The first two vessels BIGROLL BARENTSZ and BIGROLL BERING were ordered in 2013 and are scheduled for delivery late 2015 and early 2016.The two additional vessels will be named BIGROLL BAFFIN and BIGROLL BEAUFORT. They are due for delivery mid 2016 and early 2017 respectively. All BigRoll vessels are named in honour of famous Arctic explorers, which was inspired by the ships’ suitability for shipping to Arctic areas.The MC Class is BigRoll’s newly designed Module Carrier vessel. It is designed with particular focus on a high ballast capacity, low fuel consumption, high service speed and excellent sea keeping behavior – which in turn provides lower acceleration forces on the cargo. The innovative hull design coupled to the propulsion configuration ensures safe, reliable and fast transits. The Dutch-flag MC Class vessels are specifically designed to deliver modules and equipment for large projects and are highly suited to travel to remote areas such as the Arcticregions as well as directly offshore. They have Finnish Swedish 1A Ice classification, and aredesigned and fully prepared for a DP2 notation. Headquartered in the Netherlands, BigRoll provides transportation services for the heaviestmodularized cargoes for onshore and offshore projects. The combination of the MC Class capabilities and BigRoll’s in-house knowledge and experience provide a safe, reliable,efficient solution – even in the remotest areas.For more information on BigRoll Shipping, please visit the website www.bigrollshipping.com

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the Cocoyachts team wishing you Merry Christmas and a wonderfull 2015 CLICK on the Cards The crew onboard the sheerlegs TAKLIFT 7 wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy new year

UASC ‘cooperating’ with local authorities

over Suez smash, ship named Cairo: The containership involved in Sunday’s tragic collision with a fishing vessel on the Suez Canal was the 6,921-teu vessel Al SAFAT, operated by United Arab Shipping Co (UASC), sources have confirmed to GulfShip News. "She is presently detained by the Egyptian Navy, pending completion of the investigation with the crew, which just started yesterday," the source told GulfShip this morning.The collision has resulted in as many as 20 deaths from the 40 people who were onboard the fishing vessel. Searches continued Tuesday to try and find missing crewmembers. A spokesperson for UASC told GulfShip News: "It has been reported that one of UASC’s container vessels may have collided with an Egyptian fishing vessel in the Red Sea. Our team is currently cooperating with the Egyptian authorities who are investigating the matter.” The containership was moored at the port of Sagafa as local authorities conducted investigations into the accident.This is the second such recent collision involving vessels passing through the Suez Canal. In September, two containerships rammed into each other at the northern end of the canal, knocking containers into the sea and delaying traffic in both directions. Source : Gulfshipnews

Core activities at Eerland Shiprepair are mainly: - Restoration activities, employing our self propelled craneship Marine Service 1, lifting 35 metric tons up to a reach of 45 m. - Ship repair; domestic and abroad. - Under water activities, employing our mobile docks. - Qualified welding jobs for steel, aluminium, stainless steel and duplex. - Overhauling of winches of all brands; - Repair of gangways, quays, pontoons, etc. - You can find more about our projects at our website. IJzerwerkerkade 41, 3077 MC Rotterdam, Harbour no. 1095 Tel. +31 (0) 10-483 48 88; Fax +31 (0) 10-482 23 25 [email protected] www.eerlandshiprepair.nl

Thai boats seized, not sunk, in I'nesia Two Thai fishing boats have been seized — not sunk — after being caught trawling illegally in Indonesian waters, a local media outlet reported. The Jakarta Post reported that an Indonesian Navy warship arrested the two boats off Anambas in Riau Island province Dec 11, less than a week after sinking three Vietnamese vessels accused of illegal


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fishing in the same waters. The Thai Overseas Fisheries Association and Songkhla Fisheries Association warned Thai fishing fleets Dec 12 to avoid Indonesian waters due to a policy imposed Dec 6 to sink all illegal foreign trawlers.

The two Thai boats, however, escaped sinking when the KRI Sultan Hasanuddin 366 Sigma-class vessel seized the 50-70-tonne boats. Crews in both boats, all believed to be Thai, failed to present proper documents. Both vessels and dozens of sailors were detained at the Tarempa naval base on Siantan Island, Anambas Islands regency.The navy said one of the boats falsely used an Indonesian name and flew the Indonesian flag. Its registered owner, Henri Rivai, is Indonesian. All crew members, including the captain, however, were Thai, Armabar said. The second boat was named the Tawatesai, written in Thai script.The cases are being handled by Navy investigators in Tarempa.

Indonesia has vowed to sink all ships stealing their fish in a bid by President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, to protect domestic marine resources. Indecisive action in the past had led to the loss of 300 trillion rupiah (780 billion baht) a year from illegal fishing and 5,400 illegal trawlers illegally plied Indonesian waters, the Antara news agency quoted him as saying several times during his recent presidential campaign.Jakarta backed up its threats by capturing 155 foreign boats through Tuesday and sinking three Vietnamese trawlers a day before the policy's official launch date Praporn Ekuru, chairman of the Songkhla Fisheries Association, admitted that Thai trawlers might be undeterred by sinking threats and would continue risking an incursion into Indonesian waters.The illegal fishing in Indonesia continues even as the Thai industry has complained about hundreds of Vietnamese boats violating Thai territorial waters. Source : Bangkok Post

The AMBER off Gibraltar – Photo : Francis Ferro ©

Sovcomflot Names New LNG Carrier Russia’s largest shipping company is continuing to develop its potential in the LNG transportation segment by entering into a new long-term agreement with Royal Dutch Shell. On December 16, a naming ceremony was held for the LNG carrier SCF MELAMPUS, the third tanker in a series of state-of-the-art vessels to be built under a partnership agreement between Sovcomflot and the shipyard STX Offshore & Shipbuilding. The first two tankers of the series, Velikiy Novgorod and Pskov, have already been put into operation on long-term contracts with Gazprom, with the design of SCF Melampus a continuation of this project. These ships have been constructed to adhere to all requirements of the charterer on ecological safety and energy effectiveness.

Atlanticmax LNG carriers have a load capacity of 170,200 cubic meters and are equipped with triple-fuel diesel electric power generation systems. The ships have the enforced ice class ‘Ice2’ and are designed to operate at low temperatures and in harsh climatic conditions. LNG carriers of this type are able to transport gas from the majority of



existing export terminals. Sovcomflot will receive the fourth LNG carrier in the series, SCF MITRE, in the second quarter of 2015.

Sovcomflot’s Senior Executive Vice-President Evgeniy Ambrosov said, “Gas transportation is a strategic priority for the development of Sovcomflot, whose specialists have the required experience and expertise in LNG shipping. SCF Group and Royal Dutch Shell have enjoyed many years of mutually beneficial cooperation, on the basis of bilateral relations as well as during large-scale international projects. We are grateful to our respected partners for the trust they have shown in operating these modern ships over the course of ten years. SCF MELAMPUS is a high-tech LNG carrier, one of the best tankers in its class, with a unique design and technical specifications. I am sure that we will continue to provide reliable and safe LNG transportation for our charterer.” Source : MarineLink

The biggest Maersk Lego set back in stock on Lego.com

The Maersk Line Triple-E (10241) has been one of the hardest to get sets since its release in earlier this year. Constantly out of stock and on back-order, this 1518 piece set was obviously a very limited run. It is currently back in stock on Lego.com for $149.99 (limit 2). This set is one of the nicest Lego display pieces I own. I will warn, it is sort of a pain in the ass to build it. Putting the actual boat portion of the biggest ship on the planet together is really Photo’s : Jan Oosterboer © fun. The issue starts with the amount of duplication in

constructing the container bundles and the insane number of stickers; Each of the Maersk logos on the sides of those 2x4 bricks is an individual sticker. I do recommend purchasing the thing because it is quite nice once it is complete and a really great display piece (it is on a bookshelf in my living room). These Maersk sets are a super rare thing to come along and this one is most certainly going to be retiring very soon.

DFDS bids for Polferries

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Denmark’s DFDS has confirmed its interest in taking over Polish state ferry company Polferries after its price was cut.

The Polish ministry of treasury has put its 91.64% stake up for sale several times since 2009.A total of 9,516,230 shares of Polferries was initially priced at PLN 95m ($33.8m), reflecting a price of PLN 10 per share.An announcement from the ministry on 26 November, one day before the deadline expired, set the nominal value for each share at PLN 3.90 and extended the deadline until 11 December.That brings the total value of Polferries down to POL 37m.

DFDS said in a brief statement that its participation in the sale process is driven by its strategy of expanding the route network through value creating acquisitions.But it did not provide any further commentary to TradeWinds “due to the nature of the process”.A response from the Polish ministry is expected by 23 January 2015.DFDS is not the only runner in this race as Finnish ferry company Finnlines has also expressed its interest in Polferries.

The Danish ferry owner has been eyeing Polferries since at least 2010 but no transaction agreement has borne fruit so far.Polferries currently owns three ferries serving routes between Poland, Denmark and Sweden. Source : Tradewinds

The crew of the SEAHORSE wishing all readers Merry Christmas & Happy new year CLICK on the Cards

Compas Asbestmanagement

wenst U prettige feestdagen en een gezond en succesvol 2015

IADC LAUDS 2014 DREDGER REGISTER Clarksons recently published its 2014 Dredger Register. The partnership that Clarksons and the International Association of Dredging Companies struck up more than a decade ago has helped make this publication an irreplaceable reference source for the industry.Said the IADC: "Through the accuracy of the information in The Dredger Register the enormous capacity of the present-day dredging fleets has become obvious to clients worldwide.

"Clarksons has been a constant part of the improved communication between the industry and its stakeholders."Whilst we at the IADC prepare our facts and figures to the best of our ability, Clarksons assimilates and assembles it in a way that makes it accessible to an ever wider readership." Source : Dredging News Online

The 2012 built 63.500 DWT ALICIA in Rio Grande – Photo : Marcelo Vieira ©

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The SAMIRA inbound passing Vlaardingen Oost – Photo : Ernst Lohmann ©

Gazprom considers cutting quarter of staff as Russian rouble plunges

Russian gas giant Gazprom is considering plans to cut its personnel by up to 25%, according to news agency Interfax.

The reductions refer to the parent company as well as its "daughters," the agency said, citing sources. That could equate to around 125,000 jobs in total.The state-run gas giant has been left off the US and EU sanctions list, although its oil unit OAO Gazprom has been barred from accessing global financial markets under the penalties imposed over the Ukraine crisis.The US and EU have imposed a range of punitive economic sanctions on Moscow over its annexation of Crimea and its ongoing role in the Ukraine crisis.The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the conflict, which has led to more than 4,700 deaths, according to UN figures.Meanwhile, the Russian rouble has plunged to a new record lows, reaching 80 to the dollar at one point on Tuesday afternoon in London, before trading at 71 to the dollar at 12:57 GMT. Source : ibtimes

Indian court dismisses marine's plea to extend stay in Italy

India's top court on Tuesday dismissed a plea by an Italian marine facing murder charges to stay in his home country for four more months to undergo medical treatment. Massimiliano Lattore, who suffered a stroke in August, is one of two Italian marines accused over the 2012 shooting of two fishermen mistakenly believed to be pirates, in a case that has soured ties between New Delhi and Rome.The Supreme Court had allowed Lattore, 47, to return to Italy in September for four months of medical treatment. He sought to double that extension in his latest plea to undergo

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treatment that includes heart bypass surgery. "The plea of the accused is dismissed," Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu said.He also dismissed a separate plea by the second Italian marine accused in the case, Salvatore Girone, to return to Italy for Christmas.Following international pressure, India dropped a plan to prosecute the marines under a tough new anti-piracy law. Italy says the incident occurred in international waters and that jurisdiction over the marines should lie with Rome. In April 2012, Rome paid $190,000 to each of the victims' families as compensation. In return, the families dropped their cases against the marines, but the state's case has yet to come to trial. Source : (Reporting by Suchitra Mohanty; Writing by Malini Menon; Editing by Douglas Busvine and Robert Birsel)

Abe's landslide victory good news for Japan's maritime circle

The general election for Japan's House of Representatives held on Dec. 14 resulted in a landslide victory for the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito (KM) coalition, meaning that the devaluation trend of the yen against major currencies is expected to continue now that Abenomics will remain in place for the time being. This will work as a positive factor for Japan's shipping and shipbuilding industries, which gain benefits from the cheap yen. The current exchange rate standing at around $1=Y120 is significantly different from second-half premises made by Japanese shipping firms and shipyards, which has resulted in hopes that their business results will be better than initially expected. Meanwhile, the cheap yen will also affect the newbuilding and secondhand ship markets, of which Japan is a major seller.The following are speculations of how the continuance of the cheap yen will likely affect the results of shipping firms and shipyards, as well as the newbuilding and secondhand ship markets.

[Shipping and shipbuilding company results] Leading Japanese shipping firms had previously set a presumed exchange rate of Y105-107 to the dollar in their business result projections for the second half of fiscal 2014. An average exchange rate of Y115 per dollar, for example, for the second half would boost second-half ordinary profits by about Y20 billion above initial predictions for Japan's Big Three combined. In combination with the continued drop in bunker prices, it is possible that Japan's Big Three could see ordinary profits increased by a total of Y40 billion or more above initial forecasts. Japan's shipyards are also expecting to see significant improvements in profitability should the current low yen persist until the end of March 2015. Listed heavy industry firms had set a presumed exchange rate of $1=Y105 for the current fiscal 2014. According to trial calculations by Kaiji Press (KP), more than 70% of the ships (on a grt basis) for completion in fiscal 2014 are denominated in dollars or a yen-dollar mix. In addition to the direct effect of improving the revenue of shipbuilding operations during the period, the cheap yen is also expected to positively affect accounting in the sense that the carrying back of loss provisions for construction orders is expected to boost profits.

[Newbuilding market] Should yen depreciation become prolonged, it could also affect newbuilding talks by Japanese shipyards as well as going rates for ship prices on the market overall in/after 2015. Since newbuilding deals themselves have currently come to a standstill, it is opaque what, if any, effect the low yen has had. One sales official at a Japanese yard has stated that his shipyard has received many ship price checks given the cheap yen from overseas companies, though they may not be serious inquiries. Still, Japanese shipyards, having procured on-hand workload for the next three years, are not rushing to take orders by presenting low ship prices due to yen depreciation. Yet, there may be a rush of last-minute deals in 2015 before drastic restrictions come into effect for large-size ships. New common structural rules, known as Harmonized Common Structural Rules (H-CSR), by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) are set to come into effect in July 2015, and many owners are expected to place orders before their effectuation. In this aspect, it is possible that the cheap yen could affect the newbuilding market. It is also possible that Japanese shipyards may begin making active efforts to bag future orders by demonstrating their price competitiveness. In past phases of yen depreciation, yen-denominated ship prices were converted to dollars at the current rate at the time, with the resulting figure bringing down the overall market rate of newbuilding prices in many cases. At the moment, Japan is not necessarily a 'price leader', but should market stagnation continue, it is likely that Japan's cheap yen ship prices could be a factor to boost prevailing market prices.

[Secondhand ship market] The increase in yen-denominated ship prices due to low yen will boost secondhand ship sales by Japanese owners. Secondhand ship prices for bulkers have been on a downward trend since spring of 2014 due to stagnant charter market. Dollar-denominated secondhand ship prices for small/midsize bulkers, a major ship size of domestic owners, have fallen about 20% since spring this year, prompting a spate of owners postponing the sale of their ships. The 20%



drop in the dollar-to-yen exchange rate has caused yen-denominated secondhand ship prices to return to levels seen around spring 2014, and one secondhand ship broker has commented that cases are now seen sporadically, in which owners, thus far postponing selling ships, have decided to sell now that prices have reached predicted levels due to yen depreciation.However, many believe that once the current move subsides, secondhand ship sales by domestic owners will once again become slow, and the above broker predicts that further yen depreciation from here on will not translate into increased ship sales by Japan's owners because of the inability to order replacement ships due to stagnant charter demand from operators. Another effect being seen is increased revenue from charter rates converted into yen, which is improving owners' fitness and eliminating the necessity of hastily selling ships due to fund management problems. Source : Kaijipress via Justus Schoemaker Dutch - Japanese Maritime Desk K.K.

The JORK RIDER outbound from Rotterdam – Photo : Krijn Hamelink ©

Sennen Cove lifeboatman Philip Shannon retires

One of Britain's longest-serving lifeboatmen has retired after being a volunteer crew member in Cornwall for nearly 50 years.Philip Shannon joined in 1967, aged 17. He sailed on five different classes of lifeboat before having to stand down at 65 because of RNLI rules.He was awarded an MBE in 2010 for his services to the Sennen Cove crew. Mr Shannon became second coxswain of the Sennen crew in 1999. He took part in hundreds of launches and the lives of 150 people were saved during the missions he sailed, the RNLI said. His departure was marked by a party over the weekend which was attended by former crew and friends of Sennen Cove RNLI. He was presented with a long-service certificate.Mr Shannon said: "It's all come and gone so quick.

"I've met so many good people and fellow lifeboat crew around the coast, and got a good lot of memories. I've enjoyed every minute of it."Philip Shannon (right) was presented with a long-service certificate at a party marking

his retiremenHowever, he said the undoubted low point of his time was during the Penlee lifeboat disaster on 19

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December 1981.The Penlee vessel, the Solomon Browne, was lost with all eight hands in an effort to save the crew of the cargo vessel Union Star in hurricane-force winds. Eight people on board the Union Star also died.Mr Shannon was on a relief lifeboat which struggled to get round Land's End in "impossible conditions" to assist and was forced to return to port.He said: "I knew several of the [Penlee] crew quite well. It was such a blow at Christmas time."Philip Shannon at Sennen Cove RNLI stationPhilip Shannon said he would always be "watching out" to see what the Sennen lifeboat was doingMr Shannon's elder son, Dan, who joined the crew in 1993, has taken over as second coxswain following his father's stepping down.His younger son, Jack, a crew member since 2003, sails on shouts any time he is back home. Mr Shannon said: "I've reached the end of the line, regrettably. I wish I could do it all again."I'll always be watching out, wondering what's happening."He said Sennen's current lifeboat, a Tamar class vessel, was the "Rolls Royce, the Formula One" of lifeboats and a far cry from what he sailed on when he was a teenager.He said: "Back then, it was virtually an open lifeboat. You had a compass, a radio and that was it."You just got on and did it because you didn't know any different."RNLI regional operations manager Tom Mansell said Mr Shannon was the "personification of the RNLI spirit: selfless, dependable, trustworthy and courageous".He said: "So many of our volunteer crew and members of the public have benefitted from Philip's experience, be that through training he has passed on to our crews or by his actions at sea to rescue people in trouble." Source : BBC

Smit Lamnalco recently released a video: https://vimeo.com/113496216 that shows how services were delivered ahead of schedule for this start-up operation at ExxonMobil’s PNG LNG Project Marine Terminal near Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. The video also shows how the Smit Lamnalco team provides towage and marine support services for LNG carriers with four 70 tonnes bollard pull 32m ASD tugs.

Nordic Prince officially on-hire in Israel for Noble Energy, International Oil Company

Nordic Maritime, a leading offshore service operator, today announced its MKIII subsea service vessel MOKUL NORDIC has been renamed NORDIC PRINCE and has started a long term charter for Noble Energy after arriving in Haifa, Israel. Nordic Maritime was awarded a five year charter for the DP2 IMR Subsea vessel, from Noble Energy, the international oil services group, in October.

“We are glad to announce that our vessel, NORDIC PRINCE had arrived at Haifa Port and on-hire for the highly reputable international oil company, Noble Energy. This marks a good start to what we believe will be a strong collaboration between Nordic Maritime and Noble Energy. Nordic Prince is now installed with a WROV and all ready for the new project.” said Kjell Gauksheim, Executive Director of Nordic Maritime. NORDIC PRINCE is a DP2 VS470 MKIII subsea

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service vessel capable of ROV / IMR operations.It is specially customised and equipped to perform IMR/ROV work. The vessel has a 100-tonne active heave compensated offshore knuckle-boom crane and built-in swell compensation systems to 2,000m of water depth. Compliant with SPS 2008 Code & Clean and Comfort class notation, NORDIC PRINCE can accommodate 60 people, offers full cargo deck capacity, and logistical support to extend full usage flexibility.

Rotterdam low sulfur fuel oil bunker premiums surge on lack of prompt fuel: traders

Rotterdam-delivered LSFO bunker premiums surged on a lack of prompt availability in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, traders said. 380 CST LSFO premiums moved to $24/mt against 1% ex-wharf ARA barge market, assessed at $330.50/mt on an outright basis, Platts data show.Usually premiums for LS bunker fuel deliveries are around $5-10/mt in both ports, traders said. The last time delivered premiums were higher was on November 27 at $28.50/mt, Platts data show.Rotterdam traders said that the price increase was attributed to a lack of prompt LSFO availability with BP having off-spec material in its tanks there, and Totsa not being able to offer any deliveries in Antwerp due to the nationwide strike in Belgium Monday, traders said. BP and Totsa were not available for immediate comment. “LSFO is expensive in the last few days in Rotterdam as BP cannot offer any deliveries due to the off-spec material in their tanks,” one trader said. “Some bunker suppliers have not been loaded since last week and expect availability to resume by the end of this week in Rotterdam,” another trader said. In Antwerp, Totsa the other biggest supplier of LSFO material was unable to cover Rotterdam shorts due to the Belgian strike, traders said Monday.Tuesday morning traders reported no offers for prompt LSFO deliveries in both ports.“I tried to stem a vessel for LSFO but no one can offer for the next two days,” one buyer said.Two weeks before new Emissions Control Area regulations come in requiring a shift from 1% bunker spec to cleaner 0.1% sulfur shipping fuel after January 1, 2015, many bunker suppliers have stopped their LSFO operations in both ports leaving BP and Totsa as the main suppliers in Rotterdam and Antwerp, traders said. Source: Platts

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Greece, Japan, China and Germany: Still the dominant world fleet shipowners

At first glance, these four countries are an odd group. They do not all have a similarly massive order of magnitude in the global picture of business and commerce. Japan, China and Germany are at the forefront of many rankings, such as the world’s largest economies, largest manufacturers, largest traders. Greece is nowhere near attaining those characteristics, and is often one of the smallest Yet the Greek-owned fleet of ships remains where it has been for a very long time, at the top of the global ranking of shipowning nations. It has been a remarkable story. But China is moving upwards rapidly, and potentially could overtake both Greece and Japan (the second largest) to become

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number one shipowner, perhaps within a few years.A new analysis reveals what has been happening. The latest edition of a report prepared annually by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, known as UNCTAD, entitled Review of Maritime Transport 2014 (RMT) was published a few weeks ago. It contains a wealth of valuable information and statistics about many aspects of world maritime activities. There are comprehensive and detailed chapters covering global seaborne trade, the world fleet of ships, freight rates and costs, ports, legal and regulatory developments, plus a special chapter for the current edition about maritime transport in small island developing states.One particularly interesting aspect, because it is the primary reason for existence of a great proportion of the world fleet of ships, is seaborne trade. How has this trade been evolving? The Review shows that world seaborne trade in all cargoes decelerated in 2013, to 3.8 percent growth. Annual volume transported was almost 9,600 million tonnes. The increase was driven by additional dry cargo flows, growing at a 5.5 percent rate. Previously, in 2012, overall trade growth was almost one percentage point higher at 4.7 percent, so the slowdown last year was quite sharp. Only two of the many aspects covered by the latest Review are discussed in detail in this article. First, locations (countries) where the world fleet of ships is owned and controlled. Second, a shipping finance feature, private equity investment. Where the world fleet of ships is owned Where are the shipowners located? Since fleet breakdowns by ship registration country (flag state) do not provide a useful guide to nationality of the owning enterprise, an alternative analysis is needed. This analysis is provided by a RMT table showing the composition of the entire world fleet of ships, according to where, in which country, ships are owned. The beneficial owning country is defined as that in which the company that has the main commercial responsibility for the vessel is located. This table shows that, at 1st January 2014, the four biggest fleets were those of Greece (15.4 percent of the world total), Japan (13.6 percent), China (11.9 percent), and Germany (7.6 percent). These percentages were almost unchanged compared with twelve months earlier, at the beginning of 2013 (respectively 15.2, 13.9, 11.8, and 7.8 percent). When accompanied by statistics included in previous editions of the RMT report, a comparison with the position ten years earlier reveals significant changes. Compared with the start of 2004, Greece’s percentage is well down (from 20.3), Japan’s percentage is similar to what it was (14.2), and Germany’s percentage is somewhat higher than it was (6.3). The largest change has occurred in China, where the current proportion of the world fleet is almost double the 6.1 percent seen ten years earlier. But a decade ago Norway was one of the top four, with a 6.7 percent share, now down to 2.6 percent and replaced by China. Another notable aspect is that, while the relative importance of the current four top shipowning countries has changed, their proportion of the world fleet as a group has remained quite stable. In 2004, the current top four comprised 46.9 percent of the world total. In 2014 the figure was less than 2 percentage points higher, at 48.5 percent. Also, significantly, these percentages apply to a strongly growing world fleet. The actual size of the world fleet of ships in 2004 was 776.7 million deadweight tonnes (dwt). Ten years later at the start of 2014, the figure was 1,676.9m dwt, a more than two-fold expansion. The impact of this context modifies to some extent perceptions of owning country fleets’ significance: a much larger fleet in an individual country may nevertheless form a reduced percentage share of the total, for instance. One example is the sharply declining share of the Greek-owned fleet. This share was 20.3 percent of the world fleet in 2004, resulting from a fleet totalling 157.3m dwt. In 2014, as already discussed, the share was much lower, at 15.4 percent. But the Greek fleet had actually grown very strongly by almost two-thirds over the period, reaching 258.5m dwt. Because the remainder of the world fleet had grown faster, however, the Greek proportion declined. The ‘ultimate’ versus the ‘beneficial’ owner In the latest edition of the Review, UNCTAD for the first time has introduced what it describes as a “novel analysis” of where ships in the world fleet are owned. The new analysis shows how the fleet looks based upon the nationality of the ultimate owner, the real owner. This is shown alongside figures based on the beneficial ownership location.The report comments that owners increasingly locate their companies in ‘third countries’. The first country involved is the registration country (flag of vessel). The second is the country of beneficial ownership (where the controlling and decision-making is located). Sometimes a third country is involved, as shown by the new analysis – a location where the ultimate owner is based. These concepts defined by UNCTAD can appear, in part, somewhat hazy. The country (flag) of registration is clear enough. Also, it is easy to see how the flag nationality differs from the ownership nationality. An example is a container ship registered in an open registry such as Panama but actually owned in, and controlled by, a company with a head office in Denmark. Attempting to distinguish between where ownership is based (location of control, decision-making), and the actual nationality of the owner, seems to be a rather inexact science. It seems to rely greatly on statisticians’ judgements about individual ships; there is a question mark over how accurate this exercise can prove. How significant is this attempt to provide a different fleet breakdown, a more meaningful aid to identifying nationalities of ownership? Calculations are included in the table below, derived from the tonnage figures compiled by UNCTAD.



These calculations show that, among the top twelve owning countries, percentages of world tonnage for beneficial owner location, in column (1) and real nationality of owner, in column (3) are often similar. For instance, Japan is shown as 13.6 percent and 14.1 percent respectively. Germany is 7.6 percent in both categories. However, there are some noteworthy differences. Greece has a significantly higher figure under real nationality (16.9 percent) than under beneficial ownership (15.4 percent). Another example is Singapore, which shows a much lower 3.3 percent under real nationality than under beneficial owner location, 4.4 percent. For the second consecutive year, UNCTAD’s Review draws attention to the involvement of private equity financing in the shipping industry. This focus of attention highlights how prominent these investors have become in the recent past. Private equity shipping finance: a controversial topic The role of private equity investors in shipping has become much larger in recent years, and some shipowners and others have welcomed the influx of extra money that has ensued. But, given the nature and philosophy of many new investors, their enlarged influence and potential strategy has been questioned. What precisely is private equity? It can be defined as investment from private sources, often a private equity firm in partnership with institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies. Typically money is invested in equity shares of unlisted companies. Provision of finance for management buy-outs and refinancings is another aspect, also known as venture capital. Private equity investors often make an active contribution to the target company’s management, seeking to boost efficiency and performance, as well as supplying capital. The usual strategy is to enhance value and resell as quickly as possible at a large profit, sometimes by floating the company on the stock market. Another category also emerging as shipping investors is hedge funds, which are more speculative, trading heavily in asset-price and other market fluctuations. A feature is what is observed as an essentially short-term focus, with potential for causing disruption. As a group, private equity investors are often characterised as temporary players, frequently adopting a three- to seven-year or shorter investment time horizon, although some aim for longer-term returns. Moreover, they are sometimes regarded as having no firm commitment to the industry, and only interested in obtaining ‘quick profits’ over the shortest possible period, having bought at low or distressed prices and selling at the highest price possible. They are often viewed as somewhat predatory. Thus, although welcomed by many, others view their participation as suspect and potentially unfavourable, leading to controversy about their activities,One of the main factors boosting shipping finance supplied by private equity, and also hedge funds and other ‘outsiders’ in recent years has been tight credit markets globally. Relatively low vessel values were also an incentive. These factors created opportunities for alternative investors to participate in both shipping companies and individual ships. As the latest UNCTAD Review points out, such investors remained substantial contributors during 2013, when traditional bank financing for shipping investments continued to be very limited and available for only a few solid transactions. Private equity investors were very active in buying shipping loan books (portfolios of loans on individual ships) from banks, with a total value during last year estimated at $5 billion. Investors also purchased vessels directly and through joint ventures with shipping specialists.The Review suggests that expanded private equity involvement in the shipping industry may have “serious repercussions”, proving a destabilising influence affecting market fundamentals. Private equity and hedge fund financing supported a large volume of newbuilding orders for ships last year. When these are delivered into the market, the additional volume may enlarge over-capacity, threatening the industry’s recovery prospects if the imbalance between supply and demand is exacerbated. A valuable report This brief discussion of two of the numerous aspects analysed demonstrates the value of UNCTAD’s annual report which, since its inception in 1968, has always been offered free of charge. The RMT provides much useful information on key issues and influences affecting the global shipping scene. Industry professionals, as well as academic researchers and students can gain valuable insights. Source: Article by Richard Scott, Visiting Lecturer, University of Greenwich & MD, Bulk Shipping Analysis

Paragon Offshore Provides Fleet Status Report

Paragon Offshore plc ("Paragon") PGN, +0.69% announced that it issued a report on drilling rig status and contract information as of December 15, 2014. The report, titled "Fleet Status Report," can be found on the Company's website at www.paragonoffshore.com, under the "Our Fleet" section of the website. Paragon Offshore Paragon is a global provider of offshore drilling rigs. Paragon's drilling fleet includes 34 jackups and eight floaters (five drillships and three semisubmersibles). In addition, Paragon is the majority shareholder of Prospector Offshore Drilling A.S., a



publicly traded offshore drilling company on the Oslo Axess stock exchange that owns and operates two high specification jackups. Paragon's primary business is contracting its rigs, related equipment and work crews to conduct oil and gas drilling and workover operations for its exploration and production customers on a dayrate basis around the world. Paragon's principal executive offices are located in Houston, Texas. Paragon is a public limited company registered in England and Wales with company number 08814042 and registered office at 20-22 Bedford Row, London, WC1R 4JS, England. Additional information is available at www.paragonoffshore.com.

135’ Crewboat Sold to European Buyers Marcon International, Inc. of Coupeville, Washington is pleased to announce that Tidewater Marine International Inc. has sold their 41.2m x 8.2m x 3.5m depth / 2.38m draft, high-speed, aluminum crew / supply vessel “PATRICE TIDE” to private European operators. Built by Breaux Brothers Enterprises, Inc. of Loreauville, Louisiana in 2002, the vessel is powered by four 1,007bkW Cummins KTA 38M2 diesels totaling 5,400BHP driving 44” x 46” fixed pitch props. This produces a speed range of 15 – 30kn on abt. 100 – 260gph, and range of abt. 1,721nm at economical speed. Vessel’s maneuverability is enhanced by a 150HP tunnel bow thruster.The 233.7mtdw,

Vanuatu-flagged vessel has a deck cargo capacity of abt. 182.9mt on a 22.9 x 7.0m, 1.9t/m2 clear deck aft and a total of 72 persons on board. The vessel is classed ABS + A1, HSC Crewboat + AMS, Unrestricted Service through March 2017. “PATRICE TIDE” had been working in Angola, West Africa for Sonatide Marine Services Ltd. of Angola and was lying in Walvis Bay, Namibia at the time of sale Marcon International acted as sole broker in the transaction and has handled over 20 sales for Tidewater since we sold the 136’ first generation supply boat “Low Tide” in 1983 to Honeywell, Inc. Marcon has also represented the Buyers in purchases of approx. half dozen crewboats during the last fifteen years. This is the 7th crewboat Marcon sold this year and the 99th crewboat sold over the last 33 years. We hope to report on #100 shortly. So far Marcon International Inc. has concluded 33 sales and charters brokered in 2014. Transactions on several additional vessels and barges are pending, and five tugs, one AHTS and two barges continue to be fixed on previously arranged long-term charters. Marcon has handled the sale or charter of 1,357 vessels and barges worldwide since opening the doors in 1981 – including 79 platform supply vessels, 75 AHTSs totaling 354,868BHP, 99 crewboats, 31 research / survey vessels, 20 utility boats, 19 seismic vessels, 9 dive support vessels, one drill ship and 303 tugs totaling 944,329BHP in addition to others. Source : Marcon International, Inc. Celebrating 33 years as brokers from 1981 - 2014.

Shipping industry modifies clauses in contracts for Ebola risks

By Jonathan Saul Some of the shipping industry's biggest trade associations are modifying freight contracts to reduce commercial exposure for companies whose ships travel to countries affected by the Ebola outbreak and to protect crews from the deadly virus.

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Uncertainty about the spread of Ebola is adding to legal and financial issues for those involved in shipping oil, cocoa and minerals from the region. Last month, Reuters reported that individual shipping lines and traders were starting to tweak contracts to protect themselves. INTERTANKO, whose independent members own the majority of the world's tanker fleet, has now introduced an Ebola clause including stipulations to find alternative ports if there is risk to the crew. Charterers will also be liable for any costs if a vessel is quarantined.

"We have seen clauses designed to deal for example with war risks where the drafter has simply crossed out ‘war’ and replaced it with ‘Ebola’ without much thought. That kind of approach can only lead to uncertainty and disputes," INTERTANKO's general counsel Michele White said.

BIMCO, the world's largest global shipping association whose members include owners and brokers, is about to introduce a clause, but not one that will be Ebola specific."We consider the generic clause approach to be more pragmatic than issuing a 'single issue' clause," Grant Hunter of BIMCO said."Charter party clauses should have a long shelf life ... Ebola is quite likely to be one of a number of infectious or contagious diseases that will have an impact on international trade in the years to come."

The worst outbreak of Ebola on record has killed 6,583 people in the three hardest-hit West African countries, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, and infected 18,188 people, the World Health Organization says.Michael Frodl, of U.S. based consultancy C-Level Global Risks, said Ebola screening at borders was not effective."We already foresee problems for a ship to find not only a port that will let the vessel pull in, but also then let a transfer ... occur."

Industry sources said the rise in deaths from Ebola in West Africa was likely to impact insurance premiums."Claims will be difficult to assess as loss adjusters may be prevented from visiting the claim scene owing to quarantine restrictions and concerns over the spread of disease," Jonathan Moss of law firm DWF said. Source : Reuters

Long-awaited island ferry unlikely to enter service before New Year

The long-delayed LOCH SEAFORT Ullapool to Stornoway ferry is unlikely to enter service this year, STV News understands. It was hoped the £42m ferry would begin sailing the route by late December. But the LOCH SEAFORT cannot take over this year unless improvements to Stornoway Harbour are completed by December 22.

Upgrades to the port were delayed by stormy weather which hit the west of Scotland last week and it is now believed they will not be finished in time.The LOCH SEAFORT is currently laid-up on the Clyde after leaving the Flensburger Schiffbau Gesellschaft (FSG) shipyard in Germany on November 4.

It was expected to be delivered in June but shipbuilding work was repeatedly delayed and construction was delayed further when a storm severely damaged the Flensburg shipyard. The installation of electrical systems, flooring and furnishings were also delayed. The LOCH SEAFORT then had to travel to a Danish yard to have problems with its propeller hub corrected. Concerns were raised that the ship's delivery would be caught up in bankruptcy proceedings at FSG but the £41.8m vessel was purchased by Lloyds Bank, which leased it to Caledonian Maritime Assets.The LOCH SEAFORT could be taken off the Ullapool to Stornoway route for six weeks while work is carried out at Ullapool harbour from late February.Under current plans, the MV Isle of Lewis will carry passengers from Stornoway to Skye because the LOCH SEAFORT is too large to dock at Uig. Source : STV.TV

Tanker markets see storage boon from oil price collapse

The oil price drop will hand tanker markets an unexpected bonus next year, boosting demand for oil storage at sea while distant eastern markets also bargain-hunt fuel and need shipping. Supertanker rates are already close to five-year highs of over $83,000 a day - helped by a drop in shipping fuel bunker prices. Overcapacity, which has dogged owners for years, is also receding.

Herbjorn Hansson, chairman and chief executive of Nordic American Tankers, told shareholders recently that lower oil prices "may trigger stockpiling or have a more general positive impact"."We see a clear increase in demand, especially from the East, and the oil is also carried over longer distances. There are very few idle ships out there now and the market is much tighter," he told Reuters.Average earnings are still some off the over $120,000 a day seen before the 2008 slump in trade.



So far this year, oil held at sea has been no more than a few tankers as the discount for the front month of crude futures has been insufficient to finance chartering. The front-month discount for Brent is now only 34 cents, about half what it would need to be to do so.Tanker owners have also preferred to trade their ships rather than opt for floating storage as vessels normally deteriorate when kept stationary.The International Energy Agency forecast last week that global oil stocks will continue to build and could reach tank-tops next year. That could force the front of the crude oil market into a bigger discount, and encourage floating storage."Once we have gone into 2015, there may come a point when the rapid build-up of surplus crude in the market will open opportunities for floating storage. This scenario is a further positive for VLCCs (supertankers)," tanker broker E.A. Gibson said.A contango in 2009 led to over 100 million barrels of oil being stored on tankers at sea and sold later.

"One would need a contango in the oil market to justify floating storage. Given the current developments in the oil market this cannot be ruled out," said Svein Moxnes Harfjeld, co-CEO with tanker group DHT Holdings."Continued oil demand and longer transportation distances combined with no fleet growth should support our expectations for 2015 on average to be better than 2014," he said. "If floating storage takes place, this will be an additional benefit." Source : Reuters : (Additional reporting by Joachim Dagenborg in Oslo, editing by William Hardy)

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement CEO steps down

Hong Kong: Rajaish Bajpaee will step down as CEO of Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) at the end of this month after 27 years at the Schulte Group. Bajpaee, who is based in Hong Kong, will hand over to his current deputy, Captain Norbert Aschmann, who will continue to work from Cyprus. As of January 1, 2015, Bajpaee will be non-executive chairman of BSM.“Having worked in the industry for over 40 years and seen first-hand the evolution of third-party shipmanagement from a fledgling business into the professional, highly respected industry that it is today, it is the appropriate time for me to take on a supporting role,” Bajpaee said in a statement. Rajaish Bajpaee joined the Eurasia Group of Companies in 1987, commencing as deputy general manager before being promoted to the position of president & CEO.He took over as deputy CEO of Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement in 2008 when the company was formed following integration of the Schulte Group companies. He became CEO at the beginning of 2011.Captain Aschmann has been deputy CEO of BSM since October 2013. Source : SinoShipNews

NAVY NEWS Robots, drones to boost Russian 5th gen

nuclear subs’ arsenal Russia’s fifth generation nuclear submarines will be armed with robots and underwater drones in addition to conventional weaponry. "The new [fifth] generation [of submarines] will be equipped with both contemporary weapons and those currently being developed,” Nikolay Novoselov, deputy CEO of the Malakhit design engineering bureau, told RIA-Novosti.

“We’re talking about battle robots which can be released by the submarine, and a type of underwater drone,” he explained.According to the designer, the robots would be disposable or returnable of military, surveillance or communications purpose.

“They’ll be released by the submarine and stay offline before being remotely activated on command. It will give the submarine time to leave the area, with the drone staying in place to maintain a semblance that the submarine is still there,” he said.Novoselov stressed that developing robots for submarines isn’t an exclusive Russian field, as “the whole world is moving in this direction.”However, it’ll take some time for underwater drones to become common practice, because at present the Russian military is being equipped with fourth generation subs. This year, the St. Petersburg-based Malakhit design engineering bureau completed the 20-year construction of the Severodvinsk multipurpose nuclear submarine, which has already joined the naval fleet.

Severodvinsk is the flagship of the Yasen-class submarines, which will become the backbone of the Russian Navy’s conventional submarine force.In addition to 533mm torpedoes, Yasen-class submarines can fire cruise missiles from its eight vertical launching systems. They can also carry Onyx and Kalibr supersonic anti-ship missiles.The subs have a submerged displacement of 13,800 tons and can travel up to 30 knots (56 kmh) under water.The crew totals



some 64 sailors, including 32 officers, proof of the highly-automated level of its functions.Russia is currently building three more Yasen-class submarines, with three more contracted for 2015. Source : RT

SHIPYARD NEWS

Royal IHC successfully launches Easydredge® 2700

Royal IHC (IHC) has successfully launched the first Easydredge® 2700. This is the first vessel in its range of competitively priced standard trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHD). The launch took place at the shipyard of IHC’s partner, MTG Dolphin, in Varna, Bulgaria. The vessel will be delivered in summer 2015.The new vessel will be supplied with a “world-dredging package”, which includes bottom doors, a bow coupling and a dredging depth of 25m. This makes her suitable for a wide range of tasks, from the maintenance of ports and channels, to land reclamation. Fer Tummers, Managing Director of IHC’s Dredging Division, says: “The construction of the vessel is going well and is on schedule. We have been encouraged by the extensive interest from the market in our Easydredge® range. Building a TSHD for stock has been a logical step forward for IHC and we are convinced that it will bring added value and benefits to ourcustomers, including extremely short delivery times.” For more information, please visit www.easydredge.com

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French Finance Minister: Fincantieri eyes STX France

French Finance Minister Michel Sapin didn't actually say the name Fincantieri, but that's who he meant

French Finance Minister Michel Sapin has told reporters in Rome that "there is interest on the Italian part" in taking a share of STX France. Though he didn't actually say the name, the Minister thus confirmed growing speculation that Italian shipbuilding giant Fincantieri is interested in adding France's largest shipbuilder to its empire.The Italian party is "looking to see if it can take the place of another investor, who is Korean," said Mr. Sapin.

The other investor is, of course, Korea's battered STX Europe, which is under pressure from Korea Development Bank to sell its 66.6% share of STX France.The rest is held by the French government through the Strategic Investment Fund (ISF) and Mr. Sapin told reporters that a French green light would be necessary for any deal.Though a lot of attention has been paid to the fact that a Fincantieri take over would create a huge consolidation in the cruise ship building market, a yet to be delivered Russian warship parked at STX France's St. Nazaire shipyard is a reminder that it would also see concentration in the European naval market Source : MarineLog

Cuba Delivers Fourth Cargo Ship to Venezuela

A fourth freighter for Venezuela, built in Damex shipyard, in this city, was delivered as part of agreements between the two countries within the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People''s Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP). This is the last cargo ship, included in an agreement with that nation, to be operated by the Bolivarian Navy.

This AB-Los Monjes (T-94) ship has a modern, functional design, including a load/unload ramp, advanced navigation and communication systems and adequate conditions for the crew under international standards.Its cargo capacity is 740 tons, including 42 containers, with a steel structure 57.27 mt long and a 12-mt beam, as well as the possibility to be adequately supplied with fuel and water.Tug vessels and patrol boats built in the Damex shipyard in this city, some 540 miles east of Havana, are also part of agreements within ALBA-TCP, whose first decade was market in Havana. Authorities of the Navy and the Venezuelan Navy and of the Transport Ministry of Cuba led the ship-delivery ceremony, also attended by the shipyard's technicians and workers, also in charge to complete a second patrol boat for the Bolivarian Navy. Source : Prensa Latina

DSME Wins Order from Europe for 6 LNG Carriers Worth 1.3658 Trillion Won

By : Jung Yeon-jin

Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) maintains its good performance in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier market. It is continuously making successes in getting orders in LNG carrier market, which has become a niche market, while orders of offshore plant are slowing down due to global low oil prices. The DSME announced on Dec. 15 that it signed a contract to provide 6 LNG carriers worth 1.3658 trillion won (US$1.2429 billion) to a European shipowner. The amount accounts for 8.9 percent of the DSME sales of last year. According to the shipbuilding industry, this contract is with major global oil company BP, who placed the order.

The performance of the DSME has reached more than 400 percent of the original goal in the business of gas carriers by obtaining orders worth US$7.7 billion from 28 LNG carriers and 12 LPG carriers. The trend is likely to continue next year, because the orders of Russia's Yamal project are waiting.Experts are also presenting positive analyses. Researcher from Daishin Securities Jeon Jae-cheon said in a report, “The market share of DSME increased to 69 percent this year,” adding, “DSME is providing excellent engine systems based on patents.”However, recent low oil prices will become a burden for the DSME, because there is a high possibility of a drop-off in growth if offshore plant orders are not continuously placed. Source : businesskorea



ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

ClassNK register tops 230M GT Leading classification society ClassNK's register topped 230 million gross tons for the first time at the end November 2013, the society said Monday. The announcement was made following a meeting of the Society’s Classification Committee, which certified that the NK Register listed 8,826 vessels totaling 231.34 million gross tons at the end of November 2014. As ClassNK finished 2013 with some 220.9 million gross tons on its register, the achievement means that ClassNK has added a net total of more than 10 million gross tons to its register in the first 11 months of the year, continuing the leading classification society’s stunning growth over the past several years. Continuing recent trends for the Society, transfers of vessels from other classification societies accounted for more than 1/3rd of the vessels joining the NK Register, setting a new record for the Society.

Speaking on the occasion, ClassNK Chairman and President Noboru Ueda said:“In addition to our growth in Europe, which has seen European shipping companies account for more than half the vessel’s transferred to our register so far this year, in 2014 we have also welcomed our first US-flagged vessels, as well as many newbuildings from South America and other new markets for ClassNK around the world. The continued growth of our register despite the recent downturn in the market reflects the increasingly global scope of our activities, and our unmatched commitment to providing the best classification services to owners, operators, shipyards and designers around the world.” Source : PortNews

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Crowley Awarded Vessel Management Contract by Military Sealift Command for T-

AGOS/T-AGM Fleet Crowley Maritime Corp.’s global ship management group has been has been awarded the contract for the operation and maintenance of the T-AGOS/T-AGM fleet for the Military Sealift Command. This fleet of seven ships

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supports the Navy’s Surveillance Towed Array Sensor Systems (SURTASS) operations; the U.S. Air Force's dual-band, phased array and parabolic dish radars; and other government research missions.The contract covers the operation and maintenance of five T-AGOS and up to two T-AGM ocean surveillance ships. Crowley will provide personnel; operational and technical support (ashore and afloat); equipment; tools; provisions, and supplies to operate this fleet of seven United States Naval Ships (USNS).

“The issuance of this contract is well-matched with Crowley’s capabilities, not only in the company’s ability to manage specialized vessels, but also in providing the U.S. Government with a variety of maritime services,” said Todd Busch, senior vice president and general manager, technical services. “The very nature of the T-AGOS/T-AGM missions demand sophisticated top management solutions and talented crews that Crowley offers. We are pleased to continue services to the Military Sealift Command and look forward to future opportunities to support the government.”

The T-AGOS fleet includes USNS Victorious, USNS Loyal, USNS Effective, USNS Impeccable and USNS Able. The T-AGM fleet includes the USNS Invincible and USNS Howard O. Lorenzen. All seven ships use SURTASS equipment to gather undersea acoustic data around the world in support of anti-submarine warfare operations. The ships also carry electronic equipment to process and transmit data via satellite to shore stations for evaluation. Victorious is built on a small waterplane, twin-hull, or SWATH, design for greater stability at slow speeds in high latitudes under adverse weather conditions. Impeccable has a hull form based on that of Victorious, but has a more powerful propulsion plant and is designed specifically for deploying an additional active towed-array system.

As a result of this contract, job opportunities will be made available for crew members with experience on these types of vessels, as well as shore side positions, such as engineers and contracting professionals. Interested candidates should visit http://www.crowley.com/Careers/Working-at-Crowley to review open positions. Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 122-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company. The company provides project solutions, energy and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of six operating lines of business: Puerto Rico/Caribbean Liner Services, Latin America Liner Services, Logistics Services, Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical Services. Offered within these operating lines of business are: liner container shipping, logistics, contract towing and transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response through its TITAN Salvage subsidiary; vessel management; vessel construction and naval architecture through its Jensen Maritime subsidiary; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found on the Internet at www.crowley.com.

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Beirut court reverses Johnny Saadé victory over CMA CGM’s Jacques Saadé

By Gavin van Marle

The Court of Beirut has upheld an appeal by CMA CGM chief Jacques Saadé against the decision taken earlier this month to freeze his company’s assets in Lebanon, following a successful appeal in a Syrian court by Mr Saadé ‘s younger brother, Johnny Saadé.

The decision brings to a close another chapter in the ongoing dispute between the two that has lasted for nearly two decades, and has centred on control of the world’s third-largest container shipping line. In November, a Damascus court of appeal found in favour of Johnny Saadé, awarding him €600m in damages, which was followed by a decision from the Executive Board in Beirut to “freeze the assets” – a so-called “conservatory seizure” – of Jacques Saadé’s Lebanese company Merit, which barred Mr Saadé from using it for any business purpose.

Merit owns a series of concerns in the country on behalf of Jacques Saadé, including the building which houses CMA CGM’s Lebanese headquarters, while a 2004 agreement between Syria and Lebanon ruled that any definitive

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judgement taken by one country could be applied in the other – it was on the basis of that the executive board in Beirut made applied the conservatory seizure in early December.In response CMA CGM said it would appeal; firstly for the suspension of the conservatory seizure, and secondly for its cancellation. And yesterday the Marseilles-headquartered company announced that the Court of Beirut had decided to suspend the execution of the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Damascus “in the litigation initiated by Mr Johnny Saadé and Mistral Company, giving reason to MERIT, CMA CGM and its shareholders”.

A spokesperson for the line confirmed that while the court decision suspended the seizure, it did not actually cancel it, and the company was continuing to press for this to take place, given that previous courts in Lebanon had found in favour of CMA CGM.A statement from the line said: “With this decision, the Lebanese justice recalled the need to respect the rules of the international public order and reaffirmed the primacy of the decision of the Lebanese Court of Cessation rendered on 19 October 2011, which dismissed definitively all the claims brought by Mr Johnny Saadé and Mistral.“French justice had already recognized the primacy of the Lebanese decision.

“Moreover, CMA CGM raises the question about the celerity of the proceedings before the Syrian Supreme Court which confirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal of Damascus in only five days,” it said.Nonetheless, it is unlikely to be the final act in an extended saga, and a spokesman for Johnny Saadé told The Loadstar last week that it was beginning the same process in other jurisdictions.“The other countries to follow cannot be disclosed at this stage for evident reasons, but naturally we have already started the seizure process in key countries.” Source : The Loadstar

Nippon Foundation donates ferry to Palau PALAU – The Tokyo-based nonprofit organization Nippon Foundation has donated a small passenger ferry to the Pacific island nation of Palau after one sank in a typhoon in December 2012. The Nippon Maru II will run between Palau’s most populous state of Koror and Peleliu Island, the site of one of the fiercest World War II Pacific battlegrounds. After a handover ceremony Monday, Palau’s minister of state, Billy Kuartei, expressed appreciation. He told reporters the absence of a ferry has inconvenienced local residents for the past two years.

He said the new ship will help boost the country’s tourism industry. The 18-meter vessel can carry 60 people, about three times the capacity of the boat it replaces, which the foundation donated in 1989.

The project is costing around ¥160 million, which includes training for crew. The ship is fitted with communications systems that enable the crew to liaise with maritime law enforcement, should it have to monitor other vessels or take part in rescue efforts.Enhancing Palau’s maritime security is one of the Nippon Foundation’s ongoing efforts. It has already donated two boats to the maritime police for coast guard activities. Source : japantimes

Port of Tanjung Pelepas hits 8 million TEU mark - and year isn't over yet

MALAYSIA's Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) has hit a record eight million TEU mark this year and expects surpass 8.6 million TEU by the end of the year, says port CEO Glen Hilton. "Passing this latest milestone further underlines our position as the leading container terminal in Malaysia," he said.

"We certainly could not have done this without the commitment and the dedication of our staff to provide fast and efficient service over the years. We are also thankful to the government and local authorities, customers and all of our stakeholders for their continuous support," said Mr Glen.PTP has experienced steady growth since the port opened 15 years ago, when it first moved 400,000 TEU in 2000.

"The completion of our berth 13 and 14 in the second quarter of this year complete with new advanced equipment has increased PTP's capacity to 12.5 million TEU a year. We are expecting the container market to grow primarily on the back of global shipping access hence utilising our port capacity."Hitting nine million TEU mark is our target for 2015 and it will certainly create another great milestone for PTP," Mr Glen said.

"We are confident with strong organic growth from PTP's existing customers as well as volume from new customers will eventually increase our container volume over the next three to five years and thus enabling the port to continue becoming the catalyst to economic and social benefits to Johor state and the Iskandar Malaysia region," he said. Source : Asian Shipper

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…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..

"TT-Lines "ROBIN HOOD " in Trelleborg at 15th December 2014"

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