DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2015 – 363

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Number 363 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Monday 28-12-2015

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

The CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, the largest cargo ship to ever dock in the USA

arrived in Los Angeles Photo : Port of Los Angeles

Due to our holiday until Jan 9th the newsclippings may reach you irregularly

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EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

P&O’ s AURORA moored at the Wilhelmina quay cruise terminal in Rotterdam during boxing day

Photo : Hugo Sluimer © CICK at the photo & hyperlink in text !

Salalah Announces New CMA CGM Service Calls

Container vessels moored in Salalah – Photo : Ko Rusman (c)

Salalah, Oman – The Port of Salalah, a major Arab Gulf region gateway port and transshipment hub on the Arabian Sea, has announced that French-based CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest container shipping line, will add two new

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weekly services to East Africa, and Europe, beginning the first week of December: the Noura Express and the EPIC service. From Gibraltar newsclippings contributor FRANCIS FERRO wish you all Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year 2016 The Noura Express service, on the East Africa trade lane operates four vessels of up to 2,755 TEU capacity, linking the ports of Jebel Ali (UAE), Khor al Fakkan (UAE), Mombasa (Kenya), Mogadishu (Somalia) and Salalah. At Salalah, transshipment is available to CMA CGM’s Europe Pakistan India Consortium (EPIC) Service, which links ports in South Asia, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and North Europe. The EPIC Service is operated with eight vessels of up to 9,400 TEU capacity. “The introduction of the EPIC service to the

Port of Salalah provides our growing customer base in Salalah with an additional opportunity for export to Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa, as well as for imports from the Indian Subcontinent” said Port of Salalah CEO David Gledhill, adding “the Noura Service call leverages the strategic location of Salalah to provide a new, fast cargo connection from East Africa to Europe, which can potentially be also used to accommodate Omani imports from Kenya and Somalia.”Part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, the port of Salalah is now undergoing an expansion which will double the quay length, and increase dry bulk capacity to 20 million tons, and liquid bulk capacity to 6 million tons annually.The Port of Salalah, in which APM Terminals operates and holds a 30% share, handled 3.03 million TEUs in 2014, along with 7.9 million tons of bulk cargo.

Christmas project onboard the SCHOKLAND ,welding a BBQ and prepare the Lechon Baboy

Salalah was tied for 5th in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region of the JOC Group Productivity Study for 2014 with 96 MPH with a vessel alongside. A “2030” initiative includes plans for $15 billion in infrastructure investment in the Salalah Free Trade Zone by 2028 to create a larger regional shipping and commerce center for the region, and a Port Phase 3 expansion including three new container berths. “These new services reflect our ongoing efforts to provide diverse options to the growing Salalah shipping community; the Port of Salalah shall continue to explore opportunities both with shipping lines and logistics providers to offer enhanced supply chain solutions to our valued customers” said Port of Salalah Deputy CEO Ahmed Akaak. Source : apmterminals

Toch nog alarm met de kerstdagen voor KNRM De Koog

24 uur per dag, 7 dagen per week en 365 dagen per jaar inzetbaar...Dus óók als vlak voor het kerstdiner de pieper gaat. Dat overkwam de bemanning van KNRM station de Koog. Terwijl iedereen kerst aan het vieren is, gaat om 16.44 de pieper voor het Kust Hulp Verleningsvoertuig (KHV) voor assistentie ambulance betreffende een ongeval in duingebied. Ondanks dat het kerst is, is er volop bemanning aanwezig bij het boothuis en na contact met de alarmcentrale blijkt het te gaan om een Duits stel dat vermoedelijk hartproblemen heeft, maar zich niet kan oriënteren waar ze zich precies bevinden. De politie en ambulance zijn reeds aan het zoeken en ook de KHV spoed zich naar de vermoedelijke locatie. Er is telefonisch contact tussen de hulpdiensten en de Duitse gasten en op het moment dat de ambulance

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nogmaals de sirene aanzet, blijkt dat ze dichtbij zijn. Hierop wordt de inzet voor de KNRM afgeblazen en gaan we retour richting boothuis. De bemanning keert weer huiswaarts en zo kan de kerstviering weer vervolgd worden.

Havenbedrijf Rotterdam gaat Buitenhaven van Maassluis beheren

Het Havenbedrijf Rotterdam gaat met ingang van 1 januari 2016 voor de gemeente Maassluis het nautisch beheer in de Buitenhaven uitvoeren. Wethouder Sjef Evers en havenmeester René de Vries ondertekenden de overeenkomst voor het beheer van de Buitenhaven van Maassluis De divisie havenmeester van het Havenbedrijf beheert ook de havens van Vlaardingen, Schiedam, zeehaven Dordrecht, Zwijndrecht en Papendrecht. De overgang past in het streven van het Havenbedrijf naar een zo efficiënt mogelijke handhaving van de veiligheid en orde op het water. Bron : Port of Rotterdam

The MAERSK KOTKA arriving in Rotterdam-Europoort assisted by the SD REBEL and SD SALVOR

Photo : Jan Oosterboer (c)

Eight fishermen rescued after five days in lifeboat

Eight fishermen who spent five days on a lifeboat after their vessel sank in the Atlantic Ocean have been rescued off the Brazilian coast. The skipper of another fishing boat spotted the group Thursday afternoon some 15 kilometres from Cascavel beach in the northeastern state of Ceara, Brazilian authorities said on Friday.

WAGENBORG TOWAGE wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy new year

The crew of the second boat rescued the eight castaways and brought them ashore. Suffering from dehydration, the survivors were taken to hospitals in Fortaleza, the state capital, and two of them remained hospitalised on Friday.The eight men set out two weeks ago from the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte aboard the fishing boat REY ARTURO, which sank last Sunday near the Fernando de Noronha archipelago. The boat split into pieces, giving the crew no time to send a distress call,

and the eight fishermen barely had time to get into the lifeboat. Though careful rationing allowed them to make their limited food and water last for days, the lifeboat began to sink under their weight.By the time the skipper of the second vessel saw them, the eight fishermen were floating in the water, tied to what was left of the lifeboat. Source : Sydney Morning Herald

Polar Pioneer leaves Port Angeles Harbor By : Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News

The POLAR PIONEER, which had dominated Port Angeles Harbor since Oct. 28, has left aboard the MV DOCKWISE VANGUARD for its journey to Norway.The heavy lift ship carrying the 355-foot-tall oil platform departed Port Angeles Harbor at about 9:20 p.m. Thursday night. The departure date was not announced before the ship left. It initially was scheduled to depart Monday, but the departure was delayed each day as the ship’s crew and local welders worked to compete the job of fastening the oil platform to the deck, said officials for the U.S. division of Dockwise Shipping of

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the Netherlands earlier this week. The ship carrying the oil rig is headed for Olen, Norway. As of 9:30 a.m. today, it was outside the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and moving down the West Coast, according to vessel tracking maps. The 902-foot semi-submersible heavy-lift ship will take the POLAR PIONEER to Norway by following the American coastlines to the Strait of Magellan at the tip of South America before crossing the Atlantic, officials said. The POLAR PIONEER initially visited Port Angeles in April to prepare for a summer of drilling for oil in the Chukchi Sea off the Alaskan coast. The rig returned to Port Angeles on Oct. 28 to offload equipment after Royal Dutch Shell — which had leased the POLAR PIONEER — gave up on

Arctic drilling. Transocean Ltd. of Zug, Switzerland, which owns the oil platform, donated about 15 tons of food to local food banks and soup kitchens earlier this month in preparation for the trip. The DOCKWISE VANGUARD is the largest ship of its type in the world and can lift more than 120,000 tons of cargo.Dockwise also owns a second heavy-lift ship that recently visited Port Angeles Harbor. The smaller 738-foot-long semi-submersible MV BLUE MARLIN loaded the drill ship NOBLE DISCOVERER on its deck Dec. 11 and departed Dec. 14.Port officials have said the NOBLE DISCOVERER is headed to the West Pacific. Source: peninsuladailynews

Emotional robots join crew on cruise ships By: GARY DAWKES

Humanoid robots with built-in technology to read, understand and react to human emotions are to join

the crew of two pioneering cruise ships to offer advice and information to passengers.

Meet Pepper, the first humanoid robot designed to live and interact with humans.

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If you are fortunate enough to be taking a cruise on either of the Costa Group's AIDAprima or COSTA DIADEMA ships during springtime next year you'll probably come face-to-face with some of the world's most highly-intelligent, customer-friendly autonomous robots which have been given the job of acting as 'meeters and greeters' on-board both vessels.First launched in Japan to communicate with customers at one of the country's largest mobile phone operators, these highly-advanced 'house robots' are the first in the world programmed to read and react to human emotions - and that, says the Costa Group, makes them ideally suited to help passengers and improve their cruising experience. It's also a significant breakthrough in the continuous development of artificial intelligence technology.

Developed by the France-based technology company Aldebaran, the world leader in humanoid robotics, Pepper robots have this year successfully completed an internship on board the cruise ship AIDAstella, which gave them the opportunity to demonstrate their technological prowess and human interaction capabilities with crew and customers. Happy new year from newsclippings contributor WILLEM KOPER

Now the first batch of autonomous assistants is preparing to join the crew of AIDAprima and COSTA DIADEMA where they will advise and guide guests as they embark and move around the ships. Fluent in German, English and Italian, Pepper robots will be able to provide tips and advice about restaurants and menus, events and excursions."With an emotional robot on board our cruise ships we are continuing our tradition of innovation," says Michael Thamm, chief executive of Costa Group. "For us, this is an important step towards a digital future for our brands. I am confident that our guests will love Pepper." Unlike the bionic barmen on the Royal Caribbean luxury cruise ship Quantum of the Seas (see Ocean Hub report at: http://innovations.oceanhub.com/is-this-the-worlds-smartest-ever-ship/ ), Pepper is self-propelled and,

crucially, can have conversations with humans. In fact, Pepper is much more than a robot. Engaging and friendly, this autonomous creation does everything we do when communicating - using voice, touch and emotions.As well as recognising and understanding fundamental human emotions - such as joy, sadness, anger, surprise and doubt - Pepper can analyse and interpret facial expressions, body language and most of the words we commonly use.

From Singapore the LEXMAR team wish you a prosperous new year

Having established your mood and how you are feeling he will even try to adapt his own behaviour to match it! Standing just under four feet tall, the robot uses advanced technologies in human voice and emotional recognition software to analyse expressions and voice tones. Pepper moves fluidly and freely

on three omnidirectional wheels which improve robotic ability and agility. It is a walking, talking technological wonder with 17 joints, a touch screen and a 3D camera enabling it to detect and interact with people. The robots given front-line customer service roles on the cruise ships will have four microphones, two high-definition cameras, a three-dimensional depth sensor and tactile sensors in their head and hands so they can feel your touch and react appropriately. An ultrasound system is used to avoid obstacles and move safely into a specific space. Pepper can look after himself too and there are no concerns about losing charge and powering down while on duty. The robot can check its internal temperature and manage battery power without human intervention. He's so well trained he can even find his own charger when required. Passengers will be able to ask Pepper a range of questions about on-board restaurants, advice about dining, times of specific events, guidance on excursions and directions to areas around the ship. And if he doesn't know the answer immediately he'll use the internet to find it! Yes, Google is even useful to robots! The autonomous system uses a 10-inch touch screen to display the information. If the Pepper technology

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proves a success on their maiden voyages during the spring, roll-out of these innovative robotic assistants will be expanded across the rest of the Costa and AIDA fleet of cruise ships later in 2016, possibly as early as mid-summer. "I'm very happy that the Costa Group gave us this opportunity," says Fumihide Tomizawa, president of Aldebaran and Softbank Robotics Corp. "Pepper is built to interact with humans, their emotions and needs. We hope that he will fit to improve AIDA and Costa travellers' experiences." Source : innovations.oceanhub

COAST GUARD REPATRIATES 27 CUBAN MIGRANTS Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter ISAAC MAYO

Season Greeting from DIRK KLEIJN

repatriated 27 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Saturday. This repatriation is a result of two separate migrant interdictions at sea, which both took place Friday, December 18, in the south Florida Straits.While on routine patrol, the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute located a rustic vessel with a motor, 45 miles nautical miles southwest of Key West, Fla., with 12 Cuban migrants aboard. The crew of the Resolute safely

transferred the 12

migrants aboard the

cutter.An HC-144A Ocean Sentry Maritime Patrol Aircraft, from Coast Guard Air Station Miami, located a migrant chug carrying 15 Cuban migrants 55 nautical miles southwest of Key West.

The Cutter RESOLUTE was diverted to the scene and safely transferred the migrants aboard the cutter.The migrants were later transferred aboard the Coast Guard Cutter ISAAC MAYO, and repatriated to Cuba. Coast Guard Cutter Resolute is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla. Coast Guard Cutter ISAAC MAYO is a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in Key West.Since Oct. 1, the Coast Guard 7th District estimates that 1,334 Cubans have attempted to illegally migrate via the sea. These numbers represent the total amount of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and Atlantic. Source : United States Coast Guard

HAL’S NOORDAM approaching Waimahara Wharf Shakespeare Bay Picton NZ 24th December.

Photo: Dianna Robjohns (c)

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SCHEVENINGEN LIFEBOAT KITTY ROOSMALEN NEPVUE DELIVERS CHRISTMAS BREADS

Right : Season Greetings from newsclippings contributor MICHEL

KODDE

During the last exercise of the year the volunteers of the Scheveningen

based KNRM lifeboat KITTY ROOSMALEN NEPVUE delivered Christmas breads to the vessels

anchored off Scheveningen CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS

ACTION !Season Greetings from news clippings

contributor COR VAN NIEKERKEN

Japan Says Armed Chinese Vessel Enters Japan Waters

A Chinese coastguard vessel with what appeared to be gun turrets entered territorial waters claimed by Japan in the East China Sea, Japan’s coastguard said on Saturday, adding that it was the first such incursion by an armed Chinese vessel in the disputed area. The vessel was one of three that appeared in the waters off the disputed Senkaku Islands, known in China as the Diaoyus, shortly after 9:30 a.m. (0030 GMT) and left Japanese-claimed waters about 70 minutes later, a Japan coastguard spokeswoman said.The vessel had first been sighted in the area on Tuesday afternoon and was sailing 29 km (18 miles) off one of the contested islands as of 9:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) on Wednesday, according to Japan’s coastguard.At that time, China said its vessels were carrying standard equipment and doing nothing wrong in Chinese waters.Chinese coastguard vessels sail regularly near the islets but the Japanese coastguard spokeswoman said none had ever been seen equipped with arms.The dispute over the Japan-controlled

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islands has been a major sticking point in the two countries’ often contentious relations in recent years. Source : One America News Netwerk

After spending a spring day the Port of Rotterdam P&O Cruises AURORA is seen outbound passing Hoek van Holland

Photo : Herman Broers @pilotbroers (c)

HANSEATIC HELPS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT: ZODIACS FITTED WITH ELECTRIC

MOTORS Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ expedition ship HANSEATIC, offers her guests the unforgettable experience of taking a Zodiac

into pristine, remote regions and now, thanks to the introduction of electric motors to her Zodiac fleet, it is incredibly environmentally-friendly. Parts of the expedition- suitable zodiac fleet onboard HANSEATIC have been equipped with eco-friendly “Deep Blue” electric motors, produced by the German manufacturer Torqeedo. This makes Hapag-Lloyd Cruises the first cruise operator to use this “green” technology on expedition cruises. The Zodiacs are the “secret weapons” of HANSEATIC: in the

most exotic and remote regions on the planet, such as the Amazon, or Antarctic, they make it possible for guests to land in otherwise inaccessible areas. After a one-year pilot phase in which the electric motors were tested on Zodiacs onboard HANSEATIC and sister-ship BREMEN, parts of the rubber boats of both ships were equipped with these new 80 horse-power strong “Deep Blue” electric motors from Torqeedo in Starnberg/Germany.

Season greeting from the HENDRIK VEDER GROUP

As a full propulsion system, “Deep Blue” features an electric motor and all other components required to propel the boat – from the lithium battery to the on-board computer. Unlike outboards with combustion motors, electric propulsion systems do not release any emissions, or harmful substances into the water. This will help to protect the vulnerable waters in which excursions take place. Therefore, guests can enjoy more thrilling landings as the new motors cause no smells and are considerably quieter than the Zodiacs’ previous 36 horse-powered motors. Additionally, the principle of slow steaming is applied as part of vessel management. This means that itineraries are calculated using an environmentally-sound average speed, which can cut fuel consumption by around one third. This is currently one of the most effective and best ways to reduce consumption and hence emissions. Source : The cruise line

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BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT UPDATE The recent ratifications of the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention during November 2015 has brought the

numbers close to the required percentage of the world tonnage for entry into force. The number of IMO member states that have ratified the Convention now stands at 47, well above the required 35.The world tonnage figures are derived from data supplied to the IMO Secretariat by IHS Maritime & Trade. Season Greetings from newsclippings contributor KEES TORN The data is normally provided to IMO twice each year, as at 31 December for treaty purposes, and as at 30 June for determining IMO Member States’ financial assessments. Those assessments are based, in part, on fleet tonnage figures supplied to IHS Maritime & Trade by IMO Member States, who have until October 31st each year to confirm their tonnage. Because of stringent IMO deadlines for determining financial assessments, those tonnage figures sometimes can't be verified prior to submission to the IMO Secretariat.The compiled 2015 assessment tonnages, released to IMO’s Member States on 16 December 2015, contained some unverified data, but also revealed that the conditions for entry into force of the BWM

Convention might have been met, by a very small margin. The IMO secretariat was aware that between June and November 2015, some Parties to the BWM Convention gained tonnage and others lost tonnage. In light of this, IMO Secretary-General requested a complete verification of tonnage data as at the time of the deposits by Morocco, Indonesia and Ghana prior to determining whether or not the BWM Convention had indeed met the entry-into-force requirements.

Happy new year from newsclippings contributor DIETER JAENICKE

IHS Maritime & Trade has worked on verify the tonnage figures since that request and the verification process has not yet concluded. The precise figures will be announced after the verification process is complete, which is likely to be early next year (2016). If the ratifications up to November 2015 add sufficient tonnage to reach the 35% of the world tonnage then the BWM Convention would enter into force on 24 November 2016. The IMO Secretary-General calls on the shipping industry to take action to install necessary equipment and establish operational procedures in accordance with IMO regulations and standards, so that the BWM Convention can be effectively implemented upon entry into force. Contact marine@bimco.org

More drilling slated for Barents Sea Austrian energy company OMV cleared to drill in frigid Norwegian waters.

By Daniel J. Graeber The Norwegian government said it awarded a license to Austrian energy company OMV to drill two new exploration wells in the Barents Sea.OMV gets consent to drill two wells in a license area designated as 537. The field is located

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about 166 miles away from the northern tip of Norway in the frigid waters of the Barents Sea.Drilling will be carried out by a Transocean rig named Spitsbergen.Drilling in the Barents Sea has been met by controversy from environmental activists concerned about the potential threat from oil spills. Greenpeace last year declared victory when Norwegian energy company Statoil completed a Barents Sea campaign with fewer commercial discoveries than expected.Greenpeace said the limited success of Statoil's program indicated the campaign in frontier waters of the Barents Sea wasn't worth the risk. More than a dozen Greenpeace demonstrators took part in a protest against Statoil's drilling plans for arctic waters by boarding the Spitsbergen rig last year.The Arctic waters of the Barents Sea hold significant oil and gas reserves, but exploiting those reserves comes with significant risk. While Norway has one of the most advanced offshore drilling programs in the world, the International Energy Agency said concerns run the gamut from ecological to economic risks.The Norwegian government has called on energy companies working in Arctic waters to observe requirements related to distance from ice sheets "so the environmental assets along the ice edge are safeguarded."The safety authority calls on oil and gas drillers working in arctic waters to stay about 30 miles away from ice zones. Source: UPI

The SK PRIDE with in the background seen moored the EUROPA 2 in the port of Cape Town

Photo : Aad Noorland (c)

FESCO's icebreaker Magadan arrives at its namesake port to escort commercial ships

The MAGADAN icebreaker has arrived at the Russian seaport of Magadan. The vessel was chartered by FSUE Rosmorport from FESCO Group and will be used by Rosmorport's Magadan branch for ice-breaking support of inbound vessels during the winter shipping season of 2015-2016, the state-owned port manager and developer said.During the 2014-2015 winter shipping season the icebreaker MAGADAN escorted 103 commercial ships that carried 328,000 tonne of cargo to the seaport of Magadan. Source : Portnews

Container Ships: Possible effect of fuel efficiency on lashing forces

Were you aware that fuel saving measures can have a negative effect on the lashing forces on the containers? Olivier van der Kruijs shares his experiences from the audits on more than one hundred container vessels last year. The latest

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generation of container ships have been designed not only to increase capacity but also improve energy efficiency and environmental performance. The rise in fuel prices in combination with a continuing pressure on freight rates has forced ship owners and operators to look closely at the amount of fuel being used. This has resulted in economical steaming and other fuel efficiency measures. Fuel efficiency monitoring can be achieved by a number of ways; for example, by using computer and communication software which monitors and analyses the ship’s performance and operational parameters in real time. The results of these analyses may then suggest, for example to change speed, trim and draft. The optimal trim, varies with speed, displacement, weather and underwater hull shape and can be a significant factor in saving fuel. One study suggested that fuel consumption could be reduced by as much as 5% using this technology.However, as an unwanted side effect, this fuel saving method may increase the calculated dynamic forces to the containers and lashings, possibly exceeding maximum permissible levels. As part of its extensive range of services to the shipping industry, BMT also carries out regular inspections of container ships. A point of attention during these surveys is the requirement to review the lashing computer data and establish if there is a situation on board whereby container lashing forces are exceeded. With regard to maximum permissible forces, there are limitations resulting from the strength of the container itself. Those limitations are stipulated in ISO standards (ISO 1496). It is important to appreciate that there is no safety margin on these limits. Theoretically, a container may thus distort as soon as these force limits are exceeded.This is different for the safe working loads on the lashings, which do have a safety margin. Usually, for the preparation of a stowage plan, stability and lashing forces are calculated. These calculations take into account the usual changes to stability as a consequence of expected fuel consumption or changes to the ballast water quantity, whilst sailing. It has become apparent that during the voyage, the ship is sometimes instructed by the owners (or the charterers) to make adjustments to improve fuel efficiency.These (unplanned) adjustments of draught and trim often at various occasions increased the GM (metacentric height) and, as a result, also the dynamic forces acting on the containers and lashings. This could lead to a situation whereby the ship left port with the calculated lashing forces being within design limits, but exceeding the limits at a later stage when the trim adjustments were made. For vessels enjoying a voyage in good weather, exceeding the designated maximum lashing forces is unlikely to result in any damaged cargo. However, if the ship was to encounter its “design motions criteria”, damage to the container stacks and cargo could occur, thus as an indirect result of saving fuel.Source: IUMI (By Olivier van der Kruijis, Risk & Quality Manager and Marine Surveyor at BMT Surveys, www.bmtsurveys.com, IUMI Professional Partner)

The OCEAN BRIGHT navigating Chile's inside passage

Photo : Willem Kappert - Chief Electrician MS ZAANDAM (c)

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The SEAROAD TAMAR out bound into the Bass Strait. Last ship constructed by Carrington Slipways and had to be completed by ANL (Australian National Line). Will be replaced probably late 2016 when two ships on the Melbourne

Devonport Tasmania ro-ro container trans Bass Strait service Photo : Bill Barber (c)

GAIL extends bidding deadline for hiring LNG carriers

State gas utility GAIL India has extended last date of bidding for its $7 billion (Rs 46,417 crore) tender for hiring nine newly built ships for ferrying LNG from the US by over two months to allow Indian shipyards to tie up technology for building the specialised vessels. Bids for charter hiring of nine ships quoted in three lots of three ships each were due last week but have now been extended till February 29, 2016, official sources said.One ship in each lot is to be built at an Indian shipyard. The extension in the bid date has been done to accomodate request of Indian shipyards for allowing them time to tie up technology for building the specialised cryogenic carriers.After postponing the deadline thrice, GAIL had in February scrapped the tender to hire nine LNG carriers to ferry gas from the US, with a caveat that three of them be made in India. At that time no foreign shipyard was willing to share LNG shipbuilding technology. Negotiations that followed saw Korean shipbuilders Samsung Heavy Industries, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering agreeing to cooperate with Cochin Shipyard, L&T Shipbuilding and Pipapav Shipyard respectively.L&T Shipbuilding has however walked out of the tender citing its preoccupation with defence projects. On Monday, Cochin Shipyard signed an agreement with French technology company Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT). GTT, which holds patented technology for LNG ships, will give designs, engineering and supervision for building of the cryogenic carriers as also performance guarantee for the ship.Sources said while two ships will be built at the shipyards of their foreign collaborators, one carrier has to be built in India. Other Indian shipyards are looking at similar tie-up for the same.GAIL had on September 15 re-floated the tender for charter hiring of nine ships.The tender document provides for Indian shipyard taking 5% to 13% in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier that it will build. This condition was not there in the original tender floated last year.Also, GAIL has a right to take up to 10% equity stake in any or all of the nine ships. Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), which is to operate the carriers, will have a right to 26% interest, according to the document.GAIL and SCI had last year signed an agreement wherein the state-owned shipping company has the step-in right to take at least a 26% stake in each of the nine LNG carriers hired by GAIL.GAIL plans to time charter, or hire, the carriers for 18 years from fleet owners. Overseas shipyards have been given time till May 31, 2019 to deliver their ships while those built at Indian shipyards are to be delivered between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023, the tender document said.GAIL has tied up 5.8 million tons per annum of LNG from the US which the newly built ships will ferry.Source: PTI

Pioneer Energy Services announces amended revolving credit facility and sale of four SCR drilling

rigs Pioneer Energy Services announced that it has amended its existing senior secured revolving credit facility and modified certain covenants. Under the new agreement: The total consolidated leverage ratio and asset coverage ratio tests are eliminated. The permissible senior consolidated leverage ratio increases from a current level of 2.50 to 1.00 to a maximum of 4.75 to 1.00 as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2016 through the second quarter of 2017 and gradually decreases to 2.50 to 1.00 as of the end of the third quarter of 2018 and thereafter The permissible interest

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coverage ratio drops from a current level of 2.50 to 1.00 to a minimum of 1.25 to 1.00 as of the end of the third quarter of 2016 through the third quarter of 2017 and returns to 1.50 to 1.00 thereafter. Pricing increased to a rate of LIBOR plus a fixed 475 basis points for the duration of the facility.The aggregate amount of commitments is set at $200 million, a reduction of $100 million from the terms of the previous September 2015 amendment. The future availability of credit will be based on a borrowing base comprised of certain eligible cash, accounts receivables, inventory and equipment. At this time, the values of the Company's eligible assets exceed the $200 million revolver capacity.The maturity of the facility is reduced by six months to a maturity date of March 31, 2019.Annual capital expenditures are limited to $50 million with no limitation on equity-funded capital expenditures."As a result of the further deterioration of commodity prices and weak demand for our equipment and services, we are continuing to proactively manage our balance sheet and work closely with our bank group to maintain a credit facility that provides Pioneer adequate liquidity and financial flexibility," said Wm. Stacy Locke, Pioneer's President and Chief Executive Officer."Although this amended facility reduces our borrowing commitments, it provides more flexible covenant provisions enabling the Company to avoid taking on expensive debt while strategically positioning for an eventual market recovery. We are pleased with the terms of this agreement, which was strongly supported by 100% of the members of our existing bank group.""We remain committed to reducing debt to maintain a strong and flexible balance sheet and are also continuing to high-grade our drilling fleet by monetizing non-strategic assets when possible. Our marketing focus continues to be on the newest-generation AC rigs that clients prefer in the U.S. shale plays. We recently sold three non-walking SCR drilling rigs and one walking SCR drilling rig for aggregate sales proceeds of $17.3 million, or an average of $4.3 million per rig. By year-end, we expect to pay down an additional $15 million of outstanding borrowings on the revolving credit facility using proceeds from the rig sales and cash on hand. At December 31, 2015, we expect to have $95.0 million outstanding and $17.3 million in committed letters of credit under the revolving credit facility," Locke said.Details of the amended credit agreement are available in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission today.Pioneer Energy Services provides contract land drilling services to oil and gas operators in Texas, the Mid-Continent and Appalachian regions and internationally in Colombia through its Drilling Services Segment. Pioneer also provides well, wireline, and coiled tubing services to producers in the U.S. Gulf Coast, offshore Gulf of Mexico, Mid-Continent and Rocky Mountain regions through its Production Services Segment. For more information, please visit : http://pioneeres.com

Snapped on Boxing day: Outward bound from Antwerp the Oil/Chemical Tanker “ENERGY PRIDE” (Isle of Man

flagged – IMO 9279052) off Terneuzen, passing the entrance of the Channel to Gent Locks. Photo: Dick Geuze (c)

see also : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R4Hb0S7Ikc#t=101

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L.A. Welcomes the Largest Container Ship to Visit U.S.

A sneak peek of CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN as she pulls up to the dock at the Port of Los Angeles

Photo : Port of Los Angeles via twitter

The largest container ship ever to call at a North American port arrived to the Port of Los Angeles at dawn on Saturday, December 26. French shipping line CMA-CGM launched the CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN on December 10 The 398 meter, 18,000 TEU vessel arrived at APM Terminals’ Pier 400 after sailing from China.Up until now, mega-container ships of this capacity have been deployed exclusively on the Asia to Europe trade.The CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin will operate a regular service connecting some of China’s main ports, including Xiamen, Nansha and Yantian with Los Angeles and Oakland. The vessel will call at the port of Oakland on December 31. The Port of Los Angeles handled a total of 709,968 TEU in November 2015, an increase of seven percent compared to the same period last year.“We’ve seen container volumes at and above 700,000 TEU for the past six months, which demonstrates consistency and the strength of our supply chain partners,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “With larger vessels coming into the transpacific trade this month, including the CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, we can further show the gains we have made this year in terms of effectively moving greater volumes through our port.”Imports improved 7.6 percent to 358,423 TEU in November compared to the previous year. Exports dropped 5.7 percent to 142,020 TEU in November. For the first 11 months of 2015, overall volumes of 7,534,181 TEU are down 1.9 percent compared to the same period in 2014. Source : MAREX

The PACIFIC JEWEL passing Geelong, been having engine problems of late. One overnight extension due to

mechanical problems. She and PEARL are getting on. We tend to get the P&O casts offs before they are really cast off! Photo/text : Bill Barber (c)

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On March 31st 1968, the merchant SANTA LEONOR (Capt. Ernesto Ruíz Muñoz) ran aground in Paso Shoal on the

Adelaide rocks in Paso Shoal, Chile. The SANTA LEONOR was owned by the Grace Line and was used in the Buenos Aires-Valparaiso line. The crew of 51 and 7 passengers were saved by the tug COLO-COLO

Photo : Willem Kappert - Chief Electrician MS ZAANDAM (c)

Trelleborg's bend restrictors receive API 17L1 certificate of manufacture approval

Trelleborg’s offshore operation in the UK has been certified for the manufacture of bend restrictors under the American Petroleum Institute’s specification for flexible pipe ancillary equipment (API 17L1 Ed. 1 2013).The certificate was completed by global engineering, technical and business services organization, Lloyds Register EMEA, acting as an independent verification agent. It was evaluated alongside Trelleborg’s product range drawings including dimension tolerances, manufacturing processes and procedures for polymer components. In addition, a manufacturing audit and site visit to the company’s metal work supplier were undertaken.Andrew Garside, Innovation and Technology Director within Trelleborg’s offshore operation based in Skelmersdale, says: “The API assessment is a detailed process, which put our manufacturing practices of bend restrictors under stringent analysis. Receiving the certification demonstrates the performance of our bend restrictors, especially for use in challenging and harsh sea environments.” API 17L1 is an industry standard that determines the minimum requirements for the design, material selection, manufacture, documentation, testing, marking and packing of flexible pipe ancillary equipment. Trelleborg’s offshore operation now has certificates for API 17L1 for bend restrictors, bend stiffeners and modular buoys. Trelleborg's bend restrictors are used to protect flexible pipelines from over bending and buckling during their installation or operation phase where static loads are generated. The system comprises a number of interlocking elements that articulate in three dimensions when subjected to external loads. At a designed radius, the elements

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mechanically lock to form a semi rigid curved structure that will prevent further bending.As bend restrictors are designed to ensure the manufacturers recommended minimum bend radius is not infringed during the life of the project. The elements also provide a significant further benefit as their split design allows installation of the restrictor after pipe termination, meaning installation and maintenance is much simpler and more cost effective.Each bend restrictor is uniquely designed for its environmental application under defined loading conditions. With over 20 years of experience of manufacturing this product, Trelleborg has performed a significant amount of load and destructive loading tests enabling the company to fully understand the behavior of completed strings and the impact, if any, of differing element geometries. Trelleborg’s combined extensive manufacturing experience and testing of bend restrictors enabled them to build in the required safety factors into their design process.For more information, please visit : http://www.trelleborg.com

MT HEINRICH receiving her pilot by fast launch craft from pilot cutter PROCYON at Maascenter pilot station

Photo : Rotterdam Pilots ‏@RotterdamPilots (c)

Belfast firm Blu Marine secures £1.6m ship fit out contract

BELFAST ship outfitter Blu Marine has secured a £1.6 million contract to undertake a major refit of three ocean liners for the world's biggest ferry operator. Blu Marine will carry out the work for DFDS in Dunkirk over 30 days next year.The firm will send 86 workers from Belfast in the first week of January.The team will then work on shift patterns to cover 24 hours a day to ensure the vessels are ready to resume taking passengers on board as quickly as possible.The Blu Marine team includes engineers, electricians, tradesmen.Each of the three DFDS ferries will undergo a transformation of their public facing areas including bars, restaurants, galleries and walkways.The contract award signals the beginning of a busy 2016 for Blu Marine according to managing director Craig McCoo."We are delighted to have been appointed by the DFDS to carry out this work. Our team has a justified reputation in the shipping world for delivering quality work on time, and within budget," he said."That is important to our customers. Next year we will be active throughout the UK, in Singapore, the Bahamas and in Australia. Our firm is set for continued growth and all of this will be delivered from our Belfast headquarters."Blu Marine opened eight years ago and has delivered projects in Northern Ireland as well as throughout the UK, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.The firm has offices in Belfast, Southampton and Hong Kong and plans to open a new office in Singapore next year. Source : irishnews

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SPLIETHOFF’S SCHELDEGRACHT LOADED DAMEN NEWBULDING IN EEMSHAVEN

The Dutch port Eemshaven on Christmas day Spliethoff’s SCHELDEGRACHT loaded the Damen shipyards Group built SPA 3007 BN 549202 with destination the Bahamas Photo’s : Rimmert Berlijn ©

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CASUALTY REPORTING

Vessel “M/V Wan Hai 506” ran aground after departing from Hong Kong

According to the information received from the vessel operator (Wan Hai Lines), the vessel “M/V WAN HAI 506” (voyage 0137N) ran aground after departing from Hong Kong, while on the way to Osaka on December 24, 2015. MOL’s HS3 service will be delayed due to the incident. The vessel has already afloat and on her way to dry dock for urgent repair at Shekou. No crew members have been injured and no cargo damage has been reported. Source : Portnews

Bulk carrier ODIGITRIA grounding, Delaware river

Bulk carrier ODIGITRIA ran aground on Delaware river at around 0430 LT Dec 26while transiting to Grows Terminal in Morrisiville, Pennsylvania, reported USCG Philadelphia. Vessel was refloated at 1300 LT with the help of tugs, as can

be seen on USCG photo on top Vessel was loaded with scrap, no damages reported, vessel to be surveyed. CLICK at the photo and hyperlink in Text!

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NAVY NEWS Egypt Receives First Submarine from Germany

Germany has built three submarines for Egypt in a landmark navy deal that was first announced in 2012. According to German Ambassador Julius Georg Luy, one submarine was delivered to Egypt on December 10 while two others are awaiting delivery from Germany, reported MENA. The submarines were built by the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Company in the northern German coastal city of Kiel.The submarine which was delivered to Egypt on December 10 is a Type-209/1400. The Type-209 is 64-meters long and is capable of firing missiles against both land and naval targets. It remains unclear whether the other two submarines are also Type-209.The German Ambassador’s comments come just weeks before Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is set to visit Berlin. The Egyptian Foreign Minister will visit Germany on January 11 to discuss bilateral relations with German officials.In a statement, Germany’s Ambassador to Egypt said that both Berlin and Cairo have common interests in confronting issues of regional stability and terrorism. The German Ambassador added that relations between the two countries had been strong in 2015.In 2015, German exports to Egypt increased by 18.5 percent in just six months while Egyptian exports to Germany increased by 12.5 percent, said the German Ambassador.

Meanwhile, German companies in Egypt employ 23,000 people. The German Ambassador added that Germany supports Egypt’s path towards a new economic and social vision and would continue to support Egypt. Earlier this year, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a visit to Berlin. The two leaders discussed economic and political issues, with Merkel stressing that Egypt “has a prime role in fighting terrorism”. Source : Egyptian Streets

Russian Navy gets new rescue ship By Milton Stuards,

The rescue vessel IGOR BELOUSOV, the first in its class, has become operational with the Russian Navy, a TASS correspondent reported from the ceremony at the Admiralty Wharves Shipyard on Friday (Dec 25). The ceremony was attended by Admiralty Wharves CEO Alexander Buzakov, Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Armament Vice-Admiral Viktor Bursuk and representatives of the defense industry. "Thank you very much for this New Year gift, which you have made for the Russian Navy. The Fleet has been waiting for this vessel for a long time. During its construction, all the advanced ideas accumulated over years were used," Bursuk said, addressing the shipbuildersThe rescue ship IGOR BELOUSOV will join Russia’s Pacific Fleet. The rescue vessel has been included in the Russian Navy’s

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emergency and rescue group with its base in Vladivostok. The Fleet is considering continuing the construction of a series of vessels of this class. The search and rescue vessel IGOR BELOUSOV was built on order from the Russian Defense Ministry. It was laid down in December 2005. The rescue vessel was designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau (Project 21300) and is intended to rescue crews of distressed submarines immobilized on the seabed or floating on the surface. The vessel is also designed to provide life support for the crew of the submarine being rescued. The lead rescue ship IGOR BELOUSOV that has joined the Russian Navy on Friday is worth over 10 billion rubles ($143 million), Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Armament, Vice-Admiral Viktor Bursuk said. The Russian Navy intends to send the rescue vessel Igor Belousov to its base in Vladivostok in the Russian Far East "across all the oceans" rather than via the Northern Sea Route, Bursuk said. "A final route for the ship has not yet been approved but most likely it will run across all the oceans rather than via the Northern Sea Route to check the vessel in various latitudes. We plan to start the transfer in the spring of 2016," Bursuk said.New ships in the Russian Navy New ships will also arrive for the Russian Navy in the first quarter of 2016. Specifically, the Black Sea Fleet will receive the Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, the first out of six frigates of this series, which will be armed with the newest Kalibr cruise missiles. In May, the Russian Navy will receive the mine sweeper ALEXANDER OBUKHOV featuring the first ever full-size composite hull. Until the end of the year, the multipurpose strike frigate ADMIRAL GORSKOV incorporating stealth technologies will become operational in the Russian Navy. A source in the defense and industrial sector told TASS on Friday that "a large volume of trials lies ahead for precision-guided weapons."Russia’s state armaments program to 2020 stipulates 4.7 trillion rubles ($67 billion) in expenditures on the Navy’s upgrade. Data from public sources suggest there were 209 combat ships and 72 submarines, including 50 nuclear-powered underwater cruisers, in the Russian Navy as of July 2015. The Russian Navy will receive seven surface ships and two submarines in 2016. According to the budget projections available as of October, appropriations for the National Defense spending item in 2016 may total 3.1 trillion rubles ($44.5 billion), i.e. 25.5 billion rubles ($360 million) more than in 2015. As Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in December, the Russian Army is 92% staffed compared with 90.5% in late 2014.The number of contract servicemen has risen by 10% to 352,000. As many as 384,000 contract servicemen are expected to serve in the Russian Armed Forces in 2016 and the total number of servicemen will reach 93% of their full strength. Russia’s nuclear triad has been 55% supplied with modern weaponry in 2015. Russia’s Strategic Missile Force has received 35 ICBMs, nine modernized bombers and two nuclear-powered submarines.Russia has set up six missile regiments with ballistic missiles and they will be joined by another five such regiments in 2016 while the Russian Aerospace Force will receive 16 strategic bombers. As a result of the Russian Armed Force’s swift rearmament, Russia has produced 15,800 types of new weapons and combat hardware over the past three years while expenditures on the state defense procurement program have risen by 2.6 times. Source: tass.ru

Submarines bill falls $5bn as nations compete Australia’s next fleet of submarines will be considerably cheaper due to a plethora of competing bids.

The navy’s future submarine fleet could cost taxpayers at least $5 billion less than expected, -according to secret price estimates given to Defence by the three international competitors.The Australian understands that the confidential bids lodged with the government last month by Germany, France and Japan each offer a dramatically lower cost of building an eight-submarine fleet in Adelaide than was -anticipated, in the range of $10bn-$12bn. It was previously expected that the project would cost about $20bn, based on a 12-boat fleet.Even if the government decides to restore its original promise of building 12 submarines rather than eight, the bidders estimate the construction cost will reach only about $15bn, a little more than $1bn a boat, amounting to a potential $5bn saving for taxpayers.The lower cost estimates reflect the robust competition between the three international bidders to secure the submarine deal, which will be the most lucrative defence contract in the -nation’s history. The cheaper than expected estimates for building the new fleet may tempt the government to try to keep its original promise of building 12 submarines, rather than the

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revised figure of eight submarines with an option for four more that was in Tony Abbott’s draft defence white paper before he was deposed by Malcolm Turnbull in September. The Prime Minister and Defence Minister Marise Payne have delayed the release of the white paper until the first quarter of next year and have left open the prospect of revising the contents of the blueprint, including the size of the submarine fleet.The number of future submarines and shipbuilding jobs has been a hot-button issue in South Australia, where the issue contributed to the demise of Mr Abbott’s prime ministership after he backed away from his election promise to build 12 submarines.Each of the three bidders for the submarine contract — Germany’s TKMS, France’s DCNS and the Japanese government — has refused to disclose publicly their final estimated costs of building the new fleet.Germany and France have been able to undercut costs more than expected because they are experienced submarine exporters with highly efficient international programs. Last year, Germany’s TKMS publicly estimated that it could build a 12-boat fleet for $20bn, but this figure has since been revised down.

Japan, which has not built a submarine overseas before, has reportedly tried to keep costs down by telling submarine builder Mitsubishi the bid should not be framed with profit as the priority. This could give Japan a cost advantage over Germany’s privately owned TKMS and France’s partly private DCNS, which would both be required to profit from the contract.The Australian government wants the largest and most sophisticated conventional submarine ever built, a 4000-plus tonne boat with a US combat system and the ability to fire cruise missiles and deploy special forces. Former prime minister Kevin Rudd decided in 2009 that he wanted to double the size of the navy’s submarine fleet from six to 12 to help combat a rising China, nut this number was driven personally by Mr Rudd without being backed by strategic assessments. Since then the South Australian government has backed the 12-submarine proposal as the holy grail for industry and jobs.The Abbott government, which initially supported Labor’s 12-boat plan at the 2013 election, came to see it as an unaffordable indulgence and backed away from the plan only to see its poll numbers dive in South Australia. In February this year, the government announced the three-way, 10-month competitive evaluation process and asked the three chosen international competitors to base their cost estimates on an eight-submarine fleet.On November 30, each of the competitors lodged their final bids for the project. The initial cost estimates of $10bn-$12bn for an eight-boat fleet will not be the final price. The winning bidder will negotiate a final submarine design with Defence and this will determine the ultimate cost of the submarines.The government has frequently used $50bn as the projected figure for the future submarine project but this includes sustainment costs through the 30-year life of the fleet, which usually equate to about two-thirds of the cost of construction.The government says it will choose the winning bidder by mid-next year. Japan is offering a long-range version of its existing Soryu-class submarines, Germany is offering a version of its yet-to-be-built Type-216 design while France is offering a conventional version of its Barracuda-class nuclear submarines currently being constructed in France. Source : The Australian

Russian Sub Participating in Anti-Daesh Ops in Syria Arrives in Sevastopol

A Russian submarine, the ROSTOV-ON-DON, conducting operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Syria in the fight against the Islamic State, known as Daesh in the Arab world and prohibited in a number of countries including Russia, has arrived at the Crimean Port of Sevastopol, the Russian Defense Ministry’s head of Black Sea Fleet’s information department said Friday."Today, the diesel-powered submarine, the ROSTOV-ON-DON … arrived in Sevastopol where it has undergone inspection and guarantee service of the submarine’s mechanisms after its inter-Naval transfer from the North Fleet to the Black Sea Fleet and completing its tasks in the Mediterranean Sea," Capt. 1st Class Vyacheslav Trukhachev said.According to Trukhachev, after maintenance, the crew will start the planned combat training. Russia commenced anti-terrorist operation in Syria on the request of Damascus in September 30. According to the head of the Russian General Staff’s operations department, Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, Russian military aviation has carried out more than 5,200 sorties since the beginning of the operation. Source: sputniknews.

US Navy bases second submarine support ship on Guam

The U.S. Navy says it will base another submarine support vessel on Guam. The U.S. Pacific Fleet Submarine Force said in a statement Wednesday the USS EMORY S. LAND submarine tender will move to the U.S. Pacific Island territory from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Submarine tenders provide food, water, ordnance and other supplies to submarines. They also provide maintenance support. The Land will support four fast-attack submarines homeported on Guam as well as other submarines that deploy there.The Land will be the second submarine tender on

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Guam. The USS FRANK CABLE is already homeported there. Guam is 1,500 miles south of Tokyo and 3,700 southwest of Hawaii. Source : westhawaiitoday

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SHIPYARD NEWS

Bruised Asian Shipyards Prepare for Eventual Market Upswing

After being adversely impacted by over a year of shrinking orders, many rig builders and offshore construction contractors in Asia have taken measures to better position themselves for an eventual recovery in the global oil and gas industryWhile the timing of an oil price recovery remains uncertain, some Asian yards are strengthening their future competiveness in the cost-conscious offshore industry, where crude oil prices no longer trade around the $100 a barrel mark – a level where they hovered around from 2011 until the current slump began around the middle of 2014. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projected oil prices would reach around $80 a barrel by 2020, according to its “World Energy Outlook 2015” report released Nov. 19. Declining Yard Profitability The urge for Asian shipyards to find more effective ways of operating in the offshore industry has been made more pressing given their generally bleak financial performance over the last year. Latest financial results released for third quarter (3Q 2015) ending Sept. 30 indicated that the operating environment for these firms remained fairly gloomy. In fact, an Oct. 27 Bloomberg report noted that customers are asking shipyards, including those in Asia, to delay delivery of ships and offshore rigs as weaker economic growth and sluggish oil prices made it difficult for these companies to pay for the projectsIn South Korea, only one of the three major shipyards was profitable in 3Q 2015, while their two heavyweight counterparts in Singapore made lower profits. A major Chinese yard also recorded losses during the same period.Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.’s (SHI) net profit for the quarter was $48.3 million (KRW 53.7 billion), down 69 percent from $155.3 million (KRW 172.6 billion) a year ago. This was however an improvement from 2Q 2015, when the shipyard registered a loss of around $1 billion (KRW 1.2 trillion). SHI’s latest quarterly net profit was attributed to the receipt of payments from a client for design changes to a rig under construction, Bloomberg reported Oct. 27.Unlike SHI, local rival Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (HHI) – the world’s biggest shipbuilder – posted a net loss of $406.3 million (KRW 451.4 billion) in 3Q 2015, exceeding the net loss of $218.2 million (KRW 242.4 billion) in the previous quarter but still an improvement year-on-year, when the firm registered a net loss of $1.3 billion (KRW 1.5 billion).“The shipbuilding business was hit by cancellation of a semisubmersible rig [by

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Bollsta Dolphin Pte Ltd.] as oil prices nosedived to $40 a barrel. The offshore business set up a reserve for possible losses that may be incurred from belated change orders, increased manhours or delays in delivery caused by design changes,” a HHI source said. The financial performance of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd. (DSME) – the world’s second largest shipbuilder – was also hit by the industry downtrend, with the firm posting a 3Q 2015 net loss of $1.2 billion (KRW 1.4 trillion) – its second consecutive quarterly loss – albeit an improvement from the $2.1 billion (KRW 2.3 trillion) net loss in 2Q 2015. Like their South Korean competitors, Singapore’s Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd. (Keppel O&M) and Sembcorp Marine Ltd. – two of the world’s largest builders of jackups – also saw profitability slip in 3Q 2015. Keppel O&M’s 3Q 2015 net profit fell 34 percent to $119.7 million (SGD 166 million), compared to $181.7 million (SGD 252 million) year-on-year amid a slowdown in orders for new drilling rigs, while there was a 76 percent decline in net profit for local rival Sembcorp Marine from $95.3 million (SGD 132 million) to $23.1 million (SGD 32 million) in the corresponding period as contributions from its key rig building business dried up. Meanwhile, Cosco Corporation (Singapore) Ltd. – a Chinese ship repair & marine engineering and shipping group – posted a net loss of $58.2 million (SGD 82.1 million) in 3Q 2015 compared to net loss of $3.4 million (SGD 4.8 million) in the earlier quarter and a net profit of $5.1 million (SGD 7.1 million) in 3Q 2014. Asian Yards Positioning for the Future While negative sentiments surrounding the relatively poor financial results in the latest quarter have clouded prospects for major Asian shipyards, at least over the near term, some are already exploring ways of improving their business offerings. In July, Norway’s DNV GL commenced a joint industry project (JIP) in South Korea with HHI, DSME and SHI to establish a new international standard for offshore oil and gas projects. The results could potentially trim project costs by 15 percent, or around $500 million for a typical tension leg platform project, for example.The JIP, with support from Korea Offshore and Shipbuilding Association and Korea Marine Equipment Research Institute, aims to develop common and global best practices for components and equipment to reduce the number of, and variations in, requirements to the minimum. The project is open to oil companies and engineering firms.“The implementation of a standardized approach will be an opportunity to significantly reduce the general cost level of offshore projects without compromising on quality or safety,” Arthur Stoddart, DNV GL’s regional manager for Korea and Japan said in the July 22 press release. JIP will “initially focus on simple components and equipment, such as tertiary structures and bulk materials for construction, piping and E&I (electrical and instrumentation) engineering … the scope will be extended to complete modules and equipment packages.”“We hope this will lead to standardization that helps to reduce design periods and minimize design changes,” JongBong Park, senior executive vice president (SEVP) and chief operating officer of HHI’s offshore and engineering division, added in the July 22 statement.Another push in this direction came when the South Korean yards held a meeting in October on “Offshore Design Standardization JIP” with American Bureau of Shipping in the United States, with participants from ConocoPhilips Co. and France’s Technip SA also present at the discussion. The South Korean yards agreed to standardize materials, design, and procedures of offshore facilities that vary by project and client by the first half of 2016.Apart from improving business efficiency, South Korean yards like HHI intend to expand into strategic markets such as Saudi Arabia. It signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saudi Aramco, the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals firm, Nov. 12 to collaborate on business development opportunities in the Kingdom. Under the MOU, HHI and Saudi Aramco will cooperate in areas such as engineering, procurement and construction, while supporting ongoing initiatives relating to Saudi Arabia’s maritime industry. “The partnership between the two industrial behemoths not only means a great opportunity to enhance Korea’s shipbuilding and EPC businesses,” Ki-sun Chung, head of HHI Corporate Planning said. Over in Singapore, Keppel O&M’s wholly owned subsidiary Keppel Offshore & Marine USA, Inc. entered into a Stock and Asset Purchase Agreement with Cameron International Corp. in August to acquire the latter’s offshore rigs business, comprising the LETOURNEAU jackup designs, rig kit business, and aftermarket services.“The designs Keppel is acquiring, which include the LETOURNEAU Super 116E, WORKHORSE, Super Gorilla XL and Jaguar, will add to Keppel’s offerings in the jackup market,” Keppel said in the Aug. 31 press release.The $100 million acquisition would add another dimension to Keppel O&M’s business – the aftermarket services segment where there are around 100 LETOURNEAU jackups currently operating worldwide.“This is an opportune and strategic acquisition as it will not only broaden our suite of jackup design offerings in this highly competitive sector, but also provide us with enhanced capabilities to service customers through the provision of expanded aftermarket sales and services,” Chow Yew Yuen, CEO of Keppel O&M, said.“With the current low oil price, we have seen a slowdown in newbuild rig orders. Rig owners are instead looking at repairing and upgrading their current fleet. We believe that we can make best use of our after sales service infrastructure to service rigs of both the LETOURNEAU as well as Keppel FELS designs … rig owners can now utilize our global network of yards to service and maintain their rig assets cost-effectively,” he added.Keppel O&M is also looking at alternative revenue streams to offset weak performance in the rig building sector.“We are also winning customers for more diversified and specialized solutions such as FLNG [floating liquefied natural gas]

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conversions, liftboats as well as ice-class vessels which will position us to capture more value,” Keppel Corp. CEO Loh Chin Hua said in the firm’s Oct. 23 press release.The shipyard indicated that the third FLNG conversion project, Gandria, is on track with front end engineering and design (FEED) study being carried out for potential deployment in Equatorial Guinea with Ophir Energy plc, while Golar LNG Ltd. has initiated discussions with Keppel Shipyard for the fourth conversion project with a delivery in early 2019.Source: Rigzone

USC to build Aframax series tankers for Sovcomflot

State-owned shipbuilding conglomerate United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), and Russian shipping giant PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) have signed a cooperation agreement which includes the construction of a series of ECO Aframax tankers, the shipbuilding group said in a press release.The tankers order will reportedly be placed with the USC's St. Petersburg based Severnaya Verf Shipyard, which is undergoing large-scale modernization.Two days ago the USC commenced the construction of the state-of-the-art shipbuilding complex at Severnaya Verf Shipyard, scheduled to be launched in 2018."This project is the next element of the new policy of the United Shipbuilding Corporation and, accordingly, the new production capacity. We hope to see a multiple production increase as a result of the Severnaya Verf capacity. We expect that the yard will have a dual purpose, and will be successfully building large tonnage commercial ships," USC President Alexey Rakhmanov said at the ground-breaking ceremony.Executive Vice-President, Technical Director, SCF Group Igor Tonkovidov who attended the ceremony, commented: "SCF welcomes the new production facilities at Russian shipyards, which will allow Russian shipbuilders to build vessels using high technology which provides for new better environmental protection methods, reduction in energy consumption and emissions. This opens up new opportunities and removes constraints that existed previously during the construction of large-tonnage vessels."The agreement signed with Russia's largest shipping company will enable USC to enter into a new market segment and for Sovcomflot to continue the fleet upgrade program, taking into account stringent environmental requirements in the Baltic.United Shipbuilding Corporation was founded in 2007 as a 100-percent state-owned group of companies by the Presidential Decree № 394 (March 21, 2007). Currently, the USC consolidates about 80% of the domestic shipbuilding industry and incorporates three regional shipbuilding centers, nine engineering and design offices and 39 dockyards. The Corp’s largest shipbuilding assets include Kaliningrad-based JSC Yantar Shipyard, JSC Admiralty Shipyards (St. Petersburg), JSC PA Sevmash (Severodvinsk), JSC DVZ Zvezda (Vladivostok) and Baltic Shipyard Besides, UCS holds a 50% stake in Arctech Helsinki Shipyard, a joint venture with STX Finland Cruise Oy. The Group builds ships for Russian customers and exports its products to 20 countries.Sovcomflot Group (SCF) is Russia's largest shipping company and one of the world’s leading shipping companies in the field of maritime transport of hydrocarbons and services for offshore oil and gas exploration and production. Its fleet specializing in hydrocarbon transportation, including from regions with challenging icy conditions, comprises 143 vessels with a combined deadweight of about 12.4 million tonnes. A third of these vessels have a high ice class. Sovcomflot supports large energy projects in Russia and around the world: Sakhalin-1, Sakhalin-2, Varandey, Prirazlomnoye, Novy Port, Yamal LNG, Tangguh, and Peregrino. The company is headquartered in Saint Petersburg with representative offices in Moscow, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, London, Limassol, Madrid, Singapore and Dubai. Source : Portnews

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2015 – 363

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Hapag’s EUROPA 2 seen arriving in the port of Cape Town - Photo : Ian Shiffman (c)

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