Weekly Edition 12th November 2009

Hoping for a bigger lift

SEMI-submersible heavy-lift ship Happy Buccaneer delivered a container crane to Patrick’s terminal at the port of Fremantle on Tuesday. While not as large as the post-panamax crane delivered in 2006, the 918-tonne cargo none-the-less drew the attention of locals as BigLift’s Happy Buccaneer entered the inner harbour. The 13,740 dwt vessel used her own cranes to transfer the cargo to the wharf.

WA grain rail up for grabs

CBH plans to appoint the above-rail operator of grain transportation in Western Australia as soon as May next year.

Kembla arrest mystery

THE DELAYED departure of an Indian-flagged bulk carrier docked in Port Kembla has added weight to speculation that her owners have run into some financial trouble.

Stevedores feel ACCC lash in wake of report

AUSTRALIAN Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chairman Graeme Samuel took up the cudgels against Australia’s stevedoring duopoly again this week, saying its rate of return was double the average of the country’s top 200 listed companies, despite the economic downturn.

Rescuers plunge to deck in helicopter drama

A PARAMEDIC and an Australian Helicopters crewman both suffered multiple injuries when they fell to the deck of the 4112 teu Maersk Duffield on Monday afternoon.

Safe stevedoring targeted in OH&S publications push

SAFE Work Australia has released three safety publications for the stevedoring industry.

Shipping Australia battles Gillard on coastal crews

SHIPOWNER peak body Shipping Australia has locked horns with the federal workplace relations minister, Julia Gillard, over coastal shipping crewing.

Melbourne to update box intelligence

THE MOST accurate picture yet of how containers move through the port of Melbourne should be available to users early next year.

Montara plugged, smouldering after epic battle

FIRE FIGHT: The Montara well head platform (above) photographed from the fire fighting vessel last week during a run to within 200 metres of the burning structures to allow Alert Well Control experts onboard for assessment. The cantilever structure – which previously sat over the well head platform – can be seen buckled over onto the helideck. Flames can be

ll-fated ferry never had a chance

AN INQUIRY has revealed substantial safety failings related to the ferry which sank off the coast of Tonga in August, resulting in the deaths of 74 people.

Acid spill contained on boxship calling at Melbourne

MELBOURNE’S Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) scaled down its response to a sulphuric acid spill in a container on a ship berthed at the Patrick termina on Monday. Part of the terminal was evacuated during the incident.

Setback for Southern Sydney Freight Line

CONSTRUCTION of the Southern Sydney Freight Line has hit a number of design hurdles that will probably delay completion of the network by six months, according to the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).

Coal congestion powers BDI surge

BULK port congestion along Australia’s east coast and growing demand for coal drove the Baltic Dry Index to its sixth weekly increase last week.

Upgrade raises Newcastle coal capacity

COAL capacity at the port of Newcastle has increased to 113mtpa following the completion of a major part of the $458m upgrade at the Kooragang terminal.

Portland feels chipper as year gets better

A DARK year for Victoria’s Portland port, one that saw two major potential woodchip customers fail in the face of the economic downturn, has turned rosier as it nears its end.

Merger plan achievable says outgoing CBFCA chairman

A MERGER of Australia’s forwarding and customs broking peak bodies would not be easy but was very achievable, outgoing Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia (CBFCA) chairman Darryl Sharp told the council’s annual meeting last Friday.

Toll continues promised expansion by acquiring UAE freight forwarder

TOLL’S global freight forwarding expansion has continued following acquisition of United Arab Emirates (UAE) company Logistic Distribution Systems (LDS) for an undisclosed sum.

Crew competence is still a cause for concern

YEARS ago, and long before the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code had banished the casual caller from port premises, two of us were sitting on a pile of railway sleepers in an East Anglian port watching a small chemical tanker arrive.

Crew training is key to better ship energy use and efficiency

SHIPOWNERS need to be aware of the impact well-trained crews can make on a vessel’s overall efficiency and environmental performance.

Box industry struggles to get out of the doldrums

NEPTUNE Orient Lines posted a 14% recovery in cargo volumes during the month to mid-October, but industry-wide figures contain little to cheer about.

Somali pirates capture ship carrying missiles

SOMALI pirates may now have their hands on short- and medium-range missiles, after the capture of an unnamed vessel laden with weapons on Monday morning, according to private security sources with good connections in the Gulf of Aden.

Maersk asks to rejoin TSA as Pacific deteriorates

LOSSES have soared to such alarming proportions on the container trades between Asia and the US that Maersk Line has asked to rejoin the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement (TSA) in order to contribute to the search for an industry-wide solution to the deepening crisis.

China acts to boost cruise sector

THE CHINESE Government has launched a slew of concessionary measures to expand the country’s cruise business.

Evergreen earmarks 17 boxships for mothballing

TAIWAN’s Evergreen Marine has confirmed plans to lay up 17 containerships by the end of this year as part of a wide-ranging fleet rationalisation that has already included scrapping older tonnage and returning chartered vessels.

No value seen in private guards

MANY private security guards used by shipowners and managers for anti-piracy duties onboard ships are a waste of money and well-trained seafarers would offer better value, Nick Davis, chairman of the Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre, a non-profit making organisation advising shipping companies, said.

Sleeper state set for jump start

AFTER a few years of hissing and a few more bubbling, the mining boom rapidly lost its fizz towards the end of 2008.

Queensland ports gearing for growth

NORTH Queensland Ports Corporation has been very busy with a number of projects since taking charge of sea port facilities at Hay Point, Mackay, Abbot Point, Weipa and Maryborough four months ago.

Demand slump for oil, gas puts more rigs into lay-up

DECLINING demand for oil and gas offshore drilling rigs has led to a 35% increase in the number of these rigs laid up around the world since June.

Challenging’ conditions to curb broker

POOR freight rates continue to hamper Clarksons’ broking division, the global shipping service company’s major revenue driver, even though transaction volumes have been maintained or increased over the last four months.

China congestion is pushing up rates

CAPESIZE rates are expected to continue climbing into December as the number of vessels available in the spot market shrinks due to congestion levels rising again at loading and discharge ports.

Container lines need to tighten belts further

CONTAINER lines need to remove more capacity before achieving any sustained recovery in freight rates. That is the warning from Alphaliner after analysing third quarter results published so far which show that the liner shipping industry remains deep in the red.

Rigbuilding helps drive record profit

SINGAPORE shipyard group Sembcorp Marine has racked up a record third-quarter net profit, backed by higher margins from rigbuilding projects.

Vopak will seek notes issue in US

DUTCH tank terminal operator Royal Vopak has said it will issue a further US$680m of unsecured notes in the US private placement market.

Dutch call for level playing field for shipbuilding firms

DUTCH prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende has rejected criticism that his government has been too slow in offering support to the country’s shipbuilding industry.

Maersk chief warns state bailouts pose serious recovery risk

MAERSK Line chief executive Eivind Kolding has warned that state bailouts of shipping lines could delay a very necessary restructuring of the container shipping industry.

Zim rescued after knife-edge vote

ZIM has been hauled back from the brink by a US$550m bailout after a day of high drama.

Bulk carrier cancellations up on classification estimates

CANCELLATION rates for dry bulk vessels on order at Asian shipyards are much higher than those reported by classification societies, according to Safe Bulkers chairman and chief executive Polys Hajioannou.

South Africa coal export levels to hit 68m tonnes

SOUTH Africa’s thermal coal exports could rise as high as 68m tonnes in 2010 compared with 60m in 2009.

Record coal imports push up panamax rates

RED hot iron ore and coal imports into China are expected to fuel a push in Pacific panamax rates to higher levels for the rest of the year.

Coking coal stays strong

CONTINUED strength in China has led to bullish industry sentiment for coking coal.

Eagle Bulk’s wings clipped

SUPRAMAX owner Eagle Bulk Shipping has blamed lower charter rates earned by some of its 25 bulk carriers for a sharp plunge in third quarter profits.

Ship recycling plan could be delayed until 2020

THE HONG Kong Convention on Shipbreaking will not take full effect for at least 10 years, according to a policy document drawn up for the European Commission.

UK port owners to be charged for tenants’ carbon emissions

MAJOR port owners in the UK are facing potentially huge penalties and significant cash flow problems under Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) rules that will make them responsible for the emissions of their tenants.

China cargo volumes up to pre-crash levels again

CARGO throughput at China’s major ports has recovered to a similar level before last year’s global financial crisis thanks to China’s Yuan4,000bn (US$588bn) economic stimulus package, the Ministry of Transport said.

Vietnam on the road to being more than China’s plus one

Already one of Asia’s fastest growing manufacturing centres, Vietnam is rising to the huge challenge of upgrading its transport infrastructure to get these goods to market, reports Marcus Hand

Legislation in Europe looks at ways of making life quieter for marine animals

SHIPPING could face more environmental legislation in the future as its impact on marine wildlife through noise comes under scrutiny.

Box-eye view of Sculptures by the Sea

BEACH CULTURE: A boxship out of Port Botany glides past visitors to the annual Sculptures by the Sea exhibition that has now become one of Sydney’s most popular visual arts events. The competition entries stretch from Bondi’s Icebergs clubhouse around the sea path to Tamarama Beach. Pictured in foreground is installation, The dandelion by William Eastlake while visitors interact with Little boy lost by Paul Trety. The exhibition continues until November 15.

Reduced demand hits superyacht hopes

CONFIDENCE is still in short supply in the superyacht sector but there are hopes demand will return quickly when the recovery comes.

Book review: Honest picture of the pilot’s life

NOT enough people know about the job done by marine pilots and why they remain so important a link in the safety chain that prevents disaster when huge mobile objects need to be handled in restricted waters.