Weekly Edition 9th September

US probes new offshore Gulf of Mexico fire

THE US Government has started an investigation into a fire that burnt through an oil and gas production platform in the Gulf of Mexico on last week.

Calls for coastal live cattle trade

Export carrier tells producers to sweep the political minefields, writes PETER WILSON

Membai almost back to normal as last boxes fished out of channel

TWENTY-five days after fully cellular containership MSC Chitra and bulk carrier Khalijia 3 collided in Mumbai harbour on August 7, the Indian Navy completed its task of escorting vessels and surveying the navigation channel, an official said.

Membai almost back to normal as last boxes fished out of channel

TWENTY-five days after fully cellular containership MSC Chitra and bulk carrier Khalijia 3 collided in Mumbai harbour on August 7, the Indian Navy completed its task of escorting vessels and surveying the navigation channel, an official said.

Pollution fear as loaded tanker runs aground in Arctic waters

THE GROUNDING of a tanker loaded with diesel in the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic has sparked a new pollution alert in the sensitive northern waters.

Timber loss leads to new calls for lashing review

A SUBSTANTIAL loss of timber from a ship off the UK coast for the third time in three years is set to reopen the debate underway at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on tighter rules on the lashing of deck cargo.

Casualty Briefs - 9th September 2010

 

Corruption finding puts maritime industry in the spotlight

WHEN people talk about maritime corruption, images of pirates or dodgy wharfies on the take from drug lords spring to mind.

SPECIAL REPORT: Western Australia

 

Western Australia is where it’s at.

WHETHER it’s oil, gas, mining, shipping or ship agency, the state is, if not booming, is simply crazy busy. The boom’s probably a year down the road.

New South Wales ports minister

AUSTRALIA’S maritime and transport sectors have welcomed the appointment of New South Wales treasurer Eric Roozendaal to the role of state ports and waterways minister.

Victoria gets tick for transport moves

A REPORT card outlining the key steps Victoria’s Government has taken towards improving efficiency of the state’s port and freight management has been given the thumbs up by Australia’s key ports representative.

Fremantle debut for radical new box washer

AWH Logistics has recently commissioned what is understood to be the world’s first fully-automated external container washing system at its Fremantle Port facilities.

Shipping logistics operation upsizes to meet deman

MELBOURNE wharf transport company L. Arthur Transport Services has announced it is increasing its hours of operation in an effort to handle growth of freight on the docks.

Bunker tanker renewal gathers pace

THE ACCELERATING phase-out of single-hull tankers is prompting the replacement of aging bunker tankers and barges in Australian ports as changes to the International Maritime Organisation’s MARPOL Annexe 1 take effect.

Clough signs deal to build Papua New Guinea LNG port

AUSTRALIAN group Clough has clinched US$487m worth of contracts to build a liquefied natural gas export port in Papua New Guinea for a consortium of energy firms.

NZ files ‘anti-competitive’ charges against forwarders

NEW Zealand’s Commerce Commission has filed “anticompetitive conduct” proceedings against European freight forwarders Kuehne+Nagel, Panalpina and DB Schenker – who all contest the allegations – while settling with two other companies.

Chinese shipbuilders defy forecasts of export downturn

THE TOTAL value of vessels delivered to overseas owners from China’s shipyards in the first seven months of this year climbed to US$23.6bn, up 56% from the same period in 2009.

Four Vinashin officials detained

VIETNAMESE authorities have arrested four more officials at the Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Corp for violating state regulations, according to state media.

Shanghai index falls 8%at height of peak season as sentiment weakens

CONTAINER sector sentiment is worsening at the height of peak season, with the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index falling for the ninth consecutive week, down 8% from its high in early July.

NOL bounces back to the black

Group posts US$100m profit for second quarter, boosted by surging volumes for container arm APL, reports LIZ MCCARTHY

Lifting the lid on the Baltic Dry Index

The Baltic Dry Index measures movements in the freight market but is often taken as a broader economic indicator, resulting in occasional misunderstandings, writes JEREMY PENN

Asia’s lines best placed for a buying season

Asian shipping lines are at a more advanced stage of the investment cycle than their competitors. Opinion by TOM LEANDER

Japan keeps eye on the ball to retain top spot

Asian nation’s lead is mainly due to an increase in dry bulk tonnage while tanker strategy helps Greece to up its game, reports GORDON COLLEN*

Fredriksen downbeat on profits over coming three years

JOHN Fredriksen, one of the world’s largest shipowners, fears there will be little money to be made from the industry in the next two to three years because of weak demand growth and the continuing stream of newbuildings entering service.

Lack of insight led terminal operators to discount

Study outlines lessons in shipping line motives and economics to be gleaned from economic crisis, reports ROGER HAILEY

Order surge unsustainable, says broker

THE number of dry bulk newbuildings orders placed in the first eight months of this year is unsustainable, Norway-based broker RS Platou has said in its latest monthly bulletin.

Rush to order dry bulk ships could delay market recovery

DANISH Ship Finance, the specialist Copenhagen-based lender, has expressed concern over the renewed appetite for newbuilding orders.

Dry bulk vessel to attempt northern Arctic sea route

A CONSORTIUM of Scandinavian and Russian businesses is to try to send a bulk vessel through the northern sea route through the Russian Arctic within the next two weeks.

Brighter box outlook raises spectre of port congestion

CONTAINER terminal operators face the spectre of port congestion within five years, particularly in the Asia and the Middle East, as global box volumes pick up from a 10% fall in 2009.

MSC charters reactivated Maersk boxship quartet

MEDITERRANEAN Shipping Co has chartered four ships from Maersk that had been in lay-up until a few weeks ago.

South Korea yards delay new orders

SOME South Korean shipyards are deliberately delaying taking orders in anticipation of higher ship prices ahead of what is expected to be a strong second half for orders, analysts said.

Dearth of LNG carriers to keep spot rates high

SPOT charter rates for liquefied natural gas carriers are set to continue increasing for the rest of this year due to a growing shortage of LNG carriers and rising demand for spot gas cargoes, says a leading shipowner and shipbroker.

SBM acquires single-hull tankers for oil projects

Offshore owner aims to capitalise on phase-out of ageing ships, reports MARTYN WINGROVE

Tarbit converts tanker to natural gas fuel

A SWEDISH tanker owner will become one of the first companies to convert a tanker to run off natural gas.

IMO to review mandatory Global Maritime Distress Safety System

A REVIEW of the Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) will begin in September when an expert group from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Telecommunications Union meet in London.

Piracy charge did not fit the facts

The dismissal of piracy charges against six Somalis has sparked outrage in some circles, but the judge was simply following the law, writes JOHN CARTNER

Training aid raises door safety concerns

SERIOUS injuries and fatalities onboard ships are being caused by incidents involving powered watertight doors.

UK officer cadets take second jobs

A SIGNIFICANT number of UK officer cadets are so short of money that they are taking second jobs to make ends meet during their training, according to a survey from seafarer union Nautilus International.

Chinese recycling yards pay up for dry bulk tonnage

DEMOLITION rates in China surged by US$40 per ldt last month as Chinese breakers stepped back into the market to snap up a capesize bulker and a quartet of car carriers.