ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS FREE MARITIME NEWSCLIPPINGS ...

DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 243

Distribution : daily to 30800+ active addresses 31-08-2014

Number 243 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Sunday 31-08-2014

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

The A-Frame for the the 5000 MT Sheerlegs ASIAN HERCULES III getting ready to be

installed onboard the barge at the Keppel Nantong shipyard in Nantong (China) Photo : Yang Janssen ©

ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS FREE MARITIME NEWSCLIPPINGS ? CLICK HERE AND REGISTER FOR FREE !

http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/en/subscribe/�

http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/�

http://www.eendracht.nl/�



Your feedback is important to me so please drop me an email if you have any photos or articles that may be of interest to the maritime interested people at sea and ashore

PLEASE SEND ALL PHOTOS / ARTICLES TO :

[email protected]

If you don't like to receive this bulletin anymore : To unsubscribe click here (English version) or visit the subscription page on our website.

http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/uitschrijven.aspx?lan=en-US

EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS

SD VICTORIA inbound for Serco’s base at Greenock on the Clyde. Photo : Jamie Shorthouse ©

Teekay and Modec Said Favored to Win Petrobras Brazil Contracts

Teekay Offshore Partners LP and Modec Inc. are leading the race to supply two vessels to produce oil in deep waters for state-run Petroleo Brasileiro SA, three people familiar with the contract terms said. Petrobras, as the largest producer in waters deeper than 1,000 feet (300 meters) is known, is preparing to award Teekay and Odebrecht Oil & Gas a contract as early as October for the first production unit at its biggest discovery Libra, after the partners offered

mailto:[email protected]�

http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/uitschrijven.aspx?lan=en-US�


http://www.vlierodam.nl/�



a daily rate of about $545,000 earlier this month, the people said, asking not to be named because results haven’t been made public. A joint venture between Modec and Schahin Petroleo & Gas SA is leading bids to supply a unit for the Tartaruga Verde and Mestica fields after offering a daily rate of about $780,000, the people said.

Teekay said in an Aug. 8 presentation that it was nominated as lead bidder and that the deal was subject to final negotiations. It declined to provide additional comment in an e-mailed response to Bloomberg News. Petrobras (PETR4) and Schahin said they don’t comment on bidding processes. Modec didn’t respond to requests for comment. Odebrecht declined to comment. Both of the rental rates for the so-called floating, production, storage and offloading vessels, or FPSOs, are still under negotiation, the people said. The Tartaruga FPSO has a higher day rate because it is a larger vessel that will cost more to build, one of the people said. Petrobras has the largest fleet of FPSOs, which normally cost between $1 billion and $2 billion to build and are designed to produce oil in deep waters. The state-run producer is looking to boost competition in the market for offshore production equipment and reduce dependency on SBM Offshore NV (SBMO), its main supplier that is currently suspended from bids because of an corruption investigation, said one of the people who has been present at meetings with Petrobras and its suppliers. Schiedam, Netherlands-based SBM didn’t respond to an e-mailed request for comment. Chief Executive Officer Bruno Chabas said in an Aug. 6 conference call that SBM wouldn’t compete in the two ongoing tenders and it wants to work with Petrobras in the future. SBM’s internal investigation didn’t find anything improper in Brazil, Chabas said. Petrobras, the most-indebted publicly-traded oil company, is increasing rental contracts instead of building its own platforms as it plans to add more than 70 new production units in the next 16 years. “There is a clear decrease in ownership,” Andrew Cosgrove, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst, said in a telephone interview from Skillman, New Jersey. “This is a lot of money Petrobras can drive to exploration or their core business.” SBM is Petrobras’s biggest supplier of floating units with 15 contracts, followed by BW Offshore NV (BWO) with 14 and Modec with 11, according to the Sinaval shipyard industry group.Source : Bloomberg

"Rockwater 1" IMO8211746, described as an Offshore Support Vessel. Built 1983 as Deepwater 1 by B.V. Scheepswerf de Hoop, Lobith Yrd No 308 4,905 Grt. In 1990 she was renamed Rockwater 1 and is currently operated by Subsea 7 BV. Image was taken on 30/7/14 as she cleared Peterhead breakwaters outbound. Photo : Iain Forsyth ©

Reünistenvereniging Zeevaartschool Den Helder bestaat in 2015 50 jaar

Het voormalige zeevaartschoolgebouw aan het Ankerpark te Den Helder is in volle glorie geheel gerestaureerd.Binnenkort zal het gebouw in gebruik worden genomen door Imares. Dat is een onderdeel van de Universiteit van Wageningen en doet ondermeer onderzoek naar alles wat met “de zee” te maken heeft.

Het doel van de reünistenvereniging is het leggen en onderhouden van contacten met en tussen oud-leerlingen, oud-docenten en oud-personeel van onze voormalige zeevaartschool. Op zaterdag 11 april 2015 wordt het vijftig jarig bestaan gevierd met een groot feest in Den Helder. Locatie: Hotel Den Helder, u kunt hier overnachten (zelf boeken). Marsdiepstraat 2, 1784 AP Den Helder, tel. 0223-622333, email: [email protected] U kunt dit feest bijwonen door u aan te melden via de website van de reünistenvereniging van de Zeevaartschool Den Helder. Getracht zal worden om ook de schitterend gerestaureerde school bij de feestelijkheden te betrekken.




Nu hoor ik bij wijze van spreken al veel mensen denken: ja, leuk zo’n reünie maar ik zie er nooit iemand van mijn jaar. Of een andere gedachte die toch sterk lijkt op de genoemde. Dus…………. ga ik maar niet. En dat is natuurlijk heel jammer. Om te beginnen blijken mensen van andere jaarklassen best aardig te zijn en je kunt er gewoon een praatje mee maken. Het gaat al snel over “die goeie ouwe tijd”, die natuurlijk helemaal niet zo goed was, maar dat zijn we gelukkig allemaal wel zo’n beetje vergeten. Nog veel leuker is het om zelf eens een poging te doen jaargenoten op te sporen en warm te maken om aan de komende reünie deel te nemen. Zelf heb ik dat gedaan voor de reünie van 2013. Via internet, schoolbank en facebook zijn een man of tien, sommigen met partner, naar de reünie gekomen. Gaat de bal eenmaal rollen, worden mensen enthousiast en gaan meedoen. Inmiddels hebben we contact met zeker 20 oud leerlingen uit de periode 1966-1969.

Dus wat houdt u nog tegen?! Graag tot ziens op de reünie in 2015!

Met vriendelijke groet, Ruud Kwast-secretaris Reünistenvereniging Zeevaartschool Den Helder: www.ankerpark.nl of Postbus 276 1780AG Den Helder

Cashman Equipment Launches Mobile App Cashman Equipment Corp. is excited to announce the launch of its new mobile app, the Cashman Equipment Barge Identifier. Cashman Equipment’s new mobile app allows registered users access to information relative to its entire fleet of barges, tugs and marine equipment, including drawings, documentation and pictures, anywhere, anytime. It is compatible with both the IPhone and Android, and can be found by searching Cashman Equipment Barge Identifier in the Apple Store (www.itunes.apple.com ). “Everyone lives on their mobile phones these days, so it is important that this information be accessible to our clients whenever and wherever they happen to need it” said Jamie Cashman, Owner and President of Cashman Equipment. Cashman Equipment, a global provider of barges and marine services, owns and operates one of the youngest and largest fleets in the industry with over 130 vessels, including inland and ocean barges ranging in size from 120’ to 400’, accommodation barges, as well as specialized oil spill recovery barges, tugs and cranes. Cashman Equipment maintains offices and fleets around the world including the United States, Mexico, Canada, Singapore/Australia, the Persian Gulf, West Africa and the Caspian Sea. For additional information on this new mobile app, please

contact Cashman Equipment at +1-225-216-7694 or via e-mail at [email protected] . For more information on Cashman Equipment please visit www.4barges.com

http://www.itunes.apple.com/�


http://www.4barges.com/�



2nd DE RUYTER HARING PARTY IN SINGAPORE GREAT SUCCESS !

Last Friday late afternoon (until late evening ) in Singapore the Maritime Club De Ruyter the

2nd Haring party was held in the Hollandse club (the 1st party was held in in 2013 which was a succes, so it was decided to organize this year another one) over 100 people enjoyed the hering as can be seen at the

photos which was flown in from Holland. Photo middle top, Olof Koning of London Offshore Consultants (one of the sponsors) still knew the trick and the hering slided in very well as well on the right seen Bart Pols of Thrustmaster (one of the sponsors) as we all know hering has to swim so the hering

was flushed away with a lot of Beer (from the famous green bottles ) , Ketel-1 jenever Bokma Oude Jenever en Korenwijn.

HARING IN HET LAND DOKTER AAN DE KANT !



Herewith Maritime Club De Ruyter would like to thank the sponsors AkzoNobel - Atlas Professionals - Boskalis - Compass Energy - Damen Shipyards - DISA International - Dockwise - Fugro - GSC - IHC - Jumbo – London Offshore Consultants - Semco Salvage – Svitzer Salvage - Tat Hong – Thrustmaster and the Hollandse Club which companies made this event possible and see you all again in 2015 for the next hering party dated will be anounced ! all photo’s Piet Sinke ©

The ITASCA anchored in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Photo : Capt. Shaun Beal master Cable Innovator ©

http://www.mdps.nl/�



Sovcomflot expands LNG fleet in H1 2014 OAO Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest shipping company, has announced its financial and operating results

for the first half of 2014.

“The tanker market remains challenging, with freight rates fluctuating near their historic lows during Q2 after a strong start to the year in Q1 from which Sovcomflot benefited from improved conditions within the crude oil segment in particular. With a stronger presence in the higher margin gas transportation and offshore markets the Group is able to report robust results for the first half, with solid growth in earnings. “Looking ahead, tanker market conditions remain

volatile and so we are cautious about the market outlook for the full year. However, a significant and growing portion of Sovcomflot’s revenues comes from long-term charter contracts supporting industrial energy projects in the LNG transportation and offshore services sectors which will underpin our earnings going forward and these sectors continue to be key areas of focus in our long-term business strategy.”

Chief Operating Officer, Evgeny Ambrosov

“Supported by a highly skilled team both at sea and ashore, with a balanced portfolio of modern conventional tanker fleet and technically sophisticated vessels, servicing a growing number of industrial projects, we are well placed to continue serving the evolving energy transportation needs of our clients. This is especially true in heavy ice and harsh environment conditions with a third of our fleet comprising of ice class vessels. During the first half of 2014 we maintained a balanced mix of fixed income and spot market operations. Our chartering policy has proven its worth, enabling Sovcomflot to ride out the significant tanker market volatility of recent years and maintain a steady pace in growing the business.”

Chief Financial Officer, Nikolay Kolesnikov

“Our business model continues to provide welcome earnings visibility, at a time of market volatility. Significantly, the Group’s future contracted revenues reached US$ 7.2 billion at the end of the first half of 2014. Throughout the first half, our gearing has remained stable, ending the period below 46% and with positive free cash flow. During the first half we continued to manage our assets proactively, with the addition of two new vessels and the disposal of eight older tankers from our fleet. As we report our half year results today, the Group has taken delivery of Pskov, its second 170,200 m3 Atlanticmax ice class LNG carrier on a long-term charter to Gazprom”.

LNG sector

TCE (time charter equivalent) revenues for H1 2014 were US$ 38.2 million, an increase of 74.4% on the first half of 2013. This performance reflects a robust freight market for gas carriers and continued expansion of the SCF Group fleet. The Group’s corporate strategy places a priority on the development of its LNG transportation activities. To this end there were four LNG vessels (including one ice-breaking LNG vessel) on order at the period end, each of over 170,000 m3 capacity, for delivery up to Q1 2016. All the vessels have long-term time-charter arrangements in place with Gazprom, Shell or Yamal LNG as charterers. On 2 February 2014, Sovcomflot took delivery of Velikiy Novgorod. This advanced design 170,000 m3 capacity LNG carrier is constructed to ice class Ice2 and is engaged on a 15-year time charter to Gazprom.

The September issue of Horizons is out now Safer, larger container ships, pioneering research into the potential for seaborne ethane and large ethane carriers and examples of German marine technology are three key themes of the September Horizons which will be available at SMM. You can read about LR's German team and their activities, the growing number of women joining the German shipping industry and the LR teams that have been shortlisted for the latest UK maritime awards. We feature a



Horizons 'special' on future fuels and how LNG is driving a growing fleet of global ferries, the development of LNG bunkering in major ports and how hybrid solutions are emerging in the quest for low-cost, fuel-efficient vessels.

A PDF of the magazine can be downloaded now at www.lr.org/horizons . If you require a hard copy please contact the editor Christopher Browne at [email protected].

the SCARABEO 7 being towed by TERASEA FALCON and TERASEA HAWK passing the Makassar Strait. With above seen the TERASEA HAWK as seen by Capt Neil Johnston onboard the TERASEA FALCON

Ghana set to build 3rd FPSO FPSO-Atta-MillsGhana is set to build its third Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel as part of the process to make the country an oil hub in West Africa. There is an ongoing tender process to select what the government terms “the best” contractor to build the FPSO and for it to be delivered in the last quarter of 2016. Actual oil and gas production will start in early 2017. Ghana currently has one FPSO, named after the country’s first president, Dr Kwame Nrkumah. It was delivered to Ghana in 2010 and is currently producing an average of 120,000 barrels of crude oil daily. A second FPSO, named FPSO J.E.A. Mills, which is currently under construction in Singapore, is 30 per cent complete and would be delivered in the last quarter of 2015. Commercial production of oil would commence on it before the end of 2016. Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Singapore, after meeting officials in Singapore to promote investment in Ghana

yesterday, the Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, said the third FPSO would produce

http://www.lr.org/horizons�


http://www.poshterasea.com.sg/�



more than 150 million cubic feet of gas daily. “Our oil and gas industry is taking shape and Ghana is gradually expanding its production activities. That will really help strengthen our economy,” Mr Buah stressed. The minister is on a working visit to Singapore to inspect the progress of work on the second FPSO, which is being constructed at the Jurong Shipyard Limited (JSL). Officials of Tullow Oil plc, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), the Ministry of Finance, Ghana Petroleum Commission and journalists are on the tour with the minister. Large quantities of oil and gas have been discovered offshore Cape Three Points in the Western Region by Eni and Vitol, both oil companies. The oilfields, christened Sankofa, have large deposits of gas which are expected to power the country’s thermal plants to produce more electricity to bring to an end the frequent power outages being experienced in the country. More liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other petroleum products are expected to come on stream when the FPSO begins production in 2017. A little over $500 million was spent to import crude oil over an eight-month period to power thermal plants when gas supply from Nigeria to Ghana got disrupted. Thus, the processing of more gas on the third FPSO would save the government millions of dollars in crude oil imports. Mr Buah said “We are working very hard to conclude the plan of development (POD) for the development of the oilfields. We intend to conclude the POD as soon as possible to ensure the FPSO and actual oil and gas are delivered by early 2017”. He said “the FPSO would produce the largest amount of gas in the history of Ghana,” and explained further that aside from the production of more than 50,000 barrels a day, the FPSO would produce more than 150 million cubic feet of gas daily.” Eni and Vitol are the operators of the Sankofa fields, while the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is partnering them on behalf of the tax-payer. The most exciting part of the project, the minister noted, was that the third FPSO would be constructed with the active participation of Ghanaian businesses. “Ghanaian small and medium enterprises are going through series of training programmes to fully take advantage of the local content regulation. This will result in a real quantum leap for Ghanaian businesses in the coming months,” Mr Buah assured. Source : ghanavoice

Consolidated Heavy Lift Ltd has now taken delivery of their new 1,300 bhp shallow draft tug SHWE LIN TA (Myanmarese for GOLDEN EAGLE) from Far East Shipyard in Sibu, Sarawak, seen here departing from the yard recently

http://www.knrm.nl/�



SBM Offshore Closes Sale And Lease Back Of Monaco Real Estate Portfolio SBM Offshore N.V. a dutch provider of floating production solutions to the offshore energy industry, Friday announced that is has completed the sale and lease back of its Monaco real estate portfolio. The company noted that the last of the three buildings was sold for approximately $62 million net of expenses, resulting in a book profit of approximately $58 million. It was on December 17 last year that the company reported the sale and lease back transactions for two of the three buildings with sales proceeds exceeding $100 million and resulting in a book profit of approximately $30 million.

Schiedam -based SBM Offshore said the latest announcement concludes the sale and lease back of SBM Offshore's approximately 10,000 square metre portfolio of Monaco real estate. As a result, the company will pay a market conforming rent for office space of this size and quality. Total proceeds net of expenses resulting from the transactions are in excess of $162 million with a total book profit of approximately $88 million. In Amsterdam, SBM Offshore shares closed Thursday's trading at 11.57 euros, up 0.02 euros or 0.22 percent.

Shell Submits Revised 2015 Arctic Offshore Drilling Plan

Shell Oil has submitted a revised 2015 exploration plan for Arctic offshore drilling to federal authorities Thursday, amid questions about how quickly its latest proposal can be evaluated by the Interior Department. In an emailed statement to Channel 2, Shell Alaska spokesperson Megan Baldino confirmed the submission, which comes amid a business climate apparently warming to further drilling. “Today, we submitted revisions to our previously approved Chukchi Sea Exploration Plan to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; this step is necessary to keep our 2015 exploration options viable,” Baldino wrote.

Shell suspended its 2014 offshore drilling plans in January after high-profile 2012 safety issues with the drillship Noble Discoverer and the New Year’s Eve grounding of the drilling rig Kulluk on Sitkalidak Island. More recently, however, six Alaska Native corporations invested in Shell’s Chukchi Sea drilling, and Alaskans rejected Ballot Measure 1 and its proposed repeal of Senate Bill 21’s reduced oil taxes. According to Baldino, both the Noble Discoverer and a new drilling platform, Transocean's Polar Pioneer, would be used in the revised 2015 plan if it's executed. Both are currently undergoing upgrades in Singapore. While previous versions of the plan had involved keeping the Discoverer in reserve at Dutch Harbor, the latest ones involve simultaneous deployment of the drilling assets. "If we move forward, it would be a two-rig program in the Chukchi at the same time," Baldino said.

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management spokesperson John Callahan says the Anchorage office has the revised plan, and has been “expecting this for a while.”

According to Callahan, leases for the exploration area were sold to Shell in 2008 as part of Lease Sale 193, but an environmental impact statement for the sale was later challenged in court. As a result, the bureau can’t formally move ahead with evaluating the revised documents until Interior Secretary Sally Jewell reaffirms the original sale. “We’ve received Shell’s exploration plan, but we can’t formally process it until the reaffirmation is complete,” Callahan said. “Shell knows it’ll be a while before we can process this.” In the meantime, BOEM officials are informally evaluating the exploration plan, even as they hope to finalize a supplemental environmental impact statement for the challenged lease sale by February and release a reaffirmed record of Jewell's decision by March. “The version that we have now, we do not consider it to be the final version,” Callahan said.

Ocean conservation group Oceana released a statement through its Juneau office on Shell's drilling plans Thursday, questioning the company's safety record to date. "Shell is no more prepared to conduct offshore oil and gas exploration activity in Alaska’s remote Arctic Ocean than it was in 2012," the group's Pacific vice president, Susan Murray, said in a statement. "The government should take this time to fully evaluate Shell’s exploration plan and uphold the highest standards for offshore oil and gas exploration in the Arctic. The Arctic Ocean’s oil is not going anywhere, and rushing to extract it is a mistake." Baldino emphasizes that the company isn't working under a specific timeline, and has not officially committed to 2015 drilling. "We have not made a formal decision," Baldino said. "It's all about getting it right and safe." This is a developing story Source : KTUU-TV



China, Vietnam Try to Repair Ties After South China Sea Dispute

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, met with Vietnamese special envoy Le Hong Anh on Wednesday, though the two leaders seemed to make little progress on easing tensions. Zuma Press A Vietnamese envoy's visit to China this week helped steady ties between the countries after a two-month standoff in the South China Sea, but former Vietnamese officials and security analysts said relief may be temporary amid Beijing's escalating push to control the disputed waters. Chinese President Xi Jinping attempted to play down

tensions between the nations during a meeting with Vietnamese special envoy Le Hong Anh on Wednesday. "A neighboring nation cannot be moved, and it is in the common interests of both countries to be friendly to each other," said Mr. Xi, according to an account by China's Foreign Ministry. Vietnam's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the countries agreed to avoid actions in the South China Sea that would heighten tensions as they seek lasting agreements that would help to resolve the maritime row. Relations between the neighboring nations had been strained since May, when a Chinese oil rig appeared unannounced in waters claimed by both countries to explore for oil and gas. The move drew criticism from Vietnam, which dispatched government vessels to confront the rig, leading to a series of ramming incidents between Chinese and Vietnamese vessels. The two-month standoff marked the sharpest deterioration of China-Vietnam relations in years. Washington has criticized Beijing's actions as provocative. China has described the deployment of the rig as a normal business activity on the part of one of its companies. It remains to be seen whether Mr. Xi's remarks mean China will slow its South China Sea push. China claims nearly the entire sea as historical waters, an assertion that brings it into conflict with neighbors such as Vietnam and the Philippines. Along with China, five other governments claim parts of the South China Sea.

That Mr. Xi, China's top leader, met the Vietnamese envoy illustrates the high level of attention top Chinese leaders are paying to its disputes in the South China Sea, said Ian Storey, an expert on Asian security issues at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. However, that doesn't mean China will back down in its claims. "China has made no concessions," he said. Since Mr. Xi took over as China's top leader in late 2012, China's central government has embarked on a series of steps to establish control over its periphery, measures that have increased tensions with neighbors and the U.S. China set up a new air-defense zone over the East China Sea in November 2013, in waters also claimed by Japan, and has stepped up land reclamation and building work on disputed islands of the South China Sea, among other efforts. Mr. Storey said the message from China's central government has been consistent. China is willing to work together with neighbors "but we will not compromise our sovereignty claims," he said. Diplomats in Beijing are concerned by China's moves, with some questioning Mr. Xi's pledges to improve China's relations with neighbors and the government's efforts to assert control over disputed areas. The disputes between Hanoi and Beijing over the South China Sea, known as the East Sea in Vietnam, stretch back decades, and a single visit won't resolve underlying disputes, said Tran Cong Truc, the former chief of Vietnam's government border committee. China's intention to control the sea hasn't changed, Mr. Truc said, and its government "will take more unilateral actions that may cause tensions in the future." The rig at the center of the latest dispute, HYSY 981, is controlled by China National Offshore Oil Corp., the country's main state-controlled offshore oil producer. The rig was operating in waters around the disputed Paracel Islands chain, which is claimed by both China and Vietnam. The rig was removed from the disputed waters in mid-July after Cnooc said it had completed drilling and exploration in the waters around Triton Island, or Zhongjian Island in Chinese, which is part of the Paracels chain. The dispute over the rig led to deadly riots in Vietnam and attacks against Chinese businesses. At least three Chinese nationals were killed in the violence, and Chinese and other foreign factories were looted and burned. Source : Wall Street Journal



Cunard's Queens to make history

The QUEEN MARY 2 departing Halifax after a days visit, Photo : René Serrao Portuguese Cove, NS ©

Cunard will make cruise history in 2016 when all three of its Queens - Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth - will depart Southampton on the same day. All three will leave the UK port on January 10 2016 and return together on May 10 2016 after completing their world voyages. On sale from September, 5, Cunard's 2016 world voyage programme also includes maiden visits to Kangaroo Island, Adelaide and Newcastle and Queen Victoria's first roundtrip cruise from Sydney. The eight-night roundtrip cruise from Sydney will visit Hobart and Melbourne and will make the cruise line's maiden call to South Australia's Kangaroo Island. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth will make her maiden call in the New South Wales' city of Newcastle on February 22, 2016, less than a week after her inaugural call to Adelaide on February 16. Other highlights of her East-West voyage include a 20-night roundtrip cruise from Hong Kong throughout Asia. Departing March 10, 2016, the cruise will visit 10 exotic destinations including Shanghai, South Korea and Taiwan, plus six ports in Japan during the nation's Cherry Blossom season.

Queen Mary 2 will make history on her world voyage with her first visits to 11 ports including calls to tropical Papeete and Moorea in Tahiti and mystical Halong Bay in Vietnam. All three ships will visit Sydney and Brisbane as they head north to Hong Kong with holidaymakers able to choose from three different routes from Australia to the Chinese city: via Papua New Guinea and the Philippines with Queen Elizabeth, taking in Malaysia and Shanghai with Queen Mary 2 and via Bali, Brunei and Vietnam with Queen Victoria. Source : travelmole

World's biggest, 2nd biggest lines ask Washington for permission to tie-up

THE world's biggest and second biggest shipping lines, Maersk and MSC, have sought permission from the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to form a vessel sharing agreement called the 2M. Copenhagen's Maersk Line and Geneva's Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), have submitted their 10-year agreement proposal to the Washington regulatory agency. The FMC allowed the more ambitious P3 alliance, a union of the top three shipping lines that included CMA CGM, but this was rejected by Chinese regulatory authorities as having too much market share. Washington has 45 days to review the new proposal, though procedings can be suspended if the FMC wants additional information.

http://www.redwise.com/�



The new arrangement is a standard vessel sharing agreement, unlike P3, which looked more like a merger to Chinese regulators despite protestations from the participants. In the 2M case, the European Commission and China’s Ministry of Transport will be notified, but do not have to give official clearance to a vessel sharing agreement, which like an airline code share, has independent and rival sales teams selling space of their own and on each other's conveyances.

The document submitted to the FMC covers ports in the northern Europe-Gibraltar range, plus the Med to the US Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts, along with ports in Mexico, Canada, Panama, the Bahamas and Asia to the US.

2M covers Asia-Europe routes but this is of no concern to the FMC. With US trades, 2M parties can discuss and agree on the size, number and types of vessels. They plan to operate 97 ships in US trades ranging from 4,000 to 13,000 TEU. Source : Asian Shipper

WEST CRESSIDA MOVING TO SINGAPORE

The "Boyd Tide" will soon tow the "West Cressida" from the Gulf of Thailand to Singapore together with the "Posh Assistor"

The "West Cressida" was built at Jurong Shipyard for Larson O&G as the PetroJack 4. The Jack-up went straight from Singapore to the Gulf of Thailand 5 years ago and working for PTTEP most of the time. The West Cressida had 53 rig-moves during the 5 years she was there. After some repair at KFELLS the rig will be dry transported to West Africa.Photo’s : Richard Qualm – radincoffshore ©

CMA CGM profits rise on cost cutting, volume jumps

CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest carrier in deployed capacity, increased revenue and cut operating expenses in the April through June period according to quarterly figures released The numbers continued a trend in which the world’s biggest carriers are profitable while much of the rest of the industry is struggling. Maersk reported second-quarter earnings last week that show, like CMA CGM, not just profits, but growing profits. The Marseilles-based carrier’s second-quarter financials showed volume up 8 percent versus the second quarter of 2013. It reported total revenue of $4.2 billion, 3.7 percent higher year-over-year.

The CMA CGM CORNEILLE outbound at the Westerschelde – Photo : Willem Kruit ©



Though net profit was down from the second quarter of 2013 — the second quarter of 2013 was when CMA CGM sold a stake in Terminal Link for $248 million — the company said its $94 million profit in the second quarter represented recurring profit that was 18.7 percent higher than the second quarter of 2013. CMA CGM said the rise was mainly due to a sharp decline in unit costs, an area where smaller carriers have had less success. The company said it carried 3.1 million 20-foot container equivalents, or TEUs, in the second quarter, 8 percent higher than in the second quarter of 2013. It highlighted its development of three markets — from Asia to Europe, to and from Africa, and the Asia-Pacific line of its subsidiary ANL — that helped increase volumes significantly. “Freight rates remained volatile overall, with the usual high level of volumes at this time of the year helping drive current rate increases,” the release said. “On this basis, CMA CGM expects its third-quarter operating performance to be sustained.” Alphaliner ranks CMA CGM third on its list of the top 100 carriers, behind Maersk Line and the Mediterranean Shipping Company. Maersk, which announced its second-quarter earnings Aug. 29, reported profit over five times larger than CMA CGM, although CMA CGM carries just over half of the volume Maersk does. Maersk Line reported a net profit of $547 million, with a lower volume increase of 6.6 percent, and said it handled 2.4 million 40-foot container equivalents in the second quarter.

According to Alphaliner, Maersk controls 15.1 percent of the global market in deployed capacity, and CMA CGM represents about 8.6 percent. MSC holds 13.6 percent, but does not report any financials. Average revenue per TEU declined by 3.9 percent, the company added. But cost-cutting initiatives reduced the company’s costs per TEU by 4.8 percent, the release said. Most notably, fuel costs per TEU fell by 9.3 percent, the company said, thanks to the combined effect of lower bunker consumption per unit, attributable to larger ships, and more moderate bunker prices. Low sulfur bunker fuel prices have dropped 1.1 percent since March, the end of the first quarter.

CMA CGM’s fleet also grew in the second quarter, as the company reported capacity of 1.6 million TEUs on its 430 vessels, 3 percent higher than 2013’s second-quarter capacity. Board Chairman, CEO and founder Jacques R. Saadé said in a statement that the company is expecting delivery of three ships in the coming weeks. The CMA CGM Danube will be the first 9,000-TEU long-term charter vessel deployed on Black Sea services, the company said.

CMA CGM will also be expanding port terminal operations. The company has signed a partnership agreement with Adani to develop a new terminal in Mundra, India. It will also — with state approval — begin construction on a new terminal in Kingston, Jamaica. CMA CGM said the Jamaican terminal will become its Caribbean transshipment hub. On Aug. 21 it announced plans to establish a feeder hub on the French island of Reunion off Madagascar to serve Africa. Source : Journal of Commerce

The CFL PROMISE in Dunkerque Photo : Capt. Jan-Willem Monster HORJUS MARINE CONSULTANCY b.v.

http://www.lekko.org/�



Odfjell set to slash $25m after second-quarter loss

Analysts say the owner ‘appears serious about the intention to reduce costs’ after it posted a deeper-than-expected loss of $26m in the quarter Odfjell has been tipped to strip out a further $25m in costs next year after it posted a deeper-than-expected second-quarter loss. Jan Hammer-led Odfjell booked a loss of $26m for the quarter having carried an $11.8m restructuring charge at its Rotterdam terminal. Analysts at RS Platou Markets said: “In a weak chemical tanker market, Odfjell appears serious about the intention to reduce costs.” Platou Markets pair Frode Morkedal and Herman Hildan believe the $25m will be saved via administrative and operating expense reductions — a figure that corresponds to a 10% cut in costs overall. They suggest 20 of the company’s 38 owned and bareboat-chartered ships have Norwegian seafarers onboard, making them $2,000 to $3,000 per day more expensive to operate. “The whole organisation is going to be turned around and the long-term savings could be significantly bigger if more sweeping measures are taken,” they said. Odfjell’s chemical tanker fleet booked a marginal operating gain of $1m, which marks a fall from the $6m seen at this point in 2013. “We are currently seeing signs of improved chemical tanker markets going into Q414 [fourth quarter of 2014], which should act as another positive catalyst for the Odfjell shares and add to the current valuation support in the shares,” said Bjorn Kristian Roed of Danske Bank. The company’s tank terminals business carried a $17m quarterly operating loss, not helped by the restructuring charge linked to its Rotterdam terminal that will lead to significantly lower costs and, by Platou’s estimates, cut the head count in half. “With wide-ranging measures taken in Rotterdam to cut costs and restore profitability and other terminals performing well quarter after quarter, we believe investors should look beyond the current challenges at Rotterdam and look towards the gradually improving chemical tanker market,” said Nicolay Dyvik, Oyvind Berle and Petter Haugen of DNB Markets. Source : Tradewinds

The yacht NOORDERLICHT departing Svalbard Photo : Capt. Shaun Beal master Cable Innovator ©

Iran Confirms US Coast Guard Fired at Fishing Boat

The chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy confirmed in remarks published Friday that a U.S. Coast Guard vessel fired on an Iranian fishing boat in the Persian Gulf this week but insisted the incident was not a "clash." The U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet said that personnel on a small boat dispatched from the U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat MONOMOY fired a single shot on Tuesday when they saw crew on a nearby Iranian dhow training a .50-caliber machine gun on them and preparing to fire. No one was hurt in the encounter, which came as the two countries work to hammer out a lasting deal over Iran's controversial nuclear program. The shot from the U.S. patrol boat was fired "in the air about three miles away" from the Iranian boat, Adm. Ali Fadavi was quoted as saying by the Tasnim News Agency. "It wasn't a clash but a single shot in the air ... there was no clash between Iranian and American forces,"



Fadavi said, adding that "Americans feared and felt danger from a fishing dhow." Dhows are traditional wooden boats common to the region that are typically used for trade. American, Iranian and other countries' military vessels routinely patrol the Persian Gulf, a key route for international oil shipments, usually without incident. Speed boats from Iran's Guard, however, have passed close to U.S. ships in incidents that have raised alarm in Washington. Fadavi, the Iranian officer, also said the Americans "should be fearful" as long as they are present in the Gulf. Tehran has long decried the U.S. presence in the critical waterway as a source of tension in

the region. The West and Israel believe Iran's nuclear program is aimed at building am atomic weapon. Iran denies the charge, saying its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes only, such as power generation and medical research.Source : military.com

World Maritime Day, 25 September 2014

This World Maritime Day international maritime charity Sailors' Society asks you to dress in the colours of your country’s ensign flag to Signal Your Support for seafarers. World Maritime Day offers us an opportunity to pause and be thankful for seafarers everywhere. Please join us, either as an individual or an office team, in celebration of seafarers and the amazing work they do. We’re asking for a donation of $5/£3 from everyone taking part to help seafarers and their families. For more information please visit: www.sailors-society.org/signalyoursupport! Or CLICK HERE

The RESOLVE EARL visited Gibraltar – Photo : Francis Ferro ©

http://www.sailors-society.org/signalyoursupport�

http://www.sailors-society.org/signalyoursupport�




Coral crushed by cruise ship anchor The captain of a 1,000-foot cruise ship mistakenly anchored in an unauthorized zone outside a dive shop in George Town on Wednesday, severely damaging a patch of pristine coral reef. “The damage was a pretty significant as the

anchors on these ships are very large,” said Tim Austin, deputy director of the Department of Environment. “The impact where the anchor landed was very severe; there was a lot of crushed live coral and sediment.”

The CARNIVAL MAGIC cruise ship was guided by pilot boats to anchor outside of the designated public port anchorage, according to officials from the DoE. The Port Regulations (2011) list four anchorage areas for ships in the George Town port. There is no live coral left in these areas, as the reef there has been destroyed over the years, DoE officials said. Under the Marine Conservation Law, it is an offense for boaters to damage to any species of coral reef in Cayman waters by way of an anchor. Boaters are encouraged instead to use public moorings, which are outlined on the DoE’s website. “Coral is already under a

threat by a myriad of impacts, from climate changes to human impact,” said Mr. Austin. “The impact of losing any live coral has a big knock-on affect. Coral is very slow growing and it will take five to six decades to put back what was lost in a few hours yesterday.” Port Authority officials authorized Bodden Shipping Agency’s pilot boats to direct the vessel to the southernmost anchorage, number four. “The Port Authority assigns the anchorage to the ships, but the pilot directs them to the anchorage and tells them where they drop the anchor,” said Joseph Woods, the Port Authority’s cruise operations and security manager. DoE officials said rough winds led the captain to position the ship about 200 meters outside of the zone, in front of Don Foster’s Dive site. Staffers at Don Foster’s were shocked when they saw the cruise ship dropping its anchor just outside their shop. “We were curious because we have never seen a cruise ship in a position that far south before, and so we assumed that the location of the anchor was a bit strange there,” said Sergio Coni, operations manager of Don Foster’s Dive. After notifying the Port Authority, Mr. Coni asked staff to dive down and check for any damage to the reef. “We dived down in the area just in case, and then we took some photos of where the anchor landed and where the anchor and chain location was,” Mr. Coni said. “You can see the path where the anchor went at that moment, and where the chain was sitting along the coral, the coral is certainly damaged.” “[The pictures show] ...the scar left on the coral bed by the anchor after being dropped and dragged until it set. [There is] a clear path of broken coral pieces as wide as the anchor and for as long the anchor dragged,” he said. Don Foster’s Dive crews regularly dive around that patch of coral reef, and according to staff it was in good condition before the accident occurred. “It was a perfectly fine live section of the coral there,” Mr. Coni said. Staff said no divers were in the water at the time. The vessel was repositioned in a coral-free zone by noon Thursday, DoE officials said. “The department will be trying to develop between ourselves, the Port Authority and the shipping agent to develop some form of safeguards that can be put in place to ensure that this type of incident doesn’t occur in the future,” said Gina Ebanks-Petrie, director of the Department of Environment. Bodden Shipping Agency declined to comment. Source : compasscayman

The SERI BEGAWAN anchored off Gibraltar for bunkers – Photo : Francis Ferro ©



Rising Demand for LPG Shipping Driving VLGC Ordering Frenzy

A sharp rise in LPG shipping demand, particularly out of the US, is driving an ordering frenzy for very large gas carriers (VLGCs) which will increase the size of the LPG shipping fleet by over 50% over the next two years, according to the LPG Forecaster report published by shipping consultancy Drewry. The main demand driver has been US exports and their trade with Asia. US LPG exports rose 64% in 2013 and a growing proportion of this traffic is moving to Asia, up from 7% in 2012 to 14% in 2014. While Japanese imports declined in the second quarter of 2014, imports into both China and South Korea rose strongly. A steady flow of cargoes in the Middle East and an increase in exports from West African countries also helped boost demand for larger LPG carriers, especially VLGCs. These developments have led to a rise in tonne-mile demand, resulting in tight tonnage availability and record high spot freight rates. Drewry’s VLGC Middle East to Japan benchmark doubled in the first six months of 2014, reaching an all-time high of US$117 per tonne in April.Record earnings and the prospect of rising long-haul trade between the US and Asia has encouraged ship operators to invest in new tonnage. In the six months to June 2014 the orderbook for LPG carriers jumped over 25% from 171 vessels to 215, meanwhile the VLGC orderbook soared 68% from 47 to 79 ships.“LPG shipping has managed to attract around US$2.7 billion in newbuilding investment so far this year,” said Drewry’s lead energy shipping analyst Shantanu Bhushan. “Most of the current orderbook for VLGCs are expected to join the LPG fleet between 2014 and 2016, and with minimal demolition activity anticipated Drewry is forecasting that fleet capacity will rise 52% over this period.” Near term, the approaching refinery turnaround season in the Far East could help boost imports into the region further. Bhushan elaborated: “This will help support spot rates through the remainder of the third quarter and into the fourth. However, we do not expect current highs to continue for long due to the pressure of rising tonnage availability in the major loading regions.” Source: Drewry Shipping Consultants

ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS FREE MARITIME NEWSCLIPPINGS ? CLICK HERE AND REGISTER FOR FREE !

CMA CGM continues its expansion and confirms its profitability

The Board of Directors of CMA CGM Group, the world’s third largest container shipping company, met under the chairmanship of Jacques R. Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, to review the financial statements for the second quarter of 2014. In the second quarter, in a market environment shaped by diverging developments in different regions: • Consolidated revenue amounted to $4.2 billion, up 3.7% year-on-year. • Volumes carried increased by 8.0% to 3.1 million TEUs. • Average revenue per TEU decreased by 3.9% over the period. Sustained growth in volumes was mainly attributable to the development of the Group’s Asia-Europe and Africa lines, and of the Asia-Pacific lines of its subsidiary ANL, reflecting CMA CGM’s enhanced services portfolio in these regions. As a result the Group achieved record-high volumes for the period. In addition, CMA CGM maintains its commitment to operational efficiency, thereby reducing costs per TEU by 4.8%. Most notably, fuel costs per TEU fall by 9.3%, thanks to the combined effect of lower bunker consumption per unit and more moderate bunker prices. Core EBIT amounted to $204 million in the second quarter of 2014, versus $172 million in the prior-year period, representing an 18.4% increase. Core EBIT margin therefore stood at 4.9%, up a slight 0.2 pt compared to the first three months of the year and up a sharper 0.7 pt compared to second-quarter 2013. Consolidated net profit came to $94 million, versus $268 million in the second quarter of 2013, with last year’s amount including a non-recurring $248.0 million in proceeds from the sale of the 49% stake in our port terminal operations subsidiary Terminal Link.CMA CGM’s financial position remained stable, with cash maintained at a healthy level and net debt unchanged, resulting in gearing of 0.71. In the second quarter of 2014, Standard & Poor’s raised CMA CGM’s credit rating to B+, with a stable outlook. Developments and Outlook • Following the arrival of the Danube, the first 9,000 TEU long-term charter vessel deployed on the Black Sea lines, the Elbe and Rhône vessels will be delivered to CMA CGM in the coming weeks. • The Group is continuing to expand its port terminal operations, with:

http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/en/subscribe/�



- The signature of a partnership agreement with the Indian company Adani to develop a new terminal in Mundra, India. - The start of bilateral negotiations as part of a project to develop a terminal in Kingston, Jamaica, following the acceptance of the proposal by local authorities. The terminal is to become CMA CGM’s transhipment hub for the Caribbean. In addition, the Group recently announced its plan to make Reunion Island its transhipment hub for the Indian Ocean following the completion of work to expand Port Reunion. Freight rates remained volatile overall, with the usual high level of volumes at this time of the year helping drive current rate increases. On this basis, CMA CGM expects its third-quarter operating performance to be sustained. Source: CMA CGM

Luchtfotograaf maakt fotoboek als hommage aan zijn redders

In 2011 besloot luchtfotograaf Herman IJsseling een fotoboek te maken over de Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij (KNRM). Een boek vol reddingboten in stormachtig weer. Tot zover niets bijzonders. Tot hij op 8 mei 2013 op 50 kilometer uit de kust in zee stortte en uren later door de vrijwilligers van de KNRM werd gered. “De KNRM heeft sindsdien een speciaal plekje in mijn hart. Dit boek is voor mij een hommage aan een bijzondere groep mensen.” De boekpresentatie vond plaats op 29 augustus in het bijzijn van zijn redders. Luchtfotograaf Herman IJsseling van Flying Focus is befaamd vanwege zijn stormboeken en – kalenders. Zeker in de maritieme sector is Flying Focus een begrip. Een boek over reddingboten paste logischerwijs in het oeuvre van de luchtfotograaf: schepen in extreme omstandigheden. Wat het boek Redders van boven uniek maakt, is het verhaal dat tussen de regels door te lezen is. Het verhaal van een luchtfotograaf die crashte, op wonderlijke wijze gered werd en bij wijze van eerbetoon het lopende boekproject afmaakte. Het boek Redders van boven (128 pagina’s) is vanaf gisteren te koop in de reguliere boekwinkel. Maar óók in de

Reddingwinkel van de KNRM, www.reddingwinkel.nl . “Wie daar het boek bestelt, is verzekerd van het feit dat een deel van de opbrengst ten goede komt aan het reddingwerk van de KNRM”, aldus IJsseling.

NAVY NEWS

The Royal Netherlands Navy 1995 commissioned replenishment ship HNLMS AMSTERDAM A836 off the Grand Harbour, Malta on Monday 18th August, 2014. Photo : Capt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com ©

http://www.reddingwinkel.nl/�

http://www.maltashipphotos.com/�



HMS Illustrious decommissioned in Portsmouth

The aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious stood down after thirty-two years as a flagship in the Royal Navy.The Portsmouth-based helicopter and commando carrier has clocked up nine hundred thousand miles on operations across the world. HMS Illustrious, based in Portsmsouth, was built on the Tyne and launched by Princess Margaret in December 1978. She and her crew have played an important role in the Royal Navy's operations around the world. Rachel Hepworth joined sailors past and present to bid her farewell.

Israel Set to Receive 4th Dolphin-Class Submarine

Israel’s fourth Dolphin-class submarine will arrive from Germany, where it was constructed, by the end of the year. The advanced submarine, named the INS Tanin, was originally scheduled to sail to Israel in 2013, but its journey was delayed. After arriving in Israel, the submarine will undergo operational preparations and have Israeli systems installed onboard, according to Israel Hayom. This process will take several months, after which the submarine will become operational.A fifth Dolphin-class submarine, the INS Rahav, is expected to arrive in Israel next year. In February 2013, then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak signed an agreement with Germany for the construction and delivery of a sixth Dolphin-class submarine. A name has yet to be chosen for this submarine, and it is not expected to arrive in Israel until around 2019.The cost of each of the three new submarines is around half a billion dollars. Dolphin submarines are considered to be versatile multipurpose vessels able to carry out a wide variety

of missions. Source : algemeiner

USS Cape St. George Stops By in Singapore The Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71) arrived in Singapore Aug. 20 for a good will and friendship building port visit as well as a voyage repair maintenance availability. Prior to arriving in Singapore, the ship participated in the 2014 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), the world’s largest naval exercise with 49 ships from 22 countries. The exercise provided invaluable partnership building with other navies through participation in training operations, including large and small caliber gun fire, visit, board, search and seizure operations and a missile launch. In addition,

Cape St. George Sailors enjoyed time ashore in Hawaii participating in the RIMPAC sporting events where they were able to meet and interact with sailors from the other participating countries. While in port Singapore, Sailors explored the local area and enjoyed Singaporean hospitality. The ship also organized and participated in two community outreach projects. Cape St. George left its home port of San Diego June 16 for its 2014 independent deployment to 7th Fleet area of operations supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region Source : NavalToday

Opinion: A New Era in Anti-Submarine Warfare



China and Russia’s submarine forces are flexing their prowess in the undersea domain by operating further from their respective country’s homeport – in some cases within striking distance of the United States. Given the expansion in operations, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) platforms on both coasts of the United States will be required to monitor and defend the nation more frequently. Foreign submarine operations near the homeland are not necessarily immediate threats, but do require careful thought as the Navy prepares to execute future ASW missions. As budget and naval policymakers continue to plan for the future, ASW must remain a high priority for either homeland or overseas defense. The good news is that the U.S. Navy has new platforms and technology coming online that can provide a significant advantage in the undersea domain.

China

Adm. Sam Locklear, Commander, Pacific Command, earlier this year stated, “China’s advance in submarine capabilities is significant. They possess a large and increasingly capable submarine force.” China has expanded their undersea reach as evident in this year’s deployment of a Chinese nuclear submarine to the Indian Ocean. The deployment demonstrates extended submarine operations and the capability for China to deploy nuclear submarines within ballistic missile launch range of the United States, within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), or potentially closer to territorial waters. As China continues sustained undersea operations, proficiency will likely improve with time as well. The expansion of China’s nuclear submarine fleet will also allow operations further from the Asia Pacific region in the coming years. China is in the process of building four new improved variants of the Shang class nuclear submarine and working on a robust diesel submarine fleet. Given China’s submarine capability to transit and operate in the Indian Ocean and with continued submarine growth, a future nuclear submarine deployment off the West Coast of the United States may occur in the next five years or possibly sooner. The purpose of future submarine deployments may serve as a deterrence, presence or collection mission against the United States – creating an increased requirement for naval assets to monitor and ensure security for the nation. This development should not come as a surprise to those in the national security community. Senior policymakers and naval leaders should develop an operational and strategic plan in how to deal with Chinese submarine operations closer to the United States.

Russia

As China increases their submarine role in maritime operations, Russia is simultaneously increasing their Navy’s importance. “The navy, for our country, is her pride, strength and dignity,” Russia’s President Vladimir Putin last month said. “The power and strength of the Russian navy will only grow.” The Russian submarine force is also set to grow.

In the next two years, Russia will begin construction on nine submarines. Russia has already commissioned two Borei class nuclear submarines and plans to build six more. This new submarine is a notable threat carrying sixteen SS-NX-32 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and six SS-N-15 cruise missiles. In addition, the Russian navy plans to add seven Severodvinsk class nuclear attack submarines by 2020 with intentions for reaching a total of sixteen. With Russia’s construction of new submarines and leadership touting naval strength, more submarine operations near the United States are possible. Since the end of the Cold War, Russia for the most part has been non-existent in operating nuclear submarines near the United States, but that may change. In 2012, a Sierra class nuclear submarine operated off the east coast of the U.S. – a trend that could continue in the future. In addition, Russia recently increased rhetoric against possible U.S. submarine operations. Russia publicly stated an IL-38 ASW aircraft chased away a U.S. nuclear submarine that was operating in the Barents Sea – a claim U.S. naval leaders quickly rebuked.

American ASW

A future increase in submarine construction and operations by both countries are not the only development of concern in the undersea domain. Internationally, the development and use of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) for military, education, and commercial use are expanding. In the military realm, developed countries are exploring UUV deployment from submarines that will create a new dynamic in the undersea domain. As autonomous technology becomes more mature, UUVs will also operate independently in areas of potential crisis or strategic importance. With a future increase in UUV operations, the ability to track UUVs in the undersea will be equally difficult and require improved sensor and processing capability. To meet expanded foreign submarine operations and UUV technological advancements, the U.S. surface naval force employs state of the art ASW technology aboard numerous Arleigh Burke class destroyers. The SQQ-89A(V)15 Combat System, which will be aboard 64 destroyers by 2020, and the new Multi-Functional Towed Array (MFTA) are game changers in ASW operations. The combined capabilities alter how the surface navy searches and tracks submarines. With enhanced sensor capability and data processing, the surface naval forces have an increased role in integrated ASW operations. ASW surface ships can remain longer on station in comparison to aircraft and also provide real time command and control capability beyond that of a submarine.

In stride with the surface navy’s technological advancements, the aviation community has new platforms to meet the ASW mission. The MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and the P-8A Poseidon aircraft are to be fully integrated in the fleet by 2020. The new platforms are already providing an improved ASW capability in fleet operations. The MH-60R has been



forward deployed in Japan and operating in the Asia Pacific region since 2012. Additionally, the rotary aircraft has an enhanced active dipping sonar advertised to increase detection ranges from three to seven times compared to legacy systems.

Earlier this month six P-8A aircraft completed an inaugural and successful deployment to the Asia Pacific. The P-8A adds an improved sensor search capability by utilizing a multi-static active coherent (MAC) system, which is comprised of sonobuoys (source and receiver) and advanced processing. In addition to the new platforms and technological advancements, all ASW ships and aircraft in the future will employ the Mk 54 lightweight torpedo, which integrates several years of weapons technology. By 2020, these new improvements collectively in the surface and aviation communities will create a powerful ASW capability. However, the Navy must further improve requisite training to meet the new capabilities, and foster a fleetwide culture that prioritizes the ASW mission.

The CNO’s Sailing Directions offers, “The Navy will continue to dominate the undersea domain using a network of sensors and platforms.” The navy is building a fleet (sensors and platforms) with enormous ASW capability that will create an integrated ASW machine. Additionally, the CNO has articulated that warfighting is the Navy’s primary mission and people are the Navy’s foundation. To ensure the U.S. Navy succeeds in ASW, a focus on warfighting and people must occur in tandem.

Training

ASW is a complicated warfare area, and proficiency can only develop through extensive textbook and practical training, at both the officer and enlisted levels. In his book, Destroyer Captain, Adm. Jim Stavridis (retired) described that “submarines are like steel sharks – quiet, silent, and deadly. They are designed to hunt and kill. Occasionally, it becomes necessary to find and destroy them – to keep open sea-lanes of communication, to sweep an area and make it safe for Allied shipping. Destroying a submarine is the hardest task in naval warfare.” Learning ASW takes time, training, and experience to fully understand how to plan and execute ASW operations. Of all the topics associated with ASW, oceanography (undersea environment) is the most difficult to grasp and essential in dominating the undersea domain. When comparing the undersea with other warfare area such as anti-air warfare, the science and understanding of the ASW operating environment is a more complex tactical problem. Given the complexity of ASW, training personnel in mastering oceanography and anti-submarine operations must remain a high priority. For the last twenty years or more, ASW has not been a significant operational requirement as a result of the Cold War ending and a decade of fighting in the war on terrorism. A culture change from a primarily air warfare centric navy to an emphasis more in ASW must occur to improve proficiency among naval personnel at all ranks. This culture change must occur from the top down led by the Navy’s senior officers afloat and ashore.

Today and in the future, ASW will be required to deter and deny future foreign submarine operations against U.S. national interests at home and abroad. Combatant and Fleet Commanders must carefully balance the allocation of naval forces in both these areas to sustain undersea dominance. The navy’s new platforms and technologies in the surface and aviation communities increase the ability to detect, localize, and track submarines. These new platforms and technologies have established a new era of ASW operations from the days of the Cold War. As the U.S. Navy moves forward, officers and enlisted personnel must have the necessary training to operate the improved platforms and sensors given the potential rise in foreign submarine operations as well as unknown UUV technological advancements. Source : USNI

Black Sea Fleet to Receive 11 New Vessels by End of Year – Russian Navy

The Russian Black Sea Fleet is to receive 11 new ships and service vessels, including two anti-sabotage boats, six service vessels, two diesel-electric submarines and two frigates, Navy Commander Adm. Viktor Chirkov said Thursday. “By the end of the year the Black Sea Fleet will receive two Grachonok-class anti-sabotage boats and six service vessels of different classes. Two Project 636.3 diesel-electric submarines, the ‘Novorossiysk’ and the ‘Rostov-on-Don,’ will join the Black Sea Fleet this year,” Chirkov said. Chirkov also said that by the end of 2014 the Black Sea Fleet is to receive a new Project 1135.6 frigate, the “Admiral Grigorovich,” and in September-October welcome a second ship of the same project, the “Admiral Essen.” Overall, the project entails six ships, with all of them going to the Black Sea Fleet. Earlier, the commander-in-chief announced that in 2017 Russia will start building a new generation of non-nuclear submarines. The submarines are expected to be equipped with an anaerobic system that increases speed and provides submarines with the ability to remain submerged while recharging their batteries instead of having to surface to do so. The Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class submarines should be constructed by 2016.



The third of the six submarines has been scheduled to launch Thursday in St. Petersburg. The submarines are primarily intended for anti-ship and anti-submarine missions in relatively shallow waters. Source : RIAnovosti

The Belgian Navy Karel Doorman Class frigates BNS LEOPOLD I F 930 off the Grand Harbour, Malta on Monday 18th August, 2014. Prior to 29 March 2007, the ship was known as the HNLMS Karel Doorman (F827). It is one of the two frigates of this class that was purchased from the Royal Netherlands Navy on 22 December 2005. Photo : Capt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com ©

SHIPYARD NEWS

Work to start on Qatar’s first self-built liftboat

Doha: Nakilat-Keppel Offshore & Marine (N-KOM) has selected ABS to class the first self-elevating unit ever to be built in Qatar. The project also will be the first offshore newbuild project undertaken by the shipyard. Customized for the Middle East and North Africa region, the LB310S will be a four-legged liftboat capable of field transit and elevated operations in water depths to 65 m. Source : Gulfshipnews

ABG Shipyard has sought shareholder approval to issue 5.64 crore equity shares or compulsorily convertible preference shares to lenders to pare debt under its corporate debt restructuring scheme, the company said in a notice to the exchanges on Thursday. The company plans to price the equity shares at ₹275.92 a share, for a total value of ₹1,556 crore, which is

http://www.maltashipphotos.com/�

http://www.tos.nl/en/companies/offshore-crew/�



equal to the company’s funded interest term loan. The company has also sought shareholders’ nod to give an option to its lenders to convert working capital term loans and term loans totalling ₹10,622 crore into equity shares or compulsorily convertible preference shares. Shares of ABG Shipyard ended at ₹236.85 on the NSE, down 1.31 per cent from the previous close.Source : the Hindu Business Line

VEKA shipyard Lemmer fully certified VEKA shipyard in Lemmer announced it has been awarded with three certificates; ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18002 by the TÜV Rheinland Group, one of the world’s leading certification authorities and recognized for their high standards of technical competence. These certificates stand for the highest international standards of service, quality, organizational effectiveness and commitment to a safe and healthy workplace and environment.

The certificates of achievement were awarded to the VEKA team in Lemmer (NL), by Mr. Cor van Gemerden of TÜV Rheinland. During the ceremony that took place in Lemmer, General manager mr. Erik van Prooijen expressed his

happiness during this occasion and said, "I'm proud of this important achievement made by the whole team within a period of just 7 months. It is an accomplishment that highlights the dedication and team spirit to effectively implement and maintain the integrated management system necessary to achieve the highest standards of safety, health, environment and quality. In this whole process Myron Advisering has proven to have been a great guide for us”. Our goal is to constantly improve our organization towards a company that fulfills the need for innovative and complex seagoing vessels.

The floating dry dock in Westhaven Marina, Auckland NZ busy with another keeled customer.

Photo : Larry Tompkins ©

Zelenodolsk Shipyard launches serial production of non-self-propelled dry

cargo barges of project 3136 OJSC Zelenodolsk Shipyard named after A. M. Gorky (Tatarstan) has launched a serial production of non-self-propelled dry cargo barges of project 3136. The design was developed by OJSC Engineering Center of Shipbuilding with consideration of the professional opinion of water transport market participants, press center of the shipyard says.

Classification of Russian River Register - XО2.0 (ice 20). Major characteristics: LOA – 89.9 m, beam overall – 14.30\9 m, depth – 4.7 m, maximum draught – 3.7 m, unloaded displacement – 550 t, loaded displacement – 3,980 t.



Tatarstan based OJSC Zelenodolsk Shipyard named after A. M. Gorky specializes in the construction of warships and passenger high-speed vessels. The enterprise is managed by AK BARS HOLDING. Source : PortNews

Royal IHC starts building EasydredgeTM 2700 for stock

Royal IHC (IHC) is constructing the first vessel in its range of competitively priced standard trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHD). It has started to build the Easydredge™ 2700 for stock in response to the increasing global demand for TSHDs with an extremely short delivery time. 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: "Building a TSHD for stock is a logical step forward for IHC. We are convinced that this is also an excellent opportunity for our customers operating worldwide. Availability of dredging equipment often causes a bottleneck for new entrants to this market. The need to have equipment to secure a contract, and the need for a contract to secure financing to procure this equipment is a vicious circle that IHC aims to help break by having new equipment available from stock. “In addition, we have experienced that standardisation, combined with extremely short delivery times, is a highly successful concept for our range of IHC Beaver® cutter suction dredgers. This enables us to achieve the combination of a high-quality product at a relatively low level of investment – and we are convinced that this also applies to the standard TSHD series.”The construction of the Easydredge™ 2700 is being carried out by IHC partner MTG Dolphin’s shipyard in Varna, Bulgaria. It is responsible for the assembly process and will deliver the vessel in summer 2015. For more information, please visit www.easydredge.com Additional information

• EasydredgeTM 2700 • Type Trailing suction hopper dredger • Length overall 81.75m • Breadth 15.8m • Depth 5.9m • Draught at international freeboard 4.4m • Draught at dredging mark 5.5m • Speed 11.5 knots • Dredging depth 25m • Suction pipe diameter 700mm • Loading capacity 3,910 tonnes • Hopper capacity 2,700m3 • Daytime accommodation 8 people

http://www.easydredge.com/�



Shipyard continues to support staff training

FREEPORT, Grand Bahama -- Carrying on their mandate to educate more Bahamians in the field of shipyard repair, the CEO and management team also want their staff to learn how to operate and direct the yard, which is one of the island’s leading industries. Congratulating his staff on excelling yet again, Carl Gustaf Rotkirch, Chairman and CEO at the Grand Bahama Shipyard, presented certificates to staff members for completing a Principals of Management course at Terreve College last week. “This yard is in its infancy,” stated CEO Rotkirch, “and the young Bahamian team that we are assembling now is the future of this growing ship repair business.” With this in mind, Don Forbes, GBS Training Manager, contacted Terreve College and designed a Principals of Management course for staff at the GB Shipyard tailored to address leadership, accountability and productive management skills.”

The course was taken by three employees and six technical trainees and was taught at night at the Terreve campus by Alfred Stubbs for seven weeks. “I really enjoyed the class and the opportunity,” said young Justan Campbell, a junior project planner at the yard. “Coming back from college in the US, I was pleased that the course was really intensive and that my fellow classmates took the material seriously and we excelled together.” Those who participated in the course included Ashley Burnett, Justan Campbell, Gevon Hall, Jeffrey DeGregory, Antonessia Moxey, Natasha Bethel, Theo Pelecanos, Samuel Miller and Wilton Forbes. GBS Training Manager Helps Set Up Management Training Course - Don Forbes, GBS Training Manager, contacted Terreve College and designed a Principals of Management course for employees of the Shipyard. “Working with Mr. Samuel Bethel and his staff at Terreve we tailored the course to ensure our staff focus was leadership, accountability and productive management skills.”

ASL Marine full year profit plunges 50% By Lee Hong Liang from Singapore

Singapore’s ASL Marine saw net profit for the full year 2014 plunged 50.3% over the previous year, dragged down by a loss in the fourth quarter. Full year profit came up to SGD22.12m ($17.71m), down 50.3% compared to a profit of SGD44.47m in 2013. In the fourth quarter of 2014, however, the shipbuilder recorded a loss of SGD3.03m as against a gain of SGD14.41m a year ago due mainly to the cancellation of one OSV and delayed delivery in two other OSVs.

ASL Marine added that “the interaction of accounting policies and timing issues with respect to ship repairs” also contributed to the fourth quarter loss. “We would like to highlight that the fourth quarter was an anomaly to our usual financial performance and we expect that in first quarter of full year 2015 the results will revert back to trend,” said Ang Kok Tian, chairman and managing director of ASL Marine. Earlier this month, Singapore-listed ASL Marine had warned investors of a fourth quarter loss due to delivery delays and cancellations. Meanwhile, revenue for 2014 rose 9.5% year-on-year to SGD509.8m due primarily to higher contributions from the ship repair and conversion segment and engineering segment, which were partially offset by the decline in revenue from the shipbuilding and ship chartering segments. “The acquisition of our third shipyard in Batam marks the group’s strategic commitment to further strengthen and expand our shipbuilding and ship repair capacity and capabilities,” Ang said. Source “ tradewinds

ROUTE, PORTS & SERVICES

http://www.rotterdamoffshore.com/�



Spliethoff’s AALSMEERGRACHT arriving in Willemstad (Curacao) Photo : Kees Bustraan –

http://community.webshots.com/user/cornelis224 (c)

Rates rises buoy Odfjell Odfjell’s second quarter 2014 results were in line with expectations, the company said.

Its chemical tanker division reported an EBITDA of $26.2 mill, compared with $17 mill in 1Q14, but was reduced by a one-off charge of $2.2 mill related to the South American operations. This increase was as a result of the TCE daily rates rising by 10% and improved vessel utilisation with only minor trade interruptions seen in 2Q14. Adjusted for one-off charges for Odfjell Terminals (Rotterdam), the Terminals division reported an EBITDA of $1.8 mill, compared to zero in 1Q14. A one off re-organisation charge of $11.8 mill was recorded in May against Odfjell Terminals (Rotterdam). The effect will be a significantly improved cost base for the terminal going forward, the company said. ? An ongoing cost-cutting and efficiency review to provide for a more competitive cost structure indicates the potential for significant improvements. Activity in the chemical tanker division in 2Q14 started fairly well, but slowed down from mid-May onwards. Contract and spot volumes increased and Odfjell suffered only minor cancellations or interruptions of trade. Although partially compensated for by demurrage payments, delays due to significant congestion in port remain a major concern, the company said. The clean petroleum products market remained stable at low levels and bunker prices remained high throughout 2Q14. Odfjell’s regional trade weakened during 2Q14, due to slow activity and plant outages, resulting in lower volumes nominated under contracts and limited spot opportunities. The exception to this was the South American regional trade, which continued to deliver strong results. Thus far into the third quarter, the flat spot activity during the summer continued. However, nominations under the company’s contracts were healthy and softer bunker prices were seen. In May, Odfjell took delivery of the second of four coated chemical tankers from Hyundai Mipo. The two remaining vessels are expected to be delivered in 4Q14. The first and second vessels are on long-term bareboat charters to Odfjell, while the two remaining units will be wholly owned. Following the joint venture agreement with Breakwater/Oak Hill, Odfjell exercised an option and confirmed the order for four 22,000 cu m LPG/Ethylene gas carriers at Nantong Sinopacific in China. The vessels are scheduled for delivery between September 2016 and June 2017. As a result, Odfjell Gas now has eight LPG/Ethylene vessels on order at this yard. The first four 17,000 cu m LPG/Ethylene gas carriers are scheduled for delivery between October 2015 and May 2016. Odfjell’s shareholding in the tank terminals business delivered an EBITDA of negative $10 mill in the first half of the year, heavily impacted by a re-organisation charge at the Rotterdam terminal in May of $11.8 mill. The effect is a significantly improved cost base for the terminal going forward. With the exception of the tank terminals in Rotterdam and Charleston, the terminal results were in line with expectations overall. In Singapore, a strong performance was seen as a result of higher revenues, due to more additional services provided. The overall terminal group, excluding Rotterdam, had a gross occupancy of 95% as at end of June. Following final commissioning, the Charleston terminal is now fully operational. The expansion at the Antwerp terminal has been successfully concluded, adding a total of 50,000 cu m capacity. The expansion of stainless steel tank capacity in Houston is estimated to be completed by 3Q14 and good progress is being made on the new terminal in Tianjin with completion of construction planned around the end of this year. Odfjell Terminals’ Rotterdam’s first half EBITDA came in negative $28.6 mill, which was heavily impacted by the one-off re-organisation charges of $11.8 mill in the second quarter. The process to improve the cost base at Odfjell Terminals (Rotterdam) met an important target in May, as a final agreement with the unions was reached. This agreement includes a reduction of more than 100 jobs, a wage freeze and a new collective labour agreement from 2015. As a result, staffing costs are

http://community.webshots.com/user/cornelis224�



now in line with the business plan. Odfjell said that it expected increased occupancy in 3Q14 for the terminal group (including Rotterdam) as a result of a large new contract being concluded. The divestment of the non-strategic 12.5% ownership in Chinese-based Vopak Terminal Ningbo resulted in a profit before tax of $1.3 mill. In June, Odfjell completed a tap issue of NOK300 mill in the existing NOK500 mill bond maturing December 2018. The NOK bond proceeds were swapped to US dollars and will be used for general corporate purposes. The company also said that it is in the process of assessing various sources of finance for the eight LGP/Ethylene vessels to be delivered to the new gas joint venture.

Port of Gulfport Dredging About to Begin The Port of Gulfport dredging program will start next week, according to Port Director Jonathan Daniels. The channel leading to and from the Port of Gulfport is 33 feet deep, 3 feet less than its authorized depth of 36 feet, but that is about to change. “Next Tuesday, the Army Corps of Engineers and their contractor will be mobilizing to commence the dredging work,” Daniels told the port authority board.The federal government is providing $4 million for the dredging, and the port will pay $8 million. Daniels said the work should be completed by mid-January. The channel has not had a complete maintenance dredging since 2009.Source : dredgingnewstoday

PLEASE MAINTAIN YOUR MAILBOX, DUE TO NEW POLICY OF THE PROVIDER, YOUR ADDRESS WILL BE “DEACTIVATED”

AUTOMATICALLY IF THE MAIL IS BOUNCED BACK TO OUR SERVER If this happens to you please send me a mail at [email protected] to reactivate

your address again You can also read the latest newsletter daily online via the link :

http://newsletter.maasmondmaritime.com/ShippingNewsPdf/magazine.pdf

Brazil AHTS Contract Breakthrough for Havyard

Havyard says it is to deliver the ship design and equipment for four anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels that are to be built and operated by the Brazilian shipping company and shipyard group Grupo CBO. The contract has been entered into by Havyard Design & Solutions, which is responsible for the development of the ship design and for integration and coordination of the equipment packages. The contract also includes deliveries from other business areas in Havyard Group, including Havyard IAS (integrated automation and alarm systems), PMS (Power Management System) and navigation and communications equipment from Havyard Power & Systems. The equipment package also contains equipment from other Norwegian and international suppliers. This is the first design and equipment contract for Havyard in Brazil, and it is also the single biggest contract entered into by Havyard Design & Solutions.

Breakthrough contract Havyard Group established a separate company, Havyard South America Ltda, in Rio de Janeiro in 2011. Under the leadership of Kjell-Peder Overvåg, the company has worked on selling Havyard products and services in Brazil and South America and on supporting Havyard customers that operate in Brazil. The design and equipment contract with Grupo CBO represents a breakthrough for Havyard in Brazil. "The market has been very challenging since we opened an office in Brazil," Overvåg says. "Petrobas, the biggest oil company in Brazil, has almost stopped awarding contracts for new ships, and the delivery of ships under existing contracts has been very delayed or has come to a halt. This is due, among other things, to lack of financing and equity, and lack of progress at the shipyards." "The most successful projects have been projects where the shipowners have set up their own yards and managed them themselves. Grupo CBO is a company of this kind and one of the companies that has had greatest success. That is why it is a big feather in Havyard's cap to be chosen by CBO," says a very satisfied Overvåg. Source : Marinelink

…. PHOTO OF THE DAY …..


http://newsletter.maasmondmaritime.com/ShippingNewsPdf/magazine.pdf�



At the Samsung Shipyard in Geoje (Korea) the derrick was installed at the PACIFIC ZONDA the delivery of this drillship is expected for March 2015 Photo : Alex Hertog ©

The compiler of the news clippings disclaim all liability for any loss, damage or expense however caused, arising from the sending, receipt, or use of this e-mail communication and on any reliance placed upon the information provided

through this free service and does not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information

UNSUBSCRIBE / UITSCHRIJF PROCEDURE To unsubscribe click here (English version) or visit the subscription page on our website.

http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/en/unsubscribe/

Om uit te schrijven klik hier (Nederlands) of bezoek de inschrijvingspagina op onze website. http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/nl/uitschrijven/


http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/en/unsubscribe/�

http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/uitschrijven.aspx?lan=nl-NL�

http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/nl/uitschrijven/�

ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS FREE MARITIME NEWSCLIPPINGS ...

Documents

Transcript of ALSO INTERESTED IN THIS FREE MARITIME NEWSCLIPPINGS ...