On May 9, 2024, Houthi militants continued targeting the MSC Mediterranean Shipping company vessels, asserting them as ‘Israeli Ships’. The militants claimed to have attacked the 'MSC Gina', 'MSC Diego' and the 'MSC Vittoria'. However, a statement of the Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree did not provide any details nor any of the international security agencies have confirmed the attack. The military tracking operations have also not identified any new attacks on vessels or received information from ships operating in that region. The last report provided by UKMTO about the explosion near a merchant vessel came on May 7, when missiles were launched from Yemen that might have targeted the 'MSC Gina', which had departed from Sri Lanka, amd the 'MSC Diego', which had sailed from Oman, in the Gulf of Oman. Currently both vessels were providing extra assistance in the region to Djibouti. The Houthis had also claimed to have fired twice on the 'MSC Vittoria' in the Indian Ocean and laer in the Arabian Sea. This attack was also not recognized by the military tracking operation nor any information was received from the vessel.
News
KRITI RUBY
The chief engineer and 2nd engineer of the 'Kriti Ruby' admitted to charges over a discharge of oily waste near a New Jersey petroleum terminal in 2022 and concealing the pollution by falsifying records. Konstantinos Atsalis, 57, the chief engineer, pleaded guilty before the U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas in Newark, N.J., federal court to an information charging him with two counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, including falsifying the vessel’s oil record book. Sonny Bosito, 54, the 2nd engineer, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. Atsalis admitted that the vessel’s crew had knowingly bypassed required pollution prevention equipment by discharging oily waste from the vessel’s engine room through its sewage system into the sea, including near a petroleum offloading facility in Sewaren on the Arthur Kill waterway between New Jersey and Staten Island in September 2022. Atsalis also admitted that he falsified the vessel’s oil record book, a required log regularly inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard, by failing to record the discharge and that he directed crew members to hide equipment used to conduct transfers of oily waste from the engine room bilge wells to the sewage tank before the Coast Guard boarded the vessel. Bosito admitted concealing the discharge of oily waste into the sea through the vessel’s sewage system by causing a false oil record book to be presented to the U.S. Coast Guard during its inspection of the vessel. Bosito admitted directing crew members to hide equipment used to conduct transfers from the bilge wells to the sewage tank before the Coast Guard’s inspection. The charges to which Atsalis and Bosito pleaded guilty each carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2024.
Whittier
U.S. Coast Guard crews have given up the search for a 49-year-old Cordova man who went missing after an explosion and subsequent fire on a fixed barge at Delong Dock in Whittier, Alaska, shortly after midnight on Monday. The fire spread to the pier and then to the Anagalik, a 99-foot commercial fishing vessel that was initially reported to have two people aboard at the time of the explosion. Whittier Police Department personnel have since confirmed one of those two is safely aboard a different vessel en route to Whittier. The fire has now been extinguished, but the fishing vessel and barge sank in 85 feet of water at the pier with a potential maximum of 5,500 gallons of fuel oil aboard. The fishing vessel owners have contracted Global Diving and Salvage for clean-up and salvage efforts. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak has searched for the missing person by air, and crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Chandeleur and Coast Guard Auxiliary 336 searched nearby waters.
Halsa
With a NOK 1.23 billion offer, Fjord1 won the concession to run the E39 Halsa-Kanestraum route, the latest major ferry connection awarded by the Norwegian Road Authority.
CHRYSTAL ARCTIC
The 'Chrystal Arctic', heading west from Vadinar to Ain Sukhna on the morning of May 10, 2024, was approached by a small boat with six people on board about 100 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. The people on board were armed, and a ladder was spotted in the boat. Armed guards on board the tanker fired warning shots that were answered by the pirates. After the exchange of fire, the tanker changed course, while the boat with pirates abandoned the pursuit. A frigate from EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta was nearby in the meantime and took the pirates into custody and treated several of them for more or less serious injuries. However, it was unclear whether the injuries were from the exchange of fire.
Rizhao
Shandong Landbridge Group has entered into an agreement with Beijing Energy Group to jointly develop a LNG receiving terminal at Landbrige Port in Rizhao. Under the agreement, the two parties will invest RMB6.7bn ($973m) in total for the construction of the terminal, which will have a designed handling capacity of 5m tons of LNG annually. Additionally, the two companies plan to join their efforts to develop overseas energy projects.
Gothenburg
APM Terminals Gothenburg has managed to cut quay crane waiting times by as much as 90% by implementing new standard operational procedures for container lashing. This translates to a reduction from 38 minutes to just four. Using ‘Lean’ methodology, which is being adopted across all of the company’s terminals around the world, a Transformation Team at APM Terminals Gothenburg identified the root cause of the time delay – inaccurate information provided to the vessel crew.
DALI
On May 9 the Key Bridge Unified Command prepared to use small charges for controlled demolition of portion of bridge that were lying across the 'Dali'. Using precision cuts made with small charges was regarded as the safest and swiftest method to remove the bridge piece from on top of the vessel, whic is an industry-standard tool in controlled demolition that will break the span into smaller pieces, which will allow the work of refloating the vessel and removing it from the federal channel. The operation was initially scheduled to take place on May 11, sometime after 5:30 p.m. local time (EDT). US Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Ronald Hodges told CNN on May 10 the controlled demolition will not happen on May 11 due to the adverse weather forecast. The Key Bridge Response Unified Command will determine if there’s an opportunity for the demolition to take place on May 12. Photos: https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/post/update-23-photo-release-key-bridge-unified-command-prepares-to-use-small-charges-for-controlled-dem
Sydney
DP World Australia has called for an end to the strikes at its ports this week, warning that the industrial action comes at a time when shipping lines are reviewing stevedore contracts. “The industrial action will cause significant disruption to DPWA customers and importantly the broader supply chain of shippers, exporters and importers. DPWA employees will also be unnecessarily and avoidably impacted by these lost earnings,” said Andrew Adam, chief operating officer at DPWA. DP World’s Brisbane, Sydney and Fremantle container terminals are on a rolling 48-hour strike, while workers at the company’s Melbourne operations have decided to down tools for 96 hours. The workers said in a release their actions this week are in order to fight against automation, outsourcing, cuts to income protection insurance, and “dishonest bargaining” by the company During the recent 12-week bargaining period, DP World said the local union did not make any material concessions to its initial 50 claims. These claims include a wage increase well above CPI, DP World said.
Rijeka
After many creditors withdrew distraint proceedings, the Commercial Court in Rijeka decided on Thursday to postpone the bankruptcy of Croatia’s debt-ridden shipyard “3. Maj” until Aug. 1. Seven days ago the shipyard’s account was blocked for 156 million kuna (23.8 million U.S. dollars). After some of the creditors pulled back, the blockade now amounts to 86 million kuna (13.1 million U.S. dollars). Judge of the Commercial Court in Rijeka Ljiljana Ugrin urged Croatian Electricity Industry and the Croatian government to engage in the process of revocation of the enforcement order, so that “3. Maj” could continue with unfinished shipbuilding contracts.