News

Beached at Chittagong 25.01.20

Beached at Gadani 25.01.20

In the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian which caused widespread devastation across the Bahamas, Norwegian oil giant Equinor is setting about cleaning up the spills from its South Riding Point oil terminal on Grand Bahama. The South Riding Point oil terminal has sustained damage from the hurricane and oil has been observed on the ground at the terminal site and in neighbouring areas. The size of the spill is not yet clear. Equinor has secured vessels and equipment for oil spill response in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, and from various ports across southeast Florida.

Last month, an investment of USD 31 million in asset replacement and capacity improvements over the past year at the Port of Salalah paid off. The Port recorded the highest productivity ever achieved in the region, APM Terminals said in its release. The Port of Salalah is Oman’s major regional gateway port and transshipment hub, located on the Arabian Sea. With an annual capacity of around 5 million TEU, the port set a new productivity record this month, delivering 412.97 Port Moves per Hour (PMPH) on vessel Cap San Tainaro. The Port handled 3,820 moves in a port stay of 9.25 hours.

Beached at Gadani 03.01.20 under new Name Tala

90 miles northwest of Brest, a 70-year-old English single-hand-sailor got in difficulties in the night of Jan 23, 2020, aboard his 8,5-meter sailboat when being injured when his ship was dismasted. The man has no more means of radio communication. Luckily, the bridge watch of the 'Maersk Nienburg', coming from Bremerhaven, remarked his distress light signals west of the Ouessant Traffic Separation System At 9 p.m. the CROSS Corsen which had already organized the rescue of two sailors whose sailboat sank off the Pointe du Raz in the afternoon, was alerted and coordinates the rescue operation. Despite wind force the container ship managed to recover the British sailor at 10.20 p.m. The ship was then asked to approach the French coast. At the same time, the SNSM station Conquet was alerted and deployed the lifeboat 'SNS 151 - La Louve' to rendezvous with the freighter 10 miles off the coast. On Jan 24 at 6 a.m. he was transferred aboard the lifeboat 'La Louve' which took him back to shore at Le Conquet, where the injured was taken care of and transported to the Cavale Blanche hospital in Brest. The 'Maersk Nienburg meanwhile had resumed its voyage, heading south-west. The damaged sailboat remained adrift in the sea, and an urgent notice to mariners (AVURNAV) was issued to reinforce the watch. The last known position of the boat was 48.52 N 06.46 W with navigational lights on. French report with photos: https://voilesetvoiliers.ouest-france.fr/securite-en-mer/naufrage/blesse-a-90-milles-de-brest-un-marin-solitaire-de-70-ans-sauve-de-nuit-par-un-porte-conteneurs-9baf2740-3eaa-11ea-9684-70194a6e810b

The government of the Panama has officially approved the modification of the Panama Canal tolls structure, following a recommendation from the Panama Canal board of directors and a period of consultation with shipping line clients. The approved modifications include the tolls charged to neopanamax dry bulk vessels carrying iron ore, neopanamax dry bulk vessels transiting in ballast, the vehicle carrier/roro segment, and for the liquid bulk segment (including oil and product tankers, chemical tankers, LPG and LNG vessels).

Due to Hurricane Dorian, the South Carolina Ports Authority’s marine terminals in Charleston and Georgetown will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. All terminals are open and operating normal hours Tuesday, South Carolina Ports reported early Tuesday. Charleston and Georgetown terminals will reopen Friday at 9 am EDT. The Wando Welch Terminal (WWT) and the North Charleston Terminal (NCT) will operate normally on September 7. WWT and NCT will also be open September 8. The South Carolina Ports Authority’s inland ports will be open and operating under normal hours throughout the week.

Beached at Gadani 07.01.20

After 13 months of inactivity, the 'F.-A.-Gauthier' will resume its service between Matane, Baie-Comeau and Godbout in the coming days. The ship headed to sea on Jan 20, 2020, for trials which were going well. On Jan 23, the ship made the round trip Matane-Baie-Comeau. On Jan 24 it sailed between Matane and Godbout. On Jan 23, the preparation of the crew for the operationalization stage started, and the last tests and mechanical adjustments were effected. The captains will also be re-acquainted with the orders and docking in our various infrastructures. There were several safety tests and exercises to do and also everything relating to customer service such as checkouts, computer system, food service, etc. to be tested. Experts from Europe to identify problems with the electric motors who were working for General Electric were still on board the ferry. The 'Le Vacancier', which has actually been acting as a relief vessel, will make its last crossing on Jan 25. The next day, she will leave for his home port of Cap-aux-Meules in the Magdalen Islands. If be F.-A.-Gauthier will not be able to take over service on Jan 26, the state-owned ferry company STQ will bring back the 'Saaremaa', which is currently moored at the port of Trois-Rivières. The service will be offered continuously and without interruption. In addition, the STQ continues to offer air links between the airports of Mont-Joli, Baie-Comeau and Sept-Îles until Jan 31.

Among a string of new eco-friendly initiatives, the Marseille Fos port authority is to spend €20 million over the next six years to extend shoreside electrical connections for berthed vessels to every ferry, cruiseship and repair quay within the Marseille eastern harbour, the company said in its release. Already available on the Corsica ferry quays, the network will be expanded in two phases to cover North Africa ferry quays and the shiprepair hub by 2022 and the cruise terminal between 2022 and 2025. The zero-emissions investment - backed by national and regional government – recognises the need to maintain the port’s value to the economy while improving the city’s waterside air quality.

Affiliates of Qatar Petroleum and the Belgian independent natural gas transport company Fluxys Belgium signed a long-term agreement for LNG unloading services at the Zeebrugge LNG Terminal. Under the agreement, Qatar Terminal Limited (QTL) -a subsidiary of Qatar Petroleum- will subscribe to the full capacity at the terminal from the expiry of the existing long-term unloading contracts and up to 2044. The transaction follows a competitive evaluation process as well as the approval of the Belgian regulators. QTL is already a party to an existing agreement under which approximately 50% of the terminal’s capacity is utilized for delivery of Qatari LNG into Belgium under long-term LNG agreements.