Following a weekend of lashing swells on the hull of the stricken cargo vessel New Flame, off Europa Point and assessment is said to have recorded that the vessel is now down to 25% of its integrity, from a 60% reported last week, placing it in further danger of a total break up. As the risks of a natural break up continues, maritime experts and salvage team have been in discussions over the next stage of the operation. Although few official details have as yet been released, gibfocus understands that the main areas of discussions have been on methods to break up the vessel. Amongst two ideas proposed being the welding of the vessel for a complete break up, or a controlled explosion.
As experts continue to assess the situation extraction of fuel operations have resumed, to reduce the load of fuel onboard the vessel. Reports of possible use of controlled explosions to break up the vessel have been welcomed by some experts who have questioned why such an option was not taken before. Whilst no decision has been taken, the same experts have indicated to gibfocus that the greatest risk now exists if the vessel were to break up by itself. Opening the possibility for a break up at areas which would not safeguard the current vessels load. WIth the pressure and strains increased during the weekend due to the high swells increasing the damage to the vessel, discussions this afternoon have centred on the next stage of the operation.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
afraid of LNG in the backyard
An artist’s impression of the Safe Harbor Energy island LNG terminal
The US Coast Guard (USCG) has deemed the Safe Harbor Energy LNG project application complete and has begun its review of the proposal to build a deepwater LNG import terminal on a man-made island 23 miles from the entrance to New York harbour. Atlantic Sea Island Group, a Manhattan-based consortium of investors developing the US$1 billion Safe Harbor Energy project, states that the 60.5-acre island and its terminal would be located far from population centres and outside shipping lanes.
The facility would be able to process 2 billion ft3 of natural gas per day, equivalent to deliveries of approximately 15 million tonnes of LNG per annum. The plan calls for terminal construction work to begin in 2009 and for the facility to be commissioned in 2014.
Some environmentalists consider the Safe Harbor Energy LNG project to be less risky than the proposed Broadwater Energy LNG scheme, an unrelated, offshore LNG import project being promoted by Shell and TransCanada for the nearby waters of Long Island Sound. In the Broadwater plan the project’s floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) would be visited by two to three LNG carriers per week to meet the import terminal's planned sendout volume of 1 billion ft3/day.
"Being deemed 'complete' by the Coast Guard allows us to continue a process of public review, government oversight, market due diligence and environmental protection," Atlantic Sea Island Group chairman Howard Bovers said in a statement. "It allows us to continue to present Safe Harbor Energy as a strategic solution for a secure supply of natural gas to serve Long Island, the New York metropolitan area and the US Northeast for decades to come."
The Atlantic Sea Island Group explains that the Safe Harbor Energy island will be constructed in federal waters on the US outer continental shelf where water depths are approximately 22 metres. The location will allow LNG tankers to use the nearby, established Ambrose-to-Nantucket and Hudson Canyon-to-Ambrose international shipping lanes to access the facility. However, the island will be distant enough from these lanes to ensure that there will be minimal interference with commercial shipping and recreational boating users.
The island will be constructed of natural sand, gravel and rock materials, surrounded by breakwaters consisting of prefabricated caissons, prefabricated armour units and rock. The island would be designed to be able to withstand a 200-year storm. The LNG facilities will feature four 180,000m3 full containment storage tanks and two jetties able to accommodate LNG carriers up to 265,000m3 in size.
The Atlantic Sea Island Group plans to run a subsea pipeline from the new island to feed natural gas into an existing pipeline that runs from New Jersey to Long Beach on Long Island. The pipeline connection point would be at a point about five or six miles offshore and the current arrangement on the New Jersey-Long Island line allows gas to flow in both directions.
Smart Smuggler
August 22, 2007
Cocaine seized from semi-sub smuggling boat
A Jacksonville, Fla.-based U.S. Customs and Border Protection P-3 Orion aircraft participated in an operation Sunday in the Eastern Pacific Ocean that resulted in seizure of around 5 tons of cocaine.
CBP's surveillance aircraft tracked what is described as a "semi-submerged smuggling vessel designed to avoid detection."
Working with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, CBP's Air and Marine crew located, tracked and coordinated the interdiction of the vessel, loaded with an estimated $352 million of cocaine.
CBP Air and Marine's P-3 aircraft was patrolling in the Eastern Pacific as part of ongoing western hemisphere tracking operations, when the crew spotted the submersible vessel.
The P-3 aircraft then guided a U.S. Navy ship to the scene as the suspects scuttled the vessel along with the majority of the contraband aboard.
Coast Guard law enforcement detachment personnel made the arrests and seized 11 cocaine bales (1,210 pounds).
A similar interdiction was made last November. (See earlier report). In that case, the vessel was not scuttled. That 45 ft craft was seized by the U.S. Coast Guard in cooperation with Costa Rica and was later described as a cigarette boat that had an ocean-colored fiberglass covering intended as camouflage.
The boat rode low in the water because of the weight of the cocaine but did not actually submerge, and was covered with lead lamination to conceal it from radar. Tubes protruding from the boat turned out to be exhaust pipes rather than snorkels.
In that case, too, the vessel was carrying four persons.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Bugsier 7 & 8
Delivery: Beginnig 2009
Classification: Germanischer Lloyd
Gross Tonnage: appr. 476 t
Length overall: 32,00 m
Breadth overall: 12,60 m
Draft: 5,88 m
Bunker Capacity: 195 cbm
Bollard Pull: 80 t
Speed: 13,5 knots
Rolls Royce Rudder / Propeller US 255 - LP
Main Engines: Wärtsilä 8L26 2400kw
Bugsier 4, 5 & 6
In a repeat order, KST B.V., formerly trading under the name Kooren Shipbuilding and Trading, recently closed contracts with Unterweser Reederei GmbH of Bremen, Germany for the construction of two Rotortugs RT80-28. The vessels, in the past indicated as RT80-r, are expected to have a bollard pull in excess of 83 Tons. Length of the tugs is 28 meter, and they will be powered by means of three ABC 8DZC engines of 1760kW each, driving three Schottel SRP 1215CP azimuthing thrusters. The tugs will also be equipped with FiFi 1, classified by Germanischer Lloyds, and will fly the German flag. Both tugs will be constructed at ASL Shipyard Pte Ltd in Singapore for delivery to the owner in 2010.
At the same shipyard, KST B.V. presently is finishing the construction of three similar vessels for Bugsier Reederei GmbH of Hamburg, Germany, and one similar vessel for an investment company in Southern Europe. Both orders were previously acquired. After delivery of these vessels in the last quarter of this year and the first of next year, ASL will commence with the construction of the first two Rotortugs RT80-28 for Unterweser Reederei.
In addition, KST B.V. is close to sign shipbuilding contracts for the construction of four more Rotortugs of the type RT80-32, a tug with a bollard pull of minimum 80 tons and a length of 32 meters.
The extend of the present order portfolio indicates that the concept of a triangular propulsion configuration has been acknowledged worldwide in the towing industry. Apart from shipbuilding for a diversity of clients, KST B.V. is active in management of shipbuilding projects, and presently designing a multi purpose tug, capable to carry out a wide range of activities. The vessel will be designed for working offshore, including FPSO support, anchor handling, rig moves and cargo runs, and moreover be capable of carrying out harbour towage.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
South American Towage provided by the Ultragas Group
Ultratug - Chile
Petranso - Peru
Japina - Ecuador
Antares - Argentina
Wilso Sons - Brazil
Competitors:
Chile: CPT, SAAM
Peru: Tramarsa, SAAM
Ecuador: SAAM, CPT
Columbia: Coremar, Intertug
Venezuela: Terminales, Smit, Zulia Towing
Brazil: Smit, CNL, Wilson Sons
Argentina: Smit
to be completed...
Monday, August 13, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
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