The shipping industry is largely based on networking. Surprisingly, it has not had its own social media platform - until now.

Brokers, owners, crews, agents, educational institutions and others confined to Google to locate businesses, services and people within their industry, have something to get excited about, says Eirik Fosse, CEO and founder behind the Norwegian developed social network Shippingcluster.

"Shippingcluster is a social network exclusively for the global shipping industry, eliminating all unrelated noise, making people and business easy to find and be found," he says.

The service is free and members will collaborate to keep it highly relevant for shipping business.

The shipping industry is the world's most international business. In Norway alone, the industry creates an annual value worth 150 billion NOK, and employs over 100,000 people.

The potential shipping-specific network is huge

Likened to Facebook and LinkedIn, Shippingcluster as an online social networking website, has a huge future potential, believes Fosse.

The social media is here to stay. Why? Because its is efficient. But it has its disadvantages as , according to Fosse, "general networks are too broad."

"Focusing on specific business sectors, such as shipping, eliminates noise and increasesuser relevance, " says Fosse, referring to Shippingcluster as a maritime combination of Finn.no (an equivalent of Norwegian Ebay) and LinkedIn.

To make it happen, Fosse is teaming up with shipping and IT experts, bringing vast xperience and know-how to the table.

"We are a specialist industry with its own terminology and specific networking criteria. Industry know-how is therefore crucial in order to succeed within industry-specific social media," he predicts.

The ability to continously develop intuitive and technologically advanced web design is another prime asset. Industry-specific social networks must be as intuitive and user-friendly as the best internet services.

"IT-systems that require introduction courses in order to be used, are no longer acceptable. The site must be very simple and efficient, yet flexible," he says.

As the membership base grows, Shippingcluster will add new and effective maritime services to its members, such as CO2 reporting, vessel performance, benchmarking and port calls .

"The realization of network-dependent services will provide enormous opportunities and synergy for the industry," says Fosse, adding that the Shippingcluster will be the leading social network for maritime students and academia.

"This will be a perfect medium to highlight innovation projects and connect students and businesses related to these projects," says Fosse.

Launched last June, Shippingcluster today boasts a membership base of over 1,000 maritime people and 250 companies from over 40 countries.

"This is far above our expectations and obviously driven through word of mouth. We have given the shipping industry a communiative missing link which has very positive global ramificiations," says Fosse.

VIKING is introducing a new fixed-price offering to follow its popular Shipowner Agreements, enabling customers to leverage the manufacturer's unsurpassed global reach, broad range and worldwide stock points to streamline day-to-day safety equipment purchases in ports around the world.

Market-leading marine and fire safety equipment manufacturer VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has come up with a new answer to shipowner requests for predictable costs, reduced risk and easier administration. And it's combining the company's extensive network, worldwide stock points, and the integration of marine equipment supplier Hygrapha to do it.

VIKING's new "Global Safety Product Agreement" is a unique, centralized safety equipment purchasing agreement designed to help shipowners who need to acquire or replace safety equipment in a variety of ports around the world – and who want to avoid wasting valuable resources and time to find the right product at the right price.

Centralized procurement removes risk
Anyone whose vessels sail among multiple ports is familiar with the problem: A routine purchase decision is made to replace pyrotechnics, an EEBD or other item needed to ensure safety – and safety rules compliance – on board a vessel. While the item itself requires only a modest expense, its true cost needs to reflect the time and resources it takes to procure it. Over a period of time, these hidden costs can inflate the shipowner's total safety equipment investment. And to make matters worse, varying local conditions mean that vessels often buy products whose pricing, quality and compliance can swing widely from port to port.

VIKING CEO Henrik Uhd Christensen explains: "Shipowners don't want to spend too much time dealing with minor, one-off purchases, they don't want to risk buying sub-standard equipment, and they certainly don't want to overpay for anything in the name of convenience. Highly efficient shipping operations, for example, have carefully specified the types of equipment that make business sense for their fleet. But working with local marine suppliers takes time, and they may not have a similar product in terms of quality, compliance or price in stock."

Streamlined management
VIKING's Global Safety Product Agreement solves these problems by enabling shipowners to ensure their vessels have global availability of over 50 products to start with in pre-determined ports at annually fixed prices, consistent quality and full compliance. The agreements include single-point-of-contact management as well as easily accessible reports that provide an overview of key procurement data. As a result, shipowners get all the advantages of centralized procurement with dependable, local availability.

To make these new capabilities possible, the company is flexing its significant distribution muscles, using capabilities that none of its competitors currently have the size or supply chain access to match.

"We started preparing for this type of agreement a few years ago, adding a long list of multi-brand marine and occupational safety equipment to VIKING's supply capabilities," says Henrik Uhd Christensen. "Obviously, you don't set something of this size up overnight, so we've been working hard to build the new capabilities into our organization with the same cost-effectiveness and reliability that's already in place for VIKING's existing safety equipment supply systems."

Henrik Uhd Christensen also sees his company's marine safety equipment know-how as a vital part of each Global Safety Product Agreement.

"VIKING now carries tens of thousands of products – more than anyone else in the market. So we're in a unique position to help shipowners and operators make the best choices for their specific needs."

Tough-to-match capability
For now, VIKING is the only company with this type of offering, and its instant popularity has Henrik Uhd Christensen expecting competitors to scramble to bring similar services to their customers. But given the resources, global presence and literally hundreds of supplier relationships required to implement such contracts on a worldwide basis, he's not expecting an equally dependable alternative to his company's new procurement agreements in the foreseeable future.

Successful sea trials of Rodi Marine's newest crewboat the M/V Riley Claire have given Marine Jet Power a breakthrough in the fiercely competitive Gulf of Mexico crewboat market. The trial results show that all performance predictions were reached and the product is ideal for this application.

Four MJP 650 CSU waterjets power the new 175' (53.34m) DP2 Certified Crewboat built for Rodi Marine in Lafayette, LA by Swiftships LLC in Morgan City, LA. During sea trials in June, the M/V Riley Claire reached a top speed of 30.3 knots in lightship condition and 24.0 knots fully laden. The vessel's MJP waterjets are powered by four Cummins QSK 50 engines each producing 1800HP at 1900RPM and connected through Twin Disc MGX 6848 gearboxes at a 2.03:1 Ratio.

M/V Riley Claire, a USCG Subchapter T and ABS-classed all aluminum fast crew boat is 175' in length, has a beam of 25' and a molded depth of 13'6". While working in the Gulf of Mexico and servicing the Offshore Oil Market she carries a total of 34,500 gallons of diesel and 20,500 gallons of water for operating and an additional 6,700 gallons of diesel and 1,230 gallons of freshwater for the rigs. She is certified to carry 70 passengers and 10 crewmembers.

Riley Claire and her sister which will shortly be delivered to Rodi Marine will be the largest and fastest vessels in the seven vessel fleet and represent an important achievement for MJP as the first Dynamic Positioning 2 (DP2) rated vessels. They are the first vessels with MJP waterjets operating in the Gulf of Mexico. "We are starting to enter the Gulf market. We've wanted to be there for a long time," said Jordan Tilton of Marine Jet Power Inc.. The two vessels also marked a return to the commercial sector for Swiftships being the first vessels built after a five year period concentrating on military production.

Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) has selected Kongsberg Maritime's K-Sim Offshore simulation platform to enhance crane operator training and the safe, efficient implementation of heavy lift operations. With the contract signed on May 21st 2014, delivery of what will become the world's most advanced offshore heavy lift crane simulator is planned for September 2015. It will be installed at a new simulation center in the HMC Academy at the company's HQ in Leiden, the Netherlands.

As a leading international offshore oil and gas marine contractor specializing in transporting, installing and removing offshore facilities, HMC's requirement when selecting its simulation partner was to develop a system that could train the most competent crane operators and conduct detailed pre-mission training for heavy-lift projects. To meet these requirements, Kongsberg Maritime will develop a unique simulator based on the K-Sim Offshore platform, which is already in use at several high-profile offshore training facilities worldwide.

"In addition to the technical capabilities of the K-Sim Offshore Simulator, especially including its high-level hydrodynamics, it was important to find a simulator supplier that we could work closely with on such an extensive project," comments Catina Geselschap, Project manager at the HMC Academy. "Kongsberg Maritime demonstrates not only the technical competence to deliver such a complex and sophisticated simulator, but also an open approach that encouraged dialogue and a willingness to find a solution working in close cooperation with Heerema."

The Kongsberg Maritime scope of supply includes two offshore crane operator domes and a DNV Class A bridge with K-Sim DP simulator, which is based on the same Kongsberg Maritime K-Pos DP systems used on Heerema's vessels. To achieve highly realistic training, the K-Sim Offshore simulator will feature detailed models of three HMC deepwater construction vessels; Thialf (Semi-Sub), Balder (Semi-Sub) and Aegir, in addition to several barges (including H-851) and a supply vessel.

Supporting Heerema's plans to use the simulator for project planning, testing & verification, Kongsberg Maritime is also developing a set of library objects and models of offshore installations and equipment used for simulating specific heavy lift projects; such as lifting Jackets, top sides and subsea templates from barge to vessel or from vessel and overboard. Also included in the delivery is an extensive instructor and debrief system, and two deck operator trainers (deck position simulator) designed to train for communication and teamwork between the crane operator and deck operators.

"Heerema is pushing limits with real operations and the K-Sim Offshore simulator project will push limits within training for heavy-lift applications," says Harald Kluken, Area Sales Manager, Kongsberg Maritime Simulation. "As our most advanced offshore heavy lift crane simulator to date, this project will take the K-Sim Offshore simulator platform a great step forwards in regards to engineering and pre-simulation for complex heavy lift operations."

The Institute of Marine Research (IMR) has selected Optimarin's market proven ballast water treatment (BWT) system for its new flagship Dr. Fridtjof Nansen. The system, currently installed on 180 vessels worldwide, will ensure the NOK 450million (USD 73million) newbuild inactivates marine organisms transported in its ballast tanks, safeguarding the ecosystems examined on its high-profile scientific assignments.

Owned by the Norwegian Foreign Aid Directorate (Norad) and operated by the Bergen-headquartered IMR (Havforskningsinstituttet), the research vessel is a ST-369 design currently under construction at the Astilleros Gondan shipyard in Spain. Upon completion in 2016 it will undertake assignments in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, assisting in the sustainable management of natural resources.

Optimarin's technology was recommended to IMR by the yard, as explained by Mr. Ceferino Ron, Factory Director, Astilleros Gondan: "The Dr Fridtjof Nansen will be an important vessel with a crucial mission. It was essential that we selected a proven BWT solution with a track record of reliability, efficiency and the successful elimination of all potentially invasive marine organisms. We want all our newbuilds to conform with requirements and operate in accordance to the highest standards, and we're happy to have found a BWT supplier that shares those same values."

Optimarin's system, which utilizes filtration and high doses of UV irradiation to inactivate organisms, is an environmentally friendly solution with full IMO approval, USCG AMS acceptance, and certification through DNV GL, BV, RMRS and CCS. The company's leading market position is built on a history of expertise – Optimarin was the world's first firm to install a marine BWT system, on the Regal Princess in 2000 – with IMR's contract adding to the over 120 units currently in the firm's orderbook.

"An order for a client of this stature, with this reputation, is of great significance," states Optimarin CEO Tore Andersen.
"IMR fully understands the threat that the estimated ten billion tons of untreated ballast water transported annually poses to marine biodiversity, with some 7,000 species carried every day in ballast water tanks. Sustainability, environmental stewardship and responsible operations are essential to their mission, and our BWT solution will go some way to helping them achieve their goals."

The newbuild Dr. Fridtjof Nansen will replace a current vessel, built in 1993, with the same name. It will boast a total of seven laboratories and 32 cabins (sleeping up to 45 people), with a length of 74.5m and breadth of 17.4m. Key operational tasks will include assignments relating to the EAF (Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries) and the Nansen program for the FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organization).
Dr. Fridtjof Nansen was an oceanographer globally renowned for his crossing of Greenland and the 'Fram' expedition. Nansen, who died in 1930, was also a founder of ICES (the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) and a celebrated recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

International oilfield support services company ASCO (19th August) opened its new Marine Supply Base in Darwin, Australia. The official opening was attended by the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, the Hon. Adam Giles at a ceremony on site today.

The $110m purpose-built supply base will support Northern Australia’s growth as an international hub for the oil and gas industry. Funded by the Northern Territory government, ASCO has managed both the design and construction of the base, and has a 20 year contract with the Territory Government to manage its operations.

ASCO made its first entry into the Australian market in 2010 with the purchase of Darwin company Shorebase, which had an established logistics centre at East Arm close to the new supply base. In 2012, ASCO acquired Brisbane-based inventory and asset management specialists Oniqua, and in May this year took a majority stake in Bonnie Rock Transport - one of Australia’s leading providers of remote area transport and logistics to the oil and gas industry.

ASCO Group CEO Derek Smith said, “Australia is an important building block for us as we build our global operations through our four key regions – Europe, Americas, Middle East and Africa and Australasia.

“In Australia, ASCO can now support its customers through the entire supply chain cycle, and we are well placed to service the future expansion of this industry over the coming years”.

According to the Australian Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics (BREE), investment in LNG gas and oil projects continues to be the main driver of resources and energy investment in Australia. BREE states that 14 LNG, gas and oil projects at the committed stage have a combined value of $197bn, or 86% of committed investment in the Australian resources sector. Publicly announced petroleum projects have a combined CAPEX of $28bn-$30bn.

ASCO CEO in Australia Matt Thomas said, “This is a tremendously exciting time for us. Already a number of international oil and gas companies including ConocoPhillips, Eni, INPEX and Shell will be supporting their operations from Darwin and the supply base will be a critical link in their supply chain operations”.

As part of the company's industry-leading new vessel build program, Crowley Maritime Corp. christened the third of four tugboats in the ocean class series 

– Ocean Sky –on July 24th, in Houston.

The ceremony served to formally welcome the third dynamic positioning (DP) tugboat to the company's expanded ocean towing fleet, which has been involved in most of the major offshore oil production installations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico over the past 16 months.

Todd Busch, senior vice president and general manager of Crowley's solutions group, opened the ceremony to approximately 140 guests. He was followed by a series of speakers including Joe Huley, vice president, NC Power Systems, and Bruce Greshman, vice president, Heerema Marine Contractors, a Crowley customer who spoke about the 20-year relationship the two companies have enjoyed – a relationship, he remarked was based on "mutual trust, cooperation and responsibility to achieve the same goals."

Following an introduction of the tug's crew members and a blessing of the vessel by Father Sinclair Oubre, Jennifer Legg, Crowley's assistant treasurer and vessel sponsor, broke the ceremonial bottle of champagne across the hull of the boat.

Shell, Anadarko and Chevron, all of whom have contracted the ocean class vessels for service also had representatives in attendance as did Congressman Gene Green's office and the area's port commission.

The Ocean Sky, which features DP2 technology, is part of a feature-rich, four-vessel family of tugs ideally suited to work with Crowley's new 455 series high-deck strength barges, which measure 400 feet long by 105 feet wide (121.92 meters by 32 meters). Crowley's ocean class tugs are outfitted for long-range, high-capacity ocean towing; rig moves; platform and floating production; storage and offloading (FPSO) unit tows; emergency response and firefighting.

All four of the ocean class tugboats are designed to have a minimum bollard pull of 150 metric tons and a range of approximately 12,600 nautical miles at 15 knots free running. They are outfitted with twin-screw, controllable-pitch propellers in nozzles and high lift rudders for a combination of performance and fuel economy. 

"While today served as a formal ceremony to welcome this vessel to service, truth is, it has been busy tending to the needs of our offshore energy partners since its hull touched the water ready for service last year," said John Ara, vice president, Crowley. "All four of these dynamic positioning vessels along with their safe, well-trained crews have been in high demand and have performed reliably across the board for our diverse energy customers doing business in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico."

During the first ever pairing of all four ocean class tugs – Ocean Wave, Ocean Wind, Ocean Sky and Ocean Sun worked together to tow the largest offshore oil production and drilling platform of its kind ever to be built for use in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, the 120,000 ton TLP Olympus for 425-miles from Ingleside, Texas to her final location in more than 3,000 feet of water. Later the quad towed, moored and made storm safe the Jack/St. Malo topside at a depth of 7,000 feet and are scheduled to team again for movement of Delta House floating production platform and Chevron's TLP Bigfoot in the coming months.
The fourth and last planned vessel in the series, Ocean Sun, is slated for formal christening in Lake Charles, La., during mid-August by Coreen Busch, wife of Todd Busch.

Harkand successfully completed the test fit of the newbuild self-propelled hyperbaric lifeboat (SPHL) to the hyperbaric rescue facility (HRF) at Unique Maritime Group's facility in New Iberia, Louisiana.

Harkand DSV Upgrade includes Self-propelled Hyberbaric Lifeboat

In the Gulf of Mexico, industry standards require diving support vessels to be equipped with a means of hyperbaric evacuation that will provide immediate rescue for divers in saturation, if an emergency evacuation is required. Harkand has taken the extra step in providing an SPHL which provides a controlled escape for the divers who can be navigated to a safe harbor with and HRF.

The SPHL test mating was the first milestone in the USD 8.5 Million upgrade of the diving support vessel (DSV) Harkand Swordfish which is currently working in the Gulf of Mexico.

Harkand is completely upgrading the 1000' ABS Classed Saturation Diving System which will be fully IMCA compliant. An additional decompression dive chamber (DDC) will be added, increasing the capacity for divers to 15. The upgrade to DSV Harkand Swordfish also includes an upgrade of the three-man bell to the highest industry standards. The vessel will also be fitted with a 165' IMCA compliant surface diving system.

Mike Brown, general manager – diving operations, North America and Africa, said: "Our diving operation is rapidly expanding. During this growth period, we are focused on the safety of our personnel and the quality of our equipment. We are not interested in just complying to the industry safety standards, we are listening to the experienced, knowledgeable members of our team and implementing the safest equipment available. Harkand is focused on setting the standards for diving and IRM.

"In addition to the upgrade to the DSV Swordfish, Harkand is adding two IMCA compliant and DNV classed surface gas diving spreads to our Gulf of Mexico assets. The first will be delivered early Q4 2014."

Harkand provides offshore vessels, ROVs, diving, survey services, project management and engineering to the oil and gas and renewables industries. Employing close to 1,000 people at bases in Aberdeen, London, Houston, and Singapore; Harkand aims at being the leading subsea IRM and light construction contractor globally.

DNV GL and Subsea Global Solutions LLC., are proud to announce that they have completed an extensive joint research and development program, that will allow permanent repairs to be carried out by underwater wet welding on certain areas of vessels. Subsea Global Solutions' global network of coded welder divers will be available to perform these permanent repairs on a case by case basis utilizing this procedure in suitable locations throughout the world in accordance with the approvals given by DNV GL.

Underwater wet welding

Over the last two and a half years, Subsea Global Solutions welded in excess of 80 groove weld test plates underwater at depth in their training facilities in Miami, Florida, Long Beach, California and Terneuzen, the Netherlands. The non-destructive and mechanical testing of the plates was performed at the DNV GL lab in Hamburg, Germany. All data collected was shared between SGS and DNV GL during this procedure development program.

At the End of April 2014, test plates were welded in the training tank in Miami Florida, with a DNV GL welding engineer in attendance. The non-destructive and destructive testing was again performed at the DNV GL lab in Hamburg. Welding of the plates as well as non-destructive and destructive testing was performed in accordance with AWS D3.6M:2010 Class A. The results of the non-destructive and destructive testing were very positive with all welded test plates exhibiting metallurgical properties equivalent to permanent weld repairs performed "top-side" dry.

DNV GL is pleased to announce that during the SMM in Hamburg, Subsea Global Solutions representatives Rick Shilling (Executive Vice President), Kevin Peters (Vice President) and Uwe Aschemeier (Sr. Welding Engineer) will receive the certificate from Dr. Robert Surma, (Head of Ship Systems & Components, DNV GL) on Tuesday, September 9, 2014 at 16:00 at the DNV GL booth (No. 207 in Hall B4.GF (ground floor), to celebrate this achievement in underwater ship repair and maintenance.

About DNV GL


Driven by its purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, DNV GL enables organisations to advance the safety and sustainability of their business. We provide classification and technical assurance services along with software and independent expert advisory services to the maritime, oil & gas and energy industries. We also provide management system certification services to customers across a wide range of industries. Operating in more than 100 countries, our 16,000 professionals are dedicated to helping our customers make the world safer, smarter and greener.

About SUBSEA GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LLC


Subsea Global Solutions (SGS) consists of underwater ship repair specialists Miami Diver LLC, Parker Diving Service LLC and Trident BV. With a dedicated staff of over 100 diver / technicians and welder divers globally, SGS has revolutionized the methods of repair for ship shell plates and equipment underwater. Through a common shared system of dive equipment, specialty tools, and personnel SGS is able to mobilize quickly anywhere throughout the world for repairs of most shell plate, propulsion or underwater equipment. Services include the permanent shell plate repairs, replacement of aft propeller shaft seals, the exchange of thrusters and repair of propellers. SGS has become the Original Equipment Manufacturer's choice for all types of complex repairs. With class approved techniques and a highly trained staff in both underwater ship repair and propulsion equipment maintenance, SGS is the clear choice for vessels operating in sensitive environments and on critical trade routes.

Giant transport and lift vessels in port simultaneously

Lerwick Harbour has again demonstrated its deep-water capacity and capabilities, this time by simultaneously accommodating two giant support vessels and the successful offloading of a 10,000 tonne subsea oil storage tank, destined for west of the Shetland Islands.

The sheltered port’s facilities and proximity to the Solan Field, being developed by Premier Oil 90 kilometres into the Atlantic, meant is was perfectly placed for final preparation of the tank ahead of installation.

The tank was delivered to the port on 26 July from the construction yard in Dubai by Cosco (Chinese Ocean Shipping) Heavy Lift’s transport vessel, Xiang Yun Kou.

One of the largest float-on/float-off vessels in the world, her displacement of 47,285 tonnes made the Xiang Yun Kou the biggest displacement tonnage ship to berth alongside at Lerwick, although not an alongside record-breaker for length and gross tonnage.

The port was also used by Heerema’s semi-submersible crane vessel (SSCV), Thialf, which spent 1.5 days mobilising before heading for Solan on 31 July, arriving next day to await the tank for installation. It was a return visit for the world’s largest SSCV at 136,709 gross tonnes and 202 metres in length by 88 metres wide. Thialf has visited Lerwick previously, most recently last year.

Key stages during the tank’s time in Lerwick included:

• With more than nine metres’ water depth, the quay at Holmsgarth met requirements for berthing the 216.7 x 43.1 metre Xiang Yun Kou, initially starboard side-on before being turned to port-side alongside to give access to shore-based cranes and allow work, including removal of sea fastenings. Local contractors, including Ocean Kinetics and Peterson, assisted Aker, Premier’s main contractor.
• On 31 July, Xiang Yun Kou moved to the Brei Wick area of the harbour to ballast down overnight in a successful operation requiring 30 metres of water to partially submerge the vessel. The float-off early the next day involved a number of tugs, including Lerwick Port Authority’s vessels, Knab and Kebister. • Once afloat, the tank was returned to Holmsgarth quay for transfer to the ocean-going tugs to take it offshore in the first weather window.
• Xiang Yun Kou deballasted and departed port later on 1 August for Suez.
• The ocean-going tugs left port on 3 August with the 300,000 barrel storage capacity tank for a two-day tow to Solan where it has been successfully installed in 130 metres of water.

Lerwick Port Authority Harbour Master, Captain Calum Grains, said: “The successful handling of the Solan tank is another example of Lerwick’s ability to provide sites and support for major offshore projects. To accommodate two vessels the size of Xiang Yun Kou and Thialf simultaneously while servicing other oil and gas projects, cruise ships and daily operations is a clear demonstration of Lerwick’s scope.

“Our investment in facilities, including a major dredging project a few years ago, is paying off for the oil industry, the port and Shetland. We continue to develop resources, with plans including further deep-water facilities.”

The £12 million dredging project, completed in 2008, deepened and widened access, deepened berths and reclaimed land now well under development. The port’s near 4,000 metres of quays, including over 1,300 metres of deep-water berthing, are backed by around 130,000 square metres of laydown. Locations suitable for off-loading operations extend to more than 50 metres water depth.

Lerwick’s continuing support for the Solan project includes Bibby Offshore’s use of the port during the installation of subsea equipment.

ABS a leading provider of global marine and offshore classification services, and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) today to promote maritime research and development (R&D) and innovation.

Over the next five years, ABS and MPA will collaborate on maritime R&D in the areas of alternative/clean fuel and developing resilient, next-generation port systems. Both parties will also commit to promote and share maritime thought leadership on technology.

"For more than 50 years, ABS has been committed to working alongside the MPA, industry and academia to foster the safe and environmentally responsible growth of the Singapore marine and offshore industries," said ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. "This MOU is a further sign of our commitment to work with all stakeholders in this growing hub of global trade to further R&D efforts that provide practical solutions to today's most pressing challenges."

MPA Chief Executive Mr. Andrew Tan said, "MPA works closely with classification societies to undertake research activities in Singapore. This MOU with ABS will strengthen Maritime Singapore's R&D capabilities in the areas of green shipping, future port and maritime technologies. It also aims to promote Singapore's position as a global maritime knowledge hub."

The ABS-MPA MOU covers the following areas:

• Alternative/clean fuel research and technology, such as in liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering, covering both operational configuration studies and risk assessment and safety.

• R&D on resilient, next-generation port systems relating to the safety and security of new port facilities, and where processes, such as traffic management, safe navigation, security measures, situational awareness, decision making and consequence management measures, have to be continuously and effectively assessed and updated.

• Promote maritime technology to the Singapore maritime community through thought leadership fora, such as workshops and dialogues.
This latest agreement builds upon ABS-MPA Maritime Technology Professorship program at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). The aim of the program is to build up SUTD's capabilities in maritime education and R&D to further boost the growth of marine and offshore technology development in Singapore.

A new module addressing the implications of SOLAS regulations for the recovery of crew and passengers in distress at sea has been released by leading maritime training provider, Seagull.

The Seagull module, Recovery of persons from the water (CBT 297), is directed at management and operational staff responsible for a ship's safety management system.

The need to recover people from water usually occurs at short notice in emergency situations. The training module will help those onboard to draw up a ship-specific plan and it emphasises the need for everyone onboard ship to be familiar with their role in it.

The objectives include being able to identify the risks, recognise the factors that should be taken into account and list the essential requirements of a plan as well as know that drills must take place and be recorded.

In addition, the module's objectives include being able to list the actions to be taken to help those rescued to recover from the effects of being in cold water and to identify actions that can be taken when direct rescue is not possible.

Roger Ringstad, Roger Ringstad, Managing Director, Seagull AS, says: "This module helps ship's staff prepare, revise and review plans and procedures in line with SOLAS 111/17-1), which came into force on July 1 2014 and means that all ships will now have ship-specific plans and procedures for the recovery of persons from the water".

"The requirements apply to new ships constructed (with keel laid) on or after July 1 2014, and to existing ships by the first periodical or renewal safety equipment survey after this date. Ro-Ro passenger ships have already been requested to carry means of recovery equipment and should have complied already with the requirements."

Seagull's 60-minute, English language module has been created with the assistance of the Norwegian-headquartered supplier of safety, rescue and inspection equipment, Dacon AS, and with the UK company Jason's Cradle® Man Overboard Solutions, whose MOB system is used globally to retrieve people quickly and horizontally from the water.

"The importance of the horizontal recovery position cannot be overstated, as an estimated 20% of persons die during vertical lifting," says Mr Ringstad. "Horizontal lifting reduces the possibilities of 'dry drowning' and it is one of the quickest and safest methods of retrieving both conscious and unconscious persons."

Once again displaying their diversity for use in the domestic petroleum industry, one of Crowley's four ocean class tugs, Ocean Sky, recently provided back-up station-keeping and holdback services during a routine blackout test of ultra-deepwater, semisubmersible oil rig Noble Jim Day. This Shell-leased, Noble-owned rig is currently operating in about 9,600 feet of water in the 508 section of Walker Ridge as part of the Stones Prospect.

As part of routine blackout testing, Crowley was contracted to have the Ocean Sky connect its tow line to the rig, which itself has DP3 technology. The tug's connection was to serve as a contingency in the event the rig required additional assistance, which it did not during the 12-hour drill.

"These tugs have performed above and beyond each time they've been contracted," said Tommy Crosby, manager, sales and marketing, for Crowley's solutions group. "During this drill, we were able to demonstrate yet another feature of these ocean class tugs – tug holding position during stand by operations. These four tugs have repeatedly performed to the expectations of their build including salvage, heavy-lift barge towing, ocean towing and positioning of offshore structures, and standby and response in the Gulf of Mexico during Loop Current features and hurricane contingency planning."

Crowley's ocean class tugs are modern ocean towing twin-screw vessels with controllable pitch propellers (CPP) in nozzles, high-lift rudders and more than 147 MT bollard pull. The first two ocean class vessels, the Ocean Wave and Ocean Wind, are classed as Dynamic Positioning 1 (DP1) tugboats and are twin-screw tugs with an overall length of 146 ft., beam of 46 ft., hull depth of 25 ft. and design draft of 21 ft. The second two tugs of the class, Ocean Sky and Ocean Sun, are classed as DP2 and are 10 feet longer. All four vessels are capable of rig moves, platform and Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) unit tows, emergency response, salvage support and firefighting.

Woods Hole Group will work with its partner, the Conrad Blucher Institute (CBI) for Surveying and Science fromTexas A&M University-Corpus Christi on the work in Gulf of Mexico.  CBI (http://www.cbi.tamucc.edu) has a 20-year history of performing this type of work for NOAA and others.  CBI conducts innovative research and encourages scientists, Professional Engineers, and surveyors to develop accurate scientific spatial measurements; and apply technology solutions relevant to the geospatial sciences and issues associated with the Gulf of Mexico region.  CBI is home to the largest endowed Geographic Information Science (GISc) programin the United States.

This new work is in addition to the ongoing OperationsandMaintenance Woods Hole Group will continue to perform for JXPORTS (http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/ports/index.html?port=jx), a joint private/public PORTS®network.  The Jacksonville Marine Transportation Exchange (JMTX) is the private partner and lead operator for JXPORTS.  Woods Hole Group designed, installed, and maintains JXPORTS under contract to JMTX, the second largest PORTS® installation in the country.

All of these systems provide invaluable information to users of the waterways, including the shipping industry, tug services, military personnel, cruise ships, commercial and recreational fisherman, and academic institutions.These systems provide access to real-time quality controlled data (every 6 minutes) that facilitate safe navigation, and promote greater understanding of the waterway system and itsenvironment for research and engineering purposes.  With knowledge of water depths, current speeds and direction, the distance fromthe water surface to overhead bridge superstructure ,and other information, ship pilots can navigate safely and more efficiently.  The PORTS®systems are intended to reduce the risk of accident and improve maritime commerce. Economic studies also demonstrate that PORTS® reduces groundings by 50% and generates more than $50million in annual efficiency benefits.

Woods Hole Group is the leading PORTS® management expert, currentlymaintainingmorethan one hundred PORTS®stations along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.

Vice President for Scientific Operation, Robert Catalano, says, “Woods Hole Group has a 20 year relationship with NOAA CO-OPS and a reputation for providing a high level of support to NOAA.  The confidence that NOAA placed in Woods Hole Group through this multi-year award is a testament to this.   NOAA PORTS®is a vital data sourceto maintain the maritime safety our nation’s waterways.  Weare confident themaritime community will depend on the PORTS®data streamfor value-added decision-making that will save time and money while improving safety.”

NOAA CO-OPS Director, Rich Edwing says about Woods Hole Group and the overall PORTS® program, “The Woods Hole Group is an integral partner for ensuring continuous collection of essential water level andother data at our PORTS®for Narragansett Bay, New York/New Jersey Harbor, Chesapeake Bay, DelawareBay and River, Pascagoula, and previously for Lake Charles. Through their annual inspections of our systemsand during emergency repair situations the Woods Hole Group has demonstrated performancesuccess. We are excited to continue this professional relationship withthe Woods Hole Group.”

Beyond a doubt, Alfa Laval is today's environmental front-runner among marine equipment suppliers. The company's Pure Thinking portfolio comprises not only compliant solutions for the broadest range of environmental legislation, but also leading technology – or even the only technology – in each respective area. At this year's SMM, Alfa Laval will be showcasing the portfolio's most recent developments, which include the soon-to-be-launched PureSOx 2.0.

When Pure Thinking was introduced as a concept in 2004, Alfa Laval solutions were already associated with high efficiency and the reduction of waste. However, there was a growing sense that more would soon be called for when it came to the environment. Indeed, the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, adopted by IMO earlier that year, proved to be just one of the seemingly insurmountable hurdles placed before ship owners and operators.

"Ballast water treatment was on everyone's minds a decade ago, in much the way that emission control is today," says Peter Leifland, President Marine & Diesel Division. "There were others besides Alfa Laval with a ballast water solution in development, but already then we were looking at a much bigger picture. We anticipated more and tougher environmental legislation in the years to come, and we knew our customers would have to meet it without damage to their business. Pure Thinking became the platform for meeting that need."

As the name suggests, Pure Thinking began as a strong vision, with only a handful of finalized products and much that was still in the idea stage. PureBallast, for example, was not yet named and just setting out on its first trials at sea. But the formulation of a goal and a systematic approach would prove the key to addressing legislative demands. Ten years later, with US ballast water regulations already in place and Emission Control Areas (ECAs) soon entering into force, Alfa Laval's environmental portfolio is a concrete offering prepared for an increasingly concrete reality.

Unique developments of core technologies
While the Pure Thinking portfolio addresses a wide range of applications, some of which are completely new, the products within it remain true to Alfa Laval's proven strengths. "The principle of Pure Thinking has not been to venture into unproven areas, but rather to meet challenges by applying our core expertise in new ways," says Leifland. "Separation, fluid handling and heat transfer are Alfa Laval cornerstones, even when addressing environmental issues."

PureBilge, the centrifugal separator that became the very first Pure Thinking product, serves as an excellent example. "Centrifugation has been an Alfa Laval hallmark for over a century," says Leifland. "In PureBilge we use it to counteract the vessel's roll and pitch, thereby removing the reliability issues associated with static bilge water treatment solutions." This reliance on core technologies, however, has not kept radical advances from being made within Pure Thinking.

PureBilge was recently joined by PureDry, a very different kind of separator that enables waste fuel recovery in accordance with MEPC.1/Circ.642. PureDry is a paradigm shift in centrifugal separation, combining a solid bowl and disc stack with self-cleaning capabilities. Together, PureDry and PureBilge form an integrated waste oil and bilge water handling system that produces three streams: clean water, a minimal amount of super-dry solids and reusable ISO-quality fuel.

"PureDry is actually the only technology capable of taking advantage of MEPC.1/Circ.642," says Leifland. "In addition to minimizing waste oil volumes, it allows vessels to recoup up to 2% of their consumed fuel volume – which is why it's being adopted rapidly by leading actors in almost every niche of the energy-focused marine industry." Leifland points out that over 100 PureDry systems have been sold in little more than a year of sales.

Environmental protection with energy in mind
For those with energy in focus, there have also been recent developments in PureBallast, a long-time flagship of the Pure Thinking portfolio. PureBallast, which in 2006 became the first ballast water treatment system to reach the market, was launched in its third generation in 2013, bringing with it energy savings of up to 60% over previous versions.

"Ratification of the IMO ballast water convention has taken more time than expected, but in light of US legislation, there is no question that it will happen," says Peter Leifland, President Marine & Diesel Division. "In the meantime, we have continued to develop PureBallast for the best possible fit with today's market demands. Those demands include not only high energy efficiency, but also compactness and flexibility – all aspects that have been greatly improved in PureBallast 3.0."

Beyond the energy savings, PureBallast 3.0 offers space savings of 50% over previous versions and much greater flexibility, thanks to newly optimized reactors in a variety of sizes. Introduced at launch with 300 and 1000 m3/h reactors, the system was expanded with a 600 m3/h reactor in the spring of 2014, enabling a further range of compact and energy-saving configurations.

Meeting the emission challenge

BOURBON celebrates delivery of the 500th vessel, placing the group at the head of the world's largest fleet of vessels operated1 for the offshore marine services industry

BOURBON announces the entry into service of the 500th vessel - the Bourbon Evolution 806, the 6th vessel of the 1st series of IMR2 vessels for the offshore industry. BOURBON thus ranks among the world's leading groups for the offshore marine services industry.

This delivery validates BOURBON's strategic decision to focus on achieving economies of scale through standardization and construction in series, thus offering its customers a reliable innovative fleet with optimized service quality: ""We are delighted with the delivery of this 500th vessel, which reflects our commitment to provide the means to continue our development and to best serve the needs of our clients. We are now realizing the fruits of seeds sown over several years when we invested in a series of standardized vessels to achieve a global leadership position in our market."" asserts Gael Bodénès, Chief Operating Officer.

With a fleet of 500 vessels averaging 6.3 years of age, BOURBON operates worldwide with over 11,000 employees providing local services through 28 operating affiliates who ensure commercial and contractual relationships, as well as local technical support on-site, close to operations. By year-end 2015, the delivery of the 34 vessels under construction will make the fleet even larger and better able to serve the most demanding customers.

BOURBON'S standardization policy is best illustrated by the success of its series of vessels:

The Bourbon Liberty series: By the end of 2014, the fleet will include 111 next-generation Bourbon Liberty vessels offering high standards of quality and performance. They have a prove client track record, thanks to their embedded technologies such as the class 2 dynamic
positioning system, backup equipment, cargo capacity and the optimization of fuel consumption.

The Bourbon Evolution 800 series: With the delivery of the 500th vessel, BOURBON currently has 6 Bourbon Evolution vessels in operation (and 4 more under construction) in this 1st series of IMR vessels positioned within the deepwater offshore market. With a class 3 dynamic positioning system, these highly reliable vessels have outstanding maneuverability and their backup equipment guarantees optimum safety.

The seismic support vessel series: BOURBON has pioneered the 1st series of 6 seismic support vessels, custom designed for CGG that allows the provisioning of fuel, equipment and personnel to seismic vessels ensuring the safety of their operations. 4 vessels are already fully operational.

The Bourbon Explorer 500 series: This is a new series of 20 PSV vessels launched in 2014, 4 of which are already in operation. Their cargo capacity is a real added value, as they have been optimized to supply modern drilling equipment with a large carrying capacity of slurry (drilling lubricant) of 1,500 m3. They can also carry up to 50 people, offering the customer additional accommodation capacity on the oil fields.

As part of its growth strategy, BOURBON not only focuses on construction in series, but also on centralizing maintenance and personnel's training via a structured industrial organization.

As part of its growth strategy, BOURBON not only focuses on construction in series, but also on centralizing maintenance and personnel's training via a structured industrial organization.

BOURBON Repair Centers: Pooling the fleet's technical support, carried out by the Group at the local level makes it possible to provide all subsidiaries with the necessary technical specialists and parts inventories, with 6 BOURBON Repair Centers deployed close to their operations.

Standard exchange: Thanks to its Plug & Play standard exchange system BOURBON is able to replace all of its propulsion units with new or reconditioned components, thus eliminating the need for the vessel to remain in the repair center. Standard replacements reduce repair time to the strict minimum.

BOURBON Training Centers: BOURBON's 15 Training Centers contribute to standardizing the company's worldwide training efforts for all crews. As the fleet becomes more and more standardized, specific training programs have been put together to perfectly meet the safety requirements and the quality of service provided to the customer.

The vessels standardization policy and centralization of maintenance allow BOURBON teams to ensure customers operational continuity as well as achieving high levels of technical availability of 94.5% in 2013.

1 Vessels owned or on bareboat charter
2 Inspection, Maintenance and Repair of subsea infrastructure