• New, Flexible, Multi-Role Dnv1a1 Wind Farm Service Code R1 classed offshore support vessel available for a range of operation and maintenance applications up to 150 nautical miles offshore

• State-of-the-art SMV 24 vessel, provides cost-effective, high performance and application flexibility

• Available as a fully managed solution backed by the operational experience and expertise of the UK's leading marine service company• Provides a platform for a range of specialist marine services including diving, ROV, operations and maintenance, accommodation and ship to turbine (STT™) oil change service

James Fisher Marine Services (JFMS) and Supacat has announced the purchase of the first of type Supacat Multi-purpose Vessel 24 (SMV 24). The investment in the SMV 24 vessel marks JFMS's continued commitment to provide innovative solutions to clients that require high assurance when operating in the marine environments.

The SMV 24 vessel establishes a new benchmark in offshore support craft. With an overall length of 25.7 meters, it is powered by two MAN V12 diesel engines providing a maximum speed of 30 knots and fully loaded range of 675 nautical miles. The vessel is capable of carrying three standard ISO 20ft containers with 30T load, providing extensive and versatile deck space for equipment such as ROVs, specialist diving equipment, accommodation modules, ship to turbine (STT) oil change service and offshore facility maintenance equipment (generators, HPUs, bunkering, workshops, tool stores, service spares).

With the addition of optional high quality SOLAS A60 accommodation modules for 12 passengers and permanent accommodation for crew, the DNV1A1 Wind Farm Service Code R1 classed SMV 24 offers an ideal and highly cost-effective solution for servicing sites that are 150 nautical miles offshore for continuous trips of up to one week's duration. The flexibility and versatility of this new SMV 24 vessel renders it capable of reducing both the number of dedicated use vessels and number of visits to site required simultaneously delivering significant cost reduction and increased operational flexibility.

"We are pleased to be able to offer this highly flexible offshore support vessel, to provide efficient and potentially cost-saving operation and maintenance solutions," commented Andy Nattrass, marine operations project manager for James Fisher Marine Services. "This service is likely to be particularly of interest to the fast-growing offshore wind energy sector, for which we are able to combine it with bespoke innovations such as our 'Ship-to-Turbine™' oil transfer concept, an innovative and cost-effective method of exchanging gearbox and hydraulic oils for offshore wind farms. Whether providing services in marine renewable energy in this way, supporting offshore oil and gas operations, or enabling surveying and diving operations, the new SMV 24 vessel provides a highly flexible, multi-role capability that sets a new benchmark in offshore support."

Nick Ames, Managing Director of Supacat, said, "We are delighted that JFMS has chosen to be the launch customer for our new SMV 24 multi-purpose vessel. To have such a prestigious marine services company purchase the very first SMV 24 speaks volumes for the product and for its future potential in this growing sector. Today's announcement is fantastic news for all at Supacat and we are very much looking forward to securing further SMV 24 orders and continuing to grow our presence in the marine sector. JFMS has clearly recognized the unique, flexible, multi-role offering any operator can benefit from by owning the SMV 24 and we are quite sure that others will be following their lead. This is a most encouraging start to our Marine engineering business".

Jim Hey, Group Business Development Director of James Fisher & Sons commented "The design concept of the SMV24 is unique in being able to carry three containers and 12 passengers to site enabling the vessel to undertake multiple tasks during a single mobilization without the need to return to port at the end of the working day. This role flexibility fits with our strategy to create value for our customers in terms of operational efficiency and cost reduction, complementing the specialist marine activities of the group many of which are based around containerized assets and multi-skilled personnel".

Once again demonstrating their power and agility in both nearshore and offshore waterways, Crowley Maritime Corp.'s ocean class tugs have successfully delivered oversized, overweight equipment – comprised of topsides, tendons, piles and more – that are now part of a massive semi-submersible floating production facility located in the U.S. Gulf, approximately 280 miles south of New Orleans, La. Working alongside the tugs were Crowley's 455 series high-deck-strength barges, which carried much of the equipment as it was towed offshore. Utilizing the Crowley tugs' dynamic positioning capabilities, the facility, known as Jack/St. Malo, was successfully moored and made storm safe at a depth of 7,000 feet between the Jack and St. Malo offshore oil and natural gas fields, which are within 25 miles of each other.

As was done when Crowley's ocean class tugs successfully delivered the Olympus platform and Lucius spar to the U.S. Gulf, both completed late last year, the company's Houston-based Solutions project management team, which manages the tugs and barges, completed the delivery in three stages of work in both nearshore and offshore waters.

During the first stage, the nearshore phase, the topsides were skidded onto the company's 455 series barge Julie B at the Keiwit facility dock in Ingleside, Texas, in Corpus Christi, where they were later lifted and installed onto the hull of Jack/St. Malo. Once in place and secured, the Ocean Wind and Ocean Wave next provided assistance by pushing the Jack/St. Malo facility, away from Corpus Christi, through the Port of Aransas, Texas, and out to deeper waters. The Ocean Sun followed the flotilla and was equipped to provide assistance, if needed.

Relocation to deeper waters marked the beginning of the second phase of work, the offshore stage. Here, the Ocean Wind and Ocean Sun towed the facility to its final location, alongside the Crowley-contracted tugboat Harvey War Horse II. Also during this phase, the Solutions team arranged for the company's 455 series barge 455 7, towed by Crowley's tug Warrior, and third-party barge Marmac 400, towed by Crowley's tug Pilot, to deliver the piles, or long pipe-like structures that serve as anchors for the platform, to the project site. Finally, the Marty J, towed by the Pilot, made three subsequent trips to the installation site to deliver additional equipment – including chains, connectors and line reels – that were used in the mooring of the floating facility.

In the final stage, the positioning phase, the Ocean Wind, Ocean Wave, Ocean Sky, Ocean Sun and Harvey War Horse II worked together to hold the Jack/St. Malo in its final location, and remained on site in a star pattern to provide support as the spar was connected to its moorings and made storm safe in more than 7,000 feet of water.

"This was another successful pairing of Crowley's new ocean class tugboats and high-deck strength barges," said Crowley's John Ara, vice president, solutions. "Not only was the project completed safely and on time, but it also helps to illustrate the increasing competence and capability of our crew and vessels. We look forward to utilizing these specialized teams and assets in projects in the future."

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, Ocean Wave and Ocean Wind, are classed as Dynamic Positioning 1 (DP1) tugboats and are twin-screw, tugs with an overall length of 146 feet, beam of 46 feet, hull depth of 25 feet and design draft of 21 feet. 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.

Scheduled to begin producing oil and natural gas later this year, the facility will have a capacity of 170,000 barrels of oil per day and 42.5 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas. Jack/St. Malo will act as a hub for the 43 subsea wells, including pumps and other equipment on the seafloor.
Crewmembers involved in the project include Captains Charles Alan Williams, Andrew C. Ashworth, Ted Caffy, Brian Cain, Stuart B. Andrews Jr., Stephen Berschger, Laurence Christie and Ward P. Davis; Chief Mates Darrel Koonce, Dustin Marks, Clyde McNatt, James Hoffman and Scott R. Ellis; Chief Engineers RD Lewis, Charles Pate, Scott Bovee and Edgar C. Henson; Able-Bodied Seamen Terry Laviolette, Ryan Landers, Dave Heindel, Orvin McCoy, Preston Harper, Farrell Bodden, Steven Kendrick, Jonathan Solomon, Corey Hill, Satchel G. Caffy, Ben E. Johnson and Edward J. Rynn; Assistant Engineers Micheal Bibby, Keith Smith, Matthew Hamer, Andralesia Terrell, Richard A. Saunders, James H. Murray, Thomas Murphy and Isaac Levine; Second Mates Travis Cheer, Nate Leachman, Eric A. Eaton, Cecil Wilson and Ray Adams; Third Mate Scott M. Tompkins; Dynamic Positioning Officer John Willson; and Ordinary Seamen and/or Cooks Johnny Godwin, Stephen R. Goletz, Rene Fuentes, Evan Flynn and Glen Williams.

Maersk Line, the world's leading ocean transportation company and a unit of the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, announces the formation of a regional, containerized shipping company – SeaLand - dedicated to the intra-Americas market. This new affiliate will have a structure similar to Maersk's other successful regional carriers including: intra-Asia carrier MCC Transport and intra-Europe carrier Seago Line. SeaLand will feature knowledgeable, local sales and support personnel positioned in North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean, to meet the unique needs of customers throughout the region. This agile framework will provide greater flexibility and a higher-level of customer-focused service to these local markets. Maersk Line's existing Intra-Americas service network will be the foundation for SeaLand's ocean products.

This new, independent unit will officially commence operations on January 1, 2015. Maersk Line will begin the transition of their Intra-Americas business to SeaLand in a phased approach throughout 2014. The newly established team of approximately 240 highly-skilled personnel will begin their new roles by July 1, 2014. SeaLand will be led by Maersk Line veteran, Craig Mygatt, who will serve as CEO. The company will be headquartered in the United States with exact location to be determined. SeaLand will share specific Maersk Line operational services, such as finance, land-side operations, and HR.

"We heard from our customers that they value Maersk Line services but they required greater service stability and commitment. That's one of the key reasons why we're responding with an improved, restructured solution for the Intra-Americas," commented, Craig Mygatt, CEO, SeaLand. "We look forward to developing strong, enduring customer relationships as the new SeaLand organization."

"This reorganization is an investment in our global container business. It enhances and strengthens service in this important and growing trade region, as well as the future of our overall global service network," said Vincent Clerc, chief trade & marketing officer, Maersk Line.

Robbert Van Trooijen, Chief Executive, Maersk Line Latin America and Caribbean said, "This new Intra-Americas commitment will meet the needs of Latin American customers that ask for local, customer specialists that are empowered to act quickly and respond to changes in the market. We have a long history in this region that will set the foundation for future growth."

In its capacity as Focal - MOOG Components Group representative in Scandinavia and Holland, the MacArtney Group has recently passed a momentous system delivery milestone. Since the partnership was initiated, MacArtney has facilitated the sale and delivery of more than 40 Focal swivel solutions to offshore Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels operating across the world.

FPSOs
FPSOs are offshore production facilities that house both processing equipment and storage for produced hydrocarbons. The basic design of most FPSOs encompasses a vessel shaped platform, with processing equipment aboard the vessel deck and hydrocarbon storage below in the hull. After processing, an FPSO stores oil and gas before periodically offloading to shuttle tankers or transmitting it onshore via pipelines.

FPSOs are viable development solutions for a number of different deepwater or ultra deepwater offshore field situations. Because an FPSO can be disconnected from its moorings, this type of offshore production vessel is optimal for areas that experience adverse weather conditions, such as cyclones and hurricanes. Additionally, they pose an excellent economical solutions for more marginal fields, in that the vessel can be moved and redeployed once the original field has been depleted. Adding to the economical advantages, existing tanker vessels can often be converted into FPSOs.

FPSO swivels
Moored to the seafloor and usually tied to multiple subsea wells, the FPSO gathers hydrocarbons from subsea production wells through a series of subsea structures and pipelines. Once tapped, hydrocarbons are transmitted through flowlines to risers, which transport the oil and gas to the FPSO on the surface.

At the heart of the FPSO, the vital transfer of hydrocarbons, along with power, hydraulics and fibre optical signals between surface and seafloor is facilitated by an FPSO swivel. Typically comprised of electrical passes, hydraulic utility swivels and fiber optic rotary joints, swivels are used in a variety of FPSO configurations including buoy, turret mooring and offshore loading towers. Once installed, FPSO swivels permit the continuous flow of fluids, power and communication with unlimited freedom of the vessel to weathervane about its mooring point.

Focal and MacArtney FPSO track record
Focal - MOOG Components Group is a world leading supplier of swivels, slip rings, multiplexers and fluid rotary unions which are designed and tested to operate effectively in the harshest maritime environments. Since 1990, Focal has delivered several FPSO swivel solutions, spanning from Hydraulic Utility Swivels, Low Voltage Swivels to large High Power Swivels (35kV, 2000A).

Through its participation in several projects, MacArtney has gained an extensive track record as a Focal FPSO swivel supplier and provider of specialist engineering support to FPSO operators and FPSO swivel stack, mooring and turret manufacturers across the entire offshore industry. Notable MacArtney FPSO projects include the delivery of swivel solutions to APL/National Oilwell Varco, Framo Engineering and Bluewater. Beyond Focal swivels, the MacArtney scope of FPSO supply includes junction boxes, cables and connectors.

"MacArtney Sales Manager, Jens Henrik Gadeberg, says that "MacArtney is fully committed to its partnership with Focal and dedicated to deliver state-of-the-art swivel solutions to the FPSOs of tomorrow. According MacArtney Business Development Manager Anders Andersen; "one of the next exciting steps within FPSO swivel development and supply will comprise massive 145 kV swivels for facilitating the transfer of high power from land based sources.

NAVTOR has reached a landmark agreement with the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) to offer the ADMIRALTY Vector Chart Service (AVCS) to mariners on a 'pay as you sail' (PAYS) basis. The Norwegian e-navigation pioneer, which introduced the world's first DNV type-approved PAYS service in 2012, launches the NAVTOR PAYS with AVCS solution today.
AVCS is the world's leading ENC service for ECDIS, offering the widest coverage in the marketplace. With over 12,500 Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs), AVCS allows mariners to navigate an unparalleled number of international shipping routes. Delivering AVCS on PAYS will transform its accessibility to the market.

Business and Communication Manager Willy Zeiler explains: "PAYS allows navigators to instantly access the ENCs they need for planning purposes, levying charges only for the charts they actually use during voyages. It's a flexible, user-friendly and efficient way to navigate, making it easier to order and manage an ENC portfolio."

He continues: "It is something that the market has eagerly been waiting for. This collaboration between NAVTOR and the UKHO marks a significant step forward in the way that e-navigation solutions are delivered to the end user. We're proud to be working with the UKHO and using NAVTOR's advanced technology to connect with its customers."

The NAVTOR PAYS with AVCS solution will be distributed to users on a pre-loaded NavStick USB device, which when inserted into a ship's ECDIS will instantly install the required AVCS coverage. The latest AVCS charts and updates can then be regularly retrieved using NAVTOR's online programme NavSync, ensuring that all vessels are kept up to date easily.

Jason Scholey, UKHO's Senior Product Manager – Charts, comments: "AVCS is the world's preferred ENC service for ECDIS. We're very pleased Navtor are launching the NAVTOR PAYS with AVCS solution to provide customers with additional choice when purchasing their ENCs."

Navtor says the majority of its customers now opt for a PAYS solution, with vessels such as ferries and liners that sail set routes usually signing up to a standard subscription model based on set geographical areas.

Zeiler is keen to stress that it's not only ECDIS-mandated vessels, such as passenger ships, that are signing up with NAVTOR.

He notes: "Many ship owners appreciate the tangible benefits of a service that provides safe, efficient and predictable operations, whether they are subject to IMO regulations or not. Norwegian offshore support vessel owners are an interesting case in point, with ship owners who control more than 70% of the national offshore fleet now utilising NAVTOR. This boils down to their desire for effective ship management, rather than any regulatory requirement."

Vessels to Supply Maritime Industry with Clean Fuel Source and Build LNG Infrastructure along U.S. Gulf Coast

Jensen Maritime, Crowley Maritime Corp.'s Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering company, has been awarded a contract to design some of the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barges in the U.S. for customer LNG America LLC, a Houston-based LNG fuel supply and distribution company. Currently no LNG bunkering barges are in operation in American waterways and these vessels will be among the first to be developed and built, marking a significant step in LNG America’s build-out of LNG bunkering infrastructure along the U.S. Gulf Coast and in delivering a new clean fuel to the maritime industry.

The vessels, which are expected to deliver in late 2015, have an initial planned capacity of up to 3,000 cubic meters of LNG.  Once in operation, the bunker barges will serve the dual purpose of moving LNG from LNG America’s Louisiana supply source to coastal-based storage and distribution terminals and in directly bunkering large ships.   

“Through LNG America’s LNG bunkering initiative, we plan to serve and facilitate the growing marine demand for LNG,” said Keith Meyer, CEO of LNG America. “LNG America sees the demand for marine LNG to be robust as long as LNG can be made available to the maritime industry on a reliable, dependable and cost-competitive basis. Our mission is to deliver competitively priced LNG as fuel where needed, when needed and in the quantity needed.”

“The significance of this agreement is not only incredible news for the marine industry, which struggles with whether to develop LNG infrastructure or vessels first, but also for companies along the U.S. Gulf that hope to replace their traditional vessels with cleaner, more efficient LNG-powered ones,” said Jensen’s Johan Sperling, vice president. “We are thrilled to be working with LNG America in the development of its marine infrastructure and also in providing a green fuel source to this important region. Jensen is on the leading edge when it comes to LNG vessel design and we look forward to serving LNG America and other customers with this valuable service.”

Jensen first produced prototype designs for LNG vessels in 2008. Additionally, Jensen has developed designs for a 100’ x 40’ LNG tugboat and is currently working on several other prototype designs of LNG bunker vessels, harbor tugs, ATBs, container ships and tankers, along with inland vessels for a variety of customers in the U.S.

LNG America was formed last July to develop LNG distribution infrastructure that serves not only the marine market but the burgeoning use of LNG in the oil and gas, rail, mining and heavy-duty trucking markets as well.  These markets have emerged due to the fuel’s price competitiveness resulting from the abundant U.S. natural gas reserves.

LNG facts from the Center for Liquefied Natural Gas (CLNG):


LNG, or liquefied natural gas, is natural gas that is cooled to -260° Fahrenheit until it becomes a liquid and then stored at essentially atmospheric pressure. Converting natural gas to LNG, a process that reduces its volume by about 600 times allows it to be transported. Once delivered to its destination, the LNG is warmed back into its original gaseous state so that it can be used just like existing natural gas supplies. When returned to its gaseous state, LNG is used across the residential, commercial and industrial sectors for purposes as diverse as heating and cooling homes, cooking, generating electricity and manufacturing paper, metal, glass and other materials. LNG is not stored under pressure and it is not explosive. LNG vapors (methane) mixed with air are not explosive in an unconfined environment. When exposed to the environment, LNG rapidly evaporates, leaving no residue on water or soil.

Ferguson Group’s accommodation service vessel, the ASV Pioneer, is ready to be deployed on its next contract having successfully completed a salvage operation support project on the Costa Concordia in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Ferguson Group, specialists in the rental of offshore DNV 2.1-1/EN12079 containers, refrigeration/freezer modules, engineering modules and accommodation solutions to the global offshore energy industry, has worked on the salvage contract since October 2012. The ASV Pioneer played a key part in supporting the salvage operation, providing offshore accommodation for up to 90 team members plus deck space for diving spread and specialist grouting equipment.

Mike Melville, Commercial Director, at the Ferguson Group, said: “After taking delivery of the ASV Pioneer in 2011, we invested in an extensive refurbishment programme for the vessel to bring it up to the highest standards, in line with our wider product range.

ASV Pioneer supporting the Costa Concordia salvage operation

“The Pioneer has already demonstrated its versatility, with its most recent involvement on the Costa Concordia Mediterranean salvage mission. The large, open deck space and the high quality accommodation offered by the ASV Pioneer demonstrated that the vessel is an extremely flexible solution for offshore projects, across a wide range of industries and many global locations.” In a previous project the vessel was equipped with an A-frame and associated carousel for a cable-laying contract in the North Sea.”

Following completion of the salvage support operation the ASV Pioneer is now berthed in the central Mediterranean and available for charter immediately.

Currently the ASV Pioneer can provide an accommodation complex for up to 120 people on-board, including two person cabins complete with en-suite facilities, galley, mess, gym, medic and recreational facilities. The vessel accommodation complex is manufactured to DNV 2.7-1/EN12079 standards and provides a large working open deck area measuring 1100m², with a load capacity of 15 tonnes/m².

The combination of the high standard accommodation and the large capacity of the deck space, which can be configured to suit a variety of industrial equipment, means that the ASV Pioneer is particularly suited to projects within the oil and gas and renewables sectors.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has won two orders in the third quarter to provide the waste heat recovery systems, each powered by a power turbine generator (PTG), for fourteen new 8,800 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) container vessels.

The first seven post-panamax vessels will be built at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. Ltd., (DSIC) and the other seven vessels at New Times Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., for China International Marine Containers Group Co. and Mediterranean Shipping Co. S.A (MSC). When delivered, in 2015 and 2016, the ships will serve under a long-term charter agreement to MSC, one of the world's largest container ship owners.

The employment of a waste heat recovery system (WHRS) to increase energy output onboard ships is becoming an increasingly viable means of reducing fuel costs. In marine propulsion plants, around 50 percent or more of the energy from fuel is lost to heat when converted to mechanical work by the main engine. By supplementing a ship's main propulsion plant with a waste heat recovery solution, up to 4 percent of the lost fuel energy can be recovered and converted into electricity. More efficient energy use also reduces CO2 emissions in relation to the engine's mechanical power output.

ABB's scope of supply in the waste heat recovery system with a PTG consists of a PTL 3200 exhaust power turbine with control valves, alternator, reduction gear and dynamic compensator consisting of an ACS800 drive with a (step down) feed transformer and a breaking resistor bank. The package also includes two A185-L turbochargers. The electrical output of the system is 1.65 megawatt (MW).

"The high efficiency of ABB's turbochargers gives customers not only the option of a waste heat recovery system in the first place, but also the possibility of using this system at lower loads," said Oliver Riemenschneider, who heads up ABB's turbocharging business.

"We are delighted to see that our customers have chosen ABB's innovative solution for their container fleet," said Heikki Soljama, head of ABB business unit Marine and Cranes. "This demonstrates a commitment by both ABB and its customers to help vessels run more efficiently and economically, and at the same time improve their environmental performance."

Danelec Marine has announced the introduction of its third-generation marine Voyage Data Recorder (VDR).

The new Danelec DM100 VDR fully complies with the new International Maritime Organization (IMO) VDR standard, which comes into effect July 1, 2014. It also incorporates Danelec's revolutionary SoftWare Advanced Protection (SWAP) technology – a totally new approach to shipboard servicing of marine electronics.

SWAP Technology Saves Time and Costs in Shipboard Repairs
"Danelec's exclusive SWAP solution is nothing short of revolutionary when it comes to servicing shipboard electronics," said Danelec CEO Hans Ottosen. "It saves time by removing the repair from ship to shore, reduces labor costs for service calls, protects valuable shipboard data and eliminates in-port delays for repairs."

Danelec has designed the compact VDR data acquisition unit for easy plug-and-play replacement, with all system programming and configurations stored on a hot-swappable memory card. The service technicians bring a new unit when boarding the ship. They simply disconnect and remove the old unit, insert the new one in its place and slide the memory card from the old VDR into the slot on the front of the replacement. The old unit can then be taken ashore for repair without holding up the ship's departure.

"This is a paradigm shift in shipboard service," said Ottosen. "With traditional techniques, it can take days to make repairs to a ship's critical electronic systems. In some cases, Port State Control authorities may hold up the ship's sailing. Even if the ship is allowed to sail, it means another expensive service call at the next port to accomplish the repairs. With SWAP technology, the entire process is completed in hours, not days."

"We are incorporating SWAP into all our products moving forward," Ottosen added.

IMO Compliant – and Beyond
The Danelec DM100 VDR meets all the new VDR requirements as defined in MSC.333(90) and IEC 61996-1 Ed. 2, including a float-free capsule, 48-hour data storage in both the protective fixed capsule and float-free capsule, separate audio track for outdoor microphones, as well as data recording from the ship's ECDIS, both radars, AIS and inclinometer. All VDRs placed into service after July 1, 2014, must comply with the new standards.
"The DM100 VDR provides a solid, safe and simple solution for new ships, as well as retrofits to existing vessels," said Ottosen. "In addition to the minimum IMO requirements, we have designed our new-generation VDRs for the future, with new features such as playback software for real-time monitoring and replay of recorded data, along with remote access for maintenance, annual performance tests and remote data capture and analysis."

Danelec was one of the first companies to bring to market IMO-compliant VDRs and Simplified VDRs (S-VDRs) in 2002. More than 5,500 vessels today are equipped with a VDR or S-VDR designed and manufactured by Danelec. The company has an extensive service network with certified sales and service representatives in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Oman Drydock Company (ODC), based in the Middle East's new mega city of Duqm (notes to editors 2), signaled its 'passionate and driving ambition' to catapult itself further into the region's multi billion dollar ship repair industry after completing its 200th drydocking since launching in 2011.

A ceremony was held at the shipyard, which cost $1.5bn to build, to celebrate the landmark with shipping giant Maersk whose vessel, the 4388 TEU Maersk Wisconsin, was the 200th ship to be drydocked by ODC.

ODC Chief Executive Yong Duk Park said completing 200 vessels reflected the company's growing stature as it aims to position itself as one of the best shipyards in the world.

"We are absolutely delighted to mark our 200th ship milestone with our hugely valued client Maersk," he said. "This moment is a powerful statement to the industry that ODC is now a major player in the Middle East. We have worked enormously hard to develop a robust track record working on a wide variety of ships from Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) to container ships to LNG and LPG carriers to chemical carriers dredgers, RO-ROs and barges. We can now show the shipping industry we not only have world class facilities, which include our massive dry docks which can accommodate any size of vessel (see notes to editors 1), but we are developing the workforce, skills base, training and infrastructure that our customers demand. We have listened to our clients and we are offering efficient turnaround times, tremendous value, and world class workmanship. We are, of course, still seeking to grow and improve. As a result we are actively looking to recruit more sub contractors to our supply chain who can match our standards and share our vision. There are numerous tax breaks and incentives available and we encourage companies with the right background to get in touch."

Group shot of Maersk Wisconsin& ODC team

Deputy CEO Sheikh Khalil bin Ahmed Al Salmi said ODC would now redouble its worldwide campaign to raise the profile of ODC and its prime selling points.

"ODC has a passionate driving ambition to become one of the prime ship repair yards in the world and the Middle East," he said. "We know we can deliver on quality, cost and critically time. Our geographical location thrusts us into pole position for the Asia to Europe shipping route as well as the East African and Indian off shore industries. We can further slash costs and the time required for drydocking as vessels do not need to greatly deviate their course. This can save days in time, and a huge amount of money, which is such a key factor for shipping operators balancing tight budgets. Other key selling points include our unrivalled painting services and ability to deal with sludge and slops disposal (see notes to editors 1). With painting we have the perfect climate that few other yards can offer. With slops we can save up to three days sailing time as we can deal with it all here on site, there is no need to sail to another location. We intend to market all these benefits hard in the coming months and years."

Sheikh Al Salmi said the container ship market has substantial potential for ODC.

"Our focus moving forward will be to win more business from existing and new customers operating carriers, tankers and container ships," he said. "We see real potential for growth particularly in becoming a centre of excellence for the repair of container ships and LNG carriers (LNGC). As a result we will be ramping up the promotion of our services, which are among the most advanced in the world. This includes offering customers the in depth technical support we receive from our partner Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company Ltd (DSME) and its subsidiary DSEC. 2014 will see DSEC forge a closer partnership with ODC to provide specialist LNGC repair technology. This will cover areas such as cargo containment systems and the supply chain of various materials such as INVAR, insulation boxes, membranes, prefabricated panels and cryogenic safety valves. Meanwhile, we are also investing in new facilities including renovating our cryogenic shop so it can cater to repairing up to four LNGCs at any one time. Our expansion into LNGC will further be strengthened by our new license to support the French engineering firm Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) which specialises in cargo containment systems for high-end LNG carriers. "

Elsewhere ODC is chasing down major growth opportunities in the off shore market. ODC can provide repair and conversion services to jack up drilling rigs, drill ships and FPSOs. It also offers a range of engineering, testing and trial services for offshore projects including the construction of offshore accommodation barges, offshore jackets and platforms as well as top-side modules and sub-sea pipeline manifolds.

Click here: ODC documentary movie 

Southern Louisiana base to serve growing number of oil & gas vessels calling at Gulf ports

GAC has strengthened its ship agency services in the US with the opening of a new office in Galliano, Louisiana, in response to the increase of offshore oil & gas activity in the region.

The new GAC Shipping USA office near Port Fourchon, Morgan City and Amelia enables the leading provider of shipping, logistics and marine services to better serve the needs of customers with vessels calling at the ports.
Port Fourchon is the region's main port supporting offshore oil & gas activity, whilst Morgan City is considered the birthplace of the US offshore oil exploration industry and most tonnage handled at the ports is related to the oil & gas sector. The Galliano office is therefore well placed at the heart of the action to attend GAC's customers' offshore construction, cargo and supply vessels calling at either port.

Office space is available for Principals, if required for hands-on support during projects, mobilizations or demobilizations of their vessels at Fourchon. The base also has a warehouse and outside storage to cater for the staging or storage of equipment or supplies, rather than trucking the material at short notice from Houston or New Orleans.

"This is an important new addition to our network of bases serving our customers," says Darren Martin, GAC Shipping USA General Manager. "We are working closely with GAC Logistics in Houston to offer all our oil & gas customers our full range of services to support their offshore activities in the Gulf."

In addition to the new base in Galliano, GAC Shipping USA's extensive network of offices includes port agents at Houston, New Orleans, Mobile, Port Arthur, Pascagoula, Corpus Christi, Freeport TX and Tampa.

Full Picture' technology delivery for new Korean and Chinese offshore units

Kongsberg Maritime has recently been awarded separate contracts with three major shipyards in Asia for major technology deliveries to specialist offshore vessels. Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in Korea, and Cosco Shipyard in China have each selected KONGSBERG 'Full Picture' solutions for, in total, nine advanced Offshore Drilling Units, an Accommodation Unit, a Multipurpose Construction Vessel and four LNG vessels with Integrated Automation Systems. The deliveries total over 400 MNOK and include extensive Dynamic Positioning (DP), Automation, Navigation, Hydroacoustic Positioning and Riser Management technology.

"KONGSBERG has built up extensive expertise in Korea and China, both within the merchant (deep sea) and offshore segment. This foundation helped us to secure several offshore projects in close cooperation with these major yards recently, and this latest round of separate contracts is further evidence of our strong position in the advanced offshore vessel and platform market. We truly appreciate the confidence shown by the shipyards and vessel owners when choosing KONGSBERG for these prestigious contracts," comments Morten Stanger, Regional Sales Manager Offshore Asia, Kongsberg Maritime.

One of the SHI contracts is for two GustoMSC CJ70 design advanced Drilling Jackup Units, which will be equipped with an extensive Full Picture Solution. This project is particularly important for KONGSBERG, considering the new and growing market for Drilling Jackup construction vessels in Korea.

"The Full Picture strategy enables shipyards and owners to order all key vessel technology from a trusted single supplier with extensive experience and high-level local presence. For these new contracts, Kongsberg Maritime is supplying all key positioning and automation systems, whilst the new generation Riser Management Systems for the Drilling Units are designed and delivered by our sister company Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies," concludes Stanger.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has secured deck equipment contract for a series of eight 58,500 dwt bulk carriers under construction at New Times Shipbuilding in China. The vessels are being built for Lemissoler Navigation (Front Marine), based in Cyprus, with the delivery of the first two vessels scheduled to start around August 2015.

The contract will see MacGregor deliver complete equipment packages comprising electric pole-changing winches, steering gear, air compressors, hatch covers and variable frequency drive (VFD) electric cranes, four per ship.

The packages include equipment from combined MacGregor Hatlapa portfolio."The new contract was won as a direct result of our strengthened capability for larger delivery scope and a long standing relationship with the owner," says Jörg Tollmien, Head of Sales for Hatlapa offering at MacGregor.

"It is also a good example of what our combined product ranges can offer customers, particularly in cases such as this where an extensive scope of deck equipment is required for multiple ships," Mr Tollmien notes.

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Recently Hydrex installed Propeller Boss Cap Fins (PBCF) on several tankers during their respective stops in Rotterdam, Ghent and Antwerp. As a result of the underwater operation, the ships will not have to wait for their next drydock visit to start benefitting from the fuel savings the PBCF's will bring them.

The Propeller Boss Cap Fins (PBCF) is a device for propeller efficiency improvement developed by Mitsui O. S. K. Lines, Ltd. The PBCF can recover energy loss of a propeller hub vortex in the propeller's backward flow. This decreases fuel consumption by 5% when operating at the same speed, or boosts speed by 2% with the same fuel consumption.

The 5% energy saving effect has been verified by world research institutes including International Towing Tank Conferences (ITTC) and by owners.
 
With the current emphasis on global environment problems, the demand for the PBCF has been continually growing and this as an energy saving device and an environment-friendly product because it realizes a 5% reduction in CO2, NOx and SOx gases emission from vessels.

On-site installation prevents a long wait for fuel saving benefits
The first operation was performed on a 183-meter tanker berthed in Ghent. After the team arrived at the vessel's location with one of the Hydrex workboats, they started the operation with a full inspection of the propeller. Next the diver/technicians cleaned the area where the spinner cone (PBCF) was to be installed. They then lowered the cone into the water and positioned it on the propeller. When this was done, grease was inserted in the space underneath the propeller cone for lubrication and the bolts were put on torque and secured with wire, finishing the replacement of the PBCF. The Hydrex team worked around the clock to finish the operation as quickly as possible.

The exact same procedure was used during the operations in Antwerp and Rotterdam. The alignment of these Propeller Boss Cap Fins was monitored on an underwater video camera on the workboat.
 
In 2012 Hydrex had already replaced two PBCF's on a 110-meter tanker in Singapore. This was the first underwater installation of a PBCF, according to the manufacturer.

Summary
By performing the operation on-site and underwater, the owners of these tankers could immediately start enjoying the fuel savings the system offers. Otherwise they would have had to wait for the next scheduled drydocking before having the PBCs's installed. This would have cost them up to two years of savings. Calculations show that they will have earned back the money of the underwater installation in about eight weeks, so the savings for the customer are enormous.

Unique System FZE, a Unique Maritime Group company, which is one of the world's leading integrated turnkey subsea and offshore solutions provider, engineered and supplied a monitoring system that will provide the Abu Dhabi Oil Company Ltd. (Japan) with meteorological and oceanographic data to aide operational decision-making.

Since Abu Dhabi Oil Co. (ADOC), started its oil production in May 1973, ADOC has been developing its oil fields and producing oil with special consideration to the environment, safety and stability issues. Through such efforts, ADOC has been contributing to the energy supply to Japan and to the development of Abu Dhabi.

The system is installed at a Single Point Mooring (SPM) buoy, a large buoy at sea for mooring and filling oil tankers over the course of several days. A common feature of single point systems is that their upper sections are above the surface and that they have a single terminal offloading point around which the off take tanker can normally weathervane. The loading hose and where relevant, the mooring hawser are connected to the bow section of the off take tanker.

The objective of the system is to provide real-time data about conditions around the buoy. Both weather parameters and sea conditions are measured and relayed to the Operations Centre on the nearby Mubarraz Island. These include wave height, wave direction, current strength, current direction, water depth, wind speed, wind direction, gusts, temperature, air pressure and visibility. The information is intended to allow for better informed decision-making concerning operations and vessel movements in particular. This in turn better will enable ADOC to safeguard the natural environment by preventing any mishaps or spillages.

The meteorological sensors are installed in a new mast which is bolted to the deck of the buoy. The mast is sufficiently high to avoid any interference in the wind-readings by other obstacles. Accurate wave and current information is gathered by an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). This unit is mounted in a ballasted stainless steel frame and will be placed on the sea bed near to the buoy. The data from weather sensors and ADCP is collected by a data logger located in the central compartment of the SPM buoy. From there the data is transmitted to Mubarraz Island through GPRS telemetry. The entire system will have its own, independent power supply system. To this end, a solar panel will also be mounted on the deck, near the mast, while an extra battery will be placed in the buoy's dedicated battery room. Cabling between the locations will pass through existing cable transits that still have spare capacity.

On this occasion, Ian Huggins, General Manager @ Unique System FZE commented, "We are pleased to be working on this project with ADOC. Despite the several system design and implementation challenges, the monitoring system will be one of the finest engineering systems that can most accurately analyze meteorological and oceanographic data. We are confident that our expertise with environmental monitoring solutions, both above and beneath the water surface, will help us achieve the desired results. The unique and challenging nature of this project is sure to add to our already impressive portfolio of accomplishments."

Adding to this, Captain Keiji Harada from Abu Dhabi Oil Company Ltd.(Japan) stated, "We are pleased to be working with Unique System FZE on this project. We are confident that their technical expertise and after-sales support service will be key assets in this project. We will carefully monitor the system's performance over an initial period after which we will think about further extension of the data collection to other offshore installations as well."

New coverage supports continued demand for bandwidth in offshore and maritime transport sectors

Astrium Services, the global innovative provider of satellite enabled telecom solutions, is expanding its VSAT coverage with 100MHz of Ku-band capacity on the Intelsat 907 satellite (photo) , to serve customers on the North Sea and across European waterways.

As previously announced by Intelsat, the coverage agreement will enable Astrium to address significant demand from the company's core maritime transport and customized Ku-band VSAT segments, including customers in the North Sea oil & gas sector, where an increasing number of specialized vessels are pushing the boundaries of maritime VSAT usage. In 2013, Astrium Services' direct sales channel Marlink provisioned services aboard vessels in the North Sea with high capacity requirements, in some cases up to 12 Mbps, from ship to shore.   

"It's vital that we continue to provide Ku-band broadband services backed by superior customer support to our North Sea and European partners," comments Tore Morten Olsen, head of maritime for Astrium Services. "With usage patterns changing and the demand for bandwidth rising, our Ku-band capacity ensures we are well positioned to provide the high level of reliable connectivity that the maritime market requires today and in the future." 

“Intelsat continues to work closely with Astrium Services to provide capacity and throughput for leading maritime customers, enabling the company’s use of sophisticated tools and processes to support safe and efficient offshore operations,” says Kurt Riegelman, Intelsat SVP of global sales. “Our infrastructure investments, including the completion of our global broadband mobility network, position us to support our customers’ unique requirements, today and well into the future."