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Seacat warns of ‘overheated’ CTV market

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Seacat Services is warning that the crew transfer vessel market for offshore wind could be “overheated” as developers, operators and turbine manufacturers continue to chase a limited number of CTVs.

The company said the shortage follows a period of low demand for CTVs, while offshore wind projects were in the planning phase, exacerbated by the unattractive commercial terms offered by developers during the lull.  

“This saw some CTV firms exit the market, or deploy vessels elsewhere, as the oil and gas sector begins to recover,” it added.

Seacat Services said that increased standards also means that the workboat industry now consists overall of a net lower number of vessels than before the lull.

This is because a large number of CTVs now no longer meet the high technical requirements from the industry, and are subsequently repurposed, such as for near shore survey work.

The warning comes at the same time Seacat reported record third quarter operational figures.

Seacat Services managing director Ian Baylis said: “While record figures may sound wholly beneficial for Seacat Services and other market providers, it’s also indicative of a wider vessel supply shortage that is already starting to cause a few challenges in build schedules and vessel pricing.“

This doesn’t just mean that shipyards need to build more boats, it means that until the industry can meet the demand, there is limited redundancy. With little room for mistakes, should a vessel fail or require removing from operations for scheduled maintenance, it’s something that should be of concern to project developers.

He added that the company is currently collaborating with a number of industry colleagues to ensure that “we meet the demands of the offshore wind sector” which has seen Seacat provide its vessels for charter on other projects, or take other company’s vessels when required.

Source:renews

Shipowners Warn on E.U. Regulation of Seafarer Working Conditions

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The shipowner organization Danish Shipping has warned that E.U. plans could mean additional financial and administrative burdens for the industry if seafarers are brought under the rules set out in the E.U. directive on transparent and predictable working conditions.

Ever since the European Commission presented its proposal for a directive on "Transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union," the Working Conditions Directive, there have been heated discussions in Brussels, says Danish Shipping. The proposed directive is linked to the  European Pillar of Social Rights. The pillar was adopted last year at a Social Summit in Gothenburg, where Denmark together with the other member states joined 20 non-binding declared intentions with the aim of securing minimum rights within social and employment policies in the E.U.

The ambition of the proposed directive has been to introduce minimum rules across all sectors of the European labor market. This also applies to the maritime industry, which is already subject to special rules already regulated at international level through, for example, the Maritime Labor Convention and the Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. Both conventions are implemented in E.U. law. 

Danish Shipping finds this very frustrating: "It is a shame that there is no responsiveness to the fact that shipping is regulated at international level and that it does not benefit European shipping companies to introduce special rules which instead will weaken their competitiveness. We are a global industry and we fight for global rules. The protective considerations towards employees in this directive have already been taken into account in internationally applicable rules," says Anne Windfeldt Trolle, Executive Director, Danish Shipping.

As current conventions already regulate areas such as working hours and employment contracts, Danish Shipping has been working to introduce a partial exemption for seafarers. However, it has been rejected by the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs in the European Parliament. The next step in the legislative process is the trilogues, where representatives from the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission negotiate with the aim of reaching a compromise on the legislative text before the proposal for a directive is formally voted by respectively the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

"It is crucial that the governments of the member states manage to ensure exemptions for industries operating under very special conditions, as is the case for the European maritime industry," says Trolle.

Source:maritime-executive

EU NAVFOR Blows Up Suspected Pirate Skiff

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On Sunday, EU NAVFOR's naval forces destroyed a pirate skiff similar to that used in the attempted attack on the bulker KSL Sydney.

On October 16, a skiff with four armed pirates approached the Sydney at a position about 340 nm off Mogadishu. The captain mustered the crew in the vessel's citadel and set off the SSAS alarm. Meanwhile, the Sydney's embarked security team engaged the attackers in a "sustained exchange of fire," according to EUNAVFOR. The skiff eventually broke off and abandoned the pursuit. 

After the attack on the Sydney, EU NAVFOR commander Rear Adm. Alfonso Perez de Nanclares ordered additional units to the area for an investigation. Spanish maritime reconnaissance aircraft flew over the area to gain as much information on suspected pirate activity as they could. Their patrols found that pirate launches were still active in the area and could be used to launch further attacks on shipping. 

A suspicious boat identified by the patrol aircraft was later tracked down by the crew of the Spanish amphib ESPS Castilla to a small bay just off the Somali coast. Rear Adm. Perez ordered it to be seized, towed out to sea and destroyed.

Somali piracy has fallen far from its peak in 2011-2012, when pirate "mother ship" boats ranged thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean. A combination of armed shipboard security contractors and multinational naval patrols ultimately suppressed the problem, resulting in several years without a successful attack. Somali piracy re-emerged last year with a series of attacks on small dhows and foreign bulkers, like the hijacking of the OS 35. 

Source:maritime-executive

ESL And Nauticor Sign LNG Supply Contract For World’s First LNG Powered Bulk Carriers

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The Finnish shipping company ESL Shipping Ltd., part of Aspo Plc., and Hamburg based Nauticor GmbH & Co. KG, a 100% subsidiary of The Linde Group, have signed a long-term contract for the supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) in the port of Oxelösund. The contract contains the provision of the environmental-friendly fuel for the handy size bulk carriers “Haaga” and “Viikki”.

Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director of ESL, stated, „The new vessels combine innovative hull design, the use of LNG as fuel and other energy saving measures, thereby reduce emissions significantly and make shipping even more sustainable. We are glad that we can offer this environmental-friendly mode of transport to our customers with the supply of LNG in the port of Oxelösund being secured by Nauticor.“

The vessels are the first of their kind to use LNG and started operations in the Baltic Sea region in October 2018. They are equipped with ice class 1A and, thereby, can operate under the most difficult weather conditions. Predominantly they will be used for the transport of raw materials between various ports in the Baltic Sea and North Sea.

Nauticor’s new 7,500 cbm LNG bunker supply vessel “Kairos” will play a crucial role in the development of the tailor-made supply chain for the two vessels. Furthermore, Nauticor will closely cooperate with its sister company AGA operating the Linde Group’s LNG terminal in Nynäshamn, Sweden.

“Building upon the experience that we have gained in the development of LNG supply chains for maritime customers in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, we are very happy to support a frontrunner like ESL. Their initiative to order two LNG-fuelled bulk carriers is another important milestone for making shipping more sustainable in Northwest Europe”, added Mahinde Abeynaike, CEO of Nauticor.

Source:marineinsight

ClassNK The First IMO GBS Ship Construction Files of NACKS-Built VLCC

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ClassNK Archive Center (NKAC) has stored the first Ship Construction Files (SCF) complying with IMO Global Based Standards (GBS) for the NACKS-built 311,000 DWT VLCC delivered on 26 October 2018, managed by MOL Tankship Management (Asia) Pte. Ltd.

To encourage design transparency and help ensure safety throughout the life of vessels, SOLAS regulation II-1/3-10 entered into force in 2012, requiring SCF complying with IMO GBS to be provided by shipyards on a new ship’s delivery and kept on board and/or ashore.

The SCF provides the vessel design and construction information needed to ensure the safety of the ship throughout its operational life. The regulations are applicable to bulk carriers and oil tankers of 150m or more in length for which building contracts have been placed on or after 1 July 2016. In the absence of a building contract, the regulations apply to keels laid on or after 1 July 2017, or delivery made on or after 1 July 2020.

According to the SCF guidelines, this information must be stored on board. Other information, including the high-level intellectual property (IP) drawings belonging to the shipyards such as the yard plan, lines and detailed structural calculations, is kept confidential and does not need to be carried on board.

To supplement the regulation, the Industry Standard was also developed by cross-industry groups including the Shipbuilders’ Association of Japan (SAJ) and other organizations such as CANSI, CESA, KOSHIPA, SCA, ICS, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO, BIMCO, OCIMF and IACS.

NKAC, launched in 2016, is a world-first onshore digital archive centre that fully complies with IMO-GBS requirements and the Industry Standard. To ensure confidentiality of intellectual property (IP), shipbuilders can set the desired IP security levels for each drawing. High IP-level drawings such as the lines plan are only stored ashore in NKAC and, as a rule, the shipowner is required to ask NKAC for permission to access these files. NKAC then notifies the IP-holder (shipbuilder and/or equipment manufacturer) of the request for their permission.

The shipowner can also access the onboard SCF via the internet 24/7, 365 days a year. Electronic access to all SCF documents stored onboard is logged by the operating system and recorded at the end of each session for secure storage, with the access log being encrypted and accessible only by the shipowner.

NKAC simplifies the storage of important files by offering a paperless, user-friendly way to manage drawings, thus enabling effective communication between shipbuilders, shipowners and ship management companies by bringing them all under one umbrella and providing a central resource through which files can be exchanged.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Toshiro Arima, ClassNK Corporate Officer, Director of Rule Development and ICT Division said, “ClassNK is pleased to store the first GBS-SCF data in its NKAC storage two years after launching the service. I would like to extend my appreciation to NACKS not only for their decision to outsource their important data storage to NKAC, making it the world’s first GBS-SCF stored in an onshore data centre, but also for their cooperation in providing an online system trial and demonstration. I wish to further draw the industry’s attention to this IMO requirement as ClassNK is ready to provide secured, convenient, and viable solutions for improving safety”.

Source:marineinsight

ABS Connects Digitization And Sustainability As It Eyes 2030 And Beyond

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ABS introduced comprehensive guidance providing the marine and offshore industries a goal-based framework to enable data-driven decision making based on smart technology.

The ABS Guidance Notes on Smart Function Implementation support data infrastructure development, enabling health and performance monitoring, and augmenting vessel operations leading to more informed decisions in support of fast-moving environmental requirements. The guidance sets an actionable framework for owners, operators and equipment manufacturers to take smart steps today in preparation for an environmentally sustainable future.

“Spurred by increases in connectivity, sensors and data processing, the marine and offshore industries continue to evolve digitally at a very rapid rate while facing increased regulatory challenges. As we embark on the journey from smart to semi-autonomous to autonomous, ABS is leading the industry by connecting the smart journey with sustainability,” said ABS Chairman, President and CEO, Christopher J. Wiernicki. “We created this guidance to provide industry with a goal-based approach framed around increased asset health awareness, vessel performance optimization and crew assistance and augmentation, all of which when approached in a smart manner lead to industry sustainability.”

Smart technologies use advanced analytic techniques to identify data trends and anomalies providing early indicators to avoid potential failures and vessel downtime. The Guidance Notes form the cornerstone of the ABS Smart Series and will be followed by an actionable guide designed to improve data acquisition, processing and analysis and the basis for a more condition-based class approach.

“We are excited to see the thoughtful approach taken by ABS, developing a clear roadmap to guide the industry toward smarter operations,” said Wartsila Vice President for Marine Solutions Sales and Marketing, Aaron Bresnahan. “We look forward to working with ABS and applying their smart guidance to our equipment.”

By implementing smart monitoring, vessel and operational data can be leveraged to assist and augment day-to-day operations, forming the foundation for autonomous operation. This shifts the burden from crews on board reporting anomalies to integrated systems that can identify and help resolve problems, moving decisions from ship to shore.

Source:marineinsight

Despite NATO Tensions, Norway and Russia Sign Seismic Treaty

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Last week, while Norway and its NATO allies launched a massive exercise aimed at defending against a Russian attack, Oslo and Moscow signed an accord to facilitate seismic exploration for oil and gas along their Arctic maritime border.

NATO is currently conducting its largest exercise in a decade, Trident Juncture 2018, with 50,000 personnel and a full range of warfighting assets converging on Norway and Iceland for a two week "collective defense" exercise. The participants including the USS Harry S. Truman, the first American carrier to visit the northern reaches of the Norwegian Sea since the Cold War.

NATO has described the exercise in Norway as a fictitious, defensive training scenario that is not targeted at any particular nation. However, NATO was founded to counter Russian capabilities, and Russia is its only near-peer competitor. In an op-ed, former NATO Allied Commander Adm. James Stavridis made clear that "while the adversary in the exercise is 'fictional,' it is clearly modeled on Russia."

Russia's foreign ministry voiced strong objections to the drill, as it has in past exercises. "It is obvious that this fighting capabilities demonstration has a distinct anti-Russian character," the ministry wrote. "In fact, NATO military experts' latest know-hows [sic] on Russia's forceful containment will be practiced within the Trident Juncture 2018, in a climatic environment that is as much as possible similar to ours."

However, the sharp rhetoric and the nearby drills did not prevent Russia and Norway from concluding a key treaty on seismic explorations. On Thursday, as Trident Juncture kicked off, Russian Minister of Natural Resources Dmitry Kobylkin arrived in Oslo to sign an agreement that will allow Russian and Norwegian seismic vessels to cross their Barents Sea maritime border and collect data on either side. It covers survey track lines for up to five kilometers on either side of the border, and discoveries will be subject to unitization. "This means that both counties will be able to improve their mapping of the resource potential along the delimitation line," said Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy Kjell-Børge Freiberg.

The agreement will be of considerable value to Norwegian oil and gas companies. Norway has sold several lease blocks directly along the border, including block PL858, which is held by SDOE, Statoil (Equinor), Lukoil and Det Norske. 

Source:maritime-executive

DP World upbeat about future of global trade

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DP World is very optimistic about the future of global trade and the maritime sector, Mohammed Al Muallem chief executive officer and managing director UAE region, DP World, told the Dubai Maritime Summit today in his keynote address, at the start of UAE Maritime Week.

He said the UAE is increasingly becoming the maritime centre for the region, thanks to it becoming the first Arab country to be elected to the International Maritime Organization’s 40-member counci, under Category B, and the launch of Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre. The number of maritime employees in Dubai has also increased from 6,400 to 7,500 over the past year.

Al Muallem said maritime industry was entering a different era, but it would continue to thrive. Despite the current trade wars and environmental challenges, global trade is expected to grow by 34 by 2030, and expand by a year up to 2050. This will necessitate continued investment in port infrastructure and the logistics supply chain.

With 10 of the world’s GDP to be managed through blockchain by 2027, Al Muallem said it was also important the maritime sector embraced the technology, along with the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence, as it was currently moving more slowly than other industries.

UAE Maritime Week runs until 1 November and is organised by Dubai Maritime Cluster Office.

Source:seatrade-maritime

Equinor proves more oil in Johan Castberg area

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The semisubmersible Songa Enabler has completed the Skruis exploration wellin license PL532, 8 km (5 mi) north of the Johan Castberg oil field in the Barents Sea.

According to operator Equinor, results were positive with recoverable oil volumes estimated at 12-25 MMbbl.

According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, the well, which was drilled in 409 m (1,342 ft) of water, penetrated a total oil column of around 35 m (115 ft) in the Stø formation. Of this, 30 m (98.4 ft) was effective reservoir in sandstone with moderate to good reservoir quality.

Nick Ashton, svp Exploration, Norway & UK at Equinor, said: “The Skruis discovery confirms the potential in this part of the Barents Sea. Over the past couple of years, we have learned that exploration in the Barents Sea is challenging and takes patience.” 

We still have three Equinor-operated wells and one partner-operated well left to drill in the Barents Sea. We also have a good portfolio for the next couple of years. Together with the wells we drilled in 2017, this will help clarify the potential in the remaining part of the Barents Sea.

The partners will consider tying in the find to the Johan Castberg infrastructure, which currently has full capacity up to 2026-2027. The timing of a potential development of Skruis discovery will be adjusted accordingly.

Recoverable reserves for Johan Castberg (excluding Kruis and last year’s nearby Kayak discovery) are in the 450-650 MMbbl range.

Equinor is also testing the Intrepid Eagle prospect in PL615 in the Hoop area of the Barents Sea.

The Songa Enabler will now drill five production wells for the company on the Trestakk field in the southern Norwegian Sea, a tieback to the Kristin platform.

Source:offshore-mag

Universal support for Van Oord at Deutsche Bucht

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Universal Foundation is to support Van Oord on the installation of two mono bucket foundations at Northland Power's 269MW Deutsche Bucht offshore wind farm off the coast of Germany.

The mono buckets will support MHI Vestas V164-8.4MW turbines as part of project to demonstrate the foundations.

Van Oord is the balance of plant contractor on the Deutsche Bucht project. Universal Foundation has designed the mono buckets, with Sif and Harland & Wolff subcontracted to assist with construction.

Universal Foundation project manager Jesper Uhre Larsen said: “Having delivered the certified design of the two mono buckets to Northland Power, we are naturally pleased to see the project taking FID on the pilot.“

We are excited to continue our efforts on the project working with a professional marine contractor like Van Oord.

“The project teams are working towards the same end goal: a successful installation of the mono bucket foundations in 2019, which will enable further opportunities to lower the cost of offshore wind energy.”

Van Oord package manager of the mono bucket pilot Holger Miara said: “Van Oord is passionate about innovation, marine ingenuity and improving the standards and the environmental impact of the industry.“

It is exciting to be part of the realisation of this pilot and jointly with Universal Foundations and our employer demonstrate the technology in the context of a full-scale commercial project.

The best part of it is that this installation will result in significantly reduced environmental impact in comparison to usually applied construction methodologies.

Installation of the mono buckets is expected to start in the second quarter of 2019, with commissioning of the whole wind farm scheduled for the latter part of the same year.

Deutsche Bucht will also comprise 31 monopile foundations supporting V164-8.4MW turbines.

Source:renews

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