© International Marine Consultancy

Today, the icebreaker ‘Arctic Sunrise‘ passed our Antwerp office. Curious about her intentions I surfed to the Greenpeace website where I quickly learned she was here for an open house event (scheduled for 16 and 17 June).

During these Open Days Greenpeace wants to raise awareness for the uncontrolled deforestation in the Congo Basin. Logging in the Congo rainforest has increased significantly as peace has returned to the region. In 2004, encouraged by the World Bank, Congo announced its plans to step up the commercial logging of its rainforest. The timber industry is a major employer in Congo countries and thousands of workers rely on logging companies for basic healthcare and other services. Illegal logging is a significant problem as underpaid bureaucrats look to supplement their incomes by opening restricted areas to cutting.

Recently, the World Bank announced it is planning an international fund of at least 250 million dollars to fight deforestation, which contributes to global warming. The targets for the fund are all countries that have significant rain forests. That includes countries in Latin America, Central Africa and Southeast Asia, especially but, mainly, significant carbon-dioxide emitters such as Brazil, Congo and Indonesia.

When?
The Open Days take place on 16 and 17 June from 13:00 till 18:00

Where?
The Arctic Sunrise will be anchored at Scheldt Quay no 19 in Antwerp, close to the Grote Markt.

Tags : arctic sunrise, Congo, Greenpeace

Noticed this post about offshore crew transfers on The Pilot Boat blog. Doesn’t look safe to me.

Stavanger-based SeaMetric International AS has signed a contract for the construction, assembly and testing of the first 20,000 tonnes capacity Twin Marine Lifter (TML) system.

Developed for installation and removal of such objects as platform topside and jackets with weights up to 20,000 tonnes, the Twin Marine Lifter system is based on using two heavy transport vessels.

Each has four, 2,500 t capacity lifting arms. The 75 m long arms are extensible by 15 m.

Lift force is created by deballasting the buoyancy tanks of the TML vessel and at the same time ballasting the ballast tanks.

The contract for the first TML system has been placed with contract with ESSCA (Hongkong) Ltd in consortium with China Petroleum First Construction Corporation (CPFCC) and the JingJiang Nanyang shipyard near Shanghai.

CPFCC will be responsible for the overall project management, the construction of the TML lift arm system and for assembly and testing of the complete TML system

The two DP class 3 heavy transport vessels that are the basis for the TML lifting system will be subcontracted to the JingJiang Nanyang shipyard which is a privately owned shipyard with 20 years experience.

CPFCC is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). CNPC Services & Engineering Ltd. has issued a Parent Company Performance Guarantee to SeaMetric International AS.

The DP class 3 heavy transport vessels, being used for the TML heavy lift systems are 140 nf long, 40 meter beam and have a dwt capacity of 25.000 tonnes. They will have accommodations for 41, a helideck, and will be capable of submersion to -20 meters.

“This is a breakthrough for SeaMetric,” says CFO Johan F. Andresen. “We have negotiated a very good contract with a very strong and capable fabrication group. CPFCC is a subsidiary of CNPC, a company with 1.4 million employees, about the same as the entire Norwegian workforce. We have also options in the contract for the construction of one more TML heavy lift system and two 180 meter long submersible heavy transport vessels (HTVs). These vessels will be similar to the vessels now being built, and they have the capacity to support a 30.000 tonnes TML system.”

The vessels will be financed with a combination of equity and a bond loan. Fearnley Fonds has placed a bond loan of an initial $60 million with possible subsequent extension to $105 million.

SeaMetric International AS is providing services in following areas:

• Installation / removal of topsides and jackets (sea movie presentation)
• Relocation of platforms
• Platform decommissioning studies including cleaning, removal, dismantling and re-use/disposal
• Platform installation studies and field development studies
• Installation / removal of larger subsea structures
• Salvage operations

© International Marine Consultancy

Thousands of people lined Newcastle’s beaches in driving rain and gale-force winds as rescue helicopters attempt to retrieve the Filipino crew of a coal freighter which has run aground in heavy seas.

The MV ‘Pasha Bulker’, owned by Lauritzen Bulkers, had 22 crew members on board when it ran aground in wild surf off Nobbys Beach after getting into trouble near the extrance to Newcastle Harbour.

more pictures here and here

Brief specs
Vessel name: Pasha Bulker
Type/Class/Flag: Bulkcarrier/NK/Panama
Built: 2006, Sasebo Heavy Industries Co., Ltd
Call sign: 3EGK5
Dwat/Draft/Tpc: SUM SW 76741.0 mt on 14.22 m/Tpc 67.00
WIN SW 74750.0 mt on 13.93 m
TRO SW 78735.0 mt on 14.52 m
Speed and Consumption: Abt 14.50 knots on abt 36.50 mt IFO (380) LADEN
Abt 14.00 knots on abt 36.50 mt IFO (380) BALLAST
+ 0.20 mt MDO
In port when idle: 0.20 mt MDO / 3.00 mt IFO
In port when working: 0.20 mt MDO / 4.30 mt IFO
Loa/Beam: 225.00 / 32.20 m
GT/NT: International 40,042.00 / 25,259.00
Tank capacities: 2738 mt IFO / 97 mt MDO

Update:
- Pasha Bulker hull breached
- SVITZER Salvage has obtained the salvage contract on the grounded bulk carrier off Newcastle, Australia
- Pasha Bulker salvage team expects more rough conditions

30 May-5 June 2007

The following is a summary of the daily reports broadcast by the IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre to ships in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions on the SafetyNET service of Inmarsat-C from 30 May to 5 June 2007.

ALERT

Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh
Forty seven incidents have been reported since 28.01.2006. Pirates are targeting ships preparing to anchor. Ships are advised to take extra precautions.

The 2006 Annual IMB Report on Piracy and Armed Attacks against Ships is now published. Please see the end of this page to order.

Suspicious crafts

• 18.04.2007: 2320 LT: Entrance Cartagena Colombia.
A container ship, while disembarking her pilot on the port side noticed, on radar, one unlit suspicious boat approaching from the stbd side at high speed. The master alerted the crew. The boat came very close to the vessel (about 10 m from the hull). On seeing the alert crew on ship’s side, the boat retreated and disappeared into the darkness. The master informed the Centre to alert other vessels calling Cartagena, Colombia.

Recently reported incidents

• 01.06.2007: Evening hrs: Enroute Sharjah to Mombasa.
Pirates in three boats boarded a general cargo ship underway and hijacked it. Coalition forces aircraft noticed the vessel with the three boats in tow heading towards the Somali coast. The ship has been anchored off the coast of Hobyo. Further details are awaited.

• 31.05.2007: 2243 UTC: Posn 06:50.2S - 039:37.3E, 22 NM off Dar es Salaam Pilot Station, Tanzania.
Pirates, in two boats with ten persons in each boat attempted to board a container ship, drifting, while waiting for pilot to board. Alert crew raised alarm and the attempt was aborted.

• 30.05.2007: 0400 LT: Posn 01:18.90N - 104:07.70E, Johor Anchorage, Malaysia.
Six robbers armed with knives boarded a container ship and forced their way into the engine room by breaking the padlocks on the doors. They tied up two-duty crew. They stole spare parts and escaped when the alarm was raised.

• 25.05.07: off the coast of Somalia
An Indian dhow was hijacked while underway from Kismayo to Mogadishu. More details are awaited.

• 21.04.2007: 1930 LT: Posn 01:25N - 104:20E, 2.5 NM East of Tanjung Punggai, Malaysia.
10 masked pirates armed with pistols and long knives boarded a tanker underway from a speedboat. They stole cash and ships property and escaped. No injury to crew

Piracy prone areas and warnings

S E Asia and the Indian Sub Continent

Bangladesh : Chittagong anchorage and approaches. The area is listed as very high risk.
Indonesia : Belawan, Tanjong Priok (Jakarta) / generally in other areas.
Malacca straits
Singapore Straits

Africa and Red Sea

Africa : Lagos (Nigeria) / generally other areas in Nigeria, Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania)
Gulf of Aden / Red Sea : Numerous pirate attacks have been reported by ships and yachts in the Gulf of Aden. Some of the vessels were fired upon.
Somalian waters : Eastern and North-eastern coasts are high-risk areas for attacks and hijackings. Ships not making scheduled calls to ports in Somalia should keep as far away as possible from the Somali coast, ideally, more than 200 nautical miles.

South and Central America and the Caribbean waters

Brazil - Santos
Peru – Callao

source: ICC

Watch Discovery Channel’s Emmy-nominated series Deadliest Catch for daring adventures on the high seas. Viewers once again voyage to the Bering Sea and follow the brave captains and crew of eight crab-fishing vessels as they struggle against the treacherous weather conditions doing one of the deadliest — and most lucrative — jobs in the world.

After two years of collaboration with Fairmount Marine BV, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs has strengthened its services to the offshore industry through the acquisition of Fairmount, a Dutch company. the acquisition of Fairmount Marine. For two years, since the common operation of the Gavea Lifter semi-submersible heavy transportation barge, the two companies have learned to work together.

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs decided to acquire Fairmount to develop the company in the longer term. Ocean towage is a promising market and LDA excels in developing niche sectors and added value.

A global ocean towage specialist, Fairmount was established 30 years ago by Mr Henk J. van den Berg. Fairmount delivers know-how and expertise in ocean towage to operators of drilling platforms, barges and FPSOs (Floating Production Storage and Offloading). Platforms, drillships and other large units can be docked on its semi-submersible barges.

Fairmount operates five modern and powerful (200 tonnes bollard pull) tugs, all delivered since 2005, as well as two semi-submersible barges capable of lifting 50,000 tonnes.

Negotiations with shipyards for two new semi-submersible barges and several tugs (in the 280 tonnes bollard pull class) are already in progress.

source: MarineLink.com