Shipping, shipbuilding, offshore news

APRIL 2005

Otto Candies in SIM vessel joint venture
ExxonMobil-developed Subsea Intervention Vessel will handle tasks faster than MODU

Star Cruises ponders listing for NCL
but no decision yet taken on U.S. IPO

Maritrans reports record revenues
Highest quarterly revenue in company's history

HHI to build LPG trio for Latsis
$280 million contract to build three 82,000 cu. m gas tankers

Signal International awarded $35.5 million rig conversion project
Semisubmersible will become flotel and offshore construction and repair platform

Ryan enters guilty plea in S.I. ferry crash
Former NYC ferry director makes plea deal

VSE Corp, gets $543.8 million Navy FMS contract
Company that "brings military hand-me-downs" back into fashion gets huge Foreign Military sales contract

Baja floating LNG terminal clears environmental hurdle
Moss-TAMMSA FSRU is based on classic LNG ship technology

Hornbeck Offshore ups earnings expectations
Adds a second foreign-flag vessel to OSV fleet

Manitowoc Marine gets cement barge order
Self-unloader to be built at Bay Shipbuilding

Teekay earns $279 million in first quarter
Result buoyed by gains from vessel sales

OMI reports record profits
$75,781,000 net earnings in first quarter

Pentagon soft pedals on DD(X) rebid
Memo says change to acquisition strategy is "premature at this time"

Indonesian union battles "high risk seafarer" listing
Says Indonesian seafarers may be fired because of U.S. security clampdown

Denmark asks India to return toxic ferry
Says 51-year old Kong Frederik IX is "illegal traffic" under Basel Convention

Wartsila power for innovative AHTS
Wartsila is providing the propulsion power for the AX104 AHTS ordered from Ulstein by Bourbon Offshore Norway

ENSCO 64 declared constructive total loss
ENSCO to receive $65 million for jackup drilling rig damaged by Hurricane Ivan

Maritrans back in Northeast barge market
Redeploys d/h barge from Gulf clean products route to Northeast residual oil market

Australia at risk from maritime terror attack
Report says gaps still exist in Australia's maritime security

OMI in "strategic relationship" with Hyundai Merchant Marine
Charters two Suezmax tankers to Korean giant on seven year term

Liberia offers harmonized ISPS and ISM audits
Program uses ship registry's own team of trained and qualified auditors

Daewoo Romania shipyard books orders worth $850 million
Daewoo Mangalia to build ten containerships for German owners

Giant wave batters NCL cruise ship
Norwegian Dawn diverts to Charleston

DHS awards $17.5 million in OSC grants
Third phase Operation Safe Commerce grants for container security

Wartsila power for yacht transporter
19.7 MW diesel electric installation for 205 m yacht carrier building at Yantai Raffles

New York state comptroller to probe Rochester ferry project
Will work closely with Attorney General on review of expenditure of state funds

No improvement in shipboard conditions
A Paris MOU inspection campaign reveals continued problems with living and working conditions

Mulholland to head new Kvaerner unit
American Shipping, Inc. will own Kvaerner Philadelphia and charter vessels to U.S. owners

Kleven gets MPSV order
Second order from Rem Offshore

Scotia Prince for sale?
Chairman says ferry company has "uncertain future"

Kvaerner and OSG ink $500 million Jones Act tanker deal
Ten products tankers (plus option for two) to be built at Kvaerner Philly

House panel authorizes $8.1 billion for USCG in FY2006
Adds $212,900,000 to Administration's FY 2006 budget request.

Aker Yards and NCL cancel cruise ship deal
Parties "not able to realize deal within the given constraints."

Promotions at Tidewater
Joseph M. Bennett, William R. Brown IV and Craig Demarest move up

Foss to pay $577,000 Washington State spill penalty
State says December 2003 spill of 4,700 gallons of HFO was "negligent"

Austal hands over Benchijigua Express
World's largest all-aluminum vessel pioneers trimaran hullform concept selected for LCS

Mineta to speak at gala honoring maritime labor
May 19 event will benefit U.S. Merchant Marine Museum

DHS announces ferry security grantst
Six systems share $5 million--taken from port security funds

New coastal protection vessel arrives in Brest
Abeille Bourbon is the first of two UT515 coast protection vessels equipped to assist and if necessary take in tow any type of vessel in difficulty

Cal-Dive buying $125 of Stolt Offshore assets
To acquire diving and shallow water pipelay assets operating in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and Trinidad

ABB wins $80 million in marine orders
Propulsion and electrical power plant systems for ten new marine vessels

WTO adopts shipbuilding panel report
Long-running EC dispute with Korea on subsidies grinds to a halt

Major LNG ship engine order for Wartsila
24 dual-fuel engines for six 115,000 cu.m ships building at Samsung

Bath Iron Works gets LCS award
$16 million for long lead material procurement for Littoral Combat Ship

Alaska LNG ship plan moves forward
Maritime union tapped in effort to get Jones Act U.S. build exemption

Permit needed for ballast water discharge?
San Francisco federal court rules EPA can't exempt ship's ballast water from Clean Water Act

New index shows containership charter rates are accelerating
Shipbroker Harper Petersen launches the HARPEX

Cal Dive makes "stalking horse" bid for Torch assets
Agreement filed with Bankruptcy Court

EC nixes Italian ship loan guarantee plan
Doesn't meet competition rules

MSRC and Clean Sound merge
Beefing up spill response capabilities in Washington State

Scotia Prince cancels 2005 schedule
Cites problems with toxic mold at Portland terminal

Kiewit Offshore gives missile defense a lift
Two Texas yards get some crumbs from the Star Wars pie

USCG launches icebreaker
New Mackinaw makes a splash at Marinette Marine

Stromme buys NME
Broadens product line

European Parliament to debate marine fuel sulphur limits
Scene set for another clash with IMO?

Keppel FELS gets jackup order from ENSCO
Replacement for hurricane damaged ENSCO 64

Greenpeace says tanker ban "threatens environment"
Says MARPOL phase out will "dump thousands of toxic ships on Asian and Turkish beaches"

Donjon Marine expands
Joint venture in Albany, N.Y.

Evergreen to pay $25 million fine in pollution case
Largest-ever penalty for a case involving deliberate vessel pollution

Bourbon orders innovative anchor handler from Ulstein
Dramatically different X-Bow, new Safe Anchor Handling System and diesel electric propulsion

Tidewater AHTS sale hits snag
Still negotiating with purchase

Sabine Transportation CEO gets prison sentence
Free on bond pending appeal

Fredriksen orders another jackup
Seatankers places $129 million order with PPL Shipyard

Stolt Nielsen transportation orders chemical tankers
Norway's Kleven to build two 43,000 dwt vessels for deliveries in 2007 and 2008

HMD ends ship repair at Ulsan
No 1 dry dock is switched to newbuilding

Navy cancels Kennedy overhaul
Claims final decision to deactivate and decommission carrier not yet final

Trinity Yachts launches Mia Elise
Largest full displacement steel hulled yacht launched in U.S. in seventy years

Royal Caribbean confirms order for third Freedom class
Finnerva provides buyer credit guarantee

Seafarer medical screening [roduces big savings
American P&I Club marks first anniversary of Ukraine program

Trailer Bridge income soars
High load volume allows optimized cargo mix

Fincantieri to pay first ever dividend
With positive cash flow, Italian giant seeks to expand into cruise ship refurbishment and mega yachts

Selendang Ayu captain enters guilty plea
Case draws attention to "pocket miles" practice