Shipping, shipbuilding, offshore news

JUNE 2005

Maersk unit to acquire Norse Merchant Ferries
Norfolk Line and Norse Merchant sign letter of intent

Consolidation at Crowley Maritime
Two new business units, three senior management appointments

Giant repair yard for Oman?
Daewoo and Oman sign agreement

Incat ferry on new Spanish route
Former Stena Sea Lynx II gets overhaul and new role

Mega yacht--for 600 passengers
California Spirit offers a new concept for Subchapter K dinner cruise vessels

TTS supplies panel lines for Chouest yards
Upgrade for NAS, Larose, Louisiana, and complete 12 m line for new Brazilian yard

Korean shipyards to build WIG vehicles?
Plan to build water-skimming cargo vessels that look a lot like airplanes

Transocean set for huge Petrobras contracts
Nineteen rig years of work worth $985 million in revenues

Approval for MITAGS and PMI maritime security courses
DNV issues certification on behalf of U.S.C,G. Maritime Center and MARAD

SeaDrill out of PetroJack
Makes $597,000 out of brief ownership of 3,515,000 shares

MAN B&W and CSIC deepen their cooperation
CSIC to establish crankshaft manufacturing facility in China

Fredriksen expands offshore rig involvement
Orders semis from Jurong and acquires chunks of PetroJack and Odfjell Invest

Wilh. Wilhelmsen to acquire Unitor
Deal values ship supplier at $217 million

MaK power for BC Ferries
Diesel electric propulsion for Super C Class double-enders

Bergesen to be relisted on Oslo exchange
Company being restructured as pure gas shipping company

Austal wins patrol boat order
Six 16 m units for NSW Water Police

DD(X) has weight problem
"Weight is a challenge for individual subsystems and the ship as a whole," says the GAO

SCA and OSHA renew alliance
Originally signed in January 2003, alliance identifies shipyard safety risks and responses

Tanker owners welcome new IACS common structural rules
Should spell an end to pressures to erode design margins

Boeing signs Teekay as launch customer for maritime communications service
Data rates up to 256 kbps from the vessel to the satellite and data rates up to 5 mbps from the satellite to the vessel.

Keppel, Diamond Offshore confirm jackup orders
LOI for two jackups--one from Singapore, one from Brownsville, Texas--becomes firm order

IACS sets date for common rules
Leading classification societies will implement common rules for tankers and bulk carriers from April 1, 2006

Managament promotions at Bollinger Shipyards
Changes made "to meet the demands of increased business, expanded services and new technologies"

USCG port state detentions rise slightly
But industry gets praise for meeting new security requirements

Brazilian order for Damen PSV
Wilson, Sons will build PSV at own yard, operate it on Petrobras charter

Ulstein breakthrough in Brazil market
Two PSV's to be built at Ebin for Comphania Brasileira de Offshore

New ABS Guidance Notes on Ice Class
new approach to the analysis applicable to ice class vessels

Unitor inks record contract with Hyundai
Will supply and apply cargo tank insulation for 21 LPG carriers/p>

ADA applies to cruise ships
ICCL says it welcomes decision on Americans with Disabilities Act

Appointment for Windelev
Claus Windelev is now president of Seattle-based Trans Marine Propulsion Systems

Northrop Grumman names successor to Phil Dur
.Philip A. Teel to head Ship Systems from July 1

Aker American plans $100 million private placement
....will partly finance construction of OSG product tankers at KPSI

OSG signs definitive agreements for KPSI tankers
.bareboat charters of ten Veteran MT-46 class Jones Act Product Tankers

WSF must let Martinac bid on ferries
.Independent state agency grants yard financial prequalification to bid on contract awarded Todd Shipyards

Keel laid for LCS 1
Ceremony at Manitowoc's Marinette Marine marks start of construction of Navy's first Littoral Combat Ship

Keppel wins $174 million FPU contract
...includes fabrication and integration of largest ever internal turret

Fast response fireboat for Los Angeles County
Kvichak Marine delivers 27-knot Jensen design

Harvey Gulf Marine to upgrade tugs to DP-1
Four largest units in fleet to be converted by November

Marine Transport charters ATB newbuild to ConocoPhillips
Three year agreement for 185,000 bbl unit under construction at VT Halter Marine

Norwegian owners seek Singapore tax breaks
Wikborg Rein sees more Norwegian owners ready to relocate