NL MARITIME NEWS

NL MARITIME NEWS

A NewsLink service for Dole Colombia International maritime news for seafarers

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 Headland SatNews

NATIONAL

Somali pirates release 26 sailors

Somali pirates have released a Greek-owned oil tanker and its 26 sailors, including 14 Filipinos, who were seized in the Arabian Sea 10 months ago, the Philippine government said on Tuesday. The Liberian-flagged vessel as well as its crew were released on Saturday, and are en route to Oman, the foreign affairs department said in a statement. "All of the crew members are in good physical condition," the statement said. The tanker was carrying 135,000 tonnes of crude oil when it was hijacked on May 10 last year. It had sailed from Turkey and was seized 300 nautical miles east of Oman as it headed towards Somalia. No reason was given as to why the pirates released the vessel and its crew. The Athens-based company also released a short statement on its website confirming the release, without explaining the circumstances. "We are very pleased to report that the vessel has been released after ten months in the captivity of Somali pirates," the statement said. "We would like to take this opportunity to thank the crew, their families, our employees and those agencies that have provided support through this long ordeal," it added Pirates based in lawless Somalia have in recent years netted millions of dollars in ransom payments by carrying out high-profile sea hijackings, which have driven up the costs of shipping along vital seaways. The number of Somali pirate attacks is currently at a three-year low, thanks to beefed up naval patrols and teams of armed security guards aboard ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. However, the International Maritime Bureau says Somalia's waters remain extremely dangerous. The Philippine foreign affairs department said Somali pirates were still holding nine other Filipino sailors taken hostage from two other vessels. (AFP)

India reiterates support for Mauritius in piracy war

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday repeated his country's support for the Mauritian government in the fight against piracy. "Piracy in the Indian Ocean affects us all negatively," Mukherjee told

SAFETY Ballast tank coatings

There have been significant changes in the application of ballast tank coatings in the last few years following adoption of the IMO's Resolution MSC 215(82)

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reporters during an official state visit to the Indian Ocean island nation. India is "very committed to the security of Mauritius and will continue to work towards improving relations between the two countries," he added. During his two-day visit to Mauritius, Mukherjee met with Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam and discussed potential areas for co-operation such as exploration of marine resources, renewable energy and environment friendly technologies. Mauritius's waters are threatened by Somali pirates who have extended their zones of operation deeper into the Indian Ocean waters from their traditional base off the Somali coast. However, patrols by international forces have meant a sharp drop in recent pirate attacks. India is a strategic partner for Mauritius in the fight against piracy as well as for trade. (AFP/PTI)

'Performance standard for protective coatings for dedicated seawater ballast tanks in all types of ships and double-side skin spaces of bulk carriers'. Keeping in view the changes, vessels are advised to use epoxybased coatings on ballast tanks, with a light coloured top-coat to facilitate future inspections. Normally coating is applied by airless spray gun, but it can be brush-applied by 'stripe coats' at changes of section, welds and hard to access areas. Coating system and materials must be type approved and a suitably qualified coating inspector must be on site to monitor the process and carry out tests accordingly. Moreover, a coating technical file must be maintained and should at all times remain with the vessel. Documenting the application, the file should contain details of any re-coatings and repairs. Source: NEPIA

Danish Maritime Authority enhances security of ships

The security of ships and port facilities for passenger and cargo ships engaged on domestic voyages has been beefed up by the Danish Maritime Authority. At the same time, the administrative and certification requirements imposed on the industry have also been reduced by the authority. The authority along with the National Commission of the Danish Police (the Danish Security and Intelligence Service), the Chief of Command Denmark and the Danish Coastal Authority, has amended the regulations on the security of ships engaged on domestic voyages. In addition to enhancing security, daily work will be considerably reduced under the new regulations. In the future, the ships no longer require inspection and do not need to be certified and approved in line with the EU Regulation on enhanced security of ships and port facilities (the ISPS Code). On the contrary, there must be procedures for assessing the security threat against the ship.

Port of Gothenburg prepares for Triple E's

Maersk Line's Triple E, the world's largest 18,000 TEU container ships, will call at the Port of Gothenburg, Sweden. The Port of Gothenburg has been carrying out test runs to simulate a call by Maersk Line's new ship generation, Triple E. "The test runs have proved successful and it is very exciting that what we have simulated will now become a reality. We are ready to welcome this new generation of container ship," Magnus Karestedt, Port of Gothenburg CEO, said. The new ships, which are 400m long and 59m wide, are currently being built at a shipyard in South Korea. The first call is scheduled for August 2013. "Increased capacity on deep-sea services between Sweden and Asia is positive for Swedish industry. This is where trade flows are increasing whilst European flows are still reporting a poor rate of growth," Karestedt added.
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Triple E or EEE (Economy of Scale, Energy efficient and Environmentally improved) will call at the following ports: Gdansk (Poland)- Arhus (Denmark)- Gothenburg - Bremerhaven (Germany) - Rotterdam (Netherlands) Port Tangiers (Algeria) - Singapore - Yantian (China) - Hong Kong - Kwangyang (South Korea) - Ningbo (China)- Shanghai - Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia).

COMMERCE Gulf source: Oil market regains balance

The oil market has regained balance after a slight slump in January. Last month, 9.15 million b/d was produced and 9.16 million b/d was supplied to markets by Saudi Arabia after output dropped by 100,000 b/d in January, according to a Gulf source. But the OPEC heavyweight may increase production in the coming months as demand increases, the source said. "I think the market is balanced. It's a little bit on the tight side because of refining maintenance in Asia and many other areas," the source said. According to the source, oil prices are expected to be stable, as there is no unforeseen geopolitical development, which may impact markets. "I don't see any major change this year that will impact either prices or the supply and demand picture," the source said, adding: "I think it's going to be stable unless there is something that we don't know about like geopolitics." "Generally the market is expected to be stable," the source said adding that oil prices are expected to move by USD 2-USD 3/barrel "up or down" or by USD 5/b in a worst-case scenario.

POLLUTION Oil spilled into Danube River in Ukraine

A large oil slick was discovered on the surface of the Danube River in Ukraine's southern Odessa region, authorities reported on Tuesday. A pool of about 400 square metres has appeared, after fuel oil was spilled into the river from a freighter near the port city of Reni on Monday, the State Service for Emergencies reported. Emergency crew are containing the pollution and they will try to determine how much oil leaked, it said. According to preliminary reports, there is no threat of polluting the water supply as the oil did not spread along the riverbed, Xinhua reported.

BFAR: Oil spill that affected Ilocos not from Myanmar vessel
An official of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on Wednesday said that the oil spill that affected the coastlines of La Union, Ilocos Sur and Norte did not occur due to the Myanmar vessel that sank on February 17 off Bolinao, Pangasinan. Dr Westly Rosario, chief of the BFAR's National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Authority (NIFTDC) based in Dagupan City, said the site where the Myanmar vessel sank was too far from Ilocos. Citing a report of BFAR technical men who reached the area where the vessel had sunk, Rosario doubted the findings of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) that it was the sunken vessel, which caused the oil spill. But he is positive that the oil slick from the sunken vessel is the one that has already affected the shoreline

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of Bolinao although, he said, only on a minimal scale. Rosario cited the report of his technical men who approximated the area where the vessel had sunk to be 30km away from Bolinao. The oil slick, he said, was traced at about 1.2km away from where the vessel had sunk, PNA reported. The oil slick was estimated by the BFAR team to be 2km long and half a kilometre wide. The oil was at its thickest in middle and went thinner in both ends. He said to date the oil is thinner in the surface and thicker in the bottom but there is a probability that if it rains hard, the thickness would be reversed which is bad for the fish nearby. Rosario maintained the oil spill must be from another vessel which may have discharged some of its fuel that caused the oil spill in La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. This had to be found out in order to pinpoint on who should pay for the damages to the eco-system in the beaches of theIlocos, he said.

SUMMIT Paris Int'l oil summit 2013 will be held next month
The 14th International conference is scheduled to take place on April 4, 2013 at the Le Meridien Etoile Hotel, 81 Bd Gouvion St-Cyr75017 Paris, France. Corporate chairmen, CEOs and presidents from leading oil companies will participate in the one-day conference. The participants are expected to debate the recent developments on the energy scene, particularly the outlook for the oil industry.

HI-TECH Coxreels introduces new hose reel

Coxreels, US manufacturer of industrial-grade hose, cord & cable reels, has expanded capabilities of its hand crank & motorized 1125 Series reels. The company's existing hand crank and motorized 1125 Series reels now offer an upgraded swivel for high pressure applications. Coxreels' new high pressure HP1125 models complement its highly popular 1125 Series, said a press release. With a proven operating pressure up to 5,000 PSI, the external fluid path is configured with an electroless nickel plated steel 90 degree full-flow NPT swivel inlet and chemical resistant AFLAS seals to handle the most demanding tasks in any high spraying circumstance. The HP1225 models have all the standard features and benefits of their sister series, including a sturdy onepiece, all-welded "A" frame base for maximum stability, low profile outlet riser, and open drum slot design to provide a non crimping, flat smooth hose wrap. This high pressure option is available for " and " models. The expansion of its high pressure options is just another example of how Coxreels designs the tools to help industry professionals get the job done.

New 35W T5 LED driver from Thomas Research Products

Thomas Research Products has introduced a line of 35W LED drivers that feature a form factor matching
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T5 fluorescent ballasts. These 35W drivers are an expansion of TRP's standard LED series. Being sized to match T5-style ballasts offers the flexibility of using them in existing fixture designs. OEM's can use them in new offerings, or they can be utilised for LED retrofits in the field. Input voltage ranges from 120Vac to 277Vac. They are IP65 rated. They offer over-voltage, over-current and short circuit protection with automatic recovery to keep luminaries performing. The drivers are UL Recognised for both the US and Canada, and are CE certified, according to a press release. Thomas Research Products also offers the LEG series of drivers, in standard F-can style enclosures.

SHIPPING DATA
BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: 11:00 GMT Dry Capesize Panamax Supramax Index Index Index Index BDI 865 +18

BCI 1314 +54 BPI 1131 BSI +3

889 +13 486 +1

Handysize Index BHSI

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Tue Cls) Fgn Currency in USD Britain (Pound) Canada (Dollar) China (Yuan) Euro India (Rupee) 1.4909 0.9746 0.1608 1.3026 0.0185 USD in Fgn Currency 0.6707 1.0261 6.2189 0.7677 54.1980 9693.00 95.9300 5.7071 40.6100 3.1800 30.7145

Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000103 Japan (Yen) Norway (Krone) Philippines (Peso) Poland (Zloty) Russia (Ruble) 0.010424 0.1752 0.0246 0.3143 0.0326

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Singapore (Dollar)

0.8022

1.2466

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