News
Bunkering Boats from C&G Boat Works
In most North American ports the bunkering of ships is often done with tank barges. In at least one port lube oils are delivered to deep sea ships at anchor by a tank truck that drives right onto a flat bed truck. But Norfolk, Va.-based Marine Oil Services has taken the lead with the construction of environmentally friendly double-hulled tankers. The company took delivery of its first vessel in November 2005. The 88 x 27-ft. boat has proven itself at work in New York. The owners have now gone back to the builder, C&G Boat Works in Mobile, Ala., with an order for two more boats to the same design. Each of these small ships has tankage for up to 52,626 gallons of oil. The vessel that was delivered in 2005 is named Rolf Williams in recognition of the man who founded the company in 1958. Marine Oil Service is the largest distributor of marine lubricants on the east coast. The two vessels on order at C&G Boat Works will be named Sunny Williams after the founder's wife and Emma Miller after the current president. In a further move to sustainability the two new boats will be powered by a pair of Cummins' Tier 2 compliant QSK19-M engines each rated for 600 hp at 1800 RPM and turning into Twin Disc 516 gears. Power for the electric bow thruster and other vessel needs will come from two Cummins 6BT5.9-DM powered 65 kW generator sets. over the extensive complex of waterways, marinas, and other facilities in the Hampton Roads area of Chesapeake Bay. The aluminum boat joined a department with active and extensive fire and rescue operations. The Argus class vessels built by Northwind Marine are supplied for fire fighting and search and rescue missions involving both marine and onshore operations. The craft offer 1000-gpm pumping capacity for fighting marine fires with monitors and other types of nozzles and up to 3000 gpm when operating as a water supply source or provisioning shore equipment. The main fire pump discharges to a manifold system that serves a variety of outlets including a bow monitor. A 5-in. main supplies a 5-in. swivel Storz outlet as well as other ports at the stern. These include two vertical 2.5-in. capped outlets, a three-in. monitor standpipe off a three-in. line, a 1.5-in. ball valve outlet arranged in the cockpit, and a "hose bed." The boat has an overall length of 30 ft. with a maximum beam of 9.5 ft. and a dead rise angle of 18 degrees. The boat is propelled by a pair of 200-hp Mercury Optimat outboards. For more information, Email don@northwindmarine.com
Northwind Marine Supplies Fire/Rescue Boat
Another of Northwind Marine's 30-foot Argus class fire, search, and rescue boats has headed east from Seattle. This boat was built for Virginia Beach, Va., where fire, rescue, and police departments watch
NTSB Investigating Tanker Collision
A February tanker accident, in which a 798-foot oil tanker struck the I-10 Bridge in Baton Rouge, La., is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. The tanker tore off a bumper on the bridge pylon system meant to protect hulls of passing ships. The damage is estimated at $10 million. According to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, a lawsuit will be filed against the company that owns the tanker to pay for the damage. However, DOTD officials claim the accident pilot error. The New Orleans and Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots -- which the pilot was a member -- plans to hold a hearing Sept. 26 to investigate the incident.
Strong Storm Could = $65B in Offshore Losses
An extreme-risk consulting firm predicted a strong hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico could generate losses of more than $65 billion for the offshore oil and gas industry. EQECAT, a subsidiary of Oakland, Calif.-based ABSG Consulting Inc., said recently a strong Category 5 storm, with a track through the heart of the Gulf of Mexico, could produce such property damage and revenue losses. "Property damage alone could exceed $35 billion and losses due to business interruption and reduction in production capacity could add another $30 billion to the loss," said Richard Clinton, EQECAT's president. "Industry insured losses are more difficult to estimate due to changes in allocated insurance capacity, policy terms and limits following the large losses from 2004 and 2005 hurricanes, but certainly could be in the $15 billion range." EQECAT based the findings on running a new offshore energy model it produced. The model has the ability to quantify the risk of disruption of product delivery to onshore facilities due to pipeline damage, reductions in production and infrastructure damage. The model can be found at www.eqecat.com
Trade Program Results in $3.3m New Trade Between U.S. - Guatemala
The Trade Capacity Building Institute in New Orleans, in conjunction with the American Chamber of Commerce Guatemala and the Hispanic Chamber of Louisiana, reported a recent trade mission resulted in more than $3.3 million in new business for four Guatemalan small- and medium-sized businesses and Louisiana trading partners. Several other companies represented on the mission are currently negotiating new business contracts, as well. Marcia Sergent, director of the institute, said a result of the mission included training for more than 35 businesses in the Central American country, in which U.S. business owners helped teach their counterparts international trade laws. "This Trade Certificate Program highlights the necessity and value of this program, as well as the positive results from trade between Central America and the United States," Sergent said. "Additional programs are being planned throughout Central America and the Caribbean, which will continue to link small and medium-sized businesses from Louisiana to trading partners throughout the region." Oil-and-Gas Industry has $70 billion impact to La, group says Oil and gas-related industries have a $70 billion economic impact on the Louisiana economy, according to a new study released by the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association. Loren Scott, an economist at Louisiana State University, conducted the study, and came to the figure by taking the direct financial impact made by oil and gas extraction, pipelines and refining and calculating the "ripple effect" those dollars have in terms of jobs supported and taxes paid. "This study quantifies the fact that the oil and gas industry is a growing industry and one that has a tremendous impact on the state," said Chris John, President of Louisiana Mid-Continent. The energy sector employed about 58,000 in 2006, with total wages of $4.2 billion.
6 � MarineNews � October 2007