In November, 2015 Bordelon Marine takes delivery of the MV Brandon Bordelon. This highly specialized vessel features a helideck, a 60 ton AHC crane with 3000m of wire, POB (60), a mezzanine deck with internal office and control rooms capable of supporting two (2) full work class ROV systems. The vessel also offers 6,200 sq. ft. of clear useable deck space. The Brandon comes equipped with (2) two Ranger2 Pro thru-hull USBL full systems. The vessel delivers a fully integrated ROV control room, ROV support offices, below deck work and storage spaces, extensive communications and ROV data network, plug and play, with patch panel racks installed. … all tied into the vessel systems, bridge, office, and accommodation spaces.

The vessel is designed with removable bulwarks around the entire aft of vessel along with power, water, air, and hydraulic oil connections on the deck. The vessel is also equipped with four additional below deck Tier 3 generators, providing fully redundant power to the crane and ROV systems.

Quote (Wes Bordelon, President/CEO):

We are very excited to introduce the M/V Brandon Bordelon. This vessel is the next generation design of the Stingray series and continues our commitment of the ULIV concept to the subsea market. With the addition of a helideck and other integrated systems the Brandon provides an additional highly capable and low cost vessel option to our clients.

Gobbler Boats is committed to protecting the environment. Its new Gobbler Offshore 290 Oil Spill Recovery Vessel (OSRV) not only excels at remediation, but harnesses the latest in environmentally sound fire suppression technology. The boat comes standard with a Sea-Fire pre-engineered system and 3M's innovative Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid.

"Sea-Fire is a well-known and respected brand in the marine marketplace," said Simon Jauncey, Gobbler Boats' technical manager. "Its products are well-engineered, produced in ISO9001 approved facilities and are technologically on the leading edge."

"We chose Novec 1230 because it's in line with Gobbler Boats' ethos of protecting the environment," continued Jauncey. 3M's next-generation fire suppression fluid is a replacement for Halon. Electrically non-conductive and non-corrosive, expensive machinery and electronics aren't damaged during discharge. With a low toxicity value, it also offers the highest margin of safety for workers within occupied spaces. Environmentally clean, it has a global warming potential of 1—the same as CO2—and will not deplete the ozone.

What makes the 29' Gobbler Offshore 290 unique is that it doesn't store recovered oil, instead it tows 3,434 gal. detachable bladders behind the vessel. This allows the boat to operate almost non-stop and collect up to 6,400 bbls of 98% water-free reusable oil per day. It will operate in less than 1.5' of water, making it ideal for shoreline work, but carries a Lloyds G3 certification for offshore coverage to 60 nm. With an 8.5' beam, it's easily trailerable, or stowed on a ship or platform. The boat was awarded the Seawork 2015 Spirit of Innovation trophy and was a category winner for Vessel Design & Construction.

The company's website is www.gobblerboats.com.

Sea-Fire is dedicated to protecting people and property at sea. The company manufactures a wide range of state-of-the-art marine fire suppression systems for commercial and recreational vessels.

To learn more about Sea-Fire engineered and pre-engineered fire suppression systems, including NOVEC 1230, visit the company at METSTRADE 2015, 17–19 November, stand 2.208 or the International WorkBoat Show, December 1-3, New Orleans, Louisiana, booth 1944.

Gulf Coast Shipyard Group (GCSG) is proud to announce the delivery of Harvey Power, the second LNG vessel operating in the United States—for Shell Upstream America’s deep water operations in the Gulf of Mexico—is fully in service. She is the second of six LNG OSVs being built for Harvey Gulf International Marine, and like her sistership Harvey Energy, Harvey Power is capable of operating on LNG or diesel fuel.

Along with being able to operate on LNG, she also meets the strident criteria of the ABS Enviro+, Green Passport notation. When operating on LNG, these vessels exceeds the new Tier IV emissions regulations requiring lower sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides emissions as part of the North American Emission Control Area (ECA). She will refuel with LNG at Harvey Gulf’s new LNG bunkering facility at Port Fourchon in southern Louisiana which allows easy access to more than 600 oil and gas rigs and platforms within a 40-mile radius.

Running on 99% LNG fuel (she is dual fuel), Harvey Power is a 310’ x 64’ x 24.5’ platform supply vessel powered by three Wärtsilä 6L34DF dual fuel gensets, providing 7.5 MW of power and fueled by a Wartsila provided LNGPac system. With 5,219 metric tons of deadweight the vessel is capable of carrying 253,000 USG of fuel oil, 18,000 bbls of liquid mud, 1,600 bbls of methanol, 10,250 ft3 of dry cement and 73,000 USG of LNG fuel. When operating on LNG the Harvey Power can operate in excess of 19 day in normal GOM rig supply mode between refueling.

Marvin Serna is the new COO of Gulf Coast Shipyard Group and the new protocols and operational improvements he has put in place are becoming evident, such as the reduction of commissioning time from the first vessel to the second vessel of 45 days.

Harvey Gulf has 4 more vessels under construction with Gulf Coast Shipyard Group and is confident the shipyard can maintain the high quality of construction while continuing to improve on construction techniques resulting in shorter delivery times.

Mr. Shane Guidry, Chairman and CEO of Harvey Gulf, comments: "This is our second vessel capable of operating on LNG and is a testimony of Harvey Gulf's commitment to its customers and the environment to provide the most affordable, innovative, environmentally-friendly technical solutions to meet their business demands. We are happy to announce that Harvey Power has begun its’ 5 year contract operating in the Gulf of Mexico."

Gulf Coast Shipyard is located in Gulfport, Mississippi and the 60 acre facility has 10 acres under roof with a 4,700 ton syncrolift and 500 travel lift for new construction and repair of commercial and military vessels.

Classification societies are changing their monitoring rules for seawater-lubricated propeller shafts in line with the rules governing the inspection and withdrawal of oil-lubricated stern tube systems.

China Classification Society (CCS) announced in July that if certain condition monitoring criteria are met, shaft withdrawal for inspection may be extended to 15 years.

The rule change follows recent revisions by Lloyd’s Register and Bureau Veritas which published amended SCM and MON-SHAFT rules in January 2013 and January 2014, respectively. DNV GL, the world’s largest classification society, with a registered fleet of 266.9mgt, is expected to publish new rules in 2016.

Thordon Bearings’ seawater-lubricated propeller shaft bearing system meets classification society rules for extended shaft withdrawal periods

“Changes to classification society rules represent a significant breakthrough for manufacturers of water-lubricated shaft bearing systems,” said Andy Edwards, Commercial Director of market leader Thordon Bearings.

“A major stumbling block to the wider take-up of the more environmentally efficient seawater-lubricated system has been the requirement to withdraw the shaft for inspection every five years. So the changes are very welcome as they are more representative of the advancements made in polymer bearing technologies and corrosion-resistant shaft coating systems.

“We expect the revision will be highly welcomed by those shipowners looking to comply with the stringent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency vessel general permit (VGP) regulations, which are now in force to impose strict limits on operational oil discharges for vessels operating in US coastal waters and the Great Lakes,” Edwards added.

The revised CCS notation stipulates that certain shaft condition and monitoring protocols have to be verified at each annual survey in order to benefit from extended shaft withdrawal periods.

The rules state that a shaft condition monitoring system may be used in place of conventional shaft withdrawals, such as the retention of water sampling results for class surveyor review. It also stipulates that a water-lubricated shaft has to be protected with a corrosion resistant material, protective liner or a coating and that wear and tear be assessed. Shaft seals also have to be designed so they can be replaced without having to withdraw the shaft, while bearing clearances and shaft coating measurements need to be retained onboard.

Vessels operating seawater-lubricated systems also need to be fitted with a water filtration, separation or conditioning system capable of removing particles greater than 80μm, with samples taken under service conditions. Two independent sensors are also required to monitor water flow to the stern tube bearing, with any alarms recorded.

Craig Carter, Thordon Bearings’ Head of Marketing and Customer Service, said: “Our Thordon Water Quality Package and Thor-Coat shaft protection system satisfy all of these new requirements, meaning that shipowners no longer need to worry about the costs associated with having to withdraw the shaft every five years. With classification societies now changing their shaft condition monitoring rules in view of the technological advancements we have made over recent years, we expect more shipowners will see merit in converting from oil to seawater-lubricated systems.”

Gibdock has secured a breakthrough exhaust gas scrubber retrofit project covering five vessels operated by ship management major Norbulk Shipping and owned by global shipping group Vroon.

The contract represents a sizeable debut in specialized EGS work. With all five ships also undergoing special survey drydocking, the job is the Gibraltar yard’s largest single assignment in 2015. The landmark project is also the first ship-series SOx abatement technology retrofit win for any Southern European yard.

Using EGS, shipowners can continue operating on heavy fuel oil instead of more expensive marine gas oil to meet IMO rules on SOx emissions that came into force in Sulphur Emissions Control Areas on Jan 1, 2015.

“We are the first yard in the region to win a major exhaust scrubber project,” said Richard Beards, Gibdock Managing Director. “Our ideal location means that we are always attractive for owners considering this area. Gibdock’s competitiveness, high quality workmanship and on-schedule redelivery has led to this breakthrough deal, which opens a new chapter in the industry’s EGS installation work options.”

Gibdock’s workload included the 37,500 dwt product tanker Great Eastern, the third of the five Norbulk vessels being fitted with ‘PureSOx’ main engine, auxiliary engine and boiler EGS units from Alfa Laval. The hybrid PureSOx system removes over 98% of SOx emissions from exhaust gases and up to 80% of particulates. EGS installation work onboard Great Eastern included 90 tons of newly fabricated steel, the laying of 12,386m of electrical cabling and 1,134m of GRE pipes involving 800v flanges and elbows.

Special survey work required a hull washing, spot grit-blasting and coating job, overhauling of sea valves , propeller withdrawal, bonding of stern seals, rudder clearances, bow thruster overhauling, windlass winch bearing renewal, overhauling of boiler safety valves, pipeworks, insulation works and various other routine dry-dock works. These tasks took place at the same time as EGS installation, with the ship redelivered on schedule and on budget in 20 days. Mr. Beards said the time taken for redelivery to Norbulk has been shortened as projects have progressed.

To optimize EGS retrofit processes, Gibdock undertakes prefabrication for smaller blocks in its workshops, with transfer to the ‘Pad1’ area, completed in 2014, allowing further structural and assembly work to be completed alongside Drydock 1 in a timely fashion for drydocking. “Pad 1 was pivotal in optimizing workflow,” said John Taylor, Gibdock Operations Director. “No other regional yard has a comparable purpose-built zone for EGS foundation and structural work before vessels arrive.

“This has been an intense collaboration, involving different Gibdock departments, naval architects, the Norbulk project team, Alfa Laval, and our electrical and piping systems subcontractors. Optimized planning, materials purchasing, equipment deployment and job sequencing for EGS work are now part of Gibdock’s competitive advantage.”

Beards added: “This is a significant project for Gibdock in 2015. We have added dedicated EGS facilities and expertise to our natural competitive advantages of location and weather, and our hard-earned reputation for quality work delivered on time and on budget.”

Mumbai-based ship management company MMS Maritime India announces it is to begin a major recruitment drive for Indian seafarers, after its parent company, the Japanese ship owner Meiji Shipping Group, unveiled an expansion of its tanker fleet.

MMSI provides crew to Meiji’s oil and gas tanker division which numbers 19 ships. MMSI CEO Dr. Sanjay Bhavnani (photo) said he expected four new tankers to be delivered to Meiji by the beginning of 2016. The 28,000 DWT medium range (MR) vessels are presently under construction at a Japanese shipyard.

“MMSI currently employs around 300 crew and we are looking to recruit a further 80-90 seafarers from India to help man these four new ships,” he said. “The positions we are seeking to fill will be across the full spectrum of roles from officers and masters to chief engineers. A number of senior positions will be filled from our existing workforce to ensure the ships have the right levels of experience and expertise. MMSI has built its reputation on having some of the best trained and most motivated seafarers in the industry. We are immensely proud to say we have one of the highest retention rates of officers and ratings in the world at more than 90pc. We will therefore be carefully selecting candidates to ensure they are of the highest caliber to maintain our rigorous standards.”

Dr. Bhavnani, an experienced former ships chief engineer, said the new ships would support Meiji’s drive to charter more of its vessels to the oil majors as well as smaller oil companies.

“The expansion of the oil tanker fleet has been very carefully planned by Meiji,” he said. “We are looking years into the future with this new state of the art fleet. This is very much a long term investment designed to position ourselves as the most competitive operator in the world. We are optimistic the global shipping sector is beginning to recover and expect that to continue gradually over the next few years. The critical factor for MMSI is to provide the best possible training, support and working conditions to attract and retain the highest caliber of crew. By having experienced well trained crew on board we know we can offer oil companies absolute confidence in our ability to manage their tankers at a highly competitive cost.”

Dr. Bhavnani said MMSI can offer seafarers career progression and tailored individual support and training.

“It is no accident that we have one of the highest retention rates in the industry,” he said. “Our culture is to offer continuous learning. We aim to understand what the seafarers’ ambitions are and seek to build roles around their strengths. It is further vital that our crew have the latest skills and training to ensure they are right at the cutting edge of technology.”

Sea Trucks has just completed successful sea trials of the DP3 offshore construction vessel Jascon 18 (photo) in Singapore. Imtech Marine and Radio Holland supplied the propulsion and power distribution systems as well as the nav/com systems.

Jascon 18 features a 1,800-ton crane, 1,800 sq m deck and a 750-ton pipelay system. Capable of performing a wide variety of marine construction and pipelay tasks in both ultra deepwater and continental shelf environments, the vessel’s hull was built in China and the outfitting was done in Singapore. Imtech Marine in Rotterdam commissioned the thrusters and switchboards and the company’s engineers in China assisted with the low voltage switchboard, while Radio Holland Singapore commissioned the nav/com systems.

Pleun Noteboom, Imtech Marine project manager of the Jascon 18, comments: “The project has been run with a dedicated team with engineering support from our colleagues in China and Singapore, which has proven to be of great benefit for both the customer and Imtech Marine. We were close by in Asia to work on the project.”

The total scope includes the high voltage (6.6kV) main switchboards and low voltage switchboards, main thruster propulsion drives including the thruster motors, the retractable azimuth thruster and bow thruster propulsion drives, distribution transformers, nav/com equipment, as well as project management, design, engineering and commissioning.

“This project had been subject of some delays so it was a challenge to start up systems and commission the installation in a fairly short space of time. So we are pleased that the sea trials have been successful and that the thruster drives performed very well,” says Pleun.

The next vessel, the Jascon 35, for which Imtech Marine has already delivered some parts, is expected to get underway for outfitting end of this year or in the beginning of 2016.

Fugro Scout, the new 83-metre geotechnical drilling vessel, has completed its maiden project in the Middle East. Since its maiden project in the Persian Gulf it has been successfully deployed in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea, completing several geotechnical and geophysical survey scopes for various clients. The vessel is currently in transit to The Netherlands to execute a geotechnical survey for an offshore windfarm in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.

The new vessel is specifically designed to address the varied demands of both the shallow and deep water survey markets. With a twin tower drilling derrick over a centrally located moon pool, the Fugro Scout supports automated pipe and tool handling equipment to promote safe drill floor operations. A large soil laboratory provides a unique open plan working environment for geotechnical operators; other equipment includes both downhole and seabed sampling and testing systems rated for 3,000 meters water depth. The vessel is equipped with a dynamic positioning station holding capability (DP2) and is built to Comfort Class COMF-V(3) standards with quarters for up to 60 operational staff.

Like the Fugro Voyager drillship, the new Fugro Scout vessel represents a further advancement in marine technology and enables Fugro to standardize its global operations. A range of specialist equipment and subject matter experts enables Fugro to help customers reduce the risks associated with wells and subsea infrastructure.

More than 100 Crowley Maritime Corporation-owned and -operated vessels were honored with Certificates of Environmental Achievement for years of safe operations during the recent 12th-annual Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA) awards ceremony, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington D.C. Each of Crowley’s honored vessels received the certificates for having worked at least two consecutive years without an environmental incident.

Each year, CSA invites all owners and operators of vessels who work on oceans or inland waterways to nominate their vessels for Environmental Achievement awards. Approximately 1,601 vessels from 42 companies, including Crowley, were recognized this year.

Together, the company’s 101 vessels have logged a combined 984 years of service without incident, a true testament to Crowley’s commitment to keeping harbors and oceans clean. Additionally, 46 of Crowley’s vessels have gone without incident for 10 or more consecutive years. These noteworthy vessels include: Kuparuk River and Kavik River, each with 45 years; and Sag River, 40 years. Crowley has been honored with Environmental Achievement Awards each year since at least 2005.

“Crowley’s No. 1 core value is safety. Not only does that include the safety of our employees, but the safety of the environment,” said Mike Golonka, vice president, government services. "These awards highlight the rigorous work of our crews, who ensure that our vessels continue to operate safely and in an environmentally responsible manner.”

Accepting the awards on behalf of Crowley were Golonka; John Bohn, captain at Crowley’s Marine Transport Lines; Wendy MacDonald, vice president, technical management; Keith Montpas, chief engineer, petroleum services; Jay Debruhl, port captain, petroleum services; Jack Andrews, technical management, and Jarrett Flynn, captain, marine services.

Crowley published a Safety in Towing Handbook two decades before the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, evidence of the company’s long history of environmental protection. This commitment has developed into a strong company culture of environmental stewardship, in which the company focuses on greener technology, more environmentally friendly operations and partnerships that help build a greener planet.

Crowley’s EcoStewardship initiatives have led to special recognition over the years from several government organizations including the U.S. Coast Guard's William Benkert Award for Environmental Excellence, Washington Department of Ecology Exceptional Compliance Program, Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force Legacy Award and the United States Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Award Designation, among others.

Tuesday 20 October 2015, BigLift Shipping’s heavy-lift vessel Happy Star arrived in the Port of Rotterdam. This is the first time Happy Star has visited the Netherlands, bringing with her Damen’s largest transportation of stock vessels to date; a total of 22 vessels. Whilst several of these have already been sold, a number are still available and can be delivered quickly.

Included in the On Damen transport are two Fast Crew Suppliers 2610, one ASD Tug 2310, three ASD Tugs 2411 and three ASD Tugs 3212, all of which have been sold and will be delivered to clients upon arrival. Additionally, there are a number of completed vessels available for sale. These are, two Stan Tugs 1606, two Stan Tugs 1004, two Stan Tugs 1907, two Stan Pontoons 5213, two Stan Pontoons 3011, a further ASD Tug 3212 and two Stan Launches 1004.

The Damen stock vessels are ready for operation, and so can be swiftly delivered to clients upon purchase. However, they can still be equipped with options specified by the client. Having arrived in Rotterdam the vessels will receive final touch-ups and cleaning before being delivered, either to clients or to various Damen shipyards.

Hugo Hoekstra, Design Engineer Pontoons & Barges at Damen Shipyards, said: “The main reason for this transport is to bring our stock closer to customers who demand short delivery times. Damen is able to group globally-produced stock vessels together in a transport to minimize cost of shipment, making our vessels available for clients of all sizes and industries.”

Mr. Buconić, Commercial Manager at BigLift Shipping: "Damen Shipyards and BigLift Shipping go back a long time. With Happy Star in position, BigLift was able to offer Damen a practical solution to bring a large number of their stock vessels to Rotterdam in one shipment. We are happy that we could offer Damen our technical solutions."

Two recent events have highlighted how the International Marine Contractors Association and the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (ICES) are working closely to promote the importance of hydrographic and civil engineering surveying in the marine environment and the competency of their respective members.

Under the terms of the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by both organizations, offshore survey personnel who have completed competence portfolios based on the IMCA framework can use this as a demonstration of their competence for membership of ICES. Likewise IMCA will promote recognition of the competence of ICES members to its international offshore contractor membership where companies have competence management schemes in place based on the IMCA model.

“Working together to improve levels of competence, a vital step to ensuring there are enough trained and competent people to undertake important projects, was a major factor in the signing of the MoU. Indeed, it provides members of each of our organizations with something of a win:win situation. We are now taking things a step further,” explains IMCA’s newly appointed Technical Director, Richard Benzie (photo)

“We have recently seen two important milestones in the cementation of the IMCA:ICES relationship. On 2 September, ICES spoke about its professional qualification route for offshore surveyors at the IMCA Competence & Training Seminar in Aberdeen; and in early October an ICES representative addressed IMCA’s Offshore Survey Committee in Aberdeen. We are also exploring a number of other areas where there may be opportunities for further fruitful cooperation.”

ICES Chief Executive Officer Bill Pryke commented: “I am delighted that both organisations have already acted on our MoU. ICES has tremendous respect for the work IMCA does in promoting standards and competence in the offshore survey industry. By working together to support individuals and contractors, we can ensure all those involved in offshore survey are competent and operate within a professional environment that recognises and nurtures their skills.”

Although the MoU talks primarily about surveyors, as Richard Benzie explains, other roles covered within IMCA’s competence frameworks are not excluded. “Typical examples would be those of geophysicists and data processors. Ed Danson, a much respected offshore survey industry figure, a former member of our Offshore Survey Committee and former president of ICES, has mapped IMCA’s survey competence frameworks against the requirements for technical membership of ICES and has found a positive level of synergy between each organization’s approach to competence assessment.”

RigNet, Inc. (NASDAQ: RNET), a leading global provider of remote managed offshore communications solutions, telecoms systems integration services and collaborative applications to the oil and gas industry, announced that it has signed an agreement with Inmarsat to offer Fleet Xpress, the maritime version of its Global Xpress service, to the oil and gas maritime sector. The agreement will enable RigNet to extend high-speed communications to offshore service and supply vessels within the oil and gas industry across the globe.

“RigNet differentiates itself in the oil and gas industry by providing fit-for-purpose technologies to help our energy customers operate remotely in a more productive, efficient and safe manner,” said Mark Slaughter, RigNet’s CEO and President. “The addition of Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress to our energy maritime offerings will enable RigNet to deliver a high degree of service and functionality to this important sector of the oil and gas market.”

“We are continually looking to strengthen our partner network through working with organizations that have the length and breadth of experience, industry knowledge and commitment to best service the market”, commented Ronald Spithout, President, Inmarsat Maritime. “With the launch of Fleet Xpress, the world’s first hybrid Ka/L-band mobile satellite system, we are committed to driving innovation and bringing a new high-speed broadband service that will re-define maritime connectivity. By working with organizations such as RigNet, we can extend our market reach and open up new possibilities to the maritime community, offering competitive and innovative solutions.”

Established in 2006, HIOSL serves the Nigerian oil and gas industry with a wide range of maritime, security and logistics services. The Lagos headquartered company has ambitious plans to become the leading marine logistics provider in the Nigerian offshore industry.

Currently undergoing sea trials in Singapore, Guardian 2 is expected to be directly employed when she arrives in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in December. HIOSL will then have five patrol vessels in its fleet.

HIOSL Managing Director Louis Ekere, stresses: “We have had very positive experiences with our first Damen FCS 3307 Patrol – Guardian 1. She has been engaged since day one, working on behalf of the International Oil Companies.”

Guardian 1 has largely been carrying out security patrol services for the IOCs, working alongside the Nigerian Navy, as well as transferring crew and supplies. “Guardian 1 is definitely the best vessel in the field in terms of speed and intervention abilities. Furthermore, with her unique Damen Sea Axe hull, she has fantastic seakeeping ability and still provides efficient fuel economy, even in rough terrain.” (Guardian 1 was actually named “Best Offshore Patrol Boat” by Work Boat World in 2014.)

“We chose Damen again for a number of reasons, one of which is the reliability of the vessel. This patrol vessel is an excellent business model. She is robust, fast, with the required speed to intercept in critical situations. Our principals - the IOCs - have also been impressed. Damen’s speed of delivery was also another important factor. In addition, we are very pleased with the level of professionalism and after sales services at Damen.”

After sales support is provided by Damen’s new Service Hub, which was opened in Port Harcourt in early 2015. Martin Verstraaten, Damen Regional Service Manager Africa, says: “The decision to establish the Service Hub ensures local presence, quick response times, Field Service Engineers and a local Site Manager on the ground. This dynamic team has close contact with local repair facilities, cooperation with local suppliers and builds up a strong relationship with our customers.”

Further expansion

HIOSL already has plans for a Guardian No. 3 and No. 4, with the further additions likely in the first half of 2016. As well as patrol vessels, HIOSL is considering expanding its fleet with Platform Supply Vessels. “This will take our company to the next level. We strive to ensure we deliver on our promises to the IOCs in terms of safety, reliability and effectiveness. We also want to make sure we are delivering what the IOCs require and this is one reason we want to work with highly experienced companies like Damen. The IOCs know that we are a professional, well-managed organization, offering excellent service. And even though the oil price has dipped, oil companies are still keen to explore and develop.

“We are on track with our own strategic expansion. We try not to overreach ourselves and acquire assets on a speculative basis. As soon as Guardian 2 is registered in Nigeria, she will be out to work!”

As part of the contract, Damen provides five days of training but HIOSL was also keen for additional training options. Mr. Ekere adds: “This extra training would help the crew make sure the vessel performs to its optimal level and realizes its full lifespan.”

In addition to patrol vessels and tugs, HIOSL provides equipment to the IOCs, supplies house boats, barges and cranes and the company operates one of the largest crawler cranes in Nigeria. With offices in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Warri, HIOSL has a core staff of around 100 and a total of 400.

The horrific explosions in the Chinese port of Tainjin illustrated vividly just how volatile port operations can be. But safety issues are only one facet of risk in the complex world of shipping ports.

From piracy on the high seas to data thievery in port, players all along the shipping value chain need to be on constant alert for the dangers that nature and human actions can present.

Political unrest, theft, smuggling and corruption all figure in to the risk picture that ship owners, brokers, and cargo owners have to consider when planning and executing port calls. “The security picture can change quickly at ports,” says an Oslo-based global cruise operator. “We call around the world, and not always at the largest or most modern ports, so we have to be aware of the whole risk picture in order to guarantee our passengers’ safety.”

Another shipowner, a leading global tanker owner operating out of Copenhagen, confers: “We had an armed robbery just the other day,” he reports. “If we know the risk picture in advance, we can take preventative measures, like putting more guards on watch. If we don’t know beforehand, we are vulnerable.”

Port operations are often exposed when the stability of a country is compromised. Ports are choke points for transportation of energy, food and materials, and the normal functioning of a country can depend on safe operations in key ports.

For cruise operators, ports could be attractive targets for kidnapping, smuggling, theft or even terrorism. “We plan our routes as much as two years in advance,” the cruise owner confirms, “so things can change dramatically from planning to sailing. We basically have to monitor the situation in every port of call on a day-to-day basis.”

The tanker operator points out that the master is not capable of assessing risk on his own. “We have to call an agent, and they generally give us a copy-paste reply that is of little or no help.” In addition an agent generally has no opportunity to provide a security assessment, including standards at the gate, or the state of the local police.

While cruise lines play it as safely as possible, tanker operators call on some of the riskiest ports in the business, in West Africa, Indonesia, and South America. “There are some clauses in the contract that allow us to avoid the most dangerous situations, like armed conflict, but we still have to deal with stowaways, theft, and more in many of our ports of call.”

As if physical threats were not enough to put grey hair on shipowner heads, a new risk has emerged – in cyber space. Information technology has become an integral part of port and ship operations, but ICT systems in the shipping world are not always designed with cyber safety in mind. Hackers can alter or jam the Automatic Identification System (AIS) that tracks hips at sea, and the ISPS code that ensures physical port safety only marginally addresses the threat of cyber attack.

Matt Haworth, a Cyber and Information Assurance Specialist with cyber advice service provider Templar Executives believes that cyber security is now one of the most complex threats faced by the maritime industry and its critical infrastructure. “Ports and terminals are under attack from cyber criminals, organised crime and terrorist groups looking to disrupt national infrastructure and hostile governments,” he says.

So how dangerous does it have to get before shipowners just say no? Most shipowners would agree that it depends on the risk profile that owners carry. Cruise operators have a very low risk threshold because they can take no chances with their human cargo. For others, certain risk factors are acceptable, but everyone has a limit.

In any case, it is up to ship and cargo owners to decide how much risk they are willing to take. The one thing they can do is be as informed as possible. No one can guarantee safety, but knowing risk is the key to making the decisions that are right for shipowners, their crew, and their cargo.

CEO Hans Tino Hansen of Risk Intelligence, suppliers of the popular MaRisk security threat monitoring service, offers his take on the current state of port risk:

“We follow the development of risk in ports closely, and we are seeing a clear trend toward an increasingly critical and more complex global port risk picture.

Our customers operate more than 12% of the world fleet. They see the same picture, and in response, they have told us they need a one-stop port risk advisory service. Right now they have to access many channels to get port risk information, and they find the information they are getting is often unreliable.

The industry has a pressing need for a single, easily accessible channel for comprehensive and reliable intelligence on risk in ports. Providing that solution will be our main priority going forward.”

For more information contact:

Hans Tino Hansen 
Managing Director & CEO

About Risk Intelligence

Risk Intelligence provides independent, unbiased, intelligence-led advisory services to private and governmental clients on security threats and risks.

Risk Intelligence has been specialising in analysing threats from and interaction between piracy, organised crime, terrorism, insurgency and military conflicts since 2003.

Read more on our website: www.riskintelligence.eu

The World Ocean Council (WOC) is bringing together the shipping industry’s sustainability and environmental performance initiatives at the Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS), Singapore, 9-11 November, to explore possible synergies for better serving the shipping industry and better delivering results.

At this session, the shipping industry will have an unprecedented opportunity to provide input and drive improvements in the cost-effectiveness, efficiency and delivery of results that could be achieved through increased synergies, coordination, communication and collaboration among the programs.

The SOS 2015 session on “Shipping, Sustainability and Synergies: Engaging Green Shipping Initiatives with Each Other and with Other Ocean Industries” will be chaired by INTERMEPA and the panel of programs includes, to date:

‬Other sustainable/green/environmental shipping initiatives and programs are invited to participate in the panel as well.

This unique gathering will address:

The updated Sustainable Ocean Summit program is now available.

Conference space is becoming limited, so register for SOS 2015 to not miss the opportunity to participate in this 2-yearly gathering of the ocean business community to address leadership and collaboration in “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”.

About the Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS ) 9-11 Nov 2015, Singapore

The SOS is the only international ocean business community gathering dedicated to industry leadership and collaboration in developing solutions to ocean sustainable development challenges. The SOS 2015 theme is “Sustainable Development and Growing the Blue Economy - the Next 50 Years”. This event brings together a wide range of ocean industries, including: shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, renewable energy (wind, wave, tidal), ports, dredging, cables, seabed mining, the maritime legal, financial and insurance communities, and others.

Willard Marine, global leader in the manufacture of mission-proven boats, was awarded a contract to provide the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with three aluminum Hydrographic Survey Launch Ships.

The three 28-foot Hydrographic Survey Launch Ships (HSLs) will be used on the coastal waters of the United States to conduct oceanographic surveys with hull-mounted and towed sonar units. A Cummins QSC8.3 engine capable of 510 HP with a ZF Marine 305-2 transmission will be used to power the boats. Outfitted to support traditional manned survey operations, the HSLs will offer additional flexibility to add unmanned autonomous capability. Two Willard Marine HSLs will be built for the 208-foot NOAA ship Thomas Jefferson, and an additional Willard Marine HSL will be built for the 231-foot NOAA ship Rainier, reported by NOAA to be one of the most modern and productive hydrographic survey platforms of its type in the world.

Using advanced sonar technology, the crews of the Thomas Jefferson and Rainier conduct hydrographic surveys for the primary purpose of updating NOAA’s suite of nautical charts. Commercial shipping, commercial fishing and recreational vessels all rely on accurate NOAA nautical charts for safe navigation of coastal water in the United States.

“For 35 years, Willard Marine has built dependable, mission-proven vessels for American and international government agencies around the world,” said Ulrich Gottschling, president of Willard Marine. “NOAA has been procuring fiberglass SOLAS rescue boats from Willard Marine since 2004, and we are proud to continue serving them with larger, aluminum survey ships to support their very important charting responsibilities,” Gottschling added.

The customized HSLs for NOAA are derived from a former SeaArk Marine commercial boat design that Willard Marine acquired the licensing rights to last year. The HSLs are scheduled to be delivered to NOAA in Fall of 2016.