Weekly edition 18th November

Transport survey shows growing confidence

OPTIMISM is slowly returning to the freight transport industries after one of the worst recessions in years, according to a new survey by international law firm Norton Rose.

Brisbane in private hands – shippings’ price hike fears

THE SHIPPING industry has expressed concern that the privatisation of port of Brisbane may spark higher fees.

Portland sees seeds of future growth as reason to celebrate

IN THE town of Portland in the Victorian south-west, there is a buzz in the community.

Questions linger after death probe

A PROBE into the death of a highly-experienced and qualified chief mate has failed to identify the reasons why he placed himself in a fatal situation. The man suffocated aboard a chemical tanker in November last year.

Australia may fail to keep up with coal industry changes

DEVELOPMENTS in rival producer nations and a lack of timely infrastructure investments could mean that Australia may not take full advantage of increasing Asian demand for coal.

Quarantine service is pleased with implementation of arrivals system

CHANGES to the vessel arrival protocol system have shown benefits, says a representative of the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS).

US box moves booming

NEW STATISTICS from the US suggest that the recovery in the maritime container market continues, with port-related international box moves by rail up 28.1% in the third quarter, although still below the 2006 peak.

China bid to pacify US shippers

CHINESE officials have responded to US shipper concerns over notifying the Shanghai Shipping Exchange of confidential contract details between themselves and carriers on the transpacific trade.

Know your rights: when to request a lawyer if police board your ship

Crew have the right to seek legal advice before being questioned by police, write PIETER-FRANK VAN DAM and JULIAN VAN DE VELDE

Wang tells how Seaspan survived the GFC

Containership owner relies on loyal customers, a conservative capital structure and experienced management, reports RANJEETA McGROARTY

Bunker sector is braced for more economic knocks in the pipeline

Shipping’s recovery is not immune from the wider economic recovery outlook, writes TOM LEANDER

Bangladesh ship breakers cleared for action

First sales reported to Chittagong in several months as 17 yards cleared to reopen, reports BRIAN REYES

Plethora of projects strong cause for optimism

YES, THERE is still some economic uncertainty out there, and yes, competition is tough and growing tougher – but could there be a happier hunting ground than Australasia for the project cargo and heavy-lift sectors?

Fairstar equips for Australian contract

OSLO-listed Fairstar Heavy Transport has raised US$50m through a bond issue, sold 8.27m shares to a new investor and seen one of its major shareholders, the French Louis Dreyfus group sell down its holding as Hong Kong-based HNA acquired a quarter stake in the expanding company.

OPAL evidence of sector recovery

A CLEAR indicator of the recovery in Australian project cargo and breakbulk trades is the rise of Oceania Pacific Asia Line (OPAL).

Renewable energy sector finds favourable winds

WITH the US Government still undecided about renewal energy policy and European demand hit by subdued investment from financially-troubled governments, Australia has re-emerged as a focal point for wind turbine manufacturers.

Koniambo delivery is shipshape and Dockwise

DELIVERY by Dockwise of 15 onshore modules for the Koniambo Nickel Project in New Caledonia is in full swing. The Netherlands-based company is using two of its T-class vessels, Transporter and Trustee, former tankers converted into semi-submersible heavy-load carriers, to service the contract which got underway in August and is due to complete later this month.

Beluga back on expansion trail

GERMAN heavylift specialist Beluga Shipping has paved the way for its continued aggressive expansion with a series of finance deals designed to free up capital. Beluga recently completed a number of deals with opportunity funds issued by KG financier Oltmann, which normally aim at distressed assets.

Cosco Shipping orders more as profits soar

SHANGHAI-listed Cosco Shipping Co – the multipurpose vessel, semi-submersible vessel and ro-ro vessel operating offshoot of China Ocean Shipping Group – saw an increase in net profits to Yuan90.6m (US$13.3m) in the third quarter this year, compared with Yuan6.4m in the same period last year.

GAC-USA delivers heavy lift success

GAC USA says collaboration was the key when three of its offices on the Gulf of Mexico came together recently to coordinate the loading of a pipe-laying barge onto a Cosco Shipping heavy-lift ship.

Eight new ships set AAL for future

THE NEXT 12 months or so will see a complete overhaul for Austral Asia Line’s (AAL) fleet – and by April 2012 the company will have at least eight newbuildings in service in Australian trades, each with heavy-lifting capacity of 700 tonnes.

Jumbo makes its presence felt here

WITH several deepwater projects successfully completed over the last few years and in recognition of the growth potential in south-east Asia, Rotterdam-based Jumbo Offshore opened a new regional office in Perth at the end of July.

Dockwise in rights issue to fund new vessel type

DOCKWISE has called a special general meeting on November 23 to approve a US$100m rights issue to part-fund a new type of semi-submersible vessel with a newbuilding price tag of US$200m.

PPG passes 100 members

BRISBANE-managed heavy-lift freight forwarding network the Project Professionals Group has passed the 100 member milestone as a result of recent international appointments.

HMM plans to charter multipurpose newbuildings

SOUTH Korea’s Hyundai Merchant Marine is planning to charter six vessels ranging between 10,000 dwt and 30,000 dwt for periods of between five and eight years.

Intermarine to expand into ship finance

US-BASED heavylift and breakbulk operator Intermarine is planning to launch a new shipping trust to finance fleet expansion.

Greek bulker dominance faces test

The Greeks have led bulk buying this year, despite concerns about their future leadership of the industry, writes NIGEL LOWRY

Cruiser deliveries herald confidence

Leading owners sound a note of optimism, reports STEVE MATTHEWS

Golden shipping heritage that refuses to die

The Chilean port city of Valparaiso is emerging from the dark period it endured after the opening of the Panama Canal with a very bright future, writes RAINBOW NELSON

Antitrust debate goes on despite star loss

hippers and container line representatives lead talk on proposals to reform rate discussions, writes ROGER HAILEY

Eagle Bulk’s freight trading arm to double supramaxes

ompany’s executives claim ‘milestone’ will allow development of multiple revenue sources, reports MICHELLE WIESE BOCKMANN

China’s imports of thermal coal are heading for highs

CHINESE thermal coal imports are set to hit record levels in November and December, according to Commodore Research and Consultancy.

South Korean bulker owner sets big outlay on new ships

STX Pan Ocean will spend US$1bn on a series of open-hatch general cargo carriers and kamsarmax bulk carriers.

Qingdao to build new coal and oil terminals

QINGDAO Port Group will spend around Yuan10bn (US$1.5bn) to build one coal and two oil terminals in 2011.

STX Pan Ocean seals US$300m coal deals

SOUTH Korea’s shipping company STX Pan Ocean announced that it had entered into two consecutive voyage contracts with Korea Southern Power worth US$300m.

Market snapshot 18 November 2010

CAPESIZE rates on the spotmarket will continue their slow fall this week as excess tonnage mounts in the Atlantic trading region.

US judges divided on piracy cases

A SPLIT verdict has emerged in the US on the issue of bringing defendants involved in acts of piracy to justice under the law that governs piracy rather than the law that governs attempted piracy.

Cosco Pacific bullish on box prospects

HONG Kong-listed port operator Cosco Pacific said it held a positive outlook for its container port business in anticipation of increasing tonnage in global container shipping market.

Pirates attack warship

SOMALI pirates attacked an EU Navfor warship on November 6, apparently after mistaking it for a merchant vessel, the EU counter-piracy deployment in the Gulf of Aden has confirmed.

Satellite tracking ‘weakens’ owners’ bargaining power

OWNERS of crude tankers face a five-year “nuclear winter” of unprofitable charters as satellite vessel tracking weakens their bargaining power, reports Bloomberg.

Safe rooms alone will not protect crews from piracy

Clear alarms systems, effective ship lighting and monitoring systems will help ward off attacks, writes JOHN DRAKE

Maritime briefs 18 November 2010

CARNIVAL SPLENDOR (PANAMA) London, November 11

EU hubs to refund dues for green ships

ROTTERDAM, Antwerp and Hamburg are among six European ports that have launched the Environmental Ship Index (ESI), which will reward clean and green ships with port dues rebates from next January.

Textainer revenues up 34%

TEXTAINER, the container leasing company, saw 2010 third quarter revenues surge 34% to US$75.3m. It said that it will continue to benefit from a worldwide shortage of equipment.

Franson honoured by IMO

THE INTERNATIONAL Maritime Prize, awarded each year by the International Maritime Organization to the individual or organisation judged to have made the most significant contribution to the IMO’s work and objectives, has gone to Swede Johan Franson.

Vics triumph in annual cricket meet

ON A picture perfect day for sport, the annual Australian Shipowners’ Association (ASA) members cricket match began with an on-pitch tutorial for those new to the game. The match commenced at 1pm at the usual venue in Port Melbourne.

Looking aft: The changing face of nuclear power

NUCLEAR power “is an extremely safe industry,” declared Paul Everingham, the chief minister and attorney-general of the Northern Territory back in November 1980.