TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS
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- First View : HANSA EUROPE
- South Africa Re-elected to IALA Council
- NIMASA takes delivery in Lagos of its long awaited floating dock
- Saldanha workboat Crested Tern returns to service after inspection
- Service change for CMA CGM’s SAMWAF service between Brazil, South & South-western Africa
- Concern mounts over rise in jihadi terrorism in Mozambique’s Palma & Mocimboa da Praia regions
- Aiteo denies complicity in protests targeting commander of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS)
- Class action lawsuit brought against Aegean Marine Petroleum Network
- Djibouti seeks equitable solution to dispute with DP World over Doraleh port
- Expected Ship Arrivals and Ships in Port
- Cruise News and Naval Activities
- Pics of the Day : PANTANAL
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Leonhardt & Blumberg (L&B)’s container ship HANSA EUROPE (IMO 9459412) sails from Durban on Saturday, 2 June 2018 with a mixed assortment of containers – Hapag Lloyd, CMA CGM, Niledutch, Safmarine, Maersk are some of those that can be recognised. The ship has a length of 239.5 metres long by 32m wide, a deadweight of 47,266 tons and was built in 2012 at the Shanghai Shipyard in Shanghai, China. Her container capacity is 3,649 TEU. This picture is by Trevor Jones
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SOUTH AFRICA RE-ELECTED TO IALA COUNCIL
South Africa has been re-elected to serve on the Council of the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA).
The results were announced at the General Assembly held in conjunction with the 19th IALA Conference in Incheon, Republic of Korea from 28 May to 2 June.
South Africa, represented by the Lighthouse and Navigational Systems (LNS) business unit of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), has been an elected council member since 1994. TNPA LNS Executive Manager, David Gordon, also served as IALA President from 2010 to 2014.
Gordon said IALA is the only international body concerned with the provision of marine aids to navigation systems (AtoNs) sea and on inland waterways.
“IALA’s recommendations and standards are accepted and implemented across the globe, including adoption by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) as their standards under the National Ports Act 12 of 2005,” he said.
“It is a tremendous honour to once again take our place on the governing body of IALA, comprising 21 elected and three non-elected Councillors, to represent the interests of some 289 members from 80 countries,” he said. Following the first meeting of the newly elected council, Gordon was also elected to serve on the IALA Financial and Audit committee (FAC) for the period 2018-2022. The FAC assists the IALA secretariat and council with the financial administration of IALA.
IALA membership is restricted to port authorities or companies that are legally responsible for the provision, maintenance and/or operation of marine aids to navigation within a country.
TNPA, through its LNS business unit, is mandated by the National Ports Act 12 of 2005 to provide, operate and maintain lighthouses and AtoNs along the 2,954 kilometre coastline of South Africa. LNS is also responsible for the provision and maintenance of all other systems relating to Maritime Navigation for TNPA ports.
The new list of 24 IALA councillors represent Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
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NIMASA TAKES DELIVERY IN LAGOS OF ITS LONG AWAITED FLOATING DOCK
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has taken delivery of a new floating docks built in Europe for the agency.
The floating dock arrived in Lagos earlier this week after having first been confirmed in February this year that NIMASA was having a dock built at a shipyards in Galati, Romania. Details of the dock size and capacity was not immediately available (see below) but its arrival will shortly mean that many ships requiring repair or maintenance will no longer have to journey elsewhere such as Tema to receive service.
NIMASA Director-General Dr Dakuku Peterside said in February this year that having the dock would…[restrict] save on capital flight from the country. “Most Nigerian vessels are dry-docked outside the country,” he said.
“The issue of dry docking vessels outside the country and loss of foreign exchange will soon be a thing of the past.”
According to Peterside having the floating dock facility will improve Nigerians’ skills in ship repair and maintenance while creating employment for many Nigerians. He said then that the agency had government’s approval to use 186 million US dollars to acquire the maritime security assets.
Africa PORTS & SHIPS understands that the dock has been built by the Netherlands’ shipbuilder Damen at the Galati yard in Romania. The dock measures 125 metres by 35 metres and has three cranes along with the other necessary equipment. The project was originally initiated in 2013 but for various reasons, mainly financial, it never got off the ground. In 2016 however it was announced that the dock could be expected for delivery in 2017 but this date stretched out to June 2018.
What matters now is that the dock has actually arrived and will shortly go into position in Lagos and made ready for its first contract. The new dockyard will target mostly offshore vessels operating off the West African coast in addition to ships calling at Nigerian ports. Nigeria is said to receive some 5,000 vessels annually at its ports while there are a reported 400 active coastal type vessels in operation. In addition to these are the fishing vessels operating on the coast.[/restrict]
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SALDANHA WORKBOAT CRESTED TERN RETURNS TO SERVICE AFTER INSPECTION
The Port of Saldanha workboat, CRESTED TERN, which can also act as a pilot boat if necessary, has returned to service after a short layup to enable the vessel’s bi-annual hull certificate inspection and maintenance.
Crested Tern was built in 2012 and is used primarily for…[restrict] docking small vessels, running stores to vessels and running lines during LPG vessel dockings at the MBM.
The inspection, required by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), included underwater anti-fouling, valve inspection, propeller and shafts inspection, anode renewal and steel and pipework replacement.
The work was carried out by appointed contractors, Cleanships Marine CC and Dormac. Crested Tern went on layup on 3 May and returned to service on 5 June.
[/restrict]
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SERVICE CHANGE FOR CMA CGM’S SAMWAF SERVICE BETWEEN BRAZIL, SOUTH & SOUTH-WESTERN AFRICA
French container carrier CMA CGM yesterday announced a service change on the SAMWAF service connecting Brazil and the River Plate area with South and South-Western African strategic markets.
The change is in an effort “to maintain a high service reliability and punctuality during…[restrict] the Southern winter with our lead product SAMWAF service.”
Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro will be served in relay on Shuttle Rio Service through the hub of Santos. The last vessel with direct port call is m/v NORTHERN DELEGATION voy. 04K0JE1MA expected at Rio de Janeiro on 15 June 2018.
Luanda will be reached from Rio de Janeiro in 29 days, Durban in 20 days and Nhava Sheva in 48 days.
The SAMWAF rotation will be (as from next week):
Itajai – Paranagua – Santos – Cape Town – Durban – Port Elizabeth – Luanda – Pointe Noire – Itajai[/restrict]
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CONCERN MOUNTS OVER RISE OF JIHADI TERRORISM IN MOZAMBIQUE’S PALMA & MOCIMBOA DA PRAIA REGIONS
Concern is mounting over the rise in jihadi terrorism taking place in the Palma and Mocimboa da Praia districts of Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique.
The region lies opposite the emerging oil and gas fields offshore of the coast. Both harbours at Palma and Mocimboa da Praia are planned as depot and supply areas for offshore craft servicing the rigs or drill ships off the coast.
Mozambique has been identified as where “the next decade will be Mozambique’s decade” in terms of the world market for natural gas, which will be mined in the northern area of the country close to the Tanzania border. The prediction comes from Portuguese oil company Galp’s chief executive Gomes da Silva who says that Mozambique will be able to satisfy burgeoning demand in the international gas market that cannot be satisfied by existing producers.
It would however be necessary to prevent the cost of producing gas from rising precipitately, as was the case with similar projects in Australia, he said.
Some of that rising cost may be incurred in dealing with the increasing threat of terrorism across the northern part of the country.
On Monday unknown assailants who are believed to be Islamic fundamentalists slaughtered four people in Nangade district of Nampula province. According to the independent newssheet ‘Mediafax’, the raiders struck the village of Changa at around midnight, brandishing machetes and firearms. According to an unnamed local source, cited by the paper, the terrorists also burnt down seven houses before disappearing into the night.
The report says this is the second time the jihadists have struck in Nangade. The other attack reported was much further south, in Quissanga district last Wednesday night when five people were murdered and it is thought that given the distances involved, it is unlikely that the same group was responsible for both the Quissanga and the Nangade attacks.
In the past two weeks there have been three (now four) brutal attacks by armed men who the police have linked to an Islamic group operating in the northern regions of the country.
In the very latest attack to be reported, yesterday (Tuesday 12 June) a group of men attacked the village of Nathuko in Macomia District in Cabo Delgado province, where they beheaded a villager, an elderly man who had remained behind when the rest of the villagers left to seek shelter near the seashore because they feared an attack. After this atrocity the terrorists set fire to all the houses, killed all the animals and departed before government forces could respond.
The village is close to another named Quiterajo, where government forces are encamped.
The jihadi attacks began in October last year when terrorists attacked a police station and a military post in the coastal town of Mocimboa da Praia, killing two policemen.
There was uncertainty at the time whether this was the work of jihadists or the work of common criminals but it soon became obvious that an Islamic extremist group was involved in destabilising the district.
Other atrocities included villages near the port town of Palma where on 27 May this year a terrorist group attacked and beheaded ten people.
In response to the earlier outbreak of attacks the U.S. embassy on Friday last week (8 June) issued a security alert warning all U.S. citizens to avoid visiting the Palma district in Cabo Delgado province, and urging those already there to “consider departing the area immediately.”
The embassy issued the warning “in light of information pointing to the likelihood of imminent attacks on government and commercial centres in the area.”
Oil company Anadarko told ‘Mediafax’ that it “takes very seriously any potential threat to the security of our workers, and we are continuing to monitor closely the situation near Palma”. The consortium headed by Anadarko intends to build natural gas liquefaction plans at Afungi to the north of Palma.
According to the paper, since Friday security guards at the Afungi camp have been under express orders not to allow any vehicles to enter or leave the camp. The evacuation of workers by helicopter began on Friday – the company does not want to risk the road between Afungi and the aerodrome at Mocimboa da Praia.
Canadian company Wentworth says that it is seeking an extension of its licence to explore for oil and gas in the onshore block because the terrorist activities in Mocimboa da Praia “have prevented safe access to the area for Wentworth staff and contractors”.
Source: Voa News, AIM, Folha de Maputo, Mediafax, Anadarko, Wentworth, Ntatenda and Pinnacle News
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AITEO DENIES COMPLICITY IN NIGERIAN PROTESTS TARGETING COMMANDER OF OPERATION DELTA SAFE (OPDS)
Aiteo Eastern Exploration and Production (Aiteo) management has issued a statement denying that the company, which is responsible for about 5% of Nigeria’s daily oil production, is responsible for protests over illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta.
This follows the organising by hundreds of youths of a press conference at Abuja to draw attention to the alleged activities of Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman in his role as the Commander of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS).
Aiteo said it “strongly disputes the claim made by the Commander of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman on or about June 1, 2018 citing the company and its Chief Executive Benedict Peters as the masterminds behind the serious allegations levied against him by the people of the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria.”
OPDS comprises of members of…[restrict] the Nigerian Navy, Army, Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Custom Service personnel and was designed to ensure the safety of lives and property in the Niger-Delta.
With continued illegal oil bunkering activities which has translated into the loss of lives and attendant revenue to the tune of billions of dollars, allegations were made against Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman, accusing him of complicity in the growing menace of illegal bunkering and oil thefts and calling for his immediate removal from office.
Aiteo said in its statement that accusations that it (Aiteo) was behind the protests were simply a ploy designed to distract attention from the real issue, which is the continued illegal activities in the Delta.
“Aiteo has enormous responsibilities in the oil industry requiring focused intensity and attention in the execution of our quite considerable commercial obligations. With a daily production in the region of 90,000kbp, the NNPC/Aiteo JV is now directly responsible for producing 5% of the country’s daily oil production.
In doing so, the group employs over several hundred direct staff and thousands of others indirectly through contractors and service suppliers. This sense of responsibility is the bedrock on which our commercial and other activities are founded. Sadly, these oil thefts have meant that we are one of the biggest victims of oil theft in the country.”
The statement said that as a result of recurrent thefts along the NCTL pipeline route resulting in significant pressure reductions on the trunk line, theft points identification as well as illegal refineries, and corroborated by several Joint Investigative visits constituted by various regulatory bodies and the applicable host community, Nigeria has experienced loss of production and revenue that should have accrued to the country.
“In Dec 2016 alone, 45.46% of the total net crude injected into the NCTL was lost on this basis which implies that the country lost revenues that could have been accumulated in the country’s treasury from crude sales.
“Third party interference with the line has often resulted in oil leaks which ultimately culminate in shutting down the NCTL to undertake emergency repairs. This in itself has resulted in the NCTL being shut down for about 145 days and an approximate deferment of 50.386 million barrels of Crude Oil (Net) for the six injectors into the NCTL since Aiteo took over the operatorship of the Trunk line in September 2015.
“As recently as May 1, 2018 there were a total of 24 illegal bunkering points identified along the NCTL. Aiteo has successfully repaired nine of these illegal bunkering points during May 2018 at a huge cost to the company. These illegal bunkering points also contribute to the huge losses on the volumes injected across the NCTL by the six OMLs and the volumes actually received at Bonny Terminal.”
Aiteo said that it has written to the Federal Government, through the Chief of Army Staff, General TY Buratai on two occasions (17 & 23 April 2018), requesting the involvement of the Armed Forces in reinforcing existing security arrangements to the pipeline. “We have made similar efforts to various other arms of the security apparatus of the country.”
Saying it was concerned not just about the effect of disruptions to Aiteo’s bottom line, but the health and livelihood of people living in the affected areas, Aiteo posed the following questions:
* Why has large-scale illegal oil bunkering and refining assumed unprecedented dimensions in recent times?
* Is it correct that the security forces are now offering protection/escort services to those allegedly responsible for oil thefts?
* How is it that vessel movement of the oil thieves occurs unnoticed in the region despite heightened activity in large scale illegal bunkering?
“Although – and again we make this abundantly clear – we have NOT instigated them to participate in any protest, we believe the object of their complaint about the persistence of illegal bunkering remains germane. All hands must be on deck to diminish and extinguish the theft of oil across the NCTL and other such national facilities and its attendant implications.”[/restrict]
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A class action lawsuit has been brought against international bunker fuel supplier Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc., alleging that the company and some its executives violated U.S. federal securities laws by failing to disclose material information related to the US$200 million accounts receivable write-off revealed by the company last week BUNKER SUPPLIER AEGEAN PETROLEUM SHARES CRASH AFTER US$200 MILLION WRITE-OFF REPORT.
The class-action lawsuit against Aegean was filed in the United States District Court…[restrict] for the Southern District of New York and is open to investors who purchased the company’s shares between 28 April 2016, and 4 June 2018.
The claim relates to accusations that Aegean and some of its executives failed to disclose material information during this period in violation of U.S. federal securities laws, causing damages to investors.
Aegean Marine Petroleum operates South Africa’s only offshore bunkering service out of the port at Port Elizabeth.
Aegean is one of the world’s largest suppliers of marine bunker fuel and operates in 27 markets and 57 ports (including Port Elizabeth/Ngqura) around the world.[/restrict]
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DJIBOUI SEEKS EQUITABLE SOLUTION TO DISPUTE WITH DP WORLD OVER DORALEH PORT
The government of Djibouti says it hopes to reach a rapid and equitable solution that is in accordance with the law
On 22 February, the Republic of Djibouti terminated the DCT (Doraleh Container Terminal) concession, in which DP World is a shareholder and operator. This decision was taken after numerous unsuccessful attempts to get DP World to renegotiate a contract that was clearly contrary to the fundamental interests of the nation.
This termination is a sovereign decision, part of a legal procedure, and executed at the end of a transparent process. It was instigated by an unfair and unbalanced contract, the clauses of which imposed unacceptable limits on Djibouti’s development policy. The decision is linked to an exceptional and aberrant situation that by no means calls into question the strength or credibility of the signature of the Republic of Djibouti.
The decree terminating the concession, as well as the law governing it, provide for a compensation procedure in accordance with commonly accepted international rules and practices. This compensation procedure will continue, despite the obvious unwillingness of the former partner. Djibouti hopes to reach a rapid and equitable solution that is in accordance with the law.
The termination of the contract has in no way stopped port operators from expressing their confidence and interest in the new public structure that has taken over its management – SGTD (Doraleh Container Terminal Management Company). Singaporean ship-owner PIL signed an agreement in March to triple transshipment traffic handled by the terminal. Numerous discussions are underway with other major players in the sector. The port’s productivity has undergone a marked increase since its operation was placed in the hands of its Djiboutian managers.
Djibouti’s scope and ambition goes way beyond the success of Doraleh port. Major investments are ongoing and the amounts committed attest to the confidence of international partners: the Djibouti-Addis-Ababa railway line, Tadjourah mineral port, Goubet port, Doraleh multipurpose port, the start of construction work on the new Djibouti mega free zone in Khor Ambado and the launch of the Damerjog industrial development free zone, etc.
One of the more recent agreements is for an ambitious energy sector project. The first phase provides for the commissioning of a gas pipeline between Ethiopia’s Ogaden Basin natural gas fields and the coast of Djibouti. The second phase concerns the construction and operation of a natural gas liquefaction plant and a gas terminal in the Damerjog area, all privately financed by the mega project’s developer, China’s POLY-GCL Petroleum Group Holdings Limited, to the tune of US$4 billion.
These major projects are being undertaken within a particularly attractive macroeconomic and regulatory framework. Economic growth is expected to remain at high levels – around 7% for 2018 and 2019 – making Djibouti one of Africa’s top ten economies in terms of growth. The Djiboutian Franc is a stable currency, pegged to the US dollar, freely convertible (without restriction) and its exchange rate has remained unchanged since 1973.
The sustainability of these investments is buoyed by the Republic of Djibouti’s ambition and by excellent medium- and long-term prospects, since Djibouti is strategically located at the crossroads of one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, linking Europe, the Far East, the Horn of Africa and the Persian Gulf.
Quite naturally, Djibouti positions itself as the main gateway to East Africa, and particularly Ethiopia, an emerging nation of 100 million people and the Republic of Djibouti’s leading strategic partner. While maintaining very close relations with its other traditional partners, Djibouti is linked to China’s big New Silk Road development strategy. In reality, Djibouti is the entry point to a formidable logistics corridor designed to serve an emerging African continent.
Djibouti’s investment ambitions are being rolled out in a context of optimal security. Its solid institutions guarantee stability and visibility in an often difficult regional context. It is a welcoming land where dialogue is key. The country’s respect for its international commitments since its independence has made it a reliable and respected player in the concert of nations.
Djibouti is an essential partner for peace, and a stalwart in the fight against terrorism and piracy, hosting on its territory American, Chinese, French, Japanese, European (Operation Atalanta) and Saudi military bases. Thus Djibouti ensures the de facto safety of the world’s main shipping route through which 70% of international traffic passes. Media release issued by the Présidence de la République de Djibouti.
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CRUISE NEWS AND NAVAL ACTIVITIES
QM2 in Cape Town. Picture by Ian Shiffman
We publish news about the cruise industry here in the general news section.
Naval News
Similarly you can read our regular Naval News reports and stories here in the general news section.
A bunker visit to the Port of Durban was the reason for this small general cargo ship’s arrival at Durban earlier this month. PANTANAL (IMO 9351799) with a length of 120 metres and a beam of 20m is quite diminutive when compared with the leviathans at the nearby container terminal, but ships of her size (7837-dwt) have their advantages and can go places the bigger versions can’t or don’t want to go. One of these is Pantanal’s next port of call, which was Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo. Built in 2004 the ship has a container capacity of only 601 TEU and is owned by the firm of Harren & Partner Ship Management of Bremen, hence the H P clearly defined on the funnel. These pictures are by Keith Betts
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“For this reason the gentleman will employ a man on a distant mission and observe his degree of loyalty, will employ him close at hand and observe his degree of respect. He will hand him troublesome affairs and observe how well he manages them, will suddenly ask his advice and observe how wisely he answers. He will exact some difficult promise from him and see how well he keeps it, turn over funds to him and see with what benevolence he dispenses them, inform him of the danger he is in and note how faithful he is to his duties. He will get him drunk with wine and observe how well he handles himself, place him in mixed company and see what effect beauty has upon him. By applying these nine tests, you may determine who is the unworthy man.”
― Confucius
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