Samho Jewelry: Arai Mahomed fingered as shooter

Seok Hae-Kyun, 58, the skipper of the chemical carrier Samho Jewelry, which had been captured by pirates in the Arabian Sea, was shot repeatedly as South Korean navy commandos stormed the vessel on January 21. Seok underwent two operations in an Oman hospital and was flown home Saturday and is currently in intensive care at a hospital in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Seok's abdominal organs are badly damaged. "It's hard to tell how many bullets are still in his body, because many bullet fragments are scattered in the arms as well." bullet fragments

In Busan the five, including a man identified as Arai Mahomed, have been questioned in the presence of state-appointed lawyers, a lengthy process that involves translations between Somali, English and Korean.
They also told interrogators that all 13 pirates spent 15 days together in a training camp to plot taking over the freighter.

"Because of conflicting testimony by the pirates, the investigation focused on who shot Captain Seok."

He said Mahomed denied responsibility, although some of the crew pointed the finger at him. After intense interrogation Jan 31, the pirates were taken into a detention center and spent their second night in Korea. An official at the South Regional Headquarters of the Coast Guard said they were served steamed rice, soup and other side dishes for dinner at 7:25 p.m., emptying their plates.

They then went to bed at around 9 p.m., the official said, adding that all five men slept well without waking up in the middle of night. “The pirates seem to be relaxed and do not appear afraid at all. We will do everything we can to keep them protected here,” he said.

"We have evidence supporting the fact that one of the five pirates shot Captain Seok," chief investigator Kim Chung-Gyu said. The five could face life in prison if convicted of shooting the Samho Jewelry's captain. If he were to die, they could theoretically be sentenced to death, although the country has carried out no executions since 1997. Somalia has agreed to accept the bodies of the other pirates, the spokesman said.

Samho Jewelry: Serum, Ali, Brallat, Arai, arrested

The South Korean Busan District Court approved the issuance of arrest warrants in the hijacking of Samho Jewelry for the suspects ― identified as Serum Abdullah, Ali Abdullah, Ali Abukad-Aeman, Brallat Aul and Arai Mahomed ― on suspicions of maritime robbery and attempted murder.
“Many of them do not speak Arabic, which is widely used in Somalia. Since their country has been engaged in internal feuds for decades, there are barely any documents to certify their identification,” an official added.

Meanwhile, the government is planning to bury the bodies of the eight dead pirates at sea as the Somali government has been lukewarm in taking them. Seoul officials called the offered handover a humanitarian approach, but the Omani government, who stepped forward as a mediator, said it is yet to receive any response from the Somali counterpart.

Samho Jewelry, registered in Valletta, Malta [Malta-flag] by Global Shipholding 1, an investment product of Acta Holding ASA, Stavanger, Norway, with a bareboat charter back to Samho Shipping Company, South Korea, the disponent owner of the vessel.
see
compare
US Navy

Samho jewelry: one or two people lost acceptable

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said, “If one or two people were lost during the operation, the people would accept this, but more would lead to criticism that the operation was reckless, and the military took this into consideration.”when the Cheonghae Unit began its rescue operation on Jan. 21, the pirates looked the Korean crew, who had taken refuge under blankets on the bridge, in the face and took several aimed shots at ship captain Seok Hae-gyun,
Seok is suffering blood poisoning from gunshot wounds in the abdomen and fractured legs, in addition to a blood clotting disorder due to a low platelet count. "He's weakening rapidly," the official added.

Seok received an emergency operation to treat the infection at the hospital in the presence of a Korean medical team of three led by Prof. Lee Kook-jong of Ajou University Hospital, who is an expert on gunshot wounds.

In a press conference right after the surgery, Lee said, "Seok has very serious wounds. The latest operation was only part of efforts to slow down the pace of deterioration, but many operations will be needed."

He said Seok's abdominal organs are badly damaged. "It's hard to tell how many bullets are still in his body, because many bullet fragments are scattered in the arms as well."

The plan to transfer him to Korea will therefore likely be delayed.

Golden Wave: South Korea says boat illegal

Golden Wave, with two Koreans, two Chinese and 39 Kenyans [39 Kenyans ?] aboard, a source based in Kenya reported, hijacked by pirates while fishing in waters about 10 miles off Lamu, Kenya, in the Indian Ocean.

Now it is reported that it was forced to help the pirates hijack other vessels in November and December because no ransom had been paid for their release.

According to an alert by the NATO Shipping Center (NSC), part of the Allied Maritime Command Headquarters Northwood, it and two other hijacked vessels “have left the anchorage and are assessed to be used by pirates as motherships.” Kim Dae-geun, it is said, was infected with malaria recently and was allowed to halt his forced assistance to the pirates.

In South Korea, it is considered an illegal fishing boat because it is registered as a local trawler and did not receive government approval for fishing in foreign deep seas. Owner Kim Dae-geun already took out a 100 million won ($89,405) loan from the government by using the ship as collateral. compare
earlier

Beluga Nomination: Niels Stolberg HL hijacked

"The MV Beluga Nomination has been attacked and hijacked by Somali pirates," the spokeswoman said.
Beluga Nomination
Ship Type: Heavy Lift Carrier
Year Built: 2006
Length x Breadth: 132 m X 16 m
DeadWeight: 9775 t
Speed recorded (Max / Average): 7.4 / 7.4 knots
Flag: Antigua Barbuda [AG]
Call Sign: V2BS1
IMO: 9356402, MMSI: 304908000

Owner: Beluga Group - founded back in 1995 by President & CEO Niels Stolberg, in Bremen
PDF n-series


House video

Samho Jewelry: the captured piratesand corpses

Seok Hae-gyun, the ship’s 58-year-old captain, was rushed to Oman’s Port of Salalah and had a five-hour operation shortly after Jan. 21's rescue. Seok was shot several times by a pirate believed to be the leader when special forces began the rescue. The shooter was captured by the Korean military.Eight pirates were killed and five captured. Three special forces soldiers were also wounded during the mission.
The Samho Jewelry, escorted by the 4,500-ton Navy destroyer Choi Young, sailed to the Muscat, Oman’s capital. Although the ships are close to their destination, they are to enter the port on January 27, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, as more time is needed to discuss how to handle the captured pirates and the corpses of those killed during the rescue. Despite the risks involved, Seok secretly mixed water with engine oil to stop its engines, the military said, which significantly slowed the ship. He also changed the ship’s course to ensure it remained in international waters as long as possible to assist the rescue operation. Joongang

Hoang Son Sun: goods have no insurance.

On the same day, Hoang Son – deputy director of Hoang Son – told Tuoi Tre the company is working with a UK-based firm specialized in negotiating all things related to hostage and pirates to rescue the victims.
“The ransom is estimated to hit US$5 million,” he added.
He said that the vessel itself is insured but that the staff and goods on the ship have no insurance.

earlier

Samho Jewelry: "No! No! Not a sixpence!"

USNI Proceedings Magazine - December 2010




The reality is that Somali pirates actually pirated just 48 ships out of the roughly 33,000 that passed through that area in 2009, taking a total of 846 hostages—freeing all of them, without fail, as ransom negotiations were concluded. . Barbary pirates were successful most of the time; Somali pirates fail most of the time. The latter have a success rate of around 25 percent, largely due to best practices by the merchant ships themselves. Barbary pirates put general commerce in their region of operation in peril. They successfully pirated a significant amount of merchant tonnage; every single merchantman was vulnerable to attack. Somali pirates have attacked less than one third of 1 percent of traffic in their area of operation, and most ships of the type that carry international commerce are not vulnerable to Somali pirates at all.
Today our foreign commerce is carried largely on foreign-flagged ships—just about 2 percent (or less) moving on U.S. vessels. We are completely dependent on foreign-flagged tankers for oil imports, as there are no U.S.-flagged tankers—for either crude or product—in the true foreign commerce of the United States. The same goes for bulkers used in the export of our agricultural products. The total foreign-going, U.S.-flagged fleet is down to about 100 ships, and most of those are not really in the foreign commerce of the United States. (Pinckney's supposed retort, "Millions for defense, sir, but not one cent for tribute," is the origin of the famed shibboleth, although the words were NOT his. Pinckney did, however, exclaim at one point in the conversations: "No! No! Not a sixpence!")"
By Stephen M. Carmel, senior vice president with Maersk Line,

KHALED MUHIEDDINE K: Togo-flag 1981 bulker

Togo-flagged and owned by Dana Maritime in Syria and managed by Damak Maritime Co, bulk carrier was hijacked on January 21 around 330 nautical miles southeast of the port of Salalah, Oman. Master reported being fired upon with small arms and seeing pirates on board. All contact with the vessel was then lost. Type Partnership, Company Size: 7 employees

8105650 KHALED MUHIEDDINE K 5VAI3 Bulker 24022 1981 Togo

(ex ROYAL CROWN, JOHNNY L, JOHNNY L., JOHN L., FLORA)
GT:14383
DWT:24022
LOA:160,00 m
Breadth:24,6 m
Draught:9,80 m
Flag:Togo

CFO
Damak Maritime Co. (Maritime industry) January 2010 — Present (1 year 1 month)
Owner Scout Gate (Computer Networking industry) December 2006 — Present

Hédi DAMAK Title retired manager chez Damak Maritime Co.
Demographic info
Tunisia | Maritime
K.Damak Shipping CO. SA founded in 1981 by the late Kamel DAMAK, is now one of the most reliable shipping companies in TUNISIA thanks to the wide range of services it is offering and due to the fact that our main collaborators are shareholders in the company. Our modern infrastructures, our motivated and innovative team and our first class correspondents are enabling us to take over the whole process of conveying cargoes through the different stages involved.

Hoang Son Sun: rescued by ROKN Seals?

Hoàng Sơn Bulker may have been the 'Mongolian vessel nearby' stormed before the South Korean Navy rescued its own Samho Jewelry. here Friday's rescue operation came after a brief gun battle on Tuesday when the South Korean destroyer Choi Young detected Somali pirates who apparently got off the vessel to hijack a Mongolian vessel nearby.

The South Korean special forces aboard a fast-sailing Navy boat and a Lynx helicopter were dispatched to rescue the Mongolian vessel, sparking the gun battle.


Earlier

Samho Jewelry: retaken by storming ROKN Seals

South Korean destroyer Choi Young, with some 300 special troops, pursued the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry and special forces stormed the Samho Shipping Co. earlier today and freed all hostages,"the forces captured five pirates alive. There were 13 pirates aboard the Samho Jewelry.
The South Korean captain of the ship suffered a gunshot wound to his stomach during the operation, but his condition is not life-threatening, Lee said. As the operation began, the destroyer and Lynx helicopters fired warning shots in the air after the elite forces silently approached the deck of the Samho Jewelry. Armed with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, the pirates put up resistance and the South Korean forces immediately returned fire.

The operation, which took place in high seas about 1,300 kilometers off northeast Somalia, lasted about five hours. Tuesday's firefight left several pirates missing, and they are believed to have been killed, though their bodies have not been found, officials said. Three South Korean soldiers suffered minor injuries and were sent to a hospital in Oman.

Friday's rescue operation came after a brief gun battle on Tuesday when the South Korean destroyer Choi Young detected Somali pirates who apparently got off the vessel to hijack a Mongolian vessel nearby.

The South Korean special forces aboard a fast-sailing Navy boat and a Lynx helicopter were dispatched to rescue the Mongolian vessel, sparking the gun battle.

Hoang Son Sun: Hoàng Sơn bulker

1984 bulk carrier hijacked approximately 520 nm SE of Muscat, Oman.

8323862 HOANG SON SUN JVBF4 Bulker 22835 1984 Mongolia
Hoàng Sơn


Hoang Son Co Ltd (Haiphong Ofiice) Ship Manager & Owner
Address : 102, Tran Hung Dao boundary, Haiphong, Vietnam
Telephone : (84) 31 769433
Facsimile : (84) 31 979277


Any vessel used in navigation, including non-propelled vessels, fishing vessels and pleasure yachts may be registered under the Mongolia flag. A ship may be registered under any of the following registration types:

1. Normal Registration
(a) Provisional Registration (can be completed using faxed documents);
(b) Permanent Registration (when all registration requirements are fulfilled);
2. Short Term Registration valid for a maximum of 3 months (for delivery voyages or registration of title)
3. Bareboat Charter Registration
4. Mortgage Registration

CPO China: Australian Marines board tanker

Jan. 4: Australian forces from the frigate HMAS Melbourne board the British-flagged tanker CPO China in the Arabian Sea, approximately 365 nautical miles southeast of Salalah in Oman after responding to a distress call. earlier

MSC Panama: moved to south of Ceel Gaan

MSC Panama arrived in Somalia and is held now south of Ceel Gaan at the Central Somali Indian Ocean coast off Harardheere, close to MV ALBEDO.

earlier
and earlier

Motivator: Evalend tanker with lubricants ransomed

The Marshall Islands-Flag Evalend chemical products tanker, lubricant cargo, MOTIVATOR IMO: 9340386, released January 16
earlier

Eagle: Perogiannakis 1985 bulker hijacked

Handymax bulker MV EAGLE was hijacked by pirates firing small arms and a Rocket Propelled Grenade before boarding the vessel, Cypriot-flagged and owned by the Perogiannakis family, Perosea Shipping Co. S.A., 52,163 dwt in the Gulf of Aden, 490 nautical miles South of Salalah, Oman on passage from Aqabar (Jordan) to Paradip (India) when it was attacked.


8126408 EAGLE P3HR8 Bulker 52163 1985 Cyprus
Beam: 32
Length: 200
Draught: 6.5
Perosea currently operates just one bulker, the 52,000-dwt Eagle (built 1985), but almost all of a series of seven 13,000-dwt chemical tankers have been delivered to the company from 21st Century Shipbuilding.

George Perogiannakis
Yannis Perogiannakis
Mrs. Vali Perogiannakis

Samho Jewelry: no direct negotiations with pirates

The government remains firm not to directly negotiate with the pirates or pay ransom. Foreign Ministry said it will "not get dragged into" the psychological warfare often launched by the Somali pirates. Korea Herald Korean ships sail through the waters more than 500 times a year, so protecting all of them is impossible. Dong-A Ilbo "From March to October last year, a total of 925 Korean vessels passed by the waters off Somalia. More than 20 percent of the ships that pass through this pirate-infested region of the world are Korean-flagged vessels, and some 29 percent of its shipping freight must sail through this danger zone. JoonAng Daily Ships operated by large Korean conglomerates apparently hire former special forces soldiers who served in Eastern Europe or Central Asia, paying them more than $10,000 a day during the five to seven days the ship passes through pirate-infested waters. In most countries, It is no use deploying the destroyers after a commercial ship has been hijacked and it could actually endanger the lives of the hostages. Chosen Ilbo The news comes as a blow for Samho Shipping after it wrapped up a nightmarish seven months of negotiations with Somali pirates last November for the return of the Samho Dream, which was hijacked last April. The negotiations were reported to have been dragged out by major investors in the pirate ring, who kept hiking up the ransom amount.

The company ended up paying $9.5 million. earlier

Samho Jewelry: MOFAT rules out ransom

KDX-II class



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFAT) ruled out the possibility of paying ransom or negotiating with hostage takers.
The hijacked chemical tanker, named Samho Jewelry, belongs to Samho Shipping, the same company that suffered a major setback after its 300,000-ton tanker and its 24 crew were hijacked by Somali pirates last year.

It has been only two months since Somalia pirates released the crew of the oil tanker after holding them hostage for 217 days in return for a record ransom of more than over $9 million.
A multinational fleet, comprising of DDH 981 Choi Young KDX-II destroyer, and other vessels from the U.S., NATO member states, Russia and India, has been patrolling the Indian Ocean waters to clamp down on piracy.
Officials from MOFAT said Cheonghae unit’s 4,500-ton destroyer Choi Young began to move toward the hijacked freighter, but it would take at least two days to reach it.
They also confirmed the safety of all crew members of the freighter. Korea Times
earlier

Samho Jewelry: Samho Shipping chemtanker

Samho Jewelry, Malta-flag, 19924 dwt chemical carrier, from the United Arab Emirates to Sri Lanka hijacked January 15Somali pirates seized a South Korean freighter with 21 crew members in the Arabian Sea, South Korea's government said Saturday. the Samho Dream, a South Korean supertanker, was hijacked and released in 2010. here and more
Washington Post

9249594 SAMHO JEWELRY 9HHF9 Tanker 19924 2001 Malta

Helga Spirit: Teekay tanker loads BP ESPO crude

BP fixes cargo of ESPO crude for US West Coast Helga Spirit would load at Kozmino Jan. 20 Fixture comes as Alaska pipe snag threatens USWC

Crude in storage in Alaska's Valdez terminal has dwindled to below 20 percent of tank capacity
BP Plc fixed a tanker cargo of Russia's ESPO crude for shipment to the U.S. West Coast after a shutdown of Alaska's main oil pipeline prompted some oil companies to look at foreign crude substitutes.

BP was said to fix the 115,000 deadweight ton Helga Spirit tanker to load Eastern Siberian pipeline crude on Jan. 20, two shipping sources said.

The tanker would hold around 850,000 barrels of ESPO,. Helga Spirit was last seen moored in southern Japan . ESPO loads at Kozmino Port, near Vladivostok in Russia's Far East.

The Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS), which normally ships around 640,000 barrels per day -- or 12 percent of U.S. oil output -- was closed for 84 hours this week, temporarily shutting in most of Alaska's oil production. The closure followed a small leak discovered on Jan. 8.

Concerns about potential supply shortfalls from Alaska had U.S. West Coast refiners on their feet this week, looking at cargoes that could substitute Alaska North Slope crude if the pipeline problems persisted.

BP, which is also the top producer in Alaska and the top stakeholder in TAPS, has about 500,000 barrels a day of refining capacity on the U.S. West Coast, including in Washington and California.

Several Aframax cargoes of ESPO have been sent to the U.S. West Coast (USWC) before. BP is not known to charter regular shipments to the region but has typically fixed ESPO cargoes for delivery to Japan or Korea.

TAPS resumed shipments on an emergency basis on Tuesday, but is expected to shut down again over the weekend as operator Alyeska installs a bypass pipe around the leak. That process could take a few days, Alyeska said, after which TAPS is expected to resume normal shipments.
It takes around 15 days to ship crude between Kozmino and Los Angeles.



Ship Name: HELGA SPIRIT
IMO: 9292503 MMSI: 311727000
Callsign: C6FZ3
Flag: Bahamas

Flag: Bahamas Signal Letters: C6FZ3
Port: NASSAU

Owner: Helga Spirit L.L.C GT (ITC 69): 62,929 NT (ITC 69): 34,548
Manager: TeeKay Shipping (Glasgow) Ltd. DWT: 115,514

DocHolder: Teekay Shipping Limited
Year of Build: 2005
Type: 101 - Tanker for Oil

BW Austria: Sohmen-Pao LPG tanker escapes

6 January 2011

At 0700 GMT on Thursday 6 January, BW Austria, a vessel operated by BW Gas, was attacked by pirates. The pirates fired a grenade towards the vessel before aborting the attack. There are no reported injuries to the crew or damage to the environment. The Master reports to have the situation under control and all relevant authorities have been duly notified.

The incident took place while the vessel was transiting the Arabian Sea at 21º10N & 63º17E, about 250 nautical miles east of Oman. The vessel was carrying 46200 metric tones of LPG from Ras Laffan to Sri Racha in Thailand, and will continue her voyage to the next destination.

About BW Austria
BW Austria is under Norwegian flag. She is a 84,603 cbm very large gas carrier built in 2009.

About BW Gas
BW Gas is a leading global provider of gas marine transportation services. BW Gas is a subsidiary of the BW Group, which is one of the world’s leading maritime groups involved in offshore oil and gas production and transportation. Through its predecessor companies, Bergesen and World-Wide Shipping, the BW Group has been delivering energy and other vital commodities for more than 70 years. The BW shipping fleet includes crude oil supertankers, refined oil tankers, LNG and LPG carriers.

9370537 BW AUSTRIA LAFY7 LPG Tanker 54707 2009 Norwegian International Register


A naming ceremony was held at E1 quay for DSME H.2320, an LPGC with a capacity of 84,000 CBM for BW GAS on the 10th of March.
Present at the ceremony were around 70 people, including Dr. Helmut Sohmen, Chairman of the Board of BW Gas Limited;


The World's Billionaires [For billionaires with publicly traded fortunes, net worths were calculated using share prices and exchange rates from February 12, 2010.]
#721 Helmut Sohmen
Austrian citizen settled in Hong Kong almost 40 years ago and married daughter of shipping tycoon Yue-Kong Pao.

Net Worth: $1.4 bil
Fortune: Inherited and Growing
Source: shipping
Age: 70
Country Of Citizenship: Austria
Residence: Hong Kong
Education: Southern Methodist U, Doctor of Jurisprudence; U of Vienna, Bachelor of Arts / Science
Marital Status: Married, 3 children
Austrian citizen settled in Hong Kong almost 40 years ago and married daughter of shipping tycoon Yue-Kong Pao. Now chairs BW Group, whose fleet of over 140 oil tankers and gas carriers is one of world's largest maritime groups; includes publicly traded company BW Offshore and privately held BW Maritime, BW Fleet and BW Gas (delisted last year). Obtained $3 billion loan last year to aid in restructuring debt. Recipient of China's Friendship Ambassador award for his contributions to China-Austria ties. Southern Methodist University law school alumnus, supports a graduate scholarship program for Chinese lawyers studying at SMU's Dedman School of Law. Oxford and Harvard-educated eldest son, Andreas Sohmen-Pao, is chief executive of BW Maritime and BW Gas.

WEDDINGS; Doris Lee, Andreas Sohmen-Pao
Published: September 13, 1998

Doris Susan Lee, a daughter of Young Sook Lee and Dr. Chol Lee of Grymes Hill, Staten Island, was married yesterday to Andreas Sohmen-Pao, a son of Anna Sohmen and Dr. Helmut Sohmen of Hong Kong. The Rev. Richard Leonard performed the ceremony at the Unitarian Church of All Souls in Manhattan.

The couple, both 27, received M.B.A. degrees from Harvard University.

The bride, who graduated from Princeton University, is the Asia regional director of new media in Hong Kong for Time Inc. Her father, a psychiatrist in Sunnyside, Staten Island, is the director of inpatient psychiatric services at St. Vincent's Hospital in West Brighton, Staten Island. He was the chairman of the Korean American Medical Association in 1996.

The bridegroom graduated from Oxford University in England. He is the general manager of Starform Services Limited, a building material manufacturing company in Hong Kong, of which his mother is the founder and chairwoman. His father is the chairman of the World-Wide Shipping Group and of N & T Argonaut, a shipping company, both in Hong Kong, and of the Pacific Basin Economic Council, an association of nongovernmental organizations.


Mr Sohmen-Pao, who is the grandson of legendary Hong Kong shipowner YK Pao, is now based in Singapore helming BW Shipping Managers.

He is also deputy chairman of Bergesen, the crown jewel of Norwegian shipping, which in a spectacular move in 2003 was acquired by the Sohmen-Pao family of Hong Kong's World Wide Shipping.

World Wide, founded by the late Mr Pao, was headed by Mr Andreas' father Helmut Sohmen and now merged with Bergesen under the BW group, with the elder Sohmen as chairman.
As of the 1st of April, 2004, Doris Sohmen-Pao,will be assuming her new role of Director of the INSEAD MBA Programme, Europe and Asia campus. Doris will be based in Singapore, also spending a significant amount of time in Fontainebleau.

In 1997 Doris graduated with an MBA from the Harvard Business School. She spent
most of her post-MBA career in media, both as a consultant for Price Waterhouse as well as in industry at Time Inc. where she was the International Director for New Media.

Doris also has experience in the educational sector, having taught in the US and in Singapore as well as having served on the Board of Trustees for Princeton University from 1993 until 1997.

Doris is Korean by nationality, she was brought up in the USA and has spent the last seven years living in the USA, Hong Kong, London and Singapore. Her husband Andreas is half Chinese, half Austrian.


Sohmen Pao family set to acquire Bergesen
Norway's largest shipping company, Bergesen d.y. ASA announced today that its two controlling shareholders, cousins Morten Bergesen and Petter Sundt, had accepted a cash offer to sell their stakes in the company to World Nordic, a firm set up by the Sohmen Pao family of Hong Kong to take over Bergesen.

Bergesen's and Sundt's acceptance immediately gave Sohmen Pao interests 51.5 percent of Bergesen, paving the way to assumption of full control in a deal that values Bergesen at $1.42 billion.

The Sohmen Pao family controls Hong Kong's World Wide Shipping Group, founded by the legendary Sir Y.K. Pao
In a notice to the Oslo Stock Exchange today, World Nordic stated that it had acquired 16.575.106 A-shares in Bergesen d.y. ASA, constituting the total number of shares previously held by the two cousins, at a price of NOK 180 per share.

The sellers have sold on the condition that the buyer puts forward an offer to the other shareholders, based on the same price, adjusted for the proposed dividend of NOK 7 per share.

World Nordic has also notified the Oslo Stock Exchange that it has acquired 5.144.228 A-shares and 4.698.893 B-shares in Bergesen from Tauro Company Limited, another Sohmen Pao controlled entity

World Nordic now holds 21.719.334 A-shares and 4.698.893 B-shares in Bergesen, constituting 51,5% of the company's voting A-shares and 26,9% of the company's non-voting B-shares. World Nordic's total shareholding in Bergesen consists of 26.418.227 shares, constituting 44,3% of the total number of shares in Bergesen.

World Nordic has confirmed to the Board of Bergesen that it will put forward a mandatory offer to buy all the shares in Bergesen in accordance with the regulations in the Securities Trading Act, clauses 4-1 and following. The offer will be based on a price of NOK 180 per A-share and NOK 155 per B-share, adjusted for the proposed dividend.

Bergesen d.y ASA emerged as a listed company in 1986, controlled by the Bergesen/Sundt family, with about 80 percent of the shares. Other family members sold their shares the same year, while Morten Sig. Bergesen and Petter C. G. Sundt remained significant shareholders.

Morten Sig. Bergesen said today that shareholders had benefited from the company's listing in terms of shareholder rights and protection, increased share value of their shares and a more liquid share. However, the company had also been put in a more exposed position. In recent years, the Sohmen Pao family had accumulated a considerable shareholding in the company. They have on several occasions expressed their long term perspective and have confirmed their interest in the company's strategy and operation.

"As shareholders, Petter C. G. Sundt and myself have evaluated what options and possibilities we had, that in the end could benefit the company and all the shareholders," said Morten Sig. Bergesen. "We worked on the idea of submitting an offer for the entire company ourselves, and were in discussions with a large finance institution in Norway in this respect. We concluded that we were not able to take on such a large challenge without serious consequences for the company in terms of sale of a major part of its activities."

He said that an important factor in deciding to sell was the buyers' confirming their commitment to continue to run the company along the same lines as today from Norway, thereby confirming "that it is not the mere steel value that has attracted their interest, but also the software in Bergesen."

Andreas Sohmen Pao, who is Sir Y.K. Pao's grandson, commented that World Wide was founded in 1955 and is today mainly focused on VLCCs, with a fleet of about 9 million dwt, and an average age of around 8 years.

"We are a strong group, focused on people, and committed to shipping" he said and continued: "What I see here today is one of the finest shipping teams in the world. When you combine the Bergesen talent ashore and at sea with the talent in World-Wide, I believe we without question will have the No. 1 shipping team in the world."

"As far as strategy is concerned," he said, "we believe that Bergesen is on a sound track. I can commit to you now that the head office of Bergesen will remain in Oslo and that the existing team will be entrusted to carry the company forward, as long as it is prepared to accept the responsibility. Bergesen will operate as an independent company much as it is today, with an independent management team reporting to the company's board of directors. Daily operational decisions will be handled locally by the existing team, while major strategic decisions will be referred to the board."

Jan Haakon Pettersen will be appointed as the new managing director of Bergesen effective from the end of this year. Svein Erik Amundsen will continue in his current post until that time, and will join the board of directors effective 24 April 2003. "I am also pleased to announce that Morten Sig. Bergesen has agreed to remain on the board as a director. We are delighted to have these extremely capable individuals to help us ensure a smooth transition," said Sohmen Pao, who concluded by stating: "I see a great future ahead for Bergesen and World-Wide."


Andreas Sohmen-Pao, Group CEO of BW Maritime


Fredriksen, a lawsuit against Sohmen
. - Limits to the immoral, "said John Fredriksen's closest associate.
Updated: 10/01/2011 - 6:39
John Fredriksen says Helmut Sohmen will pay too little for shares in gas company BW Gas. This week, flipped the two shipping giants together in court in Bermuda.

Fredriksen gas shipping company Golar LNG refuse to accept the redemption offer by Helmut Sohmen family company at NOK 21 per share for his 240,000 shares in BW Gas.

Apparently we are dealing with small change when the court is in Hamilton in Bermuda later today. But it is only apparent.
After the claims can be enormous. In March 2009 thanks Fredriksen yes to the 21-million offer for 18 million BW Gas shares that he owned privately.. Findings suggest that Frontline-owner will demand back payment if the court gives Golar LNG claim that the real value-adjusted equity for the BW Gas is in the range 50-60 million. Golar would prevail, the claim from Fredriksen's company Geveran Trading could reach 500-700 million.
. - It borders on the immoral when Sohmen on the one hand to sue the Norwegian government for losses resulting from it later converted tax decision, while in Bermuda use the same decision to enrich themselves at the expense of minority shareholders, "said Fredriksen nearest staff member Tor Olav Trøim. BW Gas chief Andreas Sohmen-Pao says he looks forward to trial and a decision. He is aware that the court must make its valuation based on what was the situation in 2009, not today. Neither Helmut Sohmen or John Fredriksen appear in person.

EMS River: German Marines on AG-flag vessel?

Of the over 3,500 ships of the German merchant fleet currently more than 3,000 are "temporarily under a foreign flag," the euphemistic term. The freshly hijacked "Ems River" is a classic example of more than 80 percent of the German merchant fleet: The ship was built at a shipyard in Bangladesh for the shipping company Grona Shipping in Papenburg. Of the eight crew members, seven seamen from the Philippines, one is from Russia. The ship sails under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. Under the flag of the tiny island nation in the Caribbean a total of 981 ships pass (2005, recent data are not available), 953 of whom are from other states refuge under the flag, of which 853 from Germany. The VDR German shipping association has called for more protection of German ships after numerous attacks. VDR now demands the use of "sovereign armed forces" on board the ships by armed federal police officers or soldiers. "There will be discussions but no concrete legislation is planned," the spokesman said. He added the European Union's Operation Atalanta launched in 2008 provides a framework for deterring pirates and protecting shipping. Officials from the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, transport, interior and justice will attend the meeting, as will Deputy Economics Minister Hans-Joachim Otto. It is expected to take place on January 24.

More Tankers More Pirates

A crude oil spill in the booster pump room basement at Pump Station 1 in Prudhoe Bay Alaska may send more crude tankers through the Gulf of Aden. The northeast monsoon affects the Horn of Africa more directly than the southwest monsoon, thus piracy from small boats is likely to move deeper into the Gulf of Aden, December to March. Demand may be strengthened by the closing of a pipeline feeding Alaskan crude oil to other U.S. states. The shutdown may prompt U.S. refineries to bolster imports of crude from overseas. The Trans-Alaska pipeline system, which transports oil from the Prudhoe Bay field, was closed on Saturday following the discovery of a leak. A BP spokesman based in America described the leak as "a significant event" and it is not clear how long it will take to restart production.
Prudhoe Bay is America's largest oil reserve. BP is the largest shareholder in the company which runs the Trans-Alaska pipeline, called Alyeska Pipeline Service. The leak occurred at a pumping station at Alaska's North Slope, and forced 95% of oil production at the site to be cut off. Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., the pipeline's operator, has engineers working around the clock to restart the pipeline by constructing a 170-foot, 24-inch bypass section around the pump station where a leak was discovered Saturday in Prudhoe Bay. Charter rates for very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, declined because of a surplus of ships for hire. The Baltic Dirty Tanker Index, a wider measure of crude-oil transportation costs, fell 1.7 percent to 763 points.

Front Warrior: Gemini Suezmax escapes

Rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) were fired from a skiff at FRONT WARRIOR, a Fredriksen Suezmax Bahamas-flagged crude carrier Jamuary 6 at 0232Z approximately 300 nautical miles South East of Muscat. Fire hoses as well as razor wire on the perimeter and additional watch keepers discouraged boarders.


Front Warrior
Category: Crude Oil Tankers
IMO: 9169689
MMSI : 309457000
Callsign : C6FL8
Flag : Bahamas
Bahamas
Port of Registry: NASSAU


Jan 05, 2011
owner - full style DS-RENDITE-FONDS NR74.

Disponent owner - Full style: - GEMINI CHARTERING AS, AS AGENTS TO FRONTLINE CHARTERING SERVICES INC

Aa result of the OMI deal, Teekay also acquired a fully functioning Suezmax pool, Gemini Tankers. With 22 commercially managed vessels (at the time of writing), including four time chartered by Teekay – and already inducted into the pool – Gemini Tankers has significant market presence. Frontline has placed its spot Suezmax vessels within the Gemini Pool, bringing the total number of vessels in the pool to 36. To manage the larger fleet and establish a chartering presence in Europe to supplement its existing Stamford, Connecticut operations, Gemini has opened an office in Oslo and four commercial personnel from Frontline have joined the new office. In addition to Frontline and Teekay, König & Cie and Hyundai Merchant Marine are also Gemini Pool partners. spot rates for Arabian Gulf Very Large Crude Carriers, or VLCCs, shot as high as $70,000 a day Monday, almost twice as much as a week ago. Frontline, The Oslo-listed group controlled by tycoon John Fredriksen. Teekay Shipping controls Nordic Shipping , UNS owns 17.3% of the publicly traded company Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd ). Teekay is controlled by Resolute Investments, Inc. (44% in 2002). Resolute is wholly owned by Kattegat Limited, a Bermudian exempt company.

CPO China: Claus-Peter's chemtanker escapes

2010-built, 50,699 dwt CPO China was boarded by pirates in the early afternoon local time, with seafarers locking themselves inside a panic room and contacting the naval authorities for assistance.

Claus-Peter Offen spokesman said that the stand-off continued for around 10 hours until an Australian frigate arrived at the scene, at which point the assailants departed.
Owner of the "Y3K" leads Maxi Class
Hamburger Claus-Peter Offen new IMA president The Hamburg shipowner Claus-Peter is new president of the International Open Class Association of Maxi yachts, IMA (International Maxi Association). The owner of the fastest yachts in the world with a length of 18 meters up the 62-year-old was elected on September 7, the closing day of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, unanimously.

At the beginning of 2007, the company made its first move into the chemicals and product tanker market. A new company Claus-Peter Offen Tankschiffreederei (Offen Tankers) was formed; eight special-purpose tankers with 36,000 dwt and a further eight with 52,000 dwt were ordered from the Hyundai Mipo yard in South Korea, for delivery starting in 2008.
The ship operator Claus-Peter Offen (founded in 1971) is based in Hamburg, and is one of the world’s largest suppliers of modern container ship tonnage.

It has some 130 container vessels in service or currently under construction; most of them are chartered under long-term contract to leading shipping lines. They are employed in worldwide service.

Having ordered 4 bulk carriers in 2008 the company soon will also operate in the bulk market. Two ships each were ordered at the shipyards Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME, South Korea) and Daewoo Mangalia Heavy Industries (DMHI, Romania) with a tonnage capacity of 180,000 dwt. The 4 bulkers will be delivered in 2010.

The company currently has a workforce of approximately 3,000 people on shore and at sea.
Ship Name: CPO CHINA
IMO: 9434204
MMSI: 235075102
Callsign: 2CRH4
Flag: United Kingdom

Category: Tanker
Beam: 32
Length: 183
Draught: 11.4

. CPO China. IMO: 9434204; Type: Combined Chemical And Oil Tanker ... Owner: CPO China Offen Reederei; Address: Bleichenbruecke 10, Hamburg,

Arctic Sea: wobegone hijackers go to trial

Tatyana Barteneva, mother of Dmitry Bartenev




Irina Verenich wife of Aleksei Andrushin



Tatyana Seleven, wife of Igor Borisov





Nastya Strelkova, Andrushin's sister


Arkhangelsk regional court is trying six for seizure of the Arctic Sea: Alexei Andryushin, Dmitry Bartenev, Alexei Buleyev, Igor Borisov, Vitalijs Lepins and Yevgeny Mironov Five defendants pleaded partially guilty, and one pleaded guilty to all the charges,"
The review of the 52-volume criminal case is expected to last several months. The families of the men on trial for piracy say the highly unlikely hijackers are the biggest victims in the case. Few in Estonia believe there's any chance they'll soon return to Lasnamae.

People in Tallinn's Russian community who know the men dismiss the allegations as absurd. They say the alleged hijackers are ordinary layabouts, petty criminals and heavy drinkers who couldn't possibly have been capable of pulling off a major international heist on the high seas.

Tatyana Barteneva's son Dmitry Bartenev is one of the men on trial in Moscow. Inside the tidy, cramped apartment she shared until recently with both her two grown sons, the 63-year-old nurse with a blond bob hairstyle defends Bartenev and the other alleged hijackers as the victims of a plot they didn't understand.

"I don't think they're such idiots as to pick a fight with Russia," she says. "Why would they need that?"

Barteneva has lived in Tallinn since the age of 9, when her father, a Soviet military officer, was posted here in the 1950s. Her late husband was the captain of a fishing trawler, and their son Dmitry took odd jobs at sea.

Tallinn's Lasmanae neighborhood, the home of many ethnic Russians
According to his brother Aleksei Bartenev, Dmitry was unemployed last March when he noticed a leaflet outside a local supermarket advertising security work in Spain. A big man with prominent features and a crew-cut, the 42-year-old sometime sailor was on probation for drunk driving. He described the job to several of his friends, who jumped at the chance to travel abroad for pay.

The men shared similar backgrounds. Born in Estonia, all but one never met the tough requirements for Estonian citizenship. Locals say Bartenev and others like him are part of a lost generation of former Soviets who were unprepared to make it in what became a new country after the communist collapse.
“I think they were framed, and it is not just my opinion, everybody who knows them also thinks so,” Alexei Bartenev. “They were seeking a job and got involved in a political conflict, were made hostages of a political game.”
Sitting in a popular local bar called Zanzibar, where leopard-print seat pillows offer some visual relief from the uniform apartment blocks outside, Irina Verenich the wife of Aleksei Andrushin -- an unemployed, 28-year-old construction worker --"I told him so many times, 'What are you doing?'" she says. "I said, 'You help people you don't even know, and no one will help you in return.' And that's exactly what happened."
In addition to the six Russians from Lasnamae, two men from Latvia signed up for the work he offered. Several of the men posted notices on a popular social-networking site saying they'd be away for several months. They told their families they'd be gone until early October.


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