skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Sedco 706
Brazil has lifted an injunction to suspend offshore drilling by contractor Transocean, relating to a November 2011 oil spill in the Frade offshore field northeast of Rio de Janeiro.
Chevron had contracted Transocean's Sedco 706 rig, but Brazil's oil regulator ANP said in a July report that Transocean had no responsibility for the spill.
If it had remained, the injunction would have shut down Transocean's 10 drilling rigs operating in Brazilian waters, eight of them under contract by Petrobras, by Oct. 27. The court said there are 72 rigs operating in Brazil.
Fischer accepted ANP's argument that losses in revenue to Petrobras and the government in royalties would amount to more than 6.7 billion reais ($3.8 billion) over two years if Transocean's rigs were suspended from operating."The original injunction was groundless and targeted Transocean unfairly," a Transocean spokesman said. "The company and its employees were completely exonerated by ANP's investigation which concluded that the leak resulted from geological factors and was totally unrelated to the actions of the Transocean rig crew."
The Transocean ban is related to a lawsuit seeking nearly $20 billion from it and Chevron Corp .
The ban on Transocean remains in force in Frade. Chevron and Transocean say they were not negligent in the spill and are fighting the lawsuits and related criminal charges.
more
read
[August 3]A Brazilian court on August 1 ordered Chevron Corp. (CVX) and Transocean to halt their activities in Brazil in 30 days or face daily fines of 500 million Brazilian reais ($250 million). The court decision is part of ongoing cases related to a drilling accident last November at the Chevron-operated Frade offshore oil field. The accident caused an estimated 3,700 barrels of crude to seep from cracks in the seabed. Chevron voluntarily halted production at the field in March, when a second set of seepage was discovered at the field.
Magda Chambriard, head of the ANP, said during a Senate hearing that irregularities in the company's activities found by a Brazilian court were "light" and they "weren't reason for the discontinuing of the company's operations," according to comments posted on the Senate's website.
[December 12,2011] Brazil sues Transocean for $10.6 billion:The suit, which includes Chevron, could jeopardize oil companies' plans to step up their presence in Brazil after the discovery of huge offshore reserves several kilometers (miles) beneath the ocean floor estimated at 50 billion barrels or more.
Reaching that oil will be technically challenging but Brazil expects it will push its crude output to 7 million barrels a day by 2020. That could see it challenge the United States for the rank of world No. 3 oil producer after Russia and Saudi Arabia.
It also risks alarming foreign oil companies eager to expand in one of the world's fastest-growing oil frontiers, where state-controlled oil company Petrobras accounts for more than 90 percent of the output, and government leaders are moving to assert even greater control of natural resources.
 |
| Esperanza |
 |
| Kamari I |
Vitol acquired the Iranian fuel oil early this month in a ship-to-ship transfer off Malaysia from a National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) vessel, the Leadership, onto a Vitol-chartered tanker, the Ticen Ocean.
The Ticen Ocean was sub-contracted by Vitol for floating storage off the Malaysian port of Tanjung Pelepas from Titan Petrochemicals [TTNP 0.972 -0.008 (-0.82%) ], a Hong Kong company which itself hired it from shipowner Frontline [FRO 3.775 -0.105 (-2.71%) ] of Norway.
Vitol, the world's largest oil trader, is buying and selling Iranian fuel oil, undermining Western efforts to choke the flow of petrodollars to Tehran and put pressure on Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program.
Vitol[ parent Vitol Holding B.V.] last month bought 2 million barrels of fuel oil, used for power generation, from Iran and offered it to Chinese traders, Vitol acquired Iranian fuel oil early this month in a ship-to-ship transfer off Malaysia from a National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) vessel, the Leadership, onto a Vitol-chartered tanker, the Ticen Ocean.
The Ticen Ocean was sub-contracted by Vitol for floating storage off the Malaysian port of Tanjung Pelepas from Titan Petrochemicals, a Hong Kong company which itself hired it from shipowner Frontline of Norway.
Frontline said Titan had told it the ship was not used to store Iranian oil. "Our only counterpart in this matter is Titan and they have said it is not correct that there has been Iranian oil on the boat," said Frontline CEO Jens Martin Jensen.
The Leadership left Iran's main oil export terminal at Kharg Island during the week of August 23, passing through the Strait of Malacca before disappearing from freight tracking systems off the Malaysian coast on September 4. Since sanctions were imposed, Iranian vessels have frequently switched off the onboard 'black-box' transponders used in the shipping industry to monitor vessel movements.
Industry sources in Tanjung Pelepas who monitor shipping transfer operations in Malaysian waters said Vitol later brought alongside another tanker, the Speranza, to replace the Ticen Ocean as floating storage. The Speranza, owned by China's Sino Shipping Holdings, arrived at Tanjung Pelepas on September 13-14, Reuters data shows.
Vitol also transferred some of its fuel oil from the Ticen Ocean between September 11-12 to another vessel, the Kamari I, according to Reuters data. That cargo was delivered to Vitol's storage terminal on the Malaysian island of Tanjung Bin, inside Tanjung Pelepas port, one trading source said.
Swiss-based Vitol [[parent Vitol Holding B.V.] is not obliged to comply with a ban imposed in July by the European Union on trading oil with Iran because Switzerland decided not to match EU and U.S. sanctions against Tehran.
Ship info
IMO number 9002609
Name of the ship SPERANZA
Type of ship CRUDE OIL TANKER
MMSI 353035000
Gross tonnage 158475 tons
DWT 299700 tons
Year of build 1993
Builder ODENSE STEEL SHIPYARD - ODENSE, DENMARK
Flag PANAMA
Class society KOREAN SHIPPING REGISTER
Manager & owner SINO SHIPPING HOLDINGS - HONG KONG, CHINA
Former names LA ESPERANZA (not yet confirmed)
EHM MAERSK (not yet confirmed)
BRITISH VALOUR (not yet confirmed)
ELISABETH MAERSK (not yet confirmed)
Saracen and Sterling Corporate Services train and equip the largest militia group in Somalia -- essentially a private army for the president of Puntland. In the semi-autonomous Puntland region, they built a force of more than 1,000 men equipped with planes, helicopters and more than 80 vehicles.
Funding of around $50 million came from Abu Dhabi.
Somali tribal leaders, and the South Africans training the force, claim it is an anti-piracy coast guard.
Mr Lafras Luitingh registered the company - Australian African Global Investments - in 2006.
It has branches in South Africa, Uganda and other African countries and is involved in logistics, transport and chartering planes and ships.
The Australian company was registered by Taurus Financial Services [Gordon Hatch] in Sydney.
"
The men behind Saracen and Sterling are mostly former South African mercenaries and prominent among them is Mr Luitingh.
[January 20, 2011]Saracen International is training a anti-piracy army in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland — and being financed by an anonymous Middle Eastern country.
Several people with knowledge of Saracen’s operations confirmed that the country is the United Arab Emirates.
Saracen International is a private security company based in South Africa, with corporate offshoots in Uganda and other countries. The company was formed with the remnants of Executive Outcomes, a private mercenary firm composed largely of former South African special operations troops that operated throughout Africa in the 1990s.
The company makes little public about its operations and personnel, but it appears to be run by Lafras Luitingh, a former officer in South Africa’s Civil Cooperation Bureau, an apartheid-era internal security force notorious for killings of opponents of the government.According to a report by the African Union, an organization of African states, Erik Prince, the founder of international security giant Blackwater Worldwide, provided initial funding for a project by Saracen International to win contracts with Somalia’s embattled government. Mr. Prince moved to the United Arab Emirates late last year.
The Somalia coastline is 3,025 km. This includes the the total length of the boundary between the land area (including islands) and the sea. Somalia’s coast is equivalent to the distance from the tip of Maine to Jacksonville, Fla.
In response to requests for an interview with Prince, his spokesman e-mailed a brief statement that the Blackwater founder is interested in "helping Somalia overcome the scourge of piracy" and has advised antipiracy efforts. Spokesman Mark Corallo said Prince has "no financial role" in the project and declined to answer any questions about Prince's involvement.
Energy Centurion hijacked by pirates in Gulf of Guinea was released August 30, some 60 miles east of Lagos, Nigeria, and was steaming toward a "safe port."
The tanker held 57,000 tons of gas oil on board and about 3,000 tons was stolen by the pirates.
Isle of Man-registered hijacked tanker was shadowed by French, Nigerian Navy and US air carrier [LHD? LSD?]was said ready to assist.
Vessel's name: Energy Centurion
Ex-name(s): Not Applicable IMO number: 9387970
Flag: Isle of Man Call sign:
Port of Registry: Douglas Summer DWT: 0 MT
Type of vessel: Built: Aug 22, 2008
Type of hull: Owner:
Class Society: Det Norske Veritas Operator: Enterprises Shipping & Trading S.A
"The elements evaluated and described by the National Agency of Oil, Gas and Biofuels (ANP), in its report show in detail that the accident could have been avoided if Chevron had conducted its operations in full compliance with regulations, in accordance with good practice in the oil industry and with its own procedures manual. ...Thus, there is no doubt that if Chevron had properly managed the uncertainties of geology, the risk analysis had been performed in accordance with the rules and respected the basic assumptions of safety, the accident could have been avoided."
[November 25, 2011]
Chevron's drilling rights have been suspended by Brazil's National Petroleum Agency after on evidence that the company had been "negligent" in its study of data needed to drill and in contingency planning for abandoning the well in the event of accident.
The agency, known as ANP, rejected a request from Chevron made before the leak to drill wells in the deeper subsalt areas in the Frade field where the spill occurred. The field is located in the oil-rich Campos Basin and is the only block in Brazil where Chevron produces oil as the operator. The only rig working for Chevron off Brazil is Transocean Ltd's Sedco 706, which drilled the well that leaked.
The Campos Basin is currently the source of more than 80 percent of Brazil's oil output.
While Chevron said lon November 23 it had not received formal notice of the drilling halt, the company announced an indefinite voluntary suspension of all current and future drilling off Brazil, apart from plug and abandonment work.
"Chevron acknowledges, however, that ANP has posted a notice of suspension to its website," the company added. more back
 |
| Nikolay Filchenkov
|
Nikolai Filchenkov and Caesar Kunikov, Tapir Large Landing Ships, returned on July 28 from the Mediterranean to the home port of Sevastopol, having accomplished their missions in the Mediterranean. Ten warships, together with escort vessels from Russia’s Northern, Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, entered the Mediterranean Sea earlier this month. The ships were scheduled to convene in early August for joint exercises.
[June 18]Nikolai Filchenkov and Caesar Kunikov amphibious assault vessels will be heading to the Syrian port of Tartus, but didn't give a precise date. The official said the ships will carry an unspecified number of marines to protect Russians in Syria and evacuate materials from Tartus if necessary.
Large Landing Ship "Nikolay Filchenkov"
Project 1171 / Alligator Class
The Project 1171 Tapir Large Landing Ship (Bol'shoy Desatnyy Korabl' BDK) is a beachable, general-purpose LST-type design with bow and stern ramps for unloading vehicles. Produced in at least four different types beginning in 1966, there are numerous variations in detail between units. Many have been retired, and remaining units may be in reserve, given the Russian Navy's decreased emphasis on amphibious operations.
Large Landing Ship "Nikolay Filchenkov" was built by Yantar Zavod, Kaliningrad. Laid down 30 Jan 1974, completed 29 March 1975, commissioned on 12 Dec 1975.
 |
| Amin |
Iran and Syria have resumed working together to fight Western sanctions on their oil as shipping records showed two Iranian vessels have delivered diesel to Syrian ports over the past week, the first fuel shipments from Iran in about three months. A third vessel appeared to be on its way to Syria along the same route, but then dropped anchor off the coast of Port Said in Egypt, shiptracking data showed.
At current market prices, the two shipments are worth around $90 million in total. A third vessel appeared to be on its way to Syria along the same route, but then dropped anchor off the coast of Port Said in Egypt, .
The first tanker is the Amin [Sierra Leone], third vessel is the Alvan [[Panama],
AMIN
Crude oil tanker
2009
Gross Tonnage: 81306, 自重: 157985 t
Sierra Leone [SL]
IMO: 9422366, MMSI: 667002257
AMIN Sierra Leone 9LB2375 2012-07-05 09:02
AMIN Bolivia CPC834 2012-05-20 19:11
AMIN Malta 9HA2120 2012-03-17 13:21
AMIN – Very large crude carrier (VLCC), IMO: 9422366. Owned by IRISL subsidiary ISIM Amin Limited. Previously flagged by Malta but registered by Bolivia on March 27, 2012 with Auris Marine Company as its owner.
Vessel's name: Amin Last updated: Apr 23, 2011
Ex-name(s): Not Applicable IMO number: 9422366
Flag: Call sign: 9HA2120
Port of Registry: VALETTA, MALTA Summer DWT: 157985.4 MT
Type of vessel: Oil Tanker Built: Nov 20, 2009
Type of hull: Double Hull Owner: ISIM AMIN LTD
Class Society: Lloyds Register Operator: Noah Ship Management DMCCO
ALVAN
Ship Type: Crude oil tanker
Year Built: 1992
Length x Breadth: 183 m X 32 m
Gross Tonnage: 28223, DeadWeight: 47059 t
Speed recorded (Max / Average): 10.7 / 10 knots
Call Sign: 3FLZ9
IMO: 8913631, MMSI: 373174000
Ex Statira, Trust Runner, Sea Runner, Invincible, Sokolniki
Added to [russian] REGISTER OF SHIPS 08.02.2012
GENERAL INFORMATION
Name: ALVAN
Former name: STATIRA
Year of name change: 2011
RS number: 914321
IMO number: 8913631
Call sign: 3FLZ9
Port of registry: Panama
Flag: Panama
Last Special survey: 16.02.2011
RS Class notation: KM* L4 AUT1 oil/chemical tanker type 3(ESP)
RS Class notation (second):
Hull renovation: -
Date of renovation: -
