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Of Philippine Navy Units Click on the Shipsname to View and / Or Download the Photo DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 364 Number 364 *** COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS *** Tuesday 30-12-2014 News reports received from readers and Internet News articles copied from various news sites. Moored at the Trawlerquay in Ijmuiden the SENTINEL RANGER for crewchange and stores Photo : Marcel Coster (c) Distribution : daily to 31800+ active addresses 30-12-2014 Page 1 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 364 Your feedback is important to me so please drop me an email if you have any photos or articles that may be of interest to the maritime interested people at sea and ashore PLEASE SEND ALL PHOTOS / ARTICLES TO : [email protected] If you don't like to receive this bulletin anymore : To unsubscribe click here (English version) or visit the subscription page on our website. http://www.maasmondmaritime.com/uitschrijven.aspx?lan=en-US EVENTS, INCIDENTS & OPERATIONS see also : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R4Hb0S7Ikc#t=101 The 283 mtr long 1978 build 72.555 DWT LNG LEO arrived fom Mugardos in the Nile Harbour in Rotterdam-Europoort upon completion of cargo handling the tanker departed bound for Livorno Photo : Krijn Hamelink (c) MB Concerned About Compensating Pirates The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has joined other maritime organisations in expressing concern over the decision to compensate convicted Somali pirates.These criminals have been responsible for taking hostage thousands of seafarers, who were subjected to unprovoked violence and sometimes torture. Some seafarers have also been murdered while carrying out their lawful business on the high seas.Earlier this month, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ordered France to pay thousands of euros to Somali pirates who had attacked French ships in 2008. The pirates were captured by French military on the Somali coast after they hijacked two French yachts in separate attacks in 2008 French authorities held one group for four days and the other group for six days and 16 hours before they were taken to France to stand trial. The ECHR said the pirates should be paid compensation because they were not immediately brought before a French court but instead kept in custody for a further 48hrs after arriving in France. Distribution : daily to 31800+ active addresses 30-12-2014 Page 2 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 364 According to the judge this was a “violation of their rights to freedom and security”. IMB said that, there were practical complexities when dealing with the crime of piracy that needed to be fully appreciated.“There are practical difficulties with respect to the gathering of evidence and transporting of the alleged perpetrators when a crime is committed at sea, thousands of miles from where the court proceedings take place, compared to a crime committed ashore,” said an IMB spokesman. The IMB added it was worried about the message that the ECHR’s decision might send out to other pirates and the implications it may have on shipping and seafarers’ safety. In light of this decision IMB states, “We hope this does not discourage the European navies from taking the required actions necessary to keep piracy suppressed along these vital international trade routes”. A BBC report said one of the men is to be awarded €9,000 and the others sums of up to €7,000.IMB had at the time of the attacks warned of the growing Somali piracy trend in which pirates operating from "mother ships often attacked vessels hundreds of nautical miles out to sea before taking them into Somali waters to demand ransoms. The ECHR’s decision has been criticised by seafarers’ support group, Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP).Roy Paul, programme director for MPHRP, said, “This decision would be unbelievable if it wasn’t made by the European Court of Human Rights. The claim that this constituted a 'violation of their rights to freedom and security' is an insult to the seafarers and yachtsmen they attacked as surely this is the true violation of the seafarers’ rights to freedom and security. These pirates, in my opinion, gave up any of their rights when they set sail to attack innocent seafarers who were simply doing their essential work”. While the number of pirate attacks have dropped significantly in Somali waters, largely due to increased naval presence in the area, the threat is still present says IMB.“There can be no room for complacency as it will take only one successful Somali hijacking for the business model to return. Masters are, therefore advised to maintain vigilance and adhere to the latest Best Management Practices recommendations,” the IMB advises.Ships are advised to maintain strict anti-piracy watches and report all pirate attacks, both actual and attempted, and suspicious sightings to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Source : Marinelink The GUDRUN MAERSK in Rotterdam-Europoort – Photo : Willem Koper © MOL's LNG carrier fleet expands to 89 units Aiming at Y30 billion annual profit in LNG carrier/offshore biz in/after 2020 Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) is smoothly expanding its LNG carrier business. On Dec. 24, MOL announced that it has signed a basic agreement to time-charter out to Tokyo Gas Co. one LNG carrier newbuilding to be constructed by Japan Marine United (JMU). The unit will be deployed for the Cove Point LNG project, a shale-gas export project in the U.S. This is the third newbuilding for which MOL has received an order from Tokyo Gas for deployment to the Cove Point project. MOL's medium-term management plan envisages expanding its fleet setup of LNG carriers in which it has participation to 120 units by the end of fiscal 2019 (ending March 2020). So far, MOL has piled up such carriers to 89 units, including 24 newbuildings. On top of this, "There are around 15-20 more units for which we expect to win contracts. By the end of 2015, we will probably be able to obtain firm prospects for shifting to a 110-unit setup," said Takeshi Hashimoto, managing executive officer of MOL. In the LNG carrier and offshore businesses combined, "we intend to book a stable annual profit of roughly Y30 billion in/after 2020," he added. MOL has concluded the basic contract with Tokyo LNG Tanker Co., under which it will charter out one unit to the Tokyo Gas subsidiary, bringing to three units the total number of LNG carrier newbuildings MOL charters out to Tokyo Gas for the Cove Point project. The three units are of 165,000-cbm type and will be equipped with the SPB (self- Distribution : daily to 31800+ active addresses 30-12-2014 Page 3 DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2014 – 364 supporting prismatic-shape IMO type-B) LNG tanks. The third of the three units is due to enter service in 2018 under a charter contract of up to 20 years. While the first two units are co-owned by Tokyo LNG Tanker and MOL (90% each by MOL), the third unit is wholly owned by MOL, which also takes charge of its shipmanagement. Including newbuildings, MOL is involved in 11 of the 14 units owned/managed by Tokyo LNG Tanker. MOL will also be entrusted to manage eight of them. The latest deal with Tokyo LNG Tanker has brought the total number of LNG carriers in which MOL has participation to 89 units, comprising 65 units now in service and 24 newbuildings (as per the accompanying table) remaining on order. MOL is engaged in management of 23 of the 24 newbuildings, with the sole exception of a unit bound for Petronet LNG of India. Of the U.S. shale-gas transport projects, MOL is trying to win orders for transport of LNG via newbuildings from the Freeport, Cameron and Cove Point projects. As to Japan-bound transport, MOL has thus far bagged orders for three Cove Point-bound newbuildings from Tokyo Gas and for two Cameron-bound ones from Mitsui & Co. for a total of five units. MOL intends to pile up orders further. Hashimoto said, "We also hope to win an order from Kansai Electric Power Co. for Cove Point-bound newbuildings. As for Cameron-bound newbuildings, we aim to win another order from Mitsui for a third unit. We are also looking for an order for Cameron-bound newbuildings via procurement talks with GDF Suez. As to the Freeport project, fresh demands of up to around eight units are expected (from Chubu Electric Power Co. and Osaka Gas Co.), and we intend to win orders for half of them at the very least," thus revealing eagerness of the company. With regard to LNG transport projects other than those related to shale gas, MOL has already received an order for three ice-class LNG carriers for the Yamal LNG project in Russia. "It is said that the project also requires several conventional-type LNG carriers. So, we hope to jointly win orders in new projects out there with our Chinese partners," said Hashimoto. At this point, MOL expects to receive orders for around 15-20 more units. "We have drawn up an ambitious plan to enhance our fleet setup (to 120 units) under a new midterm management plan. In line with that, we have made steady headway," Hashimoto said, adding that in the course of proceeding with fleet expansion, "We hope to raise the off-balance rate. To this end, we need to address such challenges as diversifying fund-procurement sources and bolstering cooperation with investment funds/shipowner affiliates." In ongoing projects for LNG transport to China, MOL has received orders for four units bound for ExxonMobil as well as for six units for Sinopec.
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