Work Boat World

VESSEL REVIEW: China’s Hangzhou Qianhang Ship Repair recently handed over a new hybrid electric passenger vessel to the People's Government of Dachen Town in west-central Hebei province. 'Dachen Tongxin' (大陈同心) was designed by the Wuhan Institute of Technology Shipbuilding to be capable of operating as an inter-island ferry and as a sightseeing vessel on trips around Dachen Island, which has become popular for its many reefs and mountains. The acquisition of the hybrid-powered vessel is in line with the Dachen municipal government’s goal of introducing alternative means of transport that promise a lower carbon footprint. Full article link in comments.

NAVAL GAZING: "Decades of cutbacks, driven both by economic stringency and by the desire by successive UK governments to be seen to be benefitting from the post Cold War 'peace dividend', have resulted in serious erosion of the UK Royal Navy’s (RN) combat capabilities across the board. This erosion includes mounting shortfalls in numbers of both front line warships and their support vessels and the inadequate crewing of ships. "The RN’s greatly reduced flotilla of escorts, currently made up of nine Type 23 frigates (the survivors of 16 such vessels built from 1992 onwards), and six Type 45 air defence destroyers (from a planned order for 12) is plagued with mechanical problems, partly as a result of being a dwindling force that is worked very hard and frequently on prolonged long-range front line combat deployments. "According to a recent estimate, the RN currently has a total of seven frigates and destroyers that are fully worked up and available for operations. London, however, continues to task, and often at short notice, these RN escorts with intensive long-range operations." Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: Saint Petersburg-based shipbuilder Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant recently handed over two new buoy tenders in a series ordered from the company by Rechvodput, the federal inland waterway transport agency of the Russian government. 'Kazarka' (Казарка) and 'Krechet' (Кречет) are the first two vessels under the Project 3050.1A series of 13 buoy tenders built by Kingisepp Machine-Building Plant to a design by the R-Flot Group’s subsidiary Gorky Central Design Bureau. The vessels will be used primarily for maintenance of buoys and other aids to navigation in inland waterways, whereas their secondary duties will include monitoring of water depths and handling of non-self-propelled barges of 400 tonnes displacement or lower via towing or pushing. Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: Albwardy Damen in the UAE has completed construction of the first vessel in a new series of twin-rig shrimp trawlers designed primarily for operation in tropical environments. The vessel was designed to be easy to operate and with minimal maintenance requirements. It also has low fuel consumption levels, thus resulting in lower fuel costs and reduced emissions. The design is flexible enough to allow the vessel to conduct a range of different fishing methods in addition to shrimp trawling. The development of the new shrimp trawler was undertaken in response to growing market interest in fuel-efficient vessels. The solution entailed combining a high-pull vessel with a larger propeller diameter and a high catch nozzle. A streamlined balance rudder and a skeg are added to reduce fuel consumption even further. Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: Netherlands-based family-owned marine services provider Multraship Towage and Salvage recently took delivery of a new multi-role ASD tug. 'Multratug 36' belongs to a series of two tugs ordered by Multraship in June 2023 to perform deep-sea and coastal towage, salvage, and other operations. Like its earlier sister 'Multratug 35', the newbuild has a length of 32.7 metres (107 feet), a beam of 12.82 metres (42.06 feet), a maximum draught of 6.2 metres (20 feet), a gross tonnage of 450, and IMO Tier III engines fitted with NOx reduction systems. The tug is also outfitted for firefighting, anchor handling, and other offshore operations. The accommodation spaces for the 10-strong crew have been enhanced with additional insulation and are rubberised to provide greater comfort. The accommodation includes two one-person cabins, four two-person cabins, a mess, and a galley. Full article link in comments.

GREY POWER: "It is no exaggeration to suggest that the civilised world has in effect become hostage to this nest of pirates lurking on the littoral of one of the world’s busiest sea-lanes. Those major companies that have elected to prioritise the lives of their crews are taking the long haul around the South Africa, racking up a vast extra number of tonne miles and, according to worried environmentalists, adding to unnecessary emissions. "While one can argue that these responsible carriers have been doing very well from this additional employment, which has put pressure on rates, those millions of users of those ships and their customers might also be described as indirect hostages of these ruffians. Let no one forget the concerns of serving seafarers aboard ships whose owners and charterers have decided to run the gauntlet, and the concerns of their worried relatives ashore. "Few commentators ever mention it, but the Suez Canal and the state of Egypt are being forced to pay a high price for the huge downturn in trade caused by the attacks. Before they began with the Hamas attacks upon Israel, the vital waterway was in the midst of an ambitious improvement scheme, while the large-scale investment on the new industrial zones that were established on both banks suggested a good future, with great employment benefits. Thus, Egypt, along with everyone else, has also become a hostage." Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai) has completed conversion work on an offshore testing and production platform operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to enable it to be operated as a steam injection vessel in support of heavy oil extraction. 'Haiyang Shiyou 162' (“Offshore Oil 162”) has now been rebuilt and will sail under the name 'Recai Yi' (热采一号; “Thermal Recovery No 1”), thus reflecting its new role. The platform will be used to inject steam to be used in the extraction of heavy oil from offshore sites. As heavy oil is a relatively viscous and therefore poorly liquidated form of crude oil, its extraction from offshore oil wells requires the use of specialised equipment that can discharge a significant volume of steam at high pressure and high temperatures. In the case of 'Recai Yi', it was rebuilt to be able to quickly inject high-pressure steam with a temperature of more than 350 degrees Celsius into six oil wells at the same time. The viscosity of heavy oil is reduced, thus turning it into a "thinner” oil with the ideal fluidity to make it easier to extract. Full article link in comments.

VESSEL REVIEW: Falmouth Harbour in the UK recently took delivery of a new pilot boat built by Holyhead Marine Services in Wales. Named 'Atlantic', the newbuild replaces 'LK Mitchell', a 46-year-old pilot boat that had been serving the harbour and is now being operated by its new owner on the west coast of Scotland. The 15.2- by 5.1-metre (50- by 17-foot) boat was built for 24/7/365 operation, ensuring pilot transfer coverage throughout each year. Holyhead Marine won a competitive tender process to build the pilot boat, with a remit to make full use of modern advances in fuel-saving technology, safety, and crew welfare. 'Atlantic' adopts a dedicated pilot vessel configuration with an aft wheelhouse and a forward engine room and that has been developed to improve efficiency, comfort, reduce fuel consumption and enhance seakeeping capability. The propulsion gives the boat a design speed of over 22 knots, a range of over 250 nautical miles, and 30 per cent greater efficiency compared to its predecessor. Full article link in comments.

OPINION: "In view of attractive oil prices, an uptick in E&P investments and robust drilling activities, the active OSV fleet rose to 3,125 units by end Q2 2024. Over the past 12 months, an additional 22 vessels were added to the active fleet, the majority of which are platform supply vessels (PSVs). Latin America witnessed the most influx of vessels, largely attributed to inflow from the US. "Meanwhile, active OSVs in Northwest Europe continue to fall as vessels were mobilised to Latin America, West Africa and the Mediterranean. A continuous flow of vessels into the Middle East region was observed, albeit less than the previous quarters. OSVs in Saudi Arabia were absorbed by EPCI contractors and moved to neighboring countries such as the UAE and Bahrain, a reversal of the situation from Q4 2023. Southeast Asia expects to see more active vessels moving forward, with day rates reaching comparable levels with the Middle East and increasing investment in deepwater oil and gas. "The laid-up fleet currently stands at 493 units, a YoY dip of 16 per cent as vessels have been reactivated due to the increasing demand or conversions out of the offshore sector. Shrinkage of the OSV fleet coupled with an increasing active fleet have pushed global effective utilisation (excluding laid-up vessels) to 75 per cent by end Q2 2024. Future utilisation will be contingent on continued fleet rejuvenation, where Westwood expects utilisation to sustain at 75 to 78 per cent over the next few quarters." Full article link in comments.

OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS: "Many commentators have observed that oil is a curse, and it is true that in many countries such as Libya, Nigeria and Iraq, struggles to control oil and gas revenues have polarised whole nations and led to both insurgencies and civil war. "But Mozambique shows that a worse curse is suffering grinding poverty whilst billions of dollars of resources sit in the ground waiting for the stability and calm to extract them, stability that can be fleetingly elusive. "The sooner TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil and ENI can start their LNG projects, start employing people in the construction and support onshore, and make the billions of dollars of investment which are currently in limbo, the better for Mozambique. The longer first gas is deferred, the longer Mozambique is likely to be locked into a cycle of poverty, misery, and conflict." Full article link in comments.