India plans upgrade of major ports INDIA's government is planning to invest Rs80bn ($1.88bn) over a four-year period to upgrade facilities at the country's 11 major ports.
Mounting tension UK defence secretary George Robertson and chief of staff General Sir Charles Guthrie pictured in Downing Street amid mounting tension that Nato is to launch air strikes on Serbia if President Milosevic does not back down.
Concern at measures to stifle cheap steel trade MAJOR US and European ports, and owners of dry bulk tonnage, are anxiously monitoring protectionist moves in the US and Europe aimed at stamping out imports of cheap steel.
Pegasus near to buying three tankers Pegasus Shipping is close to purchasing three panamax tankers in a $42m en bloc deal.
Search and rescue covers the world Nearly 20 years after the adoption of an international agreement on marine search and rescue, the entire world has finally been covered.
Ketch rescued off Isle of Man An Ocean Yacht Club ketch with several children aboard had to be towed into Douglas yesterday morning after her engine failed in Force 7 conditions while on a voyage from Whitehaven on the northwest coast of England to Douglas, writes Sandra Speares.
Oil spill body to widen base PLANS to extend membership of the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation to non-tanker owners is just one element of a strategic plan now being prepared.
Banana Express celebrates 10 years of successful growth IT sounds like a feature from children's television, but the Banana Express is big business.
Construction begins on major grain terminal CONSTRUCTION of the EuroPort grain terminal in the Polish port of Gdansk began last week after an official ceremony held in the port.
PSA Corp invests in Voltri PSA CORP of Singapore is to invest Lit 226bn ($142m) over the next five years to lift capacity at its Voltri Terminal in Genoa to 1m teu a year.
Outspan and Rennies examine fruit logistics OUTSPAN, the South African citrus marketing company, and the terminals division of Rennies are examining the formation of an independent logistics company for the fruit export trade.
Anglo-Eastern targets tankers ANGLO-Eastern Ship Management is targeting the tanker management sector for future group expansion, according to executive chairman Peter Cremers.
P&O Ports acquires South African interests P&O PORTS, the Australian-based ports group, has acquired two stevedoring businesses in Durban and Cape Town.
Jamnagar to be India's largest port RELIANCE Group, India's largest private sector company, claims that its mega port under construction in Gujarat will have facilities to handle 50m tonnes of traffic a year.
Philippines revises seafarers contracts THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration is revising its standard employment contract for Filipino seafarers working on ocean going vessels.
Spanish lines restructure for cabotage changes CONTENEMAR and Navicon are the two latest Spanish carriers to restructure their fleets as the January 1 lifting of cabotage restrictions looms ever larger in the EU.
Stevedores paralyse Chilean ports STRIKING stevedores in Chile paralysed the major ports last week in a dispute over the privatisation of state owned facilities.
Hamburg-Poland traffic doubles SEABORNE container traffic between Hamburg and Polish ports doubled in the first half of this year.
Pipavav lpg terminal to open this month BHARAT Shell, a joint venture between Shell and Indian oil company Bharat Petroleum, is to commission its 100,000 tonne per annum lpg import terminal at Pipavav this month.
North Korean cruises to start this month THE first South Korean cruise ship tour of North Korea will begin this month after Hyundai Group officials return from a survey of the North Korean port of Changjon.
Sydney braced for new confrontation RENEWED waterfront trouble is brewing in Sydney, centred around the MUA's disputed compliance with a new labour agreement with Patrick.
Princess survivors seek damages SURVIVORS of the Philippine ferry Princess of the Orient have begun to seek claims for damages from Sulpicio Lines.
World-Wide 'buying into Frontline' RUMOURS on Oslo's stock exchange suggest that Hong Kong-based World-Wide Shipping group has bought an unspecified number of shares in Frontline.
Western Bulk sues former directors WESTERN Bulk Shipping, the Norwegian operator of handysize bulkers, has sued its previous top management in a row over the charter parties of two 29,000 dwt ships.
Sydney turmoil continuing Patrick was continuing negotiations with the Maritime Union of Australia yesterday in an effort to lift productivity at its Sydney container terminal. The option of a legal action was still a possibility, Patrick director, Bill Clayton, told DCN yesterday, particularly since the stevedore's Sydney facility was now only about 50 per cent as productive as its Melbourne terminal. It is understood Patrick has completed preparations for an eventual filing of papers. To add to Sydney's problems, a computer malfunction at P&O Ports' Container Terminals Australia Ltd facility at Port Botany yesterday further affected productivity. The commercial director of the New South Wales Road Transport Association, Terry Dene, told DCN that as a result of the computer failure it was difficult to judge the exact reason for the low level of productivity.
Ship inspection program review under way The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) is meeting this month looking for feedback that will lead to enhancing and fine tuning its Ship Inspection Report (SIRE) program, according to David Savage, the program manger. The program was introduced in November 1994 to broaden the distribution of ship inspection information among OCIMF members, charterers, traders, terminal operators and flag and state entities who shared OCIMF's concerns about tanker safety and pollution prevention. Captain Savage said that oil companies became obsessed by inspections after the Exxon Valdez incident, however there was an incredible amount of duplication of effort. He said in the years 1989-91, inspections programs reached "a frenzy" and there were up to five inspectors on board a vessel at any one time, tying up crews as they were trying to load or unload product, and there simply had to be a better way.
MARPOL push in Pacific Rim The Pacific's regional environment agency is seeking funding from Australia and other developed Pacific Rim countries to establish a program designed to ensure that all Pacific Island nations introduce maritime oil pollution legislation in line with existing international conventions. The Apia-based, 22-nation, South Pacific Regional Environment Program's marine pollution adviser, Steve Raaymakers, said on Friday that an initial wire-service report indicating that SPREP proposed to introduce its own "controls over international shipping', was incorrect.
US Act brings new 'language' The passage of the United States' Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998, earlier this month, will allow the signing of private, confidential, contracts between shippers and individual carriers. The bill is expected to be signed by the president within the next few weeks and will go into effect on 1 May, 1999. Details of the bill and how it will operate will be developed by the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) as formal regulations between now and that time. According to one of the main carriers in the Australia-North America trade, Columbus Line, the most significant aspect of this new legislation is language which will allow the signing of private confidential contracts between shippers and individual carriers.
OSE Enjoys Record Day The Oslo Stock Exchange on Monday, October 12, enjoyed one of its best days in its history. Buoyed by ascending Asian stock markets, the Oslo Total Index was up 5.09% on Monday, which was the largest one-day increase in 1998 and the 8th largest since 1983. The Oslo Shipping Index was up even more 6.76%.
IMO: World Ship Search, Rescue Network Complete A global network for maritime search and rescue systems has been finalized by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), with a provisional search and rescue plan for the Indian Ocean was adopted at recent conference held in Fremantle in Australia.A resolution was adopted at the Fremantle conference to investigate setting up an international fund in cooperation with the aviation industry to assist developing counties in fulfilling obligations required by shipping safety conventions.The communications network on which modern satellite and terrestrial-based rescue messaging is operated is due to come into full effect from February 1, 1999 when the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is extended to all passenger and cargo ships of 300 gross tonnage upwards on international voyages.
IHC Caland Finalizes Chevron Order IHC Caland reportedly won a five-year lease contract from Chevron unit CABGOC Ltd., for which it signed a letter of intent last month. A consortium, led by IHC's subsidiary SBM, will lease a floating production, storage and offloading system to CABGOC, to be used off the Angolan coast. The other consortium members are ABB and Coflexip.
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