|
Monday, August 7,
2000
Vibration problems for
Millennium
Royal Caribbean's Celebrity Cruises says it has been working
in cooperation with Chantiers de l'Atlantique, the builder of
its newest ship, Millennium, to evaluate the ship's performance.
The ship is equipped with the cruise industry's first gas turbine
engines, and testing has demonstrated that Millennium has unusually
low levels of noise and vibration. However, testing also has
shown that under certain unusual sea conditions a vibration could
be felt within certain areas of the ship.
While this has not been, and is not expected
to be, a problem on the ship's current European sailings, it
is possible that the sea conditions in question could be more
prevalent in the Caribbean. Because of the high standards to
which Celebrity Cruises holds its ships, the company is working
with the ship's builder to resolve the matter prior to its sailing
in the Caribbean this winter.
The joint effort could lead to a decision
to put the ship in dry dock for a period of time following its
arrival in New York on November 15. That decision, however, has
not yet been made.
Conoco and Maritrans cooperate on shuttle
tanker development
Conoco Inc.and Maritrans Inc.last week announced that they are
jointly developing advanced shuttle tanker technologies to transport
deepwater Gulf of Mexico crude to U.S. refineries.
"The industry is actively exploring
for the 10 billion barrels of crude oil reserves that are estimated
to be contained in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico," said Rob
McKee, Conoco executive VP for exploration production. "Operations
in deepwater are expensive, and we are continuously seeking ways
to improve the economics of our deepwater program. Reducing the
time between investment and the return on that investment makes
deepwater exploration even more attractive than it is today."
The companies have decided to proceed with
development plans as the Minerals Management Service (MMS) continues
to evaluate the use of shuttle tankers to transport crude oil
production in the Gulf of Mexico. The MMS is expected to make
a final decision next year.
"We are hopeful the safety and performance
records of shuttle tankers used in other parts of the world will
help convince the MMS the concept is suitable for use in the
Gulf of Mexico," said Eric L. (Rick) Oshlo, Conoco VPand
general manager of supply and trading. "If the MMS does
approve the concept for use in the Gulf, Conoco and Maritrans
will have state-of-the-art technologies ready for deployment.
If they don't, we will have some very innovative ideas that would
be applicable to help other nations develop their deepwater reserves,
quickly, safely and economically."
Oshlo said the companies were evaluating
variations of shuttle tankers and deepwater loading systems successfully
used elsewhere in the world to transport remote crude oil reserves
to determine their applicability in the Gulf of Mexico.
Conoco's fleet of double-hulled ships
includes the "Rangrid," a specially designed, state-of-technology
shuttle tanker used to transport crude oil from the Heidrun field
in the Norwegian Sea to European markets. The Heidrun field,
located north of the Arctic Circle and in some of the world's
stormiest seas, could not have been economically developed without
the use of shuttle tankers and proprietary loading systems. Direct
shuttle loading from Heidrun to the "Rangrid" and other
shuttle tankers boasts an unprecedented 100 percent uptime since
first oil was produced in 1995.
Over 25 years ago, Maritrans pioneered
the lightering system that supplies almost 100 million barrels
of crude oil each year to eight refineries in the Northeast United
States. Maritrans' vessel allocation process is designed to reduce
on shore crude storage and keep deliveries on a consistent, reliable
schedule. Maritrans' multi-vessel system for unloading cargo
directly from large oil tankers situated offshore and in the
Delaware Bay remains the most cost-effective alternative for
delivering foreign crudes.
"Conoco and Maritrans are working
as quickly as possible to finalize our approach for Gulf of Mexico
shuttling before we begin talking with prospective third-party
customers for the system," said Stephen A. Van Dyck, chairman
and chief executive officer of Maritrans. "Our first concern
will be to ensure an environmentally sound operation," he
emphasized.
Frontline nearer to Golden Ocean acquisition
The bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Delaware has approved Frontline's
disclosure statement setting out its proposal for restructuring
of Golden Ocean Group Ltd.
Frontline's restructuring plan was backed
by Golden Ocean Group and the official creditors' committee.
The proposal will now be distributed to bondholders for voting.
Frontline says it has, through its own bond position and through
a lock-up agreement, secured support from two-thirds of the unsecured
claimants
A final confirmation hearing for the plan
is set for September 15. Prior to that, on August 14, the court
will also arrange a hearing on a proposal to appoint Frontline
as manager for the Golden Ocean operation with immediate effect
.
Frontline chairman John Fredriksen commented
"The new schedule set by the Court should make it possible
for us to have Golden Ocean's operation fully consolidated in
Frontline before the end of September. The fact that Frontline
is likely to get management control already next week gives us
the opportunity immediately to reduce the cost structure of Golden
Ocean. "
Diamond Offshore to upgrade semi to "fifth
generation"
Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. has reached an agreement with
Singapore's Keppel FELS Limited that provides for the significant
upgrade of the semisubmersible Ocean Baroness to fifth-generation
capabilities. The planned deepwater upgrade is described as
"a greatly enhanced version" of the company's successful
Victory-class upgrades. Initial outfitting will be designed to
include stability enhancements and self-contained chain/wire
mooring for operation in water depths to 6,000 ft with approximately
6,200 tons operating variable deck load, 15,000 psi blowout preventers
and riser with a multiplex control system. Additional features
including a high capacity deck crane, significantly enlarged
cellar deck area and a 25 ft by 90 ft moon pool will provide
enhanced subsea completion and development capabilities. Water
depths in excess of 6,000 ft are readily achievable utilizing
preset taut-leg mooring systems.
The rig will commence mobilization from
the Gulf of Mexico within 30 days to a Keppel FELS facility in
Singapore. The cost of the "Ocean Baroness" deepwater
upgrade is estimated to cost approximately $180 million and is
anticipated to take approximately 18 months, including mobilization
to the shipyard.
News
Index
Marine
Log Home page
|
