Tag: Brazil

Chevron and Transocean said they acted appropriately and responsibly SÃO PAULO-Brazil's Federal Police are asking a federal prosecutor to indict as many as 17 Chevron Corp. and Transocean Ltd. employees, including Chevron's Brazil director, George Buck, for their alleged roles in an oil spill last month off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, a senior Brazilian police official said in a televised interview late Wednesday."The companies acted in a frivolous, irresponsible manner in the incident," Federal Police investigator Fábio Scliar said on the Brazilian television station TV Globo. Mr. Scliar couldn't be reached for comment.In separate statements, Chevron and Transocean, the company contracted by Chevron to drill the well, confirmed that the Federal Police were recommending indictments following an investigation into possible environmental and other crimes stemming from the spill.In their statements, both Chevron and Transocean said they acted appropriately and responsibly.To be sure, some analysts say Brazilian authorities may resist going through with an indictment, some experts said. That is because it would set a precedent for criminal charges in the case of even relatively small spills-a precedent that could come back to haunt the government if state-run oil giant Petróleo Brasileiro SA, known as Petrobras, has a spill.All ...

Spill of nearly 3,000 barrels of oil Brazilian federal prosecutors said Wednesday they are seeking $10.6 billion in damages from U.S.-based Chevron Corp. because of environmental harm caused by an offshore oil leak.The prosecutors are also asking a judge to order Chevron and Transocean Ltd., the drilling contractor for the well where the leak occurred in November, to halt all activities in Brazilian territory for an indefinite period."During an investigation, the attorney general's office found that Chevron and Transocean were not capable of controlling the damage caused by the spill of nearly 3,000 barrels of oil, proof of a lack of environmental planning and management by the companies," the statement read.Chevron, in an emailed statement, said that it had received no notice of the action by the federal prosecutors and that Brazilian oil regulators had not contacted it about the issue."From the outset, Chevron responded responsibly to the incident at its Frade Field and has dealt transparently with all Brazilian authorities," the company said.Most of Brazil's oil drilling is conducted offshore, and that is where Chevron's work is concentrated. The company does own lubricants manufacturing plants in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. It wasn't clear if these operations would ...

Current sheen volume reduced to less than one barrel Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) today reports that while its subsidiary, Chevron Brasil Upstream Frade Ltda., has not received formal notice from Brazil's National Petroleum Agency (ANP) suspending its drilling license, the company has voluntarily suspended its current and future drilling operations, offshore Brazil. The voluntary suspension includes the company's permitted pre-salt wells in the Frade field with the exception of current plug and abandonment activities. The suspension is indefinite. Chevron acknowledges, however, that ANP has posted a notice of suspension to its website.Chevron's decision to suspend its drilling operations has no impact on its current production in the Frade field or on other Frade field operations. Production from the Frade field is approximately 79,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (approximately 36,000 barrels net).Chevron had previously suspended development drilling in the Frade field on November 9 after it became aware of oil migrating from seep lines in the ocean floor.Chevron also reports that the volume of oil currently contained in the sheen on the ocean's surface has been further reduced to about one barrel through cleaning and dispersion methods approved by Brazilian authorities. Chevron was successful in stopping the primary source ...

Information provided by the West of Engalnd P&I Club The West of England P&I Club provides the following information at its website regarding Ballast Water Regulations in Brazil - Amazon and Pará Rivers:Since October 2005 it has been mandatory for all vessels planning to discharge ballast water in Brazilian ports and terminals to conduct a ballast water exchange whilst on passage. There is also an additional requirement for vessels proceeding to ports or terminals in the Amazon and Pará Rivers to conduct a second ballast water exchange at prescribed locations in order to reduce the salinity of the ballast water. Certain vessels are exempt, including warships, vessels with sealed ballast tanks not subject to discharge and ships whose design characteristics do not allow ballast exchange.However, the Club has been advised by Brazmar Marine Services Ltda than an increasing number of eligible vessels are failing to conduct the second ballast water exchange. Although such vessels may be treated leniently if proceeding to an area where the salinity of the water is already high, those calling at ports further up river where the water is less saline may be dealt with more rigorously.The Brazilian regulations require that a ballast water exchange takes ...

Information provided by the UK P&I Club The UK P&I Club issues bulletin regarding the Withdrawal of concession allowing unrestricted movement of Philippine crew - Brazil as follows:Further to our Loss Prevention Bulletin 786 - 09/11 dated 23rd September 2011 - http://www.ukpandi.com/loss-prevention/article/786-09-11-restrictions-lifted-on-philippine-crew-brazil-3540/ - Santos correspondent Brazil P&I has now advised that the Federal Police have withdrawn the concession that allowed the unrestricted movement of Filipino seafarers through Brazilian ports.Members are therefore advised to follow the guidance contained in the Association's Loss Prevention Bulletin 756 - 04/11 dated 15th April 2011 as any seafarer not in possession of a seaman's book issued by a country that has ratified either ILO Convention No. 108 or No 185 will require a valid a valid Brazilian visa in order to join or leave a vessel, or to proceed ashore.Members requiring further guidance should contact the Loss Prevention department.Source: The UK P&I Club

Evac's complete wastewater system is onboard MT João Cândido Evac's complete wastewater system is onboard MT João Cândido, the first Suezmax tanker recently delivered by Atlântico Sul Shipyard (EAS) for Transpetro. Evac was selected for the first series of ten 160,0000 dwt Suezmax tankers and for the series of five 110,000 dwt Aframax tankers, also being built by Atlântico Sul Shipyard, the largest and most modern shipyard in Brazil.The delivery of MT João Cândido is a historical milestone for the shipbuilding industry in Brazil. Evac is proud to be a supplier for this vessel. All wastewater on the new tanker is handled and cleaned by Evac's latest water treatment technology.Evac provides a complete wastewater management solution, capable of handling all black (sewage) and grey waters (from galleys, sinks, showers) onboard, meeting the strict environmental requirements of IMO, the International Maritime Organization. The system operates fully automatically with little need for maintenance.Evac, with headquarters in Finland, is a company in the Zodiac Marine & Pool Group. With more than 30 years on the maritime market, Evac has supplied more than 10,000 ships, including all types of cargo vessels but also cruise liners, passenger ro-ro ferries, vessels and rigs for the Oil ...

Brazilian ports are banning seafarers from taking shore leave or joining commecial ships Immigration authorities in Santos and in some Brazilian ports are banning seafarers of certain nationalities from taking shore leave or even repatriating from/joining commercial ships. Local immigration is targeting seafarers holding seaman's books issued by countries who have not signed up to the ILO (International Labour Organisation) Convention 108, such as the Philippines.According to information received by the Brazilian Ship Agency and Owners Association (FENAMAR), the situation regarding Filipino crew members on vessels calling at Santos has been normalised. The same procedure is being adopted as in Rio de Janeiro and Vitoria. This means that Filipino crew members onboard ships calling at port as part of an international voyage will be allowed to go ashore and sign on/off by presenting a valid seaman's book issued from the Maritime Authority of their country of nationality or ship's flag, together with a valid passport. For crew members from other nationalities, a valid seaman's book issued by a country that is party to ILO's C 108 or a passport with valid visa V (working visa) will be requested.Free translation:"As determined by the General Coordinator of the Immigration, located at Brasilia ...

Information provided by the West of England P&I Club Further to previous news articles regarding restrictions in Brazil on the movement of seafarers that do not possess a Seaman's Book issued by a country that has ratified either ILO Convention No.108 or 185, the requirements have now been partly relaxed.Santos correspondents Brazil P&I have advised that, according to reports, the General Co-ordination of the Immigration Affairs in Brasilia has revoked all restrictions on the movement of Filipino seafarers through Brazilian ports, even though the Philippines has ratified neither of the ILO Conventions.The result of this change is that Filipino seafarers may now join and sign off vessels, or proceed ashore using their Seaman's Book rather than a passport containing a Brazilian Visa. Although the concession is confined to Santos at the present time, other Brazilian ports are expected to follow in due course.It is important to note only Filipino seafarers benefit from this change. The restrictions on the movement of seafarers who possess Seaman's Books issued by countries that have not ratified the Conventions, and who do not possess a valid Brazilian Visa in their passport, remain in place for all other nationalities.Click here to see the countries that have ...

information provided by the UK P&I Club The UK P&I Club issues bulletin regarding Restrictions lifted on Philippine crew adopted by Brazil as follows:The Brazilian government have acquiesced to pleas to relax immigration controls affecting Philippine crewmen under the ILO C108 & C185 regulations adopted by Brazil earlier this year.The position of the Brazilian government to suspend the ability for foreign seafarers not in possession of a passport or seaman's discharge book from a country which has ratified ILO C 108 or C185 to go ashore or to disembark. This had consequences to a vessels ability to affect crew changes in Brazil.However it has been reported to the Club that the port of Santos has received instruction from the General Coordination of the Immigration Affairs in Brasilia that such an imposition against Philippine seafarers has been revoked in all Brazilian ports.The result of this is that, Philippine seafarers holding a Seaman's Book or valid Passport will be allowed to sign in/out or come ashore. Presently this only applies in the port of Santos but it is expected that similar instructions have been sent to the other Brazilian ports and therefore restrictions have been lifted there also. This ruling applies only ...

Information provided by the Skuld P&I Club The Skuld P&I Club issues circular regarding Deepening of the Channel Port of Santos - Brazil as follows:In order to dredge and deepen the channel to the projected 15 meters depth, two rocks must be removed and the dredger YUANG DONG 007 arrived in port last week to perform the job which is expected to take about two months.The YUANG DONG 007 was designed and built for use on the Panama Canal expansion project and is the first of its kind to be self-propelled.Work will start now this month and during the breaking down of the Teffé and Itapema rocks, navigation in the channel will be suspended whilst blasting is performed. These periods will be of about three hours duration daily and the times of interdiction will be advised timely.Source: The Sculd P&I Club