Tag: Brazil

Authorities in southern Brazil have evacuated beaches off Rio Grande do Sul Authorities in southern Brazil have evacuated beaches off Rio Grande do Sul following an oil spill involving a tanker that is believed to be controlled by Transpetro.The transport arm of state-controlled energy giant Petrobras says the incident at its Osorio Terminal began to unfold Thursday morning during an operation to transfer cargo from a ship to a monobuoy, a floating platform equipped with pipelines that feed storage tanks onshore.A Transpetro spokesman could not identify the vessel by name and said it's impossible to determine the size of the spill but they were able to confirm reports that more than 150 environmental professionals are attempting to contain and clean-up the area.The company says an internal investigation into the cause of the incident will likely follow a probe led by Brazil's National Petroleum Agency, port authorities, the coast guard and other regional organisations.Source: Tradewinds

$11 billion civil lawsuit as punishment for a November offshore oil spill A Brazilian prosecutor plans to file criminal charges against Chevron Corp and some of its local managers within weeks, adding the threat of prison sentences to an $11 billion civil lawsuit as punishment for a November offshore oil spill.The filing in federal court in Campos, Brazil, will likely include a request for criminal indictment of George Buck, chief executive of Chevron's Brazil unit, as well as other staff, three Brazilian government officials involved in the case told Reuters.Transocean Ltd, whose rig was used in the operation, and some of its employees in Brazil are also expected to be charged, according to the officials, who requested anonymity because the case has not been presented to a judge. It is up to a judge to determine whether to accept the charges and proceed with indictments.The backlash against the Chevron spill has highlighted the risks that energy companies face as they rush to get a piece of Brazil's oil bonanza. Chevron's legal troubles come as new oil rules give Brazil's government more control over the country's vast oil wealth. The regulatory overhaul has also delayed investment projects and new drilling licenses.Buck ...

UK P&I Club - information The UK P&I Club has received questions surrounding state of affairs in Brazil following the recent heavy rainfall. The following has been advised by the Club's correspondent in Brazil.Operators contracted to load iron ore in south/south east Brazil should be aware of very heavy rains reported in the states of Minas Gerais, Rio De Janeiro and Espirito Santo and particularly the river Dolce valley which areas feed the terminals of Sepetiba Bay, Ilha Guaiba, Praia Mole,Tubarao and Itaguai. Because of the inclement weather, Members should pay particular attention to paperwork/cargo prior to loading to ensure cargo condition on loading is suitable for safe carriage.The IMSBC code dictates that FMP and TML figures for Group A cargoes must be accompanied by a declaration of the proposed consignment's moisture content based upon an analysis undertaken in the last 7 days.Source: The UK P&I Club

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 ...