Tag: Greece

Order of LNG carrier for delivery in the first quarter of 2015 Tsakos Energy Navigation Limited announced the order of one plus one state-of -the-art LNG carrier for delivery in the first quarter of 2015 at a major South Korean yard. The vessel is of the new tri-fuel design, enabling the ship to run on fuel oil, marine diesel/gas oil and natural gas, offering attractive alternatives to charterers.Discussions for long-term contracts have begun, and management is confident that such employment will be secured well before the first delivery in early 2015.Concurrently with this order, the company also announced the commencement of the previously announced four-year charter for its LNG carrier Neo Energy to a major international entity and a repeat employer of the vessel at an accretive rate, reflective of current market conditions."We are particularly pleased with this order, as it expands our presence in this exciting field," said John Stavropoulos, Chairman of the Board. "LNG operations require a particular set of discipline and commitment in order to gain credence with the sector's premier charterers, and we are proud to have met the challenge."Source: Tsakos Energy Navigation Limited

Iran stopped shipping oil to Greek refiners Iran stopped shipping oil to Greece and may halt supplies to Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN, RDSA, RDSB) over unpaid bills, Iran media said Friday, as the impact of sanctions widens. The news suggests a decline in Iranian oil exports last month may accelerate as banking sanctions add to an upcoming European ban on Tehran oil. That could lead to upward pressure on oil prices, which have recently surged to a four-year high.The Mehr news agency said that, due to unpaid bills, Iran stopped deliveries to Greek refiners Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE.AT) and Motor Oil (MOH.AT). Greece has long been the European Union country relying the most on Iranian oil--sometimes for as much as a third of its supplies.A spokesman for Motor Oil confirmed it had stopped buying Iranian oil and had found replacements.The Mehr agency said Tehran may also cut shipments to Anglo-Dutch giant Shell because it hasn't paid for consignments equivalent to 8 million barrels since the beginning of 2012. It said Shell has already halved its Iran oil shipments to 100,000 barrels a day."If the situation continues, Iran could cut oil exports to Shell as it has to the Greek companies ...

ceanSaver's first contract for the Mark II BWT system in Greece Ballast Water Treatment (BWT) system manufacturer OceanSaver has gained market share in the MR tanker sector with a Mark II BWT system contract for a Greek owner.The company is to fit a Mark II BWT system each on board two chemical tankers owned by CMM, a Greek-owned tanker company. The vessels will be built in South Korea.This agreement with CMM represents OceanSaver's first contract for the Mark II BWT system in Greece and also the company's first contract in the chemical/products tanker sector.Kostas Vlachos, CMM COO, said: "The Mark II's small footprint, affordable price, safe operation, reliability and low maintenance costs were important considerations for CMM. We have had good experience with Norwegian suppliers in the past and are confident that OceanSaver will meet our expectations."Together with CCM, OceanSaver technicians solved the challenges of submerged ballast pumps integrated into the company's BWT loop.Tor Atle Eiken, OceanSaver's senior vice president, sales & marketing welcomed CMM to the growing OceanSaver customers operating vessels in the 35,000 to 80,000 dwt tonnage range. "Over the past six months, new technology Mark II has emerged as a strong competitor in the medium sized vessel ...

Despite the country's economic woes, Greek ship owners look likely to emerge

Penalty of $2 Million Ilios Shipping Company S.A. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in New Orleans for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and obstruction of justice, announced Assistant Attorney General Ignacia S. Moreno and Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana.Ilios operated the M/V Agios Emilianos, a 738 foot, 36,573 ton bulk carrier cargo ship that hauled grain from New Orleans to various ports around the world. According to the plea agreement, from April 2009 until April 2011, oily bilge waste and sludge was routinely discharged from the vessel directly into the sea without the use of required pollution prevention equipment. During that time, the crew intentionally covered up the illegal discharges of oil waste by falsifying the vessel's oil record book. The master of the vessel, Valentino Mislang, previously pleaded guilty to and was sentenced for conspiracy to obstruct justice for his role in destroying evidence and instructing crewmembers to lie to the Coast Guard during an inspection of the vessel in April 2011. According to Mislang, a senior manager of Ilios directed the destruction of computer records and ordered Mislang to tell crewmembers to lie to the Coast Guard.The chief ...

48-hour strike action in opposition to social security reforms Greece's ferries remained anchored at the country's ports Monday as dockworkers launched rolling 48-hour strike action in opposition to social security reforms and deregulation of the industry.The strike risks cutting off the country's dozens of inhabited islands from critical food and medical supplies, while farmers on Crete have threatened to break the strike later this week in an effort to ship their goods to the mainland.The Panhellenic Seamen's Federation is opposing a government move to merge its supplementary pension fund with a unified auxiliary fund and implement stricter control of healthcare spending in the sector, arguing it will lead to sharply lower quality of service for recipients."Greek dockworkers will strongly defend their labor and social security achievements from the government's merciless and savage attack and will not allow for the complete extinction of a profession with thousands of years of history," it said in a statement.With Greece under enormous pressure from international creditors to reduce its budget deficit, the government has decided on reforms to the dockworker's fund which is heavily subsidized by the state.Figures from the Labor Ministry show that just over EUR1 billion of budget outlays are earmarked every ...

Philippines ranks fourth among the largest shipbuilding nations in the world Filipino government officials in Greece urged shipowners to invest and take advantage of the booming shipbuilding industry in the Philippines.Philippine Ambassador to Greece Meynardo Montealegre urged the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS), the oldest and largest organization of shipowners there, to consider putting up operations in the Philippines.Montealegre noted that shipbuilding and ship repair cost in the Philippines, as well as the efficiency and experience of workers, is comparable to its neighboring countries.The Philippines ranks fourth among the largest shipbuilding nations in the world after South Korea, China, and Japan.The Philippines is also one of the world's major suppliers of mariners, Montealegre said.In a meeting with UGS resident Theodoros Veniamis, Montealegre said the Philippines and Greece both have a strong maritime tradition.In turn, Veniamis invited the Philippines to promote its shipbuilding and ship repair industry in the upcoming "Posidonia 2012," one of the largest maritime exhibitions held every two years in Greece.At the end of their meeting, Montealegre and Veniamis agreed to strengthen further the cooperation between the Philippines and Greece on the shipping industry.Source: GMA News

28 people onboard Fire has broken out on a US-flagged vehicle carrier ship carrying 28 people off the country's main port of Piraeus, Greek authorities said.A coast guard statement says firefighting ships are trying to extinguish the blaze on the Alliance Norfolk. There are 23 crew members and five passengers on board.The cause of Monday's blaze was not immediately clear.The 57,000-ton, 200-meter (yard) vessel was en route from the United States to Saudi Arabia with a consignment of cars and had moored for an inspection just off Piraeus, the port of Athens.Source: AP

'Alpha 1' refuelling tanker sank off the Athens region's Elefsina refineries The captain of a Greek tanker was killed when his ship, carrying more than 2,000 tonnes of oil and diesel, sank west of Athens on Monday, coastguard officials said.The other 10 members of the crew were rescued and safe, the officials said."The 48-year-old Greek captain was just found dead," one coastguard official said.The "Alpha 1" refuelling tanker, which sank off the Athens region's Elefsina refineries, was carrying 1,800 tonnes of crude oil and 235 tonnes of diesel when it foundered at around 10.30 a.m. (0830 GMT).Source: Reuters

One year probation and a $500 fine The Vessel Master of the M/V Laconia pled guilty to operating a commercial vessel under the influence of alcohol on the Columbia River. Georgios Choulis pled guilty and was sentenced by the Honorable Marco Hernandez to one year probation and a $500 fine. Choulis is also prohibited from sailing in any capacity on waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States for one year.Choulis was charged by information with negligent operation of a commercial vessel, a class A misdemeanor. Choulis was the only licensed Vessel Master on the M/V Laconia, a 736 foot commercial vessel, sailing under the flag of Malta. M/V Laconia was attempting to cross the Columbia Bar, one of the most dangerous bars in the world, when the Coast Guard and a pilot from the Columbia River Bar Pilots Association boarded the M/V Laconia to assist in crossing the bar. Choulis was not present for the crossing and was instead found sleeping in his berth with a strong odor of alcoholic beverages surrounding him. Coast Guard officials observed an almost empty bottle of scotch and the defendant appeared to be slurring his words. A breathalyzer test indicated Choulis had ...