Your daily news service from ports around the world.
In this HOT PORT NEWS, read about:
- United States, Mississippi River, Louisiana – Southwest Pass recommended draft limitation
- United States, Corpus Christi, Texas – Collision near Port Aransas
- India, Dahej – Disaster Management Emergency Response Centre Control Room
- Singapore, Jurong Port – Dredging off Oil Terumbu Pidara, Jurong Island
- Singapore, Singapore – Revised details for soil investigation off Tuas View
- Trinidad & Tobago, all ports – Customs & Excise working hours
DATE: May 03, 2012 – COUNTRY: United States – PORT: Mississippi River, Louisiana – Southwest Pass recommended draft limitation
The Bar Pilots for the Port of New Orleans recommend that vessels should not have a deep draft in fresh water in excess of Forty-Five (45 feet) beginning 3 May 2012 at 10:30am when transiting the area of the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River from the Southwest Pass Sea Buoy (Entrance Lighted Whistle Buoy “SW”) to Mile 1.5 above Head of Passes in the Mississippi River.
This draft recommendation, which may be increased or decreased at any time as conditions warrant, becomes effective at 1030 hours CST on May 3 2012 and replaces the draft recommendation that was effected on January 1 2012.
Nothing in the recommendations of the Bar Pilots should be construed as limiting a pilot in the exercise of his judgement.
(For information about operations in the USA contact GAC USA at usa@gac.com)
Source: Associated Bar Pilots (Bar Pilots), Port of New Orleans notice dated 3 May 2012
DATE: May 03, 2012 – COUNTRY: United States – PORT: Corpus Christi, Texas – Collision near Port Aransas
The Coast Guard is responding to a collision between a mobile offshore drilling unit and a tanker vessel Wednesday [2 May], near Port Aransas.
Watchstanders at Sector Corpus Christi received a report at 7:25 a.m., that the Rowan EXL-1, a mobile offshore drilling unit, and the 750-foot tanker vessel FR8 Pride had collided in the Aransas Channel, near buoy 3.
The FR8 Pride was heading inbound in the Aransas Pass Channel when it reportedly lost propulsion and drifted into the Rowan EXL-1.
The FR8 Pride was able to separate itself from the Rowan EXL-1 with the assistance of nearby tugs.
The Rowan EXL-1 suffered significant damage, resulting in a minor hydraulic oil leak from a damaged crane.
The crew of the Rowan EXL-1 was able to move the MODU offshore and stabilize it by deploying its legs.
The crew of the FR8 Pride reported flooding in a forward ballast space, but they were able to control the flooding and ground the FR8 Pride two miles offshore.
The Coast Guard deployed multiple assets to respond to the collision including: * Two MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter from Air Station Corpus Christi * An HU-25 Guardian jet from Air Station Corpus Christi * Two 45-foot Response Boat – Medium from Station Port Aransas * The Coast Guard Cutter Manatee homeported in Corpus Christi
The Coast Guard has currently deployed teams of offshore vessel inspectors, port state control examiners, marine casualty investigators and pollution responders.
The Aransas Pass Channel remains open to traffic.
There were no reports of injuries or significant pollution.
The Coast Guard is currently investigating the cause of the incident.
(For information about operations in the USA contact GAC USA at usa@gac.com)
Source: U.S. Coast Guard report issued at 2.18pm CDT on 2 May 2012
DATE: May 03, 2012 – COUNTRY: India – PORT: Dahej – Disaster Management Emergency Response Centre Control Room
The Gujarat Maritime Board has announced the opening of a Disaster Management Emergency Response Centre Control Room for Dahej/Bharuch port, in case of flooding, cyclone or heavy rain, from 1 May to 30 September 2012.
The VTS Control Room is functional 24 hours a day, every day.
Contact details of the Control Room are as follows: VTS Khambhat (East) Control Room, Near Marine Police Station, Hazira, Serat Phone: +91-261-6586788, +91-261-6596788, +91-99099 03748 VHF Channel: 16/09 E-mail: vtskhanbhat@aatash.com
For information about operations in India contact GAC India at india@gac.com
DATE: May 03, 2012 – COUNTRY: Singapore – PORT: Jurong Port – Dredging off Oil Terumbu Pidara, Jurong Island
From today (3 May) to 3 June, dredging works are being conducted off Oil Terumbu Pidara, Jurong Island.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Port Marine Notice No.61 of 2012 dated 3 May 2012, the works are being carried out 24 hours daily – including Sundays & Public Holidays – within the working areas bounded by the following co-ordinates (WGS 84 Datum):
- 1) 1° 17.244’N / 103° 42.072’E
- 2) 1° 17.234’N / 103° 42.064’E
- 3) 1° 17.223’N / 103° 42.064’E
- 4) 1° 17.216’N / 103° 42.073’E
- 5) 1° 17.209’N / 103° 42.088’E
- 6) 1° 17.190’N / 103° 42.097’E
- 7) 1° 17.188’N / 103° 42.094’E
- 8) 1° 17.183’N / 103° 42.096’E
- 9) 1° 17.175’N / 103° 42.104’E
Dredging works will be carried out by the grab dredger “Syunkai” held in position by 4 point anchors. The dredger, with hopper barges in attendance, will have a circular safety working zone of 50-metre radius centred at the dredger. Dredged materials will be transported to the designated dumping ground by the hopper barges assisted by pusher tugs.
During the operation, the dredger and hopper barge will be attended by a tug boat. The tug boat will be used to shift the crane barge and hopper barge, when required to clear the fairway for vessels to berth or unberth.
Safety boats will be deployed in the vicinity to warn the other craft to keep clear of the working area.
Craft involved in the works will exhibit the appropriate local and international day and night signals.
When in the vicinity of the working areas, mariners are reminded to: (a) Keep well clear of the safety working zone of the dredgers; (b) Maintain a proper lookout; (c) Proceed at a safe speed and navigate with caution; (d) Maintain a listening watch on VHF Channel 22 (Jurong Control); and (e) Communicate with Jurong Control on VHF Channel 22 for assistance, if required.
For information about operations in Singapore contact GAC Singapore at singapore@gac.com
DATE: May 03, 2012 – COUNTRY: Singapore – PORT: Singapore – Revised details for soil investigation off Tuas View
The working details have been revised and the working period extended for soil investigation works being carried out off Tuas View.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Port Marine Notice No.60 of 2012, the works are now being conducted between 0700 and 1900 hours daily – including Sundays & Public Holidays – until 31 May 2012, at the following marine borehole co-ordinates (WGS 84 Datum): BH-MBH-1)
1° 14.970’N / 103° 38.319’E BH-MBH-
2) 1° 14.915’N / 103° 38.494’E BH-MBH-
3) 1° 14.834’N / 103° 38.297’E BH-MBH-
4) 1° 14.768’N / 103° 38.591’E BH-39A28) 1° 14.281’N / 103° 38.705’E BH-39A29) 1° 14.289’N / 103° 38.730’E BH-39A30) 1° 14.281’N / 103° 38.756’E BH-39A31) 1° 14.289’N / 103° 38.782’E BH-39A32) 1° 14.281’N / 103° 38.807’E BH-39A33) 1° 14.289’N / 103° 38.833’E BH-39A34) 1° 14.281’N / 103° 38.858’E BH-39A35) 1° 14.289’N / 103° 38.884’E BH-39A36) 1° 14.281’N / 103° 38.910’E
Soil investigation works will be carried out by means of borehole drilling using a jack-up barge. A jack up barge will be working on only one borehole at one anchorage at any one time. The jack-up barge, with tug boats in attendance, will have a circular safety working zone of 50 meters radius centered at the barge.
Tugboats will be used for shifting the barges from one borehole location to another. The shifting of the barge will be carried out during daylight hours only.
A safety boat will be deployed in the vicinity of the working area to warn other craft of the project work.
Craft involved in the works will exhibit the appropriate local and international day and night signals.
When in the vicinity of the working area, mariners are reminded to: (a) Keep well clear and not to enter the safety zone of the barges; (b) Maintain a proper lookout; (c) Proceed at a safe speed and navigate with caution; (d) Maintain a listening watch on VHF Channel 22 (West Jurong Control); and (e) Communicate with West Jurong Control on VHF Channel 22 for assistance, if required.
For information about operations in Singapore contact GAC Singapore at singapore@gac.com
DATE: May 03, 2012 – COUNTRY: Trinidad & Tobago – PORT: all ports – Customs & Excise working hours
The Public Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago has challenged the legality of the Comptroller of Customs’ decision to alter the hours of work of employees of the Ministry of Finance Customs & Excise Division.
In a Special Information Bulletin, the Association states that the instructions being posted on transit sheds are to be disregarded, as the only department with the authority/responsiblity to alter hours of work is the Personnel Department. It adds:
QUOTE…. Before any implementation of changes to working houses – a term of employment, there must be a consultation and agreement with the Public Services Association in the prescribed format in accordance with Section 19 of the Civil Services Act.
Be advised that the normal hours of duty as specified in the Legal Notice #44 Section 3(b) ii and Legal Notice #3(b) (ii) as: * Ordinary weekdays – 8.00am- 4.00pm * Saturdays – 8.00am-12.00 noon
This was amended by PD Circular #1 of 1974 and recognised and accepted by Customs and Excise Circular #2 of 1974, as being amended due to the introduction of the five days work week:
* Monday to Thursday – 7.15am-4.00pm and
* Friday – 7.00am-4.00pm These normal hours took effect from Monday, 28 January 1974.
Customs and Excise staff are expected to disregard these hours of guidelines until the changes are made in accordance with Section 19 of the Civil Service Act. …UNQUOTE.
For further details and information about operations in Trinidad & Tobago, contact GEMS Trinidad & Tobago at trinidad@gac.com
