Your daily news service from ports around the world.
In this HOT PORT NEWS, read about:
- United Kingdom, Immingham – Maintenance shutdown at gas jetty
- United States, all ports – North America Emission Control Area
- United States, Mississippi River, Louisiana – River closed to navigation
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong – Temporary relocation of light buoy
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong – Construction of submarine gas pipelines
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong – Marine ecological survey north of airport
DATE: July 31, 2012 – COUNTRY: United Kingdom – PORT: Immingham – Maintenance shutdown at gas jetty
Essential maintenance of the Immingham Gas Jetty fire fighting system/emergency generator will be carried out from 0800 on Tuesday 14 August to 1800 on Thursday 16 August.
It will not be possible to handle any shipping at the jetty during this outage.
Further, essential repairs to crude line and CFO line (inc modifications) at Immingham Oil Terminal will be conducted from 0800 on 3 September to 1800 on 5 September.
For information about operations in the UK contact GAC Shipping UK at uk@gac.com
DATE: July 31, 2012- COUNTRY: United States – PORT: all ports – North America Emission Control Area
Tomorrow, 1 August 2012, the North America Emission Control Area comes into effect. Vessels arriving, and/or operating in the affected area must use low sulfur fuel oil.
For information about operations in the USA contact GAC USA at usa@gac.com
DATE: July 31, 2012 – COUNTRY: United States – PORT: Mississippi River, Louisiana River closed to navigation
The Captain of the Port New Orleans has implemented a Safety Zone on the Lower Mississippi River (LMR) extending the entire width of the river from MM 219 to MM 224.
Due to hazards associated with dredging operations, the river will be closed to all vessel traffic at the Missouri Bend area (MM 219 to MM 224) from 0600 July 31, 2012 until 0600 August 2, 2012.
Vessels are requested to contact Sector New Orleans Vessel Traffic Services at (504) 365 2514 to be placed in the queue.
At 1800 on the evenings of July 31, 2012 and August 1, 2012, the river will be opened to shallow vessel traffic only from 1800 until 0600 or until the vessel queue is cleared, which ever may occur first.
All vessels should contact the dredge Wallace McGeorge on VHF channel 16 or 67 or via telephone at (901) 493-7880 for current river closure information.
(For information about operations in the USA contact GAC USA at usa@gac.com)
Source: USCG Sector New Orleans Maritime Safety Information Bulletin Issue 79 dated 30 July 2012
DATE: July 31, 2012 – COUNTRY: Hong Kong – PORT: Hong Kong – Temporary relocation of light buoy
With immediate effect, the light buoy “YMT 1” which has been relocated to the following position (WSG 84 Datum) to facilitate the laying of cross harbour water pipeline from West Kowloon to Sai Ying Pun will remain in the position for another period of approximately four months:-
22 deg 18.106’N / 114 deg. 09.063’E
(For information about operations in Hong Kong contact GAC Hong Kong at shipping.hongkong@gac.com)
Source: Government of Hong Kong SAR Marine Department Notice No.115 of 2012 dated 31 July 2012
DATE: July 31, 2012 – COUNTRY: Hong Kong – PORT: Hong Kong – Construction of submarine gas pipelines
For approximately 5 months, construction of submarine gas pipelines involving dredging operations, laying of gas pipelines, jetting and backfilling operations will be carried out [North of Urmston Road Anchorage] in the area bounded by straight lines joining the following co-ordinates (WGS 84 Datum) from (A) to (L) and the adjacent shoreline:
- (A) 22 deg. 24.762’N / 113 deg. 54.440’E
- (B) 22 deg. 25.954’N / 113 deg. 54.223’E
- (C) 22 deg. 25.049’N / 113 deg. 54.034’E
- (D) 22 deg. 25.042’N / 113 deg. 53.821’E
- (E) 22 deg. 24.561’N / 113 deg. 52.153’E
- (F) 22 deg. 25.463’N / 113 deg. 52.135’E
- (G) 22 deg. 25.870’N / 113 deg. 53.544’E
- (H) 22 deg. 25.926’N / 113 deg. 53.919’E
- (I) 22 deg. 25.889’N / 113 deg. 54.265’E
- (J) 22 deg. 25.779’N / 113 deg. 54.573’E
- (K) 22 deg. 25.581’N / 113 deg. 54.867’E
- (L) 22 deg. 25.345’N / 113 deg. 55.133’E
The works will be carried out by a flotilla of vessels including one grab dredger, one pipe-laying barge, one jetting barge, three rock filling barges. Two hopper barges, one derrick barge, some tugs, work boats and guard boats will assist in the works. The number of vessels engaged in the works will change from time to time to suit operational requirements.
A working area of approximately 600 meters around the pipe-laying barge and the jetting barge, and a working area of approximately 100 meters around the grab dredger and the rock filling barges will be established. Yellow marker buoys fitted with yellow flashing lights will be laid to mark the positions of the anchors extending from the working craft.
The hours of works will be round-the-clock.
Vessels engaged in the operations will display signals as prescribed in international and local regulations.
Vessels navigating in the vicinity should proceed with caution. To facilitate the works and the navigation of vessels, the use of Urmston Road Anchorage may be suspended and the navigation channel for vessels passing through the works area will be changed from time to time during the works.
(For information about operations in Hong Kong contact GAC Hong Kong at shipping.hongkong@gac.com)
Source: Government of Hong Kong SAR Marine Department Notice No.114 of 2012 dated 31 July 2012
DATE: July 31, 2012 – COUNTRY: Hong Kong – PORT: Hong Kong – Marine ecological survey north of airport
For approximately 30 days, a marine ecological survey involving diving survey and grab sampling will be carried out [to the North of the Hong Kong International Airport] in the area bounded by straight lines joining the following co-ordinates (WGS 84 Datum) from (A) to (F) and the adjacent shoreline:
- (A) 22 deg. 18.319’N / 113 deg. 53.725’E
- (B) 22 deg. 19.034’N / 113 deg. 52.205’E
- (C) 22 deg. 19.965’N / 113 deg. 52.980’E
- (D) 22 deg. 20.328’N / 113 deg. 54.389’E
- (E) 22 deg. 20.106’N / 113 deg. 55.630’E
- (F) 22 deg. 19.367’N / 113 deg. 56.544’E
The survey will be carried out from a work boat. A working area of approximately 25 metres will be established around the work boat for the grab sampling. The diving survey will only be carried out along the northern coastline of the Airport Island and in the Airport Approach Restricted Area.
The hours of works will be from 0900 to 1800 hours. The vessel employed in the works will not stay in the works area outside the hours of works.
Vessel engaged in the operations will display signals as prescribed in international and local regulations.
Vessels navigating in the vicinity should proceed with caution and keep well clear at slow speed, bearing in mind that there are divers working in the works area.
(For information about operations in Hong Kong contact GAC Hong Kong at shipping.hongkong@gac.com)
Source: Government of Hong Kong SAR Marine Department Notice No.113 of 2012
