Your daily news service from ports around the world.
In this HOT PORT NEWS, read about:
- Worldwide – IMO agrees new rules for passenger safety
- India, Cochin – Ballast Water management – electronic reporting
- Singapore, all ports – Pyrotechnic displays
- Bunker Update – MARKET PRICE UPDATE 03/12/12
DATE: December 03, 2012 COUNTRY: Worldwide IMO agrees new rules for passenger safety
IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), meeting at the Organization’s London Headquarters for its 91st session from 26 to 30 November 2012, agreed that rules to require passenger safety drills to take place prior to, or immediately upon, departure should be made mandatory, in the wake of the Costa Concordia incident.
The Committee approved draft amendments to chapter III (Life-saving appliances and arrangements) of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to require musters of newly embarked passengers prior to or immediately upon departure, instead of “within 24 hours”, as stated in the current regulations, for a ship engaged on a voyage where passengers are scheduled to be on board for more than 24 hours. The draft amendments will now be circulated for consideration, with a view to adoption, at the next session, MSC 92, in June 2013. They could enter into force at the end of 2014.
The Committee also agreed a revised circular on recommended operational measures, prior to the adoption of any mandatory measures following the analysis of the official marine accident investigation report into the loss of the Costa Concordia.
The revised recommended measures (which will update MSC.1/Circ.1446, agreed at the last session) include: additional guidance on common elements to be included in passenger muster and emergency instructions; recommending that the nationality of each person on board is recorded; guidance on lifeboat loading for training purposes; and that companies owning and/or operating passenger ships and the ship’s Master should take steps to ensure that changes to the voyage plan are consistent with Company policies.
The recommended voluntary measures agreed at the last session remain in place, including: * carrying additional lifejackets, to be readily accessible in public spaces, at the muster/assembly stations, on deck or in lifeboats, so that in the event of an emergency passengers need not return to their cabins to retrieve the lifejacket stored there; * reviewing the adequacy of the dissemination and communication of the emergency instructions on board ships; * carrying out the muster for embarking passengers prior to departure from every port of embarkation, if the duration is 24 hours or more; * limiting access to the bridge to those with operational or operationally related functions, during any period of restricted manoeuvring, or while manoeuvring in conditions that the master or company bridge procedures/policy deems to require increased vigilance (e.g. arrival/departure from port, heavy traffic, poor visibility); and * ensuring that the ship’s voyage plan has taken into account IMO’s Guidelines for voyage planning, and, if appropriate, Guidelines on voyage planning for passenger ships operating in remote areas.
The action plan for long-term work on passenger ship safety, agreed at the last session was also updated, to include additional items on the review of SOLAS regulation III/27, to add the nationality of all persons on board (current regulations already require a count of all passengers and information on their names and gender, distinguishing between adults, children and infants; and information on any passengers requiring special assistance, for search and rescue purposes). Also included in the action plan is a review of resolution A.893(21) Guidelines for voyage planning.
The MSC also adopted amendments to SOLAS regulation III/17-1 to require ships to have plans and procedures to recover persons from the water, as well as related Guidelines for development of plans and procedures for recovery of persons from the water. Also, a related MSC resolution on Implementation of SOLAS regulation III/17-1 to ships other than those engaged in international voyages was adopted. The amendments had been drafted previously and approved at the last session.
The Committee also agreed to include “Passage Ship Training” on the provisional agenda of the Sub-Committee on Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW 45).
The Government of Italy provided the MSC with the preliminary findings of its on-going investigations into the Costa Concordia. The final casualty investigation report is expected to follow later. IMO is represented, as an observer, on the body overseeing the casualty investigation.
(For information about operations iaround the world contact the respective GAC office. Details may be found in the ‘Contacts’ section of www.gac.com)
Source: International Maritime Organisation (IMO – www.imo.org) Briefing 54 issued on 3 December 2012
DATE: December 03, 2012 COUNTRY: India PORT: Cochin Ballast Water management – electronic reporting
As part of the initiative of the Directorate General of Shipping for setting up Ballast Water Management Programme (BWM), all vessels are required to download BALLAST WATER REPORTING FORM (IMO Resolution A.868(20), Appendix 1) from www.bwmindia.gov.in and completed forms are to be submitted to bwmindia@nio.org with a copy to mmpc@cochinport.gov.in prior to arrival at Cochin Port.
(For information about operations in India contact GAC India at india@gac.com)
Source: Cochin Port Trust Circular No.DC/e-bwrf/2012 dated 26 November 2012
DATE: December 03, 2012 COUNTRY: Singapore PORT: all ports Pyrotechnic displays
Pyrotechnic displays will be staged at Cruise bay between 2100 and 2120 hours (alternate time 2200 to 2220 hours) on 7 and 8 December.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s Port Marine Notice No.171 of 2012 dated 3 December, the displays will be staged from a floating stucture firing location at the following coordinates: A) 01° 15.596’N / 103° 49.298’E B) 01° 15.546’N / 103° 49.306’E C) 01° 15.545’N / 103° 49.326’E D) 01° 15.534’N / 103° 49.342’E
In the event of cancellation on 8 December, the fireworks display will be postponed to 9 December. There will be no change in the display period.
The firework displays will take place at Cruise Bay on the barges. A circular safety zone of 160 metre radius centered at the barge “Point A” will be enforced during the display from 2030hrs to 2130hrs and alternate period from 2130hrs to 2230hrs. Safety boat will cordon off the safety zone.
Craft involved in the works will exhibit the appropriate local and international day and night signals.
Pursuant to Section 43 (c) of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Act (Cap 170A), the Port Master hereby declares that during the pyrotechnics display: (a) no vessel shall enter or remain within the safety zone during the display period and the alternate period (except for those involved in the organisation of the display); and (b) all vessels are to proceed at a safe speed when navigating in the vicinity of the display area.
For information about operations in Singapore cotnact GAC Singapore at singapore@gac.com
DATE: December 03, 2012 Bunker Update: MARKET PRICE UPDATE 03/12/12
GAC Bunker Fuels Ltd Pricing Alert MARKET PRICE UPDATE 03/12/12
180 CST 380 CST MGO MDO
Aberdeen 0 0 1, 004.00 0
Aden 745.00 0 1, 210.00 0
Alexandria 730.00 715.00 1, 250.00 0
Amsterdam 601.00 577.00 932.00 0
Antwerp 615.00 585.00 94, 700.00 0
Aqaba 0 0 1, 050.00 0
Bahrain 0 0 1, 073.00 0
Barrow 0 0 1, 007.00 0
Busan 647.00 635.00 955.00 945.00
Cape Town 659.00 0 1, 017.00 0
Colombo 750.00 700.00 1, 120.00 0
Dubai 610.00 600.00 860.00 0
Durban 627.00 0 1, 118.00 0
Falmouth 678.00 624.50 994.50 0
Fawley 0 0 1, 052.00 0
Felixstowe 0 0 1, 046.00 0
Fujairah 635.00 610.00 1, 020.00 0
Gibraltar 673.50 638.50 974.50 0
Grangemouth 0 0 1, 016.00 0
Harwich 0 0 1, 039.00 0
Hong Kong 624.00 614.50 962.50 957.50
Houston 683.00 613.00 1, 025.00 0
Immingham 0 0 979.00 0
Invergordon 0 0 1, 041.00 0
Istanbul 632.50 612.50 984.50 0
Jeddah 725.00 715.00 1, 175.00 0
Kaohsiung 652.00 642.00 1, 005.00 990.00
Kuwait 606.00 595.00 0 994.00
Leith 0 0 1, 024.00 0
Malta 684.50 662.50 959.50 0
Mersey 0 0 998.00 0
Milford Haven 0 0 1, 017.35 0
Mumbai 636.00 625.00 1, 064.50 0
New York & New Jersey 655.00 625.00 1, 050.00 0
Newport 0 0 1, 059.00 0
Nigg Bay 0 0 1, 041.00 0
Panama 720.00 655.00 1, 055.00 0
Piraeus 669.50 639.50 962.50 0
Plymouth 0 0 1, 064.00 0
Port Said 0 0 0 0
Qatar 0 0 925.00 0
Ramsgate 0 0 1, 046.00 0
Rio de Janeiro 620.00 596.50 1, 005.00 0
Rotterdam 609.00 585.00 940.00 0
Salalah 690.00 660.00 1, 130.00 0
Shanghai 651.50 631.50 1, 062.50 0
Sharjah 610.00 600.00 860.00 0
Sheerness 0 0 1, 046.00 0
Singapore 615.00 605.00 940.00 0
St Petersburg 573.50 558.50 0 0
Suez 0 0 1, 150.00 0
Tees 0 0 1, 032.00 0
Thames 0 0 1, 025.00 0
Present in seven locations worldwide, GAC Bunker Fuels, part of the GAC group, is a global broker and trader of marine fuels and lubricants.
The prices listed are for indication purposes only, and local offices should be approached directly for firm prices.
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Contact Martyn McMahon on +971 566032534 or Martyn.mcmahon@gac.com quoting HPN for more information or with your bunker enquiry.
