Lloyd's Register
The American Club
Panama Consulate
London Shipping Law Center
Home Ports & TerminalsPort Conditions Hot Port News from GAC

Hot Port News from GAC

by admin

09-Jul-2018

STANDARD & POOR’S IMPROVES CANAL’S OUTLOOK
Panama Canal, Panama

RECLAMATION SOUTHWEST OF SHEK KWU CHAU FOR INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES
Hong Kong

TUNG CHUNG NEW TOWN EXTENSION PROJECT MARINE WORKS OFF PAK MONG, LANTAU ISLAND
Hong Kong

Standard & Poor’s improves Canal’s outlook
Monday, July 9, 2018, Panama Canal, Panama

Two years after the inauguration of the Expanded Panama Canal, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings revised its outlook on the Panama Canal from ‘stable’ to ‘positive’ – demonstrating the global impact of the historic waterway. The rating agency also affirmed its ‘A-‘ rating for the Panama Canal, ranking the ACP two notches above that of the sovereign foreign currency rating.

S&P Global Ratings stated that they are revising Panama Canal’s outlook due to the waterway’s “intrinsic credit factors, sensitivity to country risk, and liquidity cushion.”
The Panama Canal’s outlook indicates the rating agency’s expectation that it will generate relatively stable annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) due to transit growth, made possible by favorable trends in world trade commerce and the consolidations of the Neopanamax Locks’ operations…

(For information about operations in the Panama Canal contact GAC-Wilford & McKay at gac-wilfordmckay.panama@gac.com)

Source: Extract from Panama Canal Authority Press Release dated 5 July 2018

Reclamation southwest of Shek Kwu Chau for Integrated Waste Management Facilities
Monday, July 9, 2018, Hong Kong

For approximately 12 months, reclamation works involving marine ground investigation, laying of geotextiles and sand blankets, and deep cement mixing will be carried out within the area bounded by straight lines joining the following co-ordinates (WGS 84 Datum) from (A) to (I) and the adjacent shoreline:
(A) 22 deg. 11.334’N / 113 deg. 59.462’E
(B) 22 deg. 11.149’N / 113 deg. 59.466’E
(C) 22 deg. 11.144’N / 113 deg. 59.289’E
(D) 22 deg. 11.237’N / 113 deg. 58.828’E
(E) 22 deg. 11.373’N / 113 deg. 58.744’E
(F) 22 deg. 11.491’N / 113 deg. 58.709’E
(G) 22 deg. 11.596’N / 113 deg. 58.764’E
(H) 22 deg. 11.656’N / 113 deg. 58.821’E
(I) 22 deg. 11.656’N / 113 deg. 58.942’E

Yellow marker buoys fitted with yellow flashing lights will be laid at co-ordinates from (B) to (H) to mark the boundary of the works area.

The works will be carried out by a flotilla of vessels including flat top barges, jack-up barges, derrick lighters, and deep cement mixing barges at various stages. Some tugboats, guard boats and self-propelled delivery barges will provide assistance. The number and type of vessels engaged in the works will change from time to time to suit operational requirements.

A working area of approximately 50 metres around each barge and lighter will be established. Yellow marker buoys fitted with yellow flashing lights will be laid to mark the positions of the anchors extending from the barges and lighters.

Silt curtains, extending from the sea surface to the seabed, will be established within the works area. The silt curtain is a large piece of netting used to contain mud and sediments. Yellow markers fitted with yellow flashing lights will be laid to mark the extent of the silt curtains.

The water depth at the areas where sand blankets are laid will be reduced by about 2.0 metres. Yellow marker buoys fitted with yellow fixed lights will be laid to mark the boundaries of such areas.

The hours of work will be from 0700 to 2300 hours including Sundays and public holidays. Vessels employed for the works will stay in the works area outside the hours of work.

Vessels engaged in the operations will display signals as prescribed in international and local regulations.

Vessels navigating in the vicinity should proceed with caution.

(For information about operations in Hong Kong contact GAC Hong Kong at shipping.hongkong@gac.com)

Source: Government of the Hong Kong SAR Marine Department Notice No.107 of 2018

Tung Chung New Town Extension Project marine works off Pak Mong, Lantau Island
Monday, July 9, 2018, Hong Kong

For approximately 11 months, marine works involving reclamation, seawall construction, drainage box culvert construction and diving operations will be carried out within the following areas:

WORKS AREA 1
This area is bounded by straight lines joining the following co-ordinates (WGS 84 Datum) from (A) to (J) and the adjacent shoreline:
(A) 22 deg. 17.715’N / 113 deg. 56.690’E
(B) 22 deg. 17.828’N / 113 deg. 56.710’E
(C) 22 deg. 17.976’N / 113 deg. 56.930’E
(D) 22 deg. 18.148’N / 113 deg. 57.104’E
(E) 22 deg. 18.320’N / 113 deg. 57.278’E
(F) 22 deg. 18.503’N / 113 deg. 57.593’E
(G) 22 deg. 18.259’N / 113 deg. 58.006’E
(H) 22 deg. 18.081’N / 113 deg. 58.085’E
(I) 22 deg. 18.101’N / 113 deg. 58.149’E
(J) 22 deg. 17.995’N / 113 deg. 58.147’E

WORKS AREA 2
This area is bounded by straight lines joining the following co-ordinates (WGS 84 Datum) from (K) to (N) and the adjacent shoreline:
(K) 22 deg. 18.172’N / 113 deg. 58.534’E
(L) 22 deg. 18.220’N / 113 deg. 58.351’E
(M) 22 deg. 18.376’N / 113 deg. 58.529’E
(N) 22 deg. 18.371’N / 113 deg. 58.733’E

Yellow marker buoys fitted with yellow flashing lights will be laid at co-ordinates (B), (D), (F), (G) and (I) to mark the boundary of the Works Area 1, and (L) and (M) to mark the boundary of the Works Area 2.

Silt curtains, extending from the sea surface to the seabed, will be established around the boundaries of the works areas. The silt curtain is a large piece of netting used to contain mud and sediments. Yellow marker buoys fitted with yellow flashing lights will be laid to mark the extent of the silt curtains.

The works will be carried out by a flotilla of vessels including derrick barges, flat top barges, jack-up platforms, grab dredgers, crane barges, landing pontoons, hopper barges and drilling barges at various stages. Some tugboats and work boats will provide assistance. The numbers and types of vessels engaged in the works will change from time to time to suit operational requirements.

A working area of approximately 50 metres will be established around each working vessel. Yellow markers buoys fitted with yellow flashing lights will be laid to mark the positions of the anchors extending from the working vessels.

Yellow flashing lights will be installed at the corners of the jack-up platforms to indicate the positions of the platforms.

The hours of work will be from 0700 to 2300 hours including Sundays and public holidays. Vessels employed for the works will stay in the works areas outside the hours of work.

Diving operations will be carried out from time to time during the hours of work.

Vessels 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 clear of the works areas at slow speed, bearing in mind there are divers working in the areas.

(For information about operations in Hong Kong contact GAC Hong Kong at shipping.hongkong@gac.com)

Source: Government of the Hong Kong SAR Marine Department Notice No.108 of 2018

You may also like

Leave a Comment