NOAA: Hurricane Michael was a Category 5 Storm

By MarEx 2019-04-19 14:35:57

On Friday, NOAA's National Hurricane Center announced that after a thorough analysis of data, it has determined that Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5 storm last year, not a Category 4. The change makes Michael the fourth Category 5 hurricane to reach the U.S. in recorded history, and the first since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Michael is also the strongest hurricane landfall on record in the Florida Panhandle. Michael made landfall near Panama City,...

Nuyina central conning console courtesy of Mike Jackson

Reimagining the Bridge

By Wendy Laursen 2019-04-20 21:00:37

For all the developmental work going on in sensor fusion, digitalization and autonomy, there's no escaping the human element for safety, efficiency and style. In designing the bridge for Australia's new icebreaker, Nuyina, the captain of the nation's old icebreaker covered walls and workbenches with sheets of paper printed with life-size representations of the bridge instruments. Then, using “role play” to move around the bridge, he customized the original design provided by Damen to suit the safety and efficiency...

Captain Minnie Mouse Aims to Inspire Girls

By MarEx 2019-04-20 20:46:48

Disney Cruise Line is aiming to inspire the next generation of female leaders in the maritime industry with the debut of Captain Minnie Mouse, new youth programs and the funding of scholarships. Disney characters delight children around the globe, and Disney Cruise Line is counting on the power of Minnie Mouse to spread the message of exploring new horizons, both by land and by sea. Captain Minnie Mouse will be present on all Disney ships starting in April, engaging in...

Are We Doing Enough for the Well-Being of our Seafarers?

By Dimitrios Lyrakos 2019-04-20 20:31:56

Are we doing enough for the mental health and well-being of our seafarers? The answer is “no,” but this is not the end, but the beginning, of this article. In one of the biggest and growing industries worldwide, in the industry with the biggest cultural diversity, mental health and well-being are factors that are important for most companies, but the quality of service is very low, completely inadequate, and it is dependable on the individual work of some of us....

BP Sanctions $6 Billion Development Offshore Azerbaijan

By MarEx 2019-04-20 19:44:30

BP and partners have sanctioned the Azeri Central East project, the next stage of development of the giant Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli (ACG) oilfield complex in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea. The $6 billion development includes a new offshore platform and facilities designed to process up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day. The project is expected to achieve first production in 2023 and produce up to 300 million barrels over its lifetime. The move is the first major...

Happy Easter! Happy Passover!

By MarEx 2019-04-20 17:02:37

Happy Easter! Happy Passover! from all of us at The Maritime Executive.

Heavy Lift Ship Arrested After Allision at Ingalls Shipbuilding

By MarEx 2019-04-19 20:48:17

A federal court in Mississippi has ordered the arrest of the heavy lift ship Hawk in connection with a costly allision last month at Ingalls Shipbuilding. On March 29, the Hawk was arriving at the Ingalls yard from Qingdao with a new Chinese-built floating drydock on board. The Hawk allided with a test barge at the yard, pushing the barge into a newly built destroyer, the USS Delbert D. Black. The barge was supporting electrical work on board the destroyer,...

FERC Green-Lights Two Gulf Coast LNG Export Terminals

By MarEx 2019-04-19 20:27:13

On Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved permit applications for Tellurian's Driftwood LNG and Sempra's Port Arthur LNG export terminals on the U.S. Gulf Coast. When including its recent approval for Calcasieu Pass LNG, FERC has green-lighted more than 50 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) in new liquefaction capacity since the start of the year. At full build-out, Driftwood would be able to produce 28 mtpa of LNG. Port Arthur LNG would be smaller at roughly 13.5 mtpa....

Port Tampa Bay Finishes Major Dredging Project One Year Early

By MarEx 2019-04-19 18:35:21

Port Tampa Bay's long-anticipated Big Bend Channel Expansion project is complete a year ahead of schedule. The $63 million project will allow larger ships to call at the port's terminals at Port Redwing. "This is one of the largest projects we have worked on at Port Tampa Bay," said Port Tampa Bay president and CEO Paul Anderson. "This is a legacy that truly reshapes our economic landscape and will impact generations to come." The U.S. Corps of Engineers' Jacksonville District...