Oil & Gas

FH Bertling Ltd fined £850,000 as bribery case comes to a close

German forwarder FH Bertling’s former UK subsidiary was this week handed an £850,000 fine by a UK judge after being found guilty of paying bribes to Angolan officials that had secured the company some £20m in freight forwarding contracts.
Seven FH Bertling Ltd executives were found guilty in the case in January.
Announcing the penalty this week, Judge Christopher Hehir said: “This was a very serious piece of corruption indeed. It was …

The post FH Bertling Ltd fined £850,000 as bribery case...

https://theloadstar.com/fh-bertling-ltd-fined-850000-as-bribery-case-comes-to-a-close/

UK shipping sector wants assurance on four areas of concern over IMO 2020

The International Maritime Organization has been urged to clarify four areas of IMO 2020, as carriers scramble for compliance with the forthcoming low-sulphur fuel limit.
The “once-in-a-generation disruptor to shipping’s commercial environment” takes effect on 1 January 2020: a fuel sulphur content limit of 0.5%, down from 3.5% in some parts of the world, at some considerable cost to the industry.
Amid concern and the countdown, the UK Chamber of Shipping has …

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Exclusive interview: Jeff Rubin – what happens when oil, globalisation and environment collide? 

This article is an abridged version of the one published last week on Loadstar Premium.
Jeff Rubin was CIBC global chief economist for some 20 years, a leading authority on oil, and much sought-after keynote speaker. He has developed and published ground-breaking insights on the lesser known aspects of oil in globalisation and the modern economy, been rated as a top economist throughout his career, and is an award-winning author. 
Russell Wood: What’s been the role …

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Port of Mossel Bay Ready to Serve Oil and Gas Industry Following Total Gas Find

Far Starling

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) says the Port of Mossel Bay is well equipped to provide value following global energy giant Total’s significant gas condensate discovery on the Brulpadda prospects, located on Block 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin, 175 kilometres off the southern coast of South Africa.

Mossel Bay Port Manager Shadrack Tshikalange said the port’s role in the drilling expedition involved providing land and quay space for the logistics base operations, as well as marine...

http://www.sashippingnews.com/2019/03/03/port-of-mossel-bay-ready-to-serve-oil-and-gas-industry-following-total-gas-find/

Construction Kicks Off at New Ngqura Liquid Bulk Terminal

Tandi Lebakeng (left, Transnet National Ports Authority’s Ngqura Port Manager) and Mkhuseli Faku (Chairman of Oiltanking Grindrod Calulo (Pty) Ltd (OTGC)

Oiltanking Grindrod Calulo (Pty) Ltd (OTGC) and Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) today turned the first sod at the site of the Port of Ngqura’s future liquid bulk tank farm. This comes ahead of the planned decommissioning and rehabilitation of the existing liquid bulk facilities at the neighboring Port of Port Elizabeth, which will pave the way for Ngqura’s establishment as a new petroleum trading hub for Southern Africa.

The new tank farm is expected to provide storage and marine...

http://www.sashippingnews.com/2019/02/22/construction-kicks-off-at-new-ngqura-liquid-bulk-terminal/

In a tight market, heavylift operators must be ‘more competitive and work together’

Demand in the multipurpose and heavylift shipping sector grew just 2.8% last year and “competition continues to erode the share of non-containerised general cargo”, according to analyst Drewry.
In a presentation today on recent trends and the outlook for the multipurpose shipping market, Drewry’s senior analyst, Susan Oatway, reported “very little activity” in the supply side, with 3,192 vessels in the sector with a combined total deadweight of 29.5m tonnes and an …

The post In a tight market,...

https://theloadstar.co.uk/in-a-tight-market-heavylift-operators-must-be-more-competitive-and-work-together/

LNG Carriers Dock at Port of Saldanha For Repairs

The liquefied natural gas carrier (LNG), METHANE MICKIE HARPER, recently docked at the Port of Saldanha after requiring critical repairs, ahead of its journey to Punta Europa, Equatorial Guinea. While docked, the team conducted intermediate surveys and underwater inspections (IWS). Supplies were replenished and a crew change took place during its stay. The Port of Saldanha was chosen due to its available water depth as well as its sheltered inner anchorage, which makes diving possible in...

http://www.sashippingnews.com/2018/11/23/lng-carriers-dock-at-port-of-saldanha-for-repairs/

There must be a ‘win-win’ element in container line service contracts

Container carriers and customers need to work together to develop annual contracts that ensure shippers are provided with adequate service levels and lines are protected from cost spikes.
Cosco vice president Howard Finkel told delegates at last week’s TOC Container Supply Chain event in Panama: “Service contracts are basically rate sheets, usually with a one-year time limit, whereas there ought to be a win-win element to contracts – lines get protection, volume and payment …

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https://theloadstar.co.uk/must-win-win-element-container-line-service-contracts/

Indonesia seen as a way of escape for shippers from the China-US trade war

Taiwan-based 3PL Dimerco has turned to Indonesia to combat US-China trade war challenges.
The company is helping customers around restrictions resulting from the trade war by “leveraging its strong presence in Indonesia”, especially at the Batam free trade zone (FTZ).
“The FTZ is proving a useful alternative for Taiwan-based companies,” Dimerco said. “Batam is a strategic area in South-east Asia where companies can outsource the production of 4G smartphones, with more reliable …

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https://theloadstar.co.uk/indonesia-seen-way-escape-shippers-china-us-trade-war/

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