Pickets target Melbourne port AUSTRALIA's waterfront moved closer to crisis yesterday as the Maritime Union of Australia mounted a picket at Melbourne's Webb Dock, halting cargo operations at the Pat-rick stevedore facility.
Brent Spar to be used in quay project SHELL UK's Brent Spar loading buoy is to reused in the building of a new quay extension in Norway. The decision comes almost two and a half years after the company was forced to abandon its planned deepsea disposal of the Spar - Shell estimates the exercise has cost it between '43m ($72m) and '46m.
Profits at Newport News rise by 433% NEWPORT News Shipbuilding, the leading US ship design and construction company, has reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $16m ('9.5m) ($0.44 per share), up 433% on the year-earlier period's $3m, on an 18.24% increase in revenues to $512m from the year-earlier $433m.
Freight rates help ICB's record showing SWEDISH tanker specialist ICB Shipping achieved a record performance in underlying profitability last year, thanks to stronger freight rates for suezmaxes and VLCCs.
Japan steps up cruiseship building role JAPAN's Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) is close to completing the Pacific Venus, the second-largest domestic ocean-going passengership built in the country.
Genoa shipyard wins bulker conversion deal GENOA-based shiprepair specialist San Giorgio Del Porto has secured a Lire18bn ($10.3m) contract to transform a 1982-built bulk carrier into a self unloading vessel for transhipment operations in the Gulf state of Bahrain.
London move to avert ship firm failures A NEW co-ordinated service aimed at helping banks avert collapses of shipping companies they finance has been launched by survey, shipbroking and legal experts in London.
Eggar takes Monument post FORMER UK energy minister Tim Eggar has been appointed chief executive of Monument Oil and Gas, the London-based exploration and production company, writes Leigh Smith.
ICB reports record profits ICB Shipping has reported its highest profit ever for 1997. In its year-end report, the company says that its vessels' earnings improved 'considerably' compared with 1996.
Bird Port may bring jetty project forward A SMALL private terminal in the Bristol Channel may bring forward a project to develop a deep water jetty following growing demand.
Colombo begins work on North Pier COLOMBO Port has begun work to expand the North Pier to handle general cargo that will be displaced when the Queen Elizabeth Quay is leased to a consortium led by P&O Australia.
Crewing agencies now perform dual role MANY crewing agencies operating in the Philippines are now performing a dual role for their foreign shipowning or shipmanagement principals.
Owners warned to check charterparties EAGERNESS to fix ships is tempting some owners to do business without carrying out elementary checks, according to The Swedish Club.
No decision on Royal Caribbean's third Eagle ROYAL Caribbean International has still to confirm whether it will order a third Eagle-class cruiseship from Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Finland.
Lithuania to privatise major stevedore LITHUANIA has announced that it plans to sell 90 per cent of the shares in Klaipeda Stevedoring Co (Klasco).
Sestao yard wins shuttle tanker order AESA, the Spanish shipbuilder, has signed a contract for a shuttle tanker to be constructed at its Sestao yard in Bilbao.
RINA 'well ahead' in ISM race ITALIAN classification society RINA said it is well ahead in the race for compliance with the ISM Code.
Algeciras maintains its lead among Spanish ports OVERALL traffic at Spain's 27 commercial ports increased by 2.8 per cent to 290.2m tonnes in 1997, according to state agency Puertos del Estado.
Mounties fear gangs taking over stevedores ROYAL Canadian Mounted Police drug investigators are concerned about the possible move of biker gangs into the workforce of major ports such as Halifax and Vancouver.
Preussag denies Hapag-Lloyd sale speculation PREUSSAG has denied German media reports that it plans to break up shipping and tourism group Hapag-Lloyd.
Australia stands by for renewed port battle THE MUA and ITF prepare for a bitter dispute as Australia's new, non-union stevedoring company pledges to cut container handling costs by 30 per cent.
German ports reveal cruise terminal plans HAMBURG and Bremerhaven ports have both revealed plans for new cruiseship terminals, following falls in the number of calls for 1998.
Business as usual: Patrick Patrick yesterday claimed that it was "business as usual" and apart from Webb Dock, this was true in most cases. Despite tensions created by the stevedore’s decision to sublet one of its three Webb Dock berths to a new company, Producers and Consumers Pty Ltd associated with the National Farmers Federation, members of the Maritime Union of Australia did not walk off the job anywhere else, including Melbourne.
MPC offers to settle The Melbourne Port Corporation is believed to have made a settlement offer in its long-running Supreme court battle with P&O Ports over the latter’s attempt to prevent the establishment of a third international container terminal in the port.
Big year for Ports Corp SA Ports Corp South Australia has recorded an operating profit of $6.1 million for the 1996-97 financial year, a result which has encouraged the organisation to reduce charges to port users. Ports Corp marketing manager Wayne Parham said record trade levels had prompted the port to review most of its charges in September 1997 with some, such as a cargo service charge being reduced by as much as 28 per cent.
Another $3m bill for Queensland floods The damage bill to road-related infrastructure following the recent record floods in northern Queensland is expected to reach $3 million in the Townsville/Ingham/Tully area alone the Queensland government announced this week.
Hicks to head up NRTC The National Road Transport Commission announced yesterday that Stuart Hicks has been appointed its new chairman and Jim Stevenson its chief executive. Mr Hicks has a long background in transport, having worked previously as the director general of Western Australia’s Department of Transport and in a number of other transport positions including the Commonwealth’s Bureau of Roads.
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