6. September 2006 P/F

The Singapore fuel oil market has rallied this week as inventories have dropped at the same time that some supplies in the region do not meet the standards for use as shipping fuel, further reducing the amount of supply available, five trade sources said.Cash premiums for 380-centistoke fuel oil, which is primarily sold for ship fuel, known as bunker fuel, have soared this week to the highest since May 2017. The premium of the prompt-month swap for the fuel over the second-month swap has jumped to the highest since October, underscoring a surge in demand for prompt supply.

Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk will be the first in the world to trial artificial intelligence (AI) powered perception and situational awareness technology on a containership.Under a deal signed with Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics, Maersk will install computer vision, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and perception software aboard one of its new-build Winter Palace ice-class containerships.Sea Machines said its solution uses AI to improve at-sea situational awareness, object identification and tracking capabilities, similar to advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) commonly found in automobiles to alert drivers of roadway hazards and prevent accidents.

Each year the August edition of Marine News magazine, the leading voice in the North American workboat market, features the very best 100 leaders and innovators, including workboat owners and operators, builders, OEMs and repairers, and product and service providers.This year's MN100 edition application portal is live and open. Participation is free, but to be considered you must apply at http://mn100.maritimemagazine.com/. The deadline is July 5.Contact Joe Keefe with questions at: keefe@marinelink.com.

A cargo ship collided with a dock on the Parana River in Argentina's grains hub of Rosario on Wednesday, causing a slowdown of activity at terminal 6 in the port of General San Martín and raising soymeal prices."The southern pier of terminal 6 is operational, with difficulties on the barge docks due to the blockage caused by the ship that generated the accident," said Guillermo Wade, manager of Argentina's Chamber of Port and Maritime Activity."The north dock of terminal 6 suffered some serious damage. One operator working in the area suffered a minor blow, but nothing serious," Wade said.

Singapore-based Keppel Corp said on Wednesday its offshore rig-building unit is on track to deliver in May what the shipbuilder said will be the first tugboat in southeast Asia that can run on liquefied natural gas (LNG). The vessel will be one of seven dual-fuel vessels the company is building, and will be able to run on LNG and diesel, a spokesman for Keppel said, without disclosing how much the ship cost to build. A second dual-fuel LNG tug is due to be delivered by June or July, he said. The introduction of the vessels comes as Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority pushes ahead with an LNG bunkering pilot programme, designed to support the building of LNG-fuelled vessels.