Westcon Yard Florø AS

Dry bulk shipowner Scorpio Bulkers on Monday announced it has signed a letter of intent to purchase a newbuild wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) as a “first step in a transition towards a sustainable business in renewable energy”.Scorpio said it expects to sign a $265-$290 million shipbuilding contract with South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in the fourth quarter of 2020. The deal would include options for up to three additional vessels to potentially be delivered within the following 18 months.The lead vessel, scheduled for delivery in 2023, would be a 148-meter NG-16000X self-propelled jackup design by National Oilwell Varco (NOV) subsidiary GustoMSC.

The ports at Baton Rouge, New Orleans, South Louisiana, St. Bernard and Plaquemines are slated to have deep draft access after Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards and other state officials signed a formal agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Friday to begin construction on the deepening of the Lower Mississippi River to 50 feet from 45 feet. The overall project will provide a draft of 50-feet from the Port of Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico over 256 miles of the Mississippi River.

An oil slick washed up over the weekend on the coastline of Venezuela's western Falcon state, known for pristine beaches and nature preserves, two opposition lawmakers said on Monday, though there was no official comment on the spill's provenance.Maria Hernandez, who chairs the opposition-held National Assembly's environmental committee, said she was concerned about the effect of pollution on marine life as well as water supplies onshore.A satellite image posted on Twitter by vessel tracking service TankerTrackers.com showed the black slick approaching the coast just south of Morrocoy National Park, known for palm-lined beaches and mangrove swamps.

All passengers and crew managed to escape from a sinking passenger vessel on Thailand's Chao Phraya River on Sunday evening, The National Thailand reports.  The three-story vessel High Season 1 was said to be carrying 60 passengers, mostly Thai and Chinese tourists, plus 15 crew when it sank near a private pier in Soi Somdet Chaophraya 1 in Bangkok’s Khlong San district. There were no reported injuries or damage to property or the environment.“The ship made a U-turn to return to the hotel when it reached Phra Pok Klao Bridge.

Newport Shipping said Ingmar Loges has joined the company as Managing Director, Germany, supportSing U.K.-based drydocking services firm in group financial strategy and marketing strategy for the German market.Loges comes with more than 30 years of industry experience in domestic and international marketplaces. His previous roles included Global Head of Ship and Offshore Finance for the last 15 years in financial institutions DVB BANK SE Amsterdam, HSH Nordbank AG Hamburg, UniCredit Bank AG Hamburg and Singapore.“With the opening of the Hamburg office Newport will have presence in all the major shipping centers.