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The operator of a Japanese bulk carrier which ran aground off Mauritius in the Indian Ocean apologized on Sunday for a major oil spill which officials and environmentalists say is creating an ecological disaster.The MV Wakashio, operated by Mitsui OSK Lines, struck the reef on Mauritius' southeast coast on July 25. Fuel started leaking from the cracked vessel on Thursday."We apologize profusely and deeply for the great trouble we have caused," Akihiko Ono, executive vice president of Mitsui OSK Lines said at a new conference in Tokyo.He added that the company would "do everything in their power to resolve the issue".

Considering an All-electric Future

2 hours ago

One can hardly read industry news these days without seeing mention of hybrid vessels or batteries. We’ve all heard the praise and the pitfalls discussed by proponents and critics alike. This article is not intended to convince you if batteries are right for you or not. Instead, for owners wondering if batteries are feasible for their operation, the optimal vessel characteristics and operational parameters for all-electric vessels are presented and discussed.Hybrid vessels, generally defined by having both a diesel engine and batteries, come in different flavors but offer advantages of reduced emissions and fuel use.

PDVSA Changes Oil Deals to Include Shipping as Sanctions Bite

an hour ago

Venezuelan state-run oil firm PDVSA has begun offering to ship its own oil, figuring in the costs in crude supply deals to help customers who have struggled to hire vessels to carry the country’s oil due to U.S. sanctions, according to company documents seen by Reuters.The United States has blacklisted vessel owners, shipping operators and threatened to sanction any tanker facilitating the country’s oil exports as it tightens restrictions on trade with the South American country.Washington has been trying to weaken socialist President Nicolas Maduro by choking the OPEC member’s oil exports, depriving the government of petrodollars — its main source of revenue.

Anxious Mauritians Use Hair to Stem Wakashio Oil Spill

17 minutes ago

Mauritians are making floating booms of human hair and leaves in a round-the-clock scramble to mop up oil leaking from a grounded Japanese ship onto their pristine Indian Ocean beaches.The MV Wakashio, owned by the Nagashiki Shipping Company and operated by Mitsui OSK Line, began oozing fuel into turquoise sea waters last week after hitting a reef off the island.Mauritius has declared a state of emergency and former colonial ruler France has sent aid in what environmental group Greenpeace said could be a major ecological crisis.Romina Tello, 30-year-old founder of eco-tourism agency Mauritius Conscious, spent the weekend helping clean black sludge from mangrove swamps.

Surveyors Map Sunken Liberty Ship off Texas Coast

an hour ago

U.S.-based marine data acquisition services company TDI-Brooks said it recently mapped the Liberty Ship George Vancouver off Freeport, Texas while out on a seabed survey project with the R/V Brooks McCall. The multiple multi-phase geophysical and geotechnical site surveys program consisted of pipeline routing and subsea structures to facilitate route and project design for offshore developers.Equipment used to map the ship was a Teledyne Reson SeaBat T-20 multibeam sonar with integrated Applanix POSMV for Motion. Applying the mesh tools to the multibeam survey shows an example of the shipwreck.Texas has been involved in artificial reef development for nearly 50 years.

Maritime Reporter and Engineering News (July 2020)

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