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Passenger Ship Vistamar Detained at Tilbury

London May 17, 2006 - Maritime & Coastguard Agency surveyors today detained the Maltese flagged `Vistamar' passenger ship at Tilbury Docks in London after numerous faults were identified on board including unusable port and starboard tenders; a dirty engine room and various oily hazards.

http://www.ms-vistamar-kreuzfahrten.de/ photo.

The vessel, with her passengers on board was allowed to move to a different mooring by the Tower of London before all the passengers will be disembarked tomorrow. The vessel has 178 passengers booked on board.

The 1989 built, Bureau Veritas classed, 117-metre length 7478 GT ship with is not allowed to travel further before any deficiencies are corrected and MCA surveyors have re-inspected the vessel.

Bryan Hopkins, Surveyor in Charge from the MCA's Orpington office said:

"The owners of the vessel in Almeria, Andalucia in Spain have been informed of our decision to detain this vessel. Our concerns were raised when items such as fire dampers were clearly inoperative; both lifeboats were damaged; escape signs were missing and various means of escape were not marked clearly.

"Other issues raised during our inspection included out of date publications on board; life saving signals were out of date and charts remain uncorrected.

"The MCA take passenger safety extremely seriously, and we will not allow vessels to traverse our waters where clearly international standards of safety are being breached. We apologize to any passenger who may have been inconvenienced by this action, but we hope they understand this detention has been undertaken in their best interest."

Spar Orion Runs Aground Approaching Port Everglades

Miami May 17, 2006 - Coast Guard officials are responding to a freight ship that ran aground today west of the anchorage Port Everglades, Fla.

The Spar Orion, a 623-foot cargo ship carrying more than 44,000 metric tons of cement, was scheduled to arrive in Port Everglades today.

High tide is around 11:45 a.m. and attempts are scheduled to be made by commercial salvage to pull the vessel off of the reef with the use of tugs.

Initial reports from the ship's master indicated there was no damage to the ship, no flooding and no pollution.

Coast Guard investigators and inspectors will be evaluating the condition of the vessel to determine whether any pollution has occurred, the ships watertight integrity, and what might have caused the grounding.

The Spar Orion is Norweigan-flagged vessel owned by Spar Shipholding of Norway with a crew of 22 people.

There were no injuries reported.

If initial salvage operations are unsuccessful and more detailed salvage plan will be presented to the Coast Guard for approval.

The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the grounding.

London May 16, 2006 - Offshore classification leader ABS has been awarded the contracts for the first jackup drilling rigs to be built in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A total of four units will be built to ABS standards: two units for Thule Drilling ASA and two units for Mosvold Drilling Ltd.

The Thule rigs (Thule Energy and Thule Force) will be built at QGM Group LLC rig construction yard in Dubai based upon the Friede & Goldman (F&G) Super M2 rig design. The Mosvold rigs will also be F&G Super M2 designs and will be built at Maritime Industrial Services Co. Ltd. Inc. (MIS) in Sharjah.

According to ABS’ Country Manager for the UAE Joe Brincat, the rig designs are well suited for Middle East operations. "The rigs will be designated as +A1 Self Elevating Drilling Units and are suitable for operating in all non-harsh environments of the world with water depth capacity of 300 feet and drill down capacity to 30,000 feet."

The Super M2 design is an updated version of F&G’s L 780 Mod II jackup rig of which more than 30 are operating worldwide. Brincat says the Super M2 design features an enhanced leg design with extended reach cantilever, wrap around quarters and modular hull design. The specialized leg fixation system and overall platform construction will be built to ABS Rules and under the supervision of the class society’s engineers and surveyors.

Industry analysts report the Middle East is the fastest growing jack up market in the world. With rig utilization rates at an all time high, the jack up market is exceptionally strong. With commodity prices likely to remain high drilling activity continues to increase. With yards in China, Singapore and the US Gulf Coast nearing capacity, new yards such as UAE’s QGM and MIS have seen an opportunity.

Since publishing the first Rules for Building and Classing Offshore Mobile Drilling Units (MODUs) in 1968, ABS has responded to the technical challenges posed by jackup modifications and new designs with commentaries on specific direction as to how to apply and interpret class Rules to projects.

Now one of the most comprehensive documents available to industry, jackup builders refer to ABS MODU Rules for guidance on detailed design, material selection, welding, structural analysis requirements, hull and equipment criteria, machinery and surveys after construction.

The document provides not only guidance but also clarification and analysis of issues such as

description of stepping wave through the structure; loading directions of the waves; how to include the P (force)-Delta effect in the analysis; details of the hydrodynamic leg-modeling procedure; consideration of gravity loads and buoyancy; importance of leg buoyancy; clarification of total-elevated load; and emphasis of the effects contributed from spudcan during the analysis.

To date ABS has 61 jackups on order to its classification with three deliveries already this year.

Overall ABS market share of the worldwide drilling rig fleet is approximately 76 percent.

Founded in 1862, ABS is a leading international classification society devoted to promoting the security of life, property and the marine environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities.

Two Key Milestones Achieved to Propel Canaport(TM) LNG Forward

Saint John NB May 17, 2006 - Canaport(TM) LNG, the partnership between Repsol YPF and Irving Oil, today announced that it has awarded the on-shore and off-shore Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contracts to construct the first new liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal on the East Coast of North America in decades. At the same time, Canaport(TM) LNG issued the final notice to proceed to its contractors to ensure commencement of operations by the end of 2008. Also, Repsol YPF completed its agreements to transport natural gas from the Canaport(TM) LNG Terminal to markets in Canada and the Northeast US via the Brunswick pipeline and an expansion of the Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline system in the US

SNC-CENMC, GP, a partnership between SNC-Lavalin of Montreal, Quebec, and Saipem S.p.A. of Milan, Italy, was awarded the Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) contract for onshore facilities and jetty topsides, providing full procurement and supervisory responsibilities for the onshore portion of the project.

Kiewit-Weeks-Sandwell Partnership, a consortium of Peter Kiewit Sons Co. of St. John's, Newfoundland; Weeks Marine of Cranford, New Jersey; and Sandwell Engineering of Vancouver, British Columbia, was awarded the EPC contract for the terminal's offshore facilities, including the receiving pier.

Repsol YPF has appointed Jorge Ciacciarelli, formerly responsible for South American operations for Repsol, as General Manager of Canaport(TM) LNG.

"We value highly the support and efforts of the local, provincial and federal governments in approving the construction of this very important project," says Ciacciarelli, "and we look forward to working closely with the people of Saint John and surrounding area to achieve this important economic milestone not only for this city, but for Atlantic Canada. We are also very proud to be associated with our chosen group of EPC Contractors. They are some of the world's finest, and we are pleased that they have chosen Saint John and Canaport(TM) LNG for their next project, as we undertake the construction of this world-class receiving and regasification terminal that will help attract other investment to this area, enhancing employment opportunities through spin-off industries."

"The LNG market is very competitive, and we continue to believe that Saint John is the right location for a successful LNG project," says Murratte Graves, Project Director for Irving Oil. "With today's announcement, this project continues its momentum towards bringing LNG and an increasingly complex and attractive energy hub to Saint John. Our EPC contractors bring impressive track records and experience in LNG to this project. We are very pleased to be working with them."

"This is a landmark LNG facility for Canada and for New Brunswick," said Pierre Duhaime, Executive Vice-President, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. "The SNC-Lavalin-CENMC partnership is pleased to contribute its recognized EPC expertise in the execution of this large project."

"The Kiewit-Weeks-Sandwell partnership is delighted to have been selected to be a part of the new Canaport(TM) LNG Terminal near Saint John, NB," said Rod Hogg, Manager Business Development - Atlantic Region, Peter Kiewit Sons Co. "The partnership looks forward to working on this exciting new project and to providing a world-class marine berthing facility for LNG tankers to deliver their valuable cargos to the North American market."

Site preparation, blasting, and leveling construction work was completed earlier this spring at the Canaport site. The Canaport(TM) LNG Terminal is scheduled to begin operations in late 2008. At commissioning, the terminal will have a send-out capacity of 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day (1 BCF/D, or approximately 10 billion cubic meters annually (bcma)), with a peak capacity of 1.2 BCF/D and will be expandable to 2 BCF/D when the market is ready for additional natural gas supplies.

335 Somalis, Ethiopians Smuggles Into Yemen: UNHCR

New York May 16, 2006 - More than 300 Somalis and Ethiopians were smuggled into Yemen last weekend with tales of a harrowing trip during which the smugglers beat three passengers to death and threw their corpses overboard, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said today.

Of the 335 who reportedly arrived in Yemen, only 35 came to the agency's reception center in May'faa in southern Yemen, but survivors of the dangerous Gulf of Aden trip often travel to other destinations, UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond told journalists at the UN complex in Geneva.

The two boatloads of refugees left Shimbarale, Somalia, on 13 May and arrived at Belhaf, in Al Ayn, on the southern coast of Yemen, on the same day, he said.

The reports of the three murders illustrated "the extreme cruelty of the Somali smugglers, who seem to have no regard for human life and are only interested in making money," Mr. Redmond said.

This year's sailing season ends late next month, when the seas will be too rough for the smugglers' boats, but resumes in September. UNHCR has been calling for joint action to tackle the problem and will continue to highlight the very urgent need for a more global approach to smuggling, he said.

Earlier this month UNHCR said 39 bodies, mainly Ethiopian, were found near Belhaf. Survivors said the deceased were among those forced at gunpoint to jump from their boat, which had developed a mechanical problem.

From September of last year until last month, a total of 241 boats arrived from Somalia in Yemen, an average of 30 boats a month. Several hundred people died during these trips, although an exact figure was unavailable, UNHCR said.

Yemen, one of the few countries in the region to have signed the 1951 Refugee Convention, is hosting more than 80,000 registered refugees, of which 75,000 are Somalis.

Sovcomflot, Admiralty Shipyards sign $260M tanker contract

St Petersburg May 17, 2006 (RIAN) - Russia's largest tanker company and a St. Petersburg-based shipyard signed Wednesday a $260 million contract to build two Arctic tankers.

Under the contract between Sovcomflot and Admiralty Shipyards, two Arctic tankers with a deadweight of about 70,000 metric tons each are to be built to carry crude from the Prirazlomnoye oilfield in the Barents Sea, which has estimated reserves of about 600 million barrels.

Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko, Sovcomflot General Director Sergei Frank, Admiralty Shipyards General Director Vladimir Alexandrov, and St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko attended the signing ceremony.

Sovcomflot currently has a fleet of 51 vessels and specializes in operating ice class vessels for industrial projects in the Baltic, Far Eastern and Arctic regions, and Sergei Frank said that company intended to become a global leader in ice operations.

Admiralty Shipyards is a state-owned company that specializes in the design, production and modernization of civil and naval surface ships and submarines

Sovcomflot to move 30% of fleet to ice transport in 2008

St Petersburg May 17, 2006 (RIAN) - Sovcomflot, Russia's leading shipping agent, plans to orient 30% of its fleet in 2008 to transportation in ice conditions, the director general said Wednesday.

Sovcomflot currently has a fleet of 51 vessels and specializes in operating ice class vessels for industrial projects in the Baltic, Far Eastern and Arctic regions, and Sergei Frank said that company intended to become a global leader in ice operations.

"We are positioning ourselves to be the world's number one company in shuttle transportation in arctic and ice navigation by 2008," said Sergei Frank.

"We are deliberately moving in this direction and believe in this market," he said. "The market is in demand in the Russian economy. Thirty percent of our fleet will be oriented to service the Russian energy sector in ice conditions."

Frank said the state-owned company had already prepared orders for ice ships, and added that Sovcomflot would place these orders mostly with St. Petersburg-based Admiralty Shipyards, one of the oldest and largest in Russia.

"Of course, we cannot physically solve all our problems at the Admiralty Shipyards because we have very ambitious plans," he said. "Still, the bulk of the orders will go to the Admiralty."

Sovcomflot, whose fleet has a total deadweight of 3.6 million metric tons (30% of Russia's sea transport tonnage), said it would operate ships to be built for the Prirazlomnoye oilfield in the Barents Sea under the Russian flag.

Earlier on Wednesday, Frank said Sovcomflot would start servicing the Prirazlomnoye oilfield, which has estimated reserves of about 600 million barrels, in 2008.

"Today we are finishing negotiations and hope to sign a contract with the Admiralty Shipyards on building unique tankers for the Prirazlomnoye oilfield," Frank said at an inauguration ceremony of a new tanker, Teatralny Most, built by the Admiralty on the company's order.

He said it would be the largest order in the history of modern shipbuilding.

"We have no doubt that the shipyard specialists will cope with the task, and that we will start transportation on the shelf in 2008," Frank said.

In mid-April, Sovcomflot, Sevmorneftegaz (100% owned by energy giant Gazprom) and the Admiralty signed a trilateral contract to build two reinforced arctic shuttle tankers with deadweight of 70,000 metric tons each for transporting oil from Prirazlomnoye.

The contract was part of an agreement on cooperation between Gazprom, Sovcomflot and Sevmornneftegaz signed in October 2005 on oil transportation from Prirazlomnoye. Simultaneously, the Admiralty and Sovcomflot signed shipbuilding contracts.

Los Angeles Port Police Officers Honored by Long Beach Police Department

San Pedro CA May 16, 2006 - Three Los Angeles Port Police officers were recognized today at the Long Beach Police Department's 38th Annual Awards Ceremony for thwarting an attempted suicide from the Badger Avenue Bridge, a rail bridge that runs from Wilmington to Long Beach.

Last year, Los Angeles Port Police officers Ryan Strauss, Robert Myers and Robert Reynolds, along with Long Beach Police officer Andy Pringle, saved a 37-year-old man from jumping more than 50 feet to his death.

"I was very proud to be present today to honor three Los Angeles Port Police Officers," said Los Angeles Port Police Lieutenant Michael Kettelkamp. "Officers Reynolds, Myers and Strauss, along with Long Beach Police Officer Pringle, saved the life of a suicidal man threatening to jump from a bridge at Anaheim and Henry Ford Avenues. The officers showed the utmost professionalism and courage while performing their duties flawlessly."

While teetering along the bridge's narrow railing, the man, a Riverside resident, claimed he placed a bag of explosives on one of the railcars below the bridge. Los Angeles Port Police bomb-sniffing canines determined there were no explosives in the bag, and the man was arrested for making a false bomb threat.

Located on Henry Ford and Anaheim Avenues, the Badger Avenue Bridge is situated between property jointly owned by the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, an area commonly patrolled by law enforcement agencies representing both cities.

Department of Homeland Security/US Coast Guard Port Worker Screening

On April 28, 2006, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Coast Guard (USC.G.) issued a Federal Directive (33 CFR Part 125 {USCG-2006-24189} "Maritime Identification Credentials", Ref. Federal Register / Vol. 71 No. 82) outlining current approved credentials that can be used for access to regulated USC.G. Port and Facility "Restricted Access (RA) Areas."

Please be advised that while the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is developing a national Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), this program is not scheduled to commence until late 2006. Until such time as when TWIC is implemented, an interim Transportation Port Workers Screening is required by USCG and TSA. As part of this initial screening and vetting process, the Company is required to provide certain information to USCG with respect to all Employees and Long-Term contractors requiring access to Crowley Maritime Corporation’s regulated Seaport Facilities. [See Privacy Act Notice] (Contractors are considered long term if they may have access to a Crowley facility for ninety (90) days or more during a calendar year).

The following is a list of the type of information that will be provided to the Government by May 30, 2006 as required by the directive:

(1) Name,

(2) Date of Birth,

(3) Alien Registry number, (if the Employee or Long Term Contractor has no Social Security Number)

The following is a list of optional information requested in the directive:

(4) Social Security Number

On May 30, 2006 USCG will begin to monitor Port Facilities to check that all personnel within Crowley facilities have been listed and approved by the TSA. Prior to May 26, 2006, designated company personnel will compile all required information/data entry for both Administrative and Union Employees and, thereafter, each Crowley 33 CFR Part 105 regulated port facility will transfer its individual data list to the USCG geographical district in which the facility resides through a pre-authorized/approved, password protected governmental web portal.

Long Term Contractors are, therefore, advised of their responsibility to forward screening information to the appropriate Crowley representatives by May 26, 2006. Long Term Contractors should transfer screening information to Crowley Facility Security Officers (FSO’s) by Facility/Region. Crowley representatives by area are as follows:

US West Coast: Pat Porter; Contact #: (206) 332-8235; E-mail: Pat.Porter@Crowley.com

Port Everglades, FL: Ed Alford; Contact #: (305) 470-4089; E-mail: Edward.Alford@Crowley.com

Jacksonville, FL: Doug Hargett; Contact #: (904) 727-2195; E-mail: Doug.Hargett@Crowley.com

Pennsauken, NJ: Dwight English; Contact #: (856-966-5804; E-mail: Dwight.English@Crowley.com

San Juan, PR: Esteban Hernandez; Contact #: (787) 729-1098; E-mail: Esteban.Hernandez@Crowley.com

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands: Edwin Marte; Contact # (787) 729-1027; E-mail: Edwin.Marte@Crowley.com

Privacy Act Notice

Authority: 49 USC.114, 50 USC.191, and 33 CFR part 125 and authorize the collection of this information.

Purpose: DHS will use this information to conduct a security threat assessment on port facility employees, port facility long-term contractors, and longshoremen.

Routine Uses: The information will be used by and disclosed to DHS personnel and contractors or other agents who need the information to assist in activities related to port security.

Additionally, DHS may share the information with facility operators, Longshore unions, and law enforcement or other government agencies as necessary to respond to potential or actual threats to transportation security, or pursuant to its published Privacy Act system of records notice.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary to the individual employee. However, an employee’s failure to allow the Company to furnish the required information may delay or prevent the completion of that person’s security threat assessment and may therefore prevent access to work at a MTSA regulated facility.

SNC-Lavalin and Saipem awarded contract for LNG terminal

Montreal PQ May 17, 2006 - SNC-CENMC GP, a partnership between SNC-Lavalin Inc. and CENMC Canada Inc., an affiliate of Saipem SpA, has been awarded a contract by Canaport LNG Limited Partnership to design and build a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import and re-gasification terminal in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

SNC-Lavalin Inc. and CENMC will jointly carry out the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for the onshore portion of this world-scale facility, the first constructed in Canada. Work will be carried out from SNC-Lavalin's offices in Montreal and from project site offices in Saint John.

"This project marks a further milestone for SNC-Lavalin in the growing LNG market sector," said Jean Nehmé, Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Industrial Division, SNC-Lavalin.

The Canaport LNG Terminal includes two LNG storage tanks, each with a nominal capacity of 160,000 m3. The facility, located adjacent to Irving Oil's existing Canaport terminal, will have an initial send out capacity of one billion standard cubic feet per day of natural gas. Work on the project has started and the terminal is scheduled to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2008.

"We are pleased to be selected for this landmark LNG receiving terminal in Canada," said Pierre Duhaime, Executive Vice-President, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. "The SNC-Lavalin-CENMC partnership offers demonstrated technical expertise in LNG terminals and a proven track record in the execution of large EPC projects."

Canaport LNG, which will own and operate the terminal, is a limited partnership formed between Repsol YPF, S.A. of Spain and Irving Oil Company Limited of Canada. Repsol YPF is an international oil and gas company, operating in more than 25 countries. Irving Oil is a privately owned energy processing, transporting and marketing company that also operates a 280,000 barrels per day refinery in New Brunswick.

Death of Mr. Martin Böckenhauer

London May 17, 2006 - Mr. Martin Böckenhauer (Germany), former chairman of the IMO Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG), has died in Germany. He was seventy-four.

Born in Erfurt in 1932, Mr. Böckenhauer studied shipping technology in Hanover and Hamburg and worked for a short time at the shipyard in Flensburg, Germany. He joined Germanischer Lloyd in 1960 and was active in working groups of the international classification societies from 1962 and then in the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), following its foundation in 1969. In particular, Mr. Böckenhauer was involved with several IACS working parties on equipment rules (1963-1968), strength (1968-1972) and gas tankers (1972-1997), serving the latter two as Chairman.

Having attended the IMO Sub Committee on Bulk Chemicals (BCH) since 1975 as a delegate, Mr. Böckenhauer was elected as its Chairman from 1993 and was then Chairman of the renamed Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG) from its 1st session in March 1996 through to its 5th session in 2000. He chaired both Sub Committees with a unique style, preparing and submitting, when there was need, technical "Notes by the Chairman" for consideration, which was highly appreciated by all delegations.

Mr. Böckenhauer will be remembered for his outstanding contribution to a large amount of technical work throughout his career, including pioneering work since 1972 on tankers (especially gas tankers), bulk carriers and other types of ships; the development of international regulations for gas tankers by IMO (for example, the International Gas Carrier Code) and IACS, as well as related close co operation with the United States Coast Guard; the development of double hull oil tankers (earning him the nickname "Mr. Doublehull"); and major work on collision behavior of tankers. He published a large number of technical articles on oil, gas and chemical tankers.

After retiring from Germanischer Lloyd in 1997, Mr. Böckenhauer continued to be active internationally, chairing a working group in the Tanker Structures Co operative Forum (TSCF), as well as the BLG Sub-Committee.

IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos said, "It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Mr. Böckenhauer. He brought an immense depth of technical knowledge to IMO, from his long career at Germanischer Lloyd and his participation in IACS. He will be especially remembered for chairing the BCH and then the BLG Sub-Committees with a firm and fair hand through sensitive and complex issues, such as, most recently, the revision of Annexes I and II of MARPOL and of the IBC Code. He was fully committed to the causes of maritime safety and environmental protection and made a major contribution over many years. His passing will be mourned by all those who knew him."

Charges filed against Russian captain in Norway fishing scandal

Moscow May 17, 2006 (RIAN) - Prosecutors have filed charges with a Murmansk court against the captain of the Russian trawler Elektron, involved last year in a chase in Norwegian waters over alleged illegal fishing.

Valery Yarantsev is charged with violating fishing regulations and unauthorized detention of two Norwegian border guards on board, prosecutors said.

In mid-October, the Norwegian Coast Guard pursued the Elektron for five days across the Barents Sea for alleged violating Norwegian fishing regulations near the Spitsbergen archipelago. The trawler crew took two Norwegian border guards hostage on board the ship until it reached Russian territorial waters. Both were later freed unharmed.

Russian prosecutors opened a criminal case into the conduct of Yarantsev in the wake of the incident.

USMMA's Global Maritime and Transportation School Names Enterra Solutions CEO Stephen F. DeAngelis as a Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor

Kings Point NY May 17, 2006 - The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) and Enterra Solutions, LLC (Enterra), announced today that Enterra CEO Stephen F. DeAngelis will be appointed a Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor at the Academy's post-graduate Global Maritime and Transportation School (GMATS).

DeAngelis, who founded Enterra in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks to help public and private institutions respond effectively to globalization, technological change, terrorism, and other 21st century challenges, will teach a GMATS course on Global Resilience. The focus of DeAngelis' work as a Senior Fellow will involve foundational and applied research and development in the area of Global Resilience in the US maritime and Intermodal supply chain.

His post-graduate course on Global Resilience will focus on uniquely training the next generation of leaders in the maritime industry on Globalization and the systemic means of making their organization and assets resilient to asymmetric threats and systemically able and agile to identify and exploit opportunities through an integrated approach to security, compliance, information integration and performance management.

"An organization's capacity for resilience in the face of multiple challenges has become the greatest predictor of success in the 21st century. I look forward to working with GMATS foundational research and development to make maritime organizations resilient to security, compliance and competitive challenges. I also look forward to applying that research to real world assets and scenarios, and then dynamically training the next generation of maritime industry and other leaders in the emerging area of study," DeAngelis said. "I'm honored that GMATS has asked me to become a research fellow and to teach a course that will help public and private-sector leaders from our nation's maritime and transportation industry enhance the resiliency and effectiveness of the US maritime and Intermodal supply chain."

"Bringing Stephen DeAngelis' expertise and network to bear in creating cutting-edge research and development and then by creating a dynamic course on Global Resilience is indicative of how GMATS is dedicated to continually push the envelope for excellence in education. He will help our organization fulfill its mission to advance the state of the nation's critical maritime transportation system by creating new concepts in training the next generation of industry leaders," said CAPT John E. Hanus, USMS, Director of GMATS.

The appointment of Stephen DeAngelis is just one aspect of GMATS' collaboration with Enterra, Hanus added. Earlier this month, GMATS and Enterra announced an agreement to develop next-generation-integrated methodology, management framework, and technology solutions that will unify and automate major systems in transportation performance, security, and compliance.

DeAngelis founded Enterra Solutions in 2003 and serves as the company's President and Chief Executive Officer. He is a leader in the emerging field of Enterprise Resilience Management(TM) (ERM(TM)) and has spent the past two decades helping companies in technology, manufacturing, government affairs, and banking to optimize their investments in people, processes, and information technology. In October 2004, Mr. DeAngelis was named a Visiting Scientist at Carnegie Mellon's Software Engineering Institute (SEI), where he has worked in collaboration with SEI to create new methodologies in Enterprise Resilience Management and to lay the foundation for the next generation of the Operationally Critical Threat and Vulnerability Assessment (OCTAVE(R)) methodology for assessing organizational risk.

London May 17, 2006 - Fishermen will get cash towards the cost of revolutionary life saving equipment, the Government announced today.

Crews buying the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's man overboard and vessel reporting system will get 40 per cent of the purchase price paid from Government and European funds.

The Government hopes the money will encourage skippers to fit the RNLI monitoring system, called Man Overboard Guardian, and improve safety at sea.

In 2004 alone, RNLI lifeboats launched 799 times to fishing vessels and rescued 1,230 fishermen. But each year there are still around 20 to 30 deaths in the UK fishing industry.

The MOB Guardian will reduce the time it takes rescuers to find casualties because the RNLI will know automatically when and where vessels or individuals go missing .

UK Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw said: "Fishing is one of the most dangerous industries on earth and the Government is committed to improving the safety of those who work on the sea.

"I congratulate the RNLI for this excellent piece of kit and its associated service, and have made funding available to fishermen to encourage them to buy it."

The money will be administered by the Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA) and the Seafish Industry Authority (Seafish). They have already agreed a simplified funding application process.

MFA Chief Executive, Nigel Gooding, said: "Time is vital when a crewmember or vessel is lost at sea.

"Casualties have to contend with a variety of hazards when things go wrong - the weather, low temperatures and the sea itself. The quicker they can be traced, the greater their chance of survival.

"The RNLI's MOB Guardian will make our seas safer by helping to take the "search" out of search and rescue."

John Rutherford, Chief Executive of Seafish said: "This is an excellent initiative to increase safety at sea. At Seafish we are committed to ensuring that those working in UK waters are as safe as possible, and any technology that helps to avoid tragic accidents at sea is actively welcomed."

Government already provides substantial aid on measures to improve the safety culture of the fishing industry. It has spent £1.7m in England over the last five years on free safety training courses for fishermen, and is due to spend a further £500,000 over the next two years on similar courses. Around 5,500 fishermen in England have benefited from this free safety training.

Fishermen can apply for further financial support towards the MOB Guardian from Sunderland Marine or the RNLI as part of the industry lifesaving partnership.

London May 17, 2006 - The owners / master of a French trawler, Camisard II (DP912362) were fined a total of £20, 214 and ordered to pay costs of £3000 for fishing illegally in British waters.

The defendants were found guilty at Portsmouth Magistrates Court of failing to accurately record the quantity of cod in their logbook and using a net with a ballooning cod end. The net was also fitted with an illegal topside chafer, which stops immature fish from escaping. The magistrates ordered forfeiture of the cod-end and the illegal net attachment.

The routine inspection was carried out by HMS Tyne, which detained the trawler to Portsmouth.

The case was brought by the Marine Fisheries Agency (MFA) on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).

Following the verdict, Angus Radford, District Inspector with the Marine Fisheries Agency, said:

"We will pursue everyone who fishes illegally in British waters. Today's fines reflect the very serious nature of the offences committed. These penalties should not be seen as an occupational hazard but a real deterrent.

"Fisheries protection is an important part of maintaining a sustainable fishing industry. The Royal Navy and MFA Inspectors will not tolerate boats that cheat law-abiding fishermen.

"The MFA and Royal Navy, want a long term sustainable future for the nation's fishing industry"

Chevron Participates in First Delivery of LNG to China

San Ramon CA May 16, 2006 - Chevron Corporation today announced its participation in China's first imported shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The inaugural cargo is being loaded today in Karratha, Western Australia, the base of operations for the North West Shelf Venture, and will be en route to China's first LNG receiving terminal at Guangdong in southern China.

"This historic LNG shipment to China is another milestone in Chevron's strategy to connect our resource base to the markets that need them," said John Gass, president of Chevron Global Gas. "This also underscores our view that China is on its way to becoming an important market in the global LNG business."

The North West Shelf Venture continues to demonstrate long-term value creation for Chevron and its venture partners. The Venture currently is in the process of adding a fifth LNG production train, raising total production to over 16 million metric tons per year, and enjoys strong long term relationships with customers in Japan and Korea. This shipment of 125,000 cubic meters of natural gas officially marks the start of a 25-year trade relationship between the North West Shelf Venture and Guangdong Dapeng LNG Company Ltd.

Chevron is an equal one-sixth partner in the North West Shelf Venture, which began LNG production in 1989 at onshore facilities in Western Australia and markets LNG to customers in Asia, primarily Japan and Korea. Its partners in the Venture are BHP Billiton Petroleum (North West Shelf) Pty Ltd., BP Developments Australia Pty Ltd., Japan Australia LNG (MIMI) Pty Ltd., Shell Development (Australia) Proprietary Ltd., and Woodside Energy Ltd. (operator). CNOOC NWS Private Limited is also a member of the North West Shelf Venture but does not have an interest in the North West Shelf Venture infrastructure.

Athens May 16, 2006 - Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd. ("TEN) today announced three-year charter extensions for its 2002-built double-hull Suezmax tankers, Cape Baker and Cape Balboa, to a major South American state oil company. The charter rates for the extensions are significantly higher than the prior rates and are over 55% higher than TEN's charter-in obligations, reflecting a healthy outlook for the market. Gross revenues for these two vessels are expected to exceed $75 million over the three-year charter period. These vessels were part of a sale & leaseback transaction TEN entered into in 2003 with options to repurchase the vessels, at specified prices, over the next two years.

"We are pleased to extend the employment of these vessels for three more years at rates that will more than cover the vessels' all-in breakeven costs, and make material contributions to our bottom line," stated Mr. Nikolas P. Tsakos, President and Chief Executive Officer of TEN. "These two vessels have served our clients well and have enjoyed the confidence of the market since delivery. The duration of these contracts, combined with healthy rates and a high-caliber charterer, give us further confidence in the market ahead. Relationship building with oil majors is our Company's cornerstone, as is further evidenced by this transaction."

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