News

Corvus Nets Five Ferry Battery Deal
by Ship Bunker
Monday, January 28, 2019

For all-electric vessels to be built in Norway.

“Sandy” Joins the Dots for BP
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 28, 2019

BP Ventures has invested $5 million in artificial intelligence it has named “Sandy” to enhance its upstream digital capabilities.

The investment supports BP’s ongoing work exploring opportunities to apply machine learning and cognitive computing in its global oil and gas business. In this case, it is directed at the Houston technology start-up Belmont Technology, a company that has developed a cloud-based geoscience platform using artificial intelligence (AI). 

The platform has a string of unique capabilities including specially-designed knowledge-graphs. BP experts feed the platform geology, geophysics, reservoir and historic project information. It intuitively links that information together, identifying new connections and workflows and creating a robust knowledge-graph of BP’s subsurface assets. Much like data searches available in the consumer domain, BP experts can then interrogate the data, asking the powerful knowledge-graph specific questions in natural language. The technology then uses AI neural networks to interpret results and perform rapid simulations. 

Aimed at accelerating project lifecycles, from exploration through to reservoir modeling, the technology is targeting a 90 percent time reduction in data collection, interpretation and simulation.

David Eyton, BP’s group head of technology, said: “This AI-based platform, which we’ve nicknamed Sandy, is expected to unlock critical data for our subsurface engineers at a much accelerated pace. Our experts will ask it questions about our reservoirs like, ‘What factors control production in the Chirag field?’ Sandy will then interpret our data, including mapping out many more scenarios than are currently constructed, helping us make faster, better informed upstream decisions.”

BP’s investment will enable Belmont Technology to expand its workforce, extend Sandy’s capabilities and accelerate the deployment of its product.

This investment follows BP’s previous deals in cognitive computing, including $20 million in Series B funding in AI company Beyond Limits. That investment is helping deploy AI technology previously used in deep space exploration missions in offshore exploration, accelerating operational insight and process automation across operations. One of the projects is to examine how to mitigate the impact of sand production in wells, with BP experts teaching the system so that their expertise becomes available digitally.

Belmont’s scalable knowledge-graphs can be interrogated by Beyond Limits’ technology for new insights. 

Video below courtesy of the Society of Petroleum Engineers:

Scrubber Advocates Voice Concern Over Circumstances of Fujairah's Open-Loop Ban
by Ship Bunker
Monday, January 28, 2019

CSA2020 members want to understand the environmental data behind the decision, while scrubber sceptic Euronav says "the mood music changing."

Smell the Roses, Then Stomp on Them
by CW4 MICHAEL W. CARR
Sunday, January 27, 2019
The Instructor, a retired Navy SEAL, spoke with a quite, steady and commanding voice: “Load one nine round magazine, lower the hammer, place your weapon on safe, re-holster, and raise your right hand when you have completed these actions.” Clear and concise. Each of his ten students followed these commands. Soon ten right hands went up. […]

SEA\LNG: LNG has Fast Payback for Liner Route
by The Maritime Executive
Sunday, January 27, 2019

SEA\LNG has released an independent study revealing a strong investment case for LNG as a marine fuel in the container shipping market.

Peter Keller, Chairman, SEA\LNG, stated: “We commissioned this study from independent simulation and analytics expert Opsiana to support shipowners and operators in analysing their investment opportunities in an informed way, while simultaneously providing deeper analysis of the assumptions that go into the 2020 decision process.”
 
He continued: “The study unequivocally shows that for this vessel type, on this trade route, LNG as a marine fuel delivers the best return on investment on a net present value (NPV) basis over a conservative 10-year horizon, with fast payback periods ranging from one to two years.”
 
The results of the study, which analyses the case of a newbuild 14,000 TEU container vessel operating on an Asia-US West Coast (USWC) liner routing and compares six fuel pricing scenarios, challenge commonly held assumptions in relation to the economic performance of LNG bunkers.
 
The results are even more compelling given the investment scenarios are compiled and compared based upon on a route with very little voyage time (eight percent) in Emission Control Areas (ECAs).  LNG is also proven to be the best investment across a broad spectrum of business climates from strong freight markets with elevated vessel operating speeds to weak freight markets where slow steaming is employed.
 
The study further indicates that LNG provides a greater ROI than alternative compliance solutions, including the installation of Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (EGCS), or scrubbers, across five out of six of the fuel scenarios explored. It also reveals a diminishing CAPEX hurdle, competitive energy costs, the stability of LNG pricing, and the realistic cost of scrubbers. Moreover, these higher returns were achieved without factoring in the significant additional benefits gained by choosing LNG as a more environmentally-friendly marine fuel;  a choice that increasingly possesses a currency value as major global brands and beneficial cargo owners demand cleaner logistics chains.
 
The analysis is supported by SEA\LNG’s 36 member organisations, who contributed maritime expertise and current, timely background information and data from across the LNG value chain.
 
While this study focuses specifically on the investment case for LNG within a key liner trade route, the coalition is collaborating with third parties on further independent research which will analyse the investment case for different vessel types and additional liner trade routes.
 
Keller concluded: “At a time when shipowners and operators deserve factual information with which to analyse options in an informed way, there have been too many unqualified assumptions about the investment case for LNG. While there remain many unanswered questions about the choice and prices of marine fuels going into 2020, SEA\LNG will continue its commercially-focused studies to provide authoritative intelligence regarding the investment case for LNG as a marine fuel for shipowners, shipyards, ports and wider stakeholders.” 

The report is available here.

First MOL Car Carrier Visits Cambodia
by The Maritime Executive
Sunday, January 27, 2019

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has announced that its car carrier Grand Orion called at the Port of Sihanoukville, Cambodia, and discharged about 12,000 tons of construction machinery. It was the first call at a Cambodian port by an MOL-operated car carrier. 

Most of the cars imported to Cambodia, both brand-new and second-hand, are currently carried in ocean containers or by car trailers. With motorization rapidly spreading throughout the country, it is expected that automobile imports will increase and create demand for regular ocean transportation service by car carriers.

Sihanoukville is Cambodia's only deepwater port, and its facilities have been developed with the support of the Japanese government. In May 2018, a newly built multipurpose terminal that accommodate large-size cargo ships started operation in the port and enabled large car carriers such as the Grand Orion to call at the port. 

MOL considers the call an important first step to prepare for possible future demand.

Report: Air Pollution Puts Cruise Passengers at Risk
by The Maritime Executive
Sunday, January 27, 2019

An investigative report by Dr. Ryan Kennedy of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health claims that air quality on four Carnival Corporation ships can be worse than some of the world’s most polluted cities including Beijing and Santiago.

The study was commissioned by the international environmental organization Stand.earth.

The study measured ultrafine particulate pollution from multiple locations on four cruise ships, both in port and at sea over multi-day cruises. Ultrafine particles can have thousands of times more surface area than fine particles and are small enough to be inhaled into a person’s lungs and move into the bloodstream, where they can cause higher rates of cardiovascular disease and asthma. Recent studies have suggested that ultrafine particles may be the most dangerous to human health, and that particulate matter from ship exhaust may be to blame for tens of thousands of annual deaths, claims the organization.

Stand.earth is urging Carnival Corporation to transition away from using heavy fuel oil to power its ships and immediately switch to a cleaner-burning fuel while installing filters to help reduce ultrafine particulate pollution. Ultimately, Stand.earth wants Carnival Corporation to transition away from fossil-fuel powered ships completely.

All four ships in the study have scrubbers installed that allow them to burn heavy fuel oil inside most of the North American and Caribbean Emissions Control Areas. In California, where scrubbers are banned within 24 miles from shore, ships are required to switch to a cleaner-burning fuel.

“This report’s continuous elevated readings indicate that even in California, where Carnival Corporation is required to switch to a cleaner-burning fuel, air pollution on board remains a serious concern,” said Kendra Ulrich, Senior Shipping Campaigner at Stand.earth. 

A 2017 study by the Nature & Biodiversity Union in Germany measured ultrafine particulate air pollution from cruise ship emissions on the Greek island of Santorini. This prompted the British Heart Foundation to issue advice telling cruise passengers to avoid standing in areas near or downwind from engine funnels. 

Channel 4 Dispatches conducted an undercover study in 2018 in the U.K. This investigation examined ultrafine particulate air pollution on board a Carnival-owned P&O cruise ship. It found readings downwind of and next to engine funnels that were double that of central London. These air pollution fears fueled a fight against a new cruise ship terminal in London on the river Thames that would have brought up to 55 cruise ships per year to London. The ships would have to run their engines around the clock due to a lack of on-shore power. Plans for the new terminal were scrapped in November 2018 due to air pollution concerns.

The report is available here.

Small Watercraft Innovation and Future Propulsion
by The Maritime Executive
Sunday, January 27, 2019

A recent innovation applied to the most basic form of watercraft offers potential for alternative future propulsion. Innovative lateral thinking resulted in the installation of a hydrofoil based on the equivalent of the wing layout of a scale model aircraft under a surfboard. It has revolutionized recreational surfing and has been applied to small watercraft.  

Introduction

The history of maritime transportation includes a multitude of innovations that over a period of centuries, has steadily improved water-based transportation. Some of the innovations seemed almost insignificant, such as the lengthwise installation of a vertical wood plank under the central axis of a flat-bottomed boat, to improve directional control. The additional of a movable sail allowed ancient mariners to use coastal crosswinds as the source of propulsion, even winds blowing toward the boat at a 45-degree angle. Such innovation made commercial sailing more competitive with overland transportation of goods using animals. 

Applying additional innovation led to the development of multiple-masted schooners and eventually yachts. Perhaps as a result of unintended mishaps, early recreational ski enthusiasts discovered that when traveling fast, their skis could actually carry them across narrow bodies of liquid water. Widened skis became surfboards propelled by coastal sea waves, possibly the result of people observing seals using waves to travel to shore. Efforts aimed at increasing recreational vessel speed led to experiments using modified skis to minimize contact between a solid surface and water, with ongoing experimentation resulting in the development of hydrofoils.

Hydrofoils

The development of hydrofoils offered increased vessel speed with greatly reduced vessel pitching and rolling motions. However, early hydrofoil technology also required higher engine power for a vessel to make the transition from mono-hull to rising upward to sailing on the small hydrofoils. Designers and builders of competitive yachts added small hydrofoils to the bottom of the central keel, to partially lift the vessel so as to reduce hydrodynamic or water drag by reducing the vessel/water wet surface area as vessel speed increased. Builders of recreational surfboards experimented with keels and hydrofoils and with surprising results.

A surfboard built with a small scale-model airplane wing arrangement at the bottom of the keel would actually rise above the water surface when propelled by a wave, carried only by the pair of forward and rear water wings. Surfers soon discovered that they could induce pitching motions to the raised surfboard, by rocking themselves forward and backward on the board, or “pumping” the hydrofoil board to generate propulsion in a comparable manner to marine mammals that “wag” their tail flukes to achieve propulsion. Installing hydrofoils has changed recreational surfing to include “pump-surfing”  on calm water.

Resonant Frequency and Propulsion

A recreational surfer pumping a hydrofoil surfboard may be compared to the activity of a little child jumping and bouncing on a spring mattress or trampoline. The relationship between the stiffness of the springs, the child’s weight and its movement coordination determines the nature of the bouncing. Proper synchronization of all relevant factors allows the child to bounce almost effortlessly for a prolonged duration. The duplicate leg muscles of the Australian kangaroo functions like mattress springs, allowing the kangaroo to bounce forward over greatly extended distances while expending minimal effort. Both the child and kangaroo maintain resonant frequency. 

The design of a hydrofoil carrying a moving surfboard above water allows the rider to partially duplicate the resonant frequency of a child bounce-jumping on a mattress or kangaroo forward-hopping. Hydrofoil wing profiles, angles and springiness or flexibility along with board rider’s expertise at pump-propulsion has allowed some surfers to ride up to a dozen consecutive waves approaching a beach, often achieving a measure of resonant frequency when pump-riding between waves. Some hydrofoil surfboards are specifically designed for resonant-frequency-like pump-propulsion on calm water at small inland lake or river locations, with rider using paddle oar to start moving. 

Ocean Wave Propulsion

Several boat designers and builders in several different countries have built operational wave-powered vessels, usually two-section vessels involving mono-hulls, with a short forward section and extended length rear section. The short section is more vulnerable to wave action and drives the propulsion technology. One enthusiast from Japan chose to sail a wave-powered boat from Hawaii to Japan except that due to unusually calm seas, the voyage took three months. The precedent of the pump-propelled hydrofoil surfboard offers the possibility of a pitch-prone short forward section using hydrofoils as the basis of wave-driven propulsion.

One design from France uses the forward short mono-hull section to pump a duplicate of the equivalent of the tail fluke of a whale, while pulling a much longer mono-hull barge at speeds of up to six knots. There may be scope to combine a short forward mono-hull to provide pumping-propulsion with a much longer small-water-area-twin-hull catamaran-type barge trailing section that would involve less water drag. A recent small ferry boat design uses a surfboard style of large forward with small trailing hydrofoils and rises above water surface at nine knots, perhaps a future design objective of wave-powered coastal vessels.    

Alternate Resonant Frequency Propulsion

A surfboard rider pump-propelling a hydrofoil surfboard and ocean wave propulsion represent variations of resonant frequency based propulsion. In both cases, the propulsion is based on a variation of the mathematical sine wave, as is alternating current (AC) electrical power. It is technically possible to design and build mechanisms that can generate alternating up and down mechanical forces. One such mechanism involves weighted counter-rotating balance shafts found inside some designs of large-displacement four cylinder automotive engines to minimize transmission of engine vibration into the passenger area. Such mechanisms could duplicate the forces of a rider pump-propelling a hydrofoil surfboard.

A pair of geared, electrically driven counter-rotating shafts with weights could generate alternating up-and-down mechanical forces in the vertical direction and pump the mechanical equivalent of a large whale-like tail fluke up and down to generate propulsion. At low speeds along inland waterways, traditional propellers operate at low efficiency. By comparison, a whale-like mechanical tail-fluke could move a much greater volume of water at much lower relative speed than a propeller, thereby offering greater low-speed propulsive efficiency. A future vessel could combine small water area twin hulls placed above hydrofoils and use resonant frequency to activate mechanical fluke propulsion.  

Compressed Air-over-Water Acceleration

Bottle rockets use compressed-air-over-water energy storage to achieve both vertical take-off and propulsion. On a larger scale such energy storage can be applied to boats to provide fast short-distance acceleration and/or short-distance propulsion, including using retractable venturi pumps to avoid cavitation. It could theoretically accelerate a small-water-area-twin-hull (SWATH) catamaran vessel to sufficiently high speed for it to transition to riding on low-speed hydrofoils, when ocean wave energy conversion using additional hydrofoils or flukes would then blend in to maintain hydrofoil sailing speed. When the vessel is moored, ocean wave action could replenish its compressed air energy storage system. 

Conclusions

Innovation involving the smallest of personal watercraft has not only made ocean wave surfing more attractive, it has been adapted to operation on calm water found at inland locations along rivers and small lakes. The low-speed hydrofoil combination of a wide forward wing and narrow tail includes a box-shaped forward wing reminiscent of a bi-plane. Small boats including a battery-powered water-taxi utilize large-scale versions of surfboard-style hydrofoils to achieve smooth low-speed sailing and at higher elevation with minimal pitching and roll motions, potentially the future of small ferry vessels required to sail across choppy water.
 

Royal Australian Navy Surgeon Honored for Exceptional Service
by The Maritime Executive
Sunday, January 27, 2019

Royal Australian Navy Commander and orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Ian Young, has been appointed a Member in the Military Division of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of his exceptional service in the delivery of operational medical services to Australian Defence Force personnel.
 
The honor was awarded on Australia Day, January 2016.

Young's citation reads: “Commander Young provided exceptional service as a leader, surgical mentor and innovator in the delivery of specialist orthopedic medical services to the Australian Defence Force and Coalition partners. Through innovation and the application of complex surgical techniques, teams led by Commander Young were able to restore both an element of dignity and mobility to the most vulnerable and severely wounded. His commitment and expertise has ensured the best possible outcomes for casualties with significant injuries.”

Young's operational service includes deployments on Operation RELEX (HMAS Warramunga - 2001), Operation PADANG ASSIST (HMAS Kanimbla- Indonesia – 2009), Operation SLIPPER (2010 and twice in 2012), Operation RENDER ASSIST (HMAS Choules - Bougainville - 2014), Operation OKRA (Iraq – 2016) and Operation APEC ASSIST (HMAS Adelaide - Papua New Guinea – 2018).

Young originally joined the Canadian Forces (Navy) and transferred into the Royal Australian Navy in 1998. He became a fully-qualified orthopedic surgeon in January 2008, the only full-time medical specialist in the Navy at the time.
 
Since then, he has helped to grow and develop the Medical Specialist Program to its current workforce of 25 personnel in five specialities, including orthopedic surgery, general surgery, anesthetics, emergency medicine and intensive care medicine – an achievement he feels is an important legacy. 
 
Throughout his career, he has enjoyed postings to HMAS Cerberus, the Submarine Underwater Medical Unit (SUMU) at HMAS Penguin, and the Maritime Role 2E Primary Casualty Reception Facility (now known as the Maritime Operational Health Unit).
  
He’s currently serving as Director of Specialist Medical Capability - Navy. This role has him sharing his time between managing health capability development and conducting ongoing regular clinical placements as an orthopedic surgeon at Frankston Hospital in order to maintain his clinical skills and ability to deploy at short notice.
 
Overall, 23 members of the Royal Australian Navy have been recognized in the 2019 Australia Day Honours List:

Member of the Order of Australia

Commodore Michael Hans Miko
For exceptional service to the Royal Australian Navy in the field of Maritime Logistics.

Captain Ian James Young
For exceptional service in the delivery of operational medical services to the Australian Defence Force on Operations RELEX, PADANG ASSIST, RENDER SAFE, OKRA and SLIPPER. 

Lieutenant Commander Nathan Lindsay Cole
For meritorious service in the field of maritime communications and Information Systems support.

Chief Petty Officer Cameron Devenny
For meritorious service to the Royal Australian Navy's Boatswains Mate Workgroup and meritorious devotion to duty as Chief Petty Officer Boatswain HMAS Hobart.

Captain Mark Gregory McConnell
For meritorious service to personnel management and shaping future people capability within the Royal Australian Navy.

Captain Darren John Rae
For meritorious service in the field of Naval Aviation Engineering.

Commendation for Distinguished Service

Lieutenant Patrick Charles McGuire
For distinguished performance of duties in warlike operations as the Aviation Operations Officer for Train Advise Assist Command - South, while force assigned to Operation HIGHROAD, Afghanistan from August 2017 to February 2018. 

Conspicuous Service Cross

Captain Peter Darrell Bartlett
For outstanding achievement in the field of Navy Task Group pre-operational training and preparation.

Lieutenant Commander Victoria Anne Caton
For outstanding devotion to duty in the field of Defence nursing and personnel support.

Captain Nicholas Byers Hart
For outstanding devotion to duty, dedication and achievement as the Naval Attaché to Indonesia.

Commander Rachel Elise Jones
For outstanding achievement in the application of exceptional skills as the Command Legal Officer within Headquarters Joint Task Force 633 on Operation ACCORDION from March 2017 to September 2017.

Captain Anthony Michael Klenthis
For outstanding achievement in strategic workforce planning for the Royal Australian Navy.

Commodore Antony Simon Partridge
For outstanding devotion to duty as the Director General - Defence Force Recruiting.

Captain James George Renwick
For outstanding devotion to duty as a legal officer in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve.

Commander Luke Richard Ryan
For outstanding achievement in the performance of duty as the Commanding Officer of the Royal Australian Navy Recruit School.

Captain Mark David Sirois
For outstanding achievement in the application of exceptional skills, judgment and dedication as the Commanding Officer of HMAS Newcastle while deployed on Operation MANITOU from July 2017 to November 2017.

Captain Cameron WR Steil
For outstanding achievement as the Commanding Officer HMAS Arunta, while deployed on Operation MANITOU from November 2016 to July 2017. 

Conspicuous Service Medal

Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Daniel Crowther
For meritorious achievement in the in the field of Naval unmanned aircraft.

Lieutenant Commander Neil Jonathon Davenport
For meritorious achievement and devotion to duty in the field of minor war vessel capability development with the Royal Australian Navy.

Petty Officer N 
For meritorious achievement in the field of Navy Expeditionary Reconnaissance and Clearance Diving training.

Lieutenant Jennifer Louise Neuhaus
For meritorious achievement in the performance of duty as the Course Implementation Officer at the School of Navigation Warfare.

Lieutenant Commander Darryl Wilton Scott
For meritorious achievement as the Senior Instructor Maritime Intelligence Wing at the Defence Force School of Intelligence.

Chief Petty Officer Andrew Spencer
For meritorious achievement in weapon safety and materiel management in the Royal Australian Navy.

Destroyer Honors Navy SEAL Who Threw Himself on Grenade
by The Maritime Executive
Sunday, January 27, 2019

The U.S. Navy’s second Zumwalt-class destroyer, USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), was commissioned on January 26 at Naval Air Station North Island, California.

The ship honors Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Ramadi, Iraq, September 29, 2006. 

Monsoor was part of a sniper overwatch security position with two other SEALs and several Iraqi Army soldiers when an insurgent closed in and threw a fragmentation grenade into the position. The grenade hit Monsoor in the chest before falling to the ground. Positioned next to the single exit, Monsoor was the only one who could have escaped harm. Instead he dropped onto the grenade, smothering it to protect his teammates. 

The grenade detonated as he came down on top of it, inflicting a mortal wound. Monsoor’s actions saved the lives of his two teammates and the accompanying Iraqi soldiers. His Medal of Honor citation reads, “by his undaunted courage, fighting spirit and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

California Congressman Scott Peters delivered the commissioning ceremony's principal address for the ship named for the southern California native. "'You never quit.' Those are the words Michael Monsoor wrote with permanent marker inside the camouflage hat he wore throughout his [Basic Undersea Demolition School] training at the Naval Special Warfare Training Center here at Coronado," said Peters. 

"If you visit the quarterdeck of the magnificent new ship we commission this morning, you will see his hat there with those words inscribed within it. It is encased in glass where and it will remain on display permanently for the life of the ship. The letters are faded from time and wear but their significance and how Michael applied them to his life are as vivid and meaningful today as they were that day when he wrote them many years ago as his reminder to persevere. The words 'you never quit' are also brandished prominently throughout the ship as if Michael himself is offering encouragement to every man and woman who sets sail upon her."

Sally Monsoor, Michael Monsoor’s mother, served as the ship’s sponsor and delivered the time-honored first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!" The crew of 148 officers and enlisted personnel were joined by service members who served with Monsoor in Ramadi as they raced aboard to man the rails and watch stations.

"Monsoor is an incredible honor that the Navy has bestowed upon him and his family," said Chief Warrant Officer Benjamin Oleson, one of Monsoor’s teammates in Ramadi. "I went out to the christening event, and I was completely blown away [by] the sheer size of what this ship represents. I think if Mikey saw the ship, he'd be like, 'That's too much. That's not for me. I'm just laid back.' But I think it's truly an honor that the Navy did this, especially the type of destroyer that it is. ... [with] its cutting-edge, advanced technology. I think, with Mikey in the platoon, always at the front, leading the way, the way the ship is designed, it's going to be leading the way in the future."

The nearly 16,000-ton USS Michael Monsoor was built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. The ship is 610 feet in length, has a beam of 87 feet and a navigational draft of 27 feet. The ship is powered by two Rolls-Royce main turbine generators, two Rolls-Royce auxiliary turbine generators, two 34.6 MW advanced induction motors to speeds up to 30-plus knots.