WMTC 2006 marks the occasion of the 103rd IMarEST Annual Dinner and WMTC Conference Dinner to be held on Friday 10th March 2006 at 1830 Hours, Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London W1

This year the IMarEST 103rd Annual Dinner will be hosting the World Maritime Technology Conference (WMTC) dinner. This unique opportunity will give hosts and their guests the chance to network with contacts from maritime organisations all over the world, at a fantastic venue right in central London. To find out more about WMTC 2006, visit www.wmtc2006.com

Maurice Storey CB - President, IMarEST: “Maritime organisations from all over the world are participating [in WMTC] as presenters, exhibitors and supporters, and there are keynote speakers of great distinction in both plenary and streamed sessions. The IMarEST Annual Dinner and the WMTC Conference Dinner provide an unprecedented opportunity for members of the maritime community to network not only in their own disciplines but across the ever blurring boundaries of marine science and engineering.”

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THE world’s largest oil drilling ship, under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries in Korea for Stena Drilling, will be powered by six Wärtsilä 32 diesel engines with a combined power of over 40MW.

The dynamically positioned vessel, with the project name Stena Drill MAX, has twin drilling derricks and is intended for oil and gas exploration in water up to 3000m and in harsh environments such as the Norwegian and Barents Seas.

With a displacement of 97 000t, overall length of 228m and breadth of 42m, it is capable of drilling to a depth of 11 000m. Delivery is scheduled for the end of 2007.

Wärtsilä will supply six 16- cylinder engines, together with various ancillary equipment, including fuel and lubricating oil filters, coolers and pumps. The engines each have a power output of 7290kW at 720rev/min and will drive the main generators that will meet the vessel’s total power requirements for dynamic positioning, propulsion, drilling and hotel services.

According to Harry Robertsson, Technical Manager of the Stena Group, Wärtsilä won the order ‘mainly because these engines have the lowest specific fuel consumption among the engines which we considered for the project.’

[SOURCE SHIPPING WORLD & SHIP BUILDER]

SHIP MANAGERS are increasingly being targeted by port authorities for breaches, or suspected breaches, of MARPOL Regulations, reports the International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC). Writing in the latest issue of its newsletter, Intermediary, the ITIC warns that although many of these breaches are due to negligent action by the crew, it is often the ship manager who faces fines or prosecution as a result.

‘MARPOL Regulations govern the amount of oil a ship can legitimately discharge into the sea. An increasing number of engineers have been accused, or found guilty, of using the engine room oily water separator improperly, or bypassing it altogether to discharge oil directly into the sea,’ says the ITIC. ‘In other cases, ships records, particularly the Oil Record Book, have been falsified by the crew.’

In some countries, particularly the USA, ship managers are regarded as the operators of the ship. Even where it can be shown that was the actions of the crew that violated MARPOL, it is the owner (or the manager) who is liable and will therefore face a fine. According to the ITIC, owners are sometimes reluctant to deal with claims involving crew negligence or wilful default if the crew has been selected or directly employed by the manager.

‘It is important, therefore, that ship managers contract using BIMCO Shipman 98 or a contract which is very similar, says the Club. ‘Managers who have their own tailor-made contracts are advised to ensure they include all the necessary provisions including clauses to limit their liability for the actions of the crew.’ Heavy deposits of oil on this pipe leading to the sea suggests direct discharge into the sea. But where does the liability lie?

[SOURCE MER ]

IMarEST members are invited to submit comments on any aspects of the Oceans 2025 programme as outlined below. Please send comments to technical@imarest.org by the 20th January 2006.

On November 30th 2005 Professor Ed Hill, of the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton gave the IMarEST Stanley Gray Lecture on Key Perspectives in Marine Science for 2025. The presentation highlighted the need for the UK marine science community to work together on directed research addressing the big scientific challenges in earth system science such as climate change, where sustained national capability or major critical mass is required.

Seven Marine Centres in the United Kingdom have joined forces to prepare a coordinated bid to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for a programme of Strategic Research called Oceans 2025. Previously the seven institutions involved have all been funded separately by NERC for their own individual strategic programmes.

In contrast to NERC's funding for curiosity-driven, blue skies research, its Strategic Research funding is for programmes of directed research addressing areas of present or anticipated national need, and with environmental issues where sustained national capability or major critical mass is required.

These programmes are also one of they key means by which NERC supports sustained long-term observing, technology development and its data centres.

An overview of the Oceans 2025 programme has now been published for consultation (Word format or PDF) and detailed proposals for each of the ten Oceans 2025 themes are now being developed. This document is available at http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/oceans2025.php