Australia Navy intercepts people smugglers

The Royal Australian Navy ship, ‘HMAS Maryborough’, has intercepted a vessel with 44 potential illegal immigrants and three crew off the coast of Western Australia.

‘The vessel was first sighted by an Air Force AP-3C Orion aircraft. Armidale Class Patrol Boat (ACPB) ‘HMAS Maryborough’ apprehended the vessel as it crossed into Australian waters. Deputy Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas, of the Royal Australian Navy said that the Navy played a principal contribution to Australia’s offshore maritime security and had a vital role in protecting Australian waters and borders. ‘HMAS Maryborough’ has a range of 3000 nautical miles at 12 knots and a maximum speed of about 25 knots. It is equipped with high-definition navigational radar, high and ultra high frequency communications equipment, gyro compasses and echo sounder. The vessel is also fitted with a satellite navigation system that enables the ship’s position to be determined with great accuracy.

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Piraeus Port to triple capacity to 4.7 million TEUs

Focusing on the long-term prospects of the shipping industry and not on the dim picture of the past couple of months, the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) is pushing ahead a broad investment programme worth approximately 500 million euros, which will see the port emerging as a new transshipment hub for the broader East Mediterranean region.

‘In a speech handed out yesterday, OLP’s CEO, Nikos Anastasopoulos commented on the board’s decision to approve this project, as well as the concession agreement signed with Cosco Pacific Singapore, which will take control of container piers II and III. As for container pier I, Mr. Anastasopoulos said that the terminal will increase its handling capacity to 1.1 million TEUs annually, an investment of 160 million euros. Further to that, pier II will see investments of 320 million euros, undertaken by Cosco. All together, the port is expected to more than triple its annual capacity from 1.5 million TEUs today, to about 4.7 million TEUs by the year 2015. At the same time, there is at least one major guaranteed client, which is of course the Cosco Group and its affiliates. The rail link which is to be completed soon will also help to make the port as a full transshipment hub, capable of competing for the cargoes of the Black Sea, said Mr. Anastasopoulos. He went on to give some details about the relative investments, already undertaken on in progress, by competing ports in the region. Port Said has increased its capacity by 2 million TEUs, Damietta by 2.8 million TEUs, Marsaxlokk by 1 million TEUs and Israel’s port of Haifa, also by 1 million TEUs, not to mention the neighboring ports of Turkey, which are also on the hunt for Black Sea cargoes.

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Indian pair for GeoGlobal

India has confirmed the award of 100% stakes in two new onshore exploration blocks to Calgary-based GeoGlobal Resources under the seventh round of its New Exploration Licensing Policy, which closed in June.

‘GeoGlobal said in a statement that the adjacent exploration blocks VN-1 and VN-2 covered 3776 and 4908 square kilometres respectively on the eastern Vindhyan basin in Madhya Pradesh state. GeoGlobal will operate both blocks. It said minimum work programmes under Production Sharing Contracts for both blocks would span two phases over eight years, with the first phase covering five years. As part of the first phase of exploration, the company said it had committed to gravity and geomagnetic surveys, geochemical sampling and the shooting of 50 square kilometres of 3D seismic surveys on each block, as well as the sinking of two exploratory wells respectively to a depth of 1700 metres each. It will also reprocess 255 kilometres of 2D seismic on the VN-1 block and 340 kilometres on the VN-2 block over the next five years, the company said. GeoGlobal said it expected the PSCs to be signed on 22 December in New Delhi.

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