US Regulators State Refusal To Restart Drilling Despite Political Pressure

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said that U.S. regulators would not bow to political pressure to restart deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico before they are certain the oil-and-gas industry is capable of containing an oil spill like the one that followed last BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Salazar and Michael Bromwich–the head of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, which oversees offshore drilling–were in Houston Friday to meet with oil industry executives to assess the spill-containment systems they have developed in the wake of nation’s worst-ever marine oil spill.

Bromwich said he was “quite confident that we are getting very close to the point where we can begin issuing deepwater permits.” But he and Salazar said the industry still has work to do before exploration of the Gulf’s deepest waters can resume.

Chevron Sees US Deepwater Drilling Resuming By Midyear

MIDLAND, Texas (Dow Jones)–Chevron Corp. (CVX), the second-largest U.S. oil company, expects to be able to resume its ambitious drilling program in the deep waters of Gulf of Mexico before the first half of 2011 is over, company executives said Wednesday.

“We are getting at the end of the road,” Gary Luquette, Chevron’s head for exploration and production in North America, said. “One time we thought it will be the end of the year, now our estimate is that it could be before the middle of the year.”

The first Chevron wells that are expected to receive permits are Buckskin, an appraisal well, and Moccasin, an exploration well. Both were suspended when the Obama administration enacted a moratorium on deepwater drilling last year, after the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill.

5th Fleet News Brief: Vice Admiral Fox discusses piracy aboard S/V Quest

DOD News Briefing with Vice Adm. Fox via Telephone from Bahrain on Somali Piracy Aboard the S/V Quest

COL. DAVID LAPAN (Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Media Operations):  Admiral Fox, it’s Colonel Dave Lapan here at the Pentagon.  How do you hear me?

ADM. FOX:  I hear you loud and clear; how me?

COL. LAPAN:  Okay, sir, we have you loud and clear.

Good morning, all, here at the Pentagon.  And good afternoon to Admiral Fox in Bahrain, we have with us today to talk to you briefly about the incident involving the Sailing Vessel (S/V) Quest.  Vice Admiral Mark Fox is the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.  He also serves as commander of the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet and commander of the Combined Maritime Force.

Detail

U.S. Admiral Provides Details of Somali Piracy Killings

WASHINGTON | Four pirates are dead and 15 are in custody, but not before they killed four Americans in the bloodiest piracy incident in recent history, the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command told reporters in a conference call yesterday.

Navy Vice Adm. Mark I. Fox, who also commands the Navy’s 5th Fleet, said the pirates shot Scott and Jean Adams of California and Phyllis Mackay and Bob Riggle of Washington state. The surface vessel Quest was sailing around the world when the Somalis hijacked it off the coast of Oman.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters on Air Force One that President Barack Obama authorized the use of force if there was an imminent threat to the hostages. He said the president was informed of their deaths at 4:42 this morning.

Egypt to build four Swiftships

An Egyptian shipyard is to assemble two 28-metre Swiftships patrol craft and co-produce two more under a US$20 million contract modification to a Foreign Military Sales Programme purchase approved earlier this month. 

Swiftships Shipbuilders of Morgan City, Louisiana, is being paid US$20 221 529 to design and construct the four coastal patrol craft (CPC). The contract also cover associated crew familiarisation training and technical services for the Egyptian Navy. 

Pirates kill four US hostages near Somalia

Pirates shot dead four US hostages on a private yacht, the deadliest incident involving Americans kidnapped for ransom in the increasingly dangerous waters off Somalia.

The US military said the pirates shot the hostages before American special forces boarded the vessel.

US troops killed two pirates as they took control of the the boat, and took 15 pirates into custody. Another two pirates were found dead when the US special forces arrived but they were not killed by US forces, the military said, Reuters reports.

U.S. Forces Respond to Gunfire Aboard S/V Quest

TAMPA, Fla. (NNS) — At approximately 1 a.m. EST today, while negotiations were ongoing to secure the release of four American hostages, U.S. forces responded to gunfire aboard the pirated vessel (S/V) Quest.

As they responded to the gunfire, reaching and boarding the Quest, the forces discovered all four hostages had been shot by their captors. Despite immediate steps to provide life-saving care, all four hostages ultimately died of their wounds.

“We express our deepest condolences for the innocent lives callously lost aboard the Quest,” said Gen James N. Mattis, U.S. Central Command Commander.

U.S. Admiral Says China’s “Carrier Killer” Missile Won’t Alter Navy’s Asia Stance

It’s been called the “Carrier Killer” for its supposed ability to be launched from hundred of miles away and quickly destroy the largest vessel in the U.S. Navy fleet before defense maneuvers can be employed.

In fact, defense experts have suggested that the capability of China’s new Dong Feng 21D missile is so imposing that it could swing the balance of power in Asia from the United States — whose aircraft carrier battle groups have ruled the sea since the end of World War II — to a Chinese military that has spent many years aggressively modernizing its fighting abilities and developing high-tech weaponry.

According to the Associated Press, military experts consider the DF-21D missile “a key component of China’s strategy of denying U.S. planes and ships access to waters off its coast.” The strategy includes “overlapping layers of air defense systems, naval assets such as submarines, and advanced ballistic missile systems — all woven together with a network of satellites.”

US military to boost naval fleet in Asia

A top US naval commander said Monday that Washington plans to boost its military presence in Asia, while warning that China should expand its own forces in a "responsible and constructive" way.

The United States has expressed concerns about Beijing's military build up, with the Pentagon saying this month that China was developing "counter-space" weapons that could shoot down satellites or jam signals.

DNV recommends LNG fuel shipping for North America

Houston: “Domestic ships in North America have three options to meet new emissions control regulations; install CO2 scrubbers, burn low sulphur fuel or switch to LNG fuel for the ship’s propulsion,” says Kenneth Vareide, director of operations for DNV North America Maritime.

DNV’s new report, Greener shipping in North America, proposes that LNG l is the most efficicient and economical way to meet air emissions requirements in the US and Canada that take effect in August 2012. Environmental Control Areas (ECA) will gradually be enforced along the North American coastlines. They will have full force in 2015 and 2016, leaving shipowners a limited number of options for modifications to their ships if they want to continue trade in North America.

York sails south to replace her sister

GLIDING past Round Tower, this is the sight of a stretched Type 42 destroyer, HMS York to be precise, sailing on deployment.

D98 (where life is great, according to the matelot's adage) is bound for the Falklands to relieve her sister.

Britain’s fastest destroyer (34kts) is due in the Falklands in the middle of next month, allowing her sister Gloucester to head home.

The Type 42 will spend a few months in and around the Falklands and South Georgia, returning to Portsmouth in July via the Caribbean and finally the USA.

Boeing EA-18G Growlers Deployed by US Navy

Boeing today announced that EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack aircraft have been deployed for the first time by the U.S. Navy.

"The men and women of Boeing are honored to see this new capability directly benefit the nation’s brave service members around the world," said Kory Mathews, vice president of F/A-18 and EA-18 programs for Boeing. "The airborne electronic attack capability that the EA-18G brings to the fight is in high demand, so we are comitted to continuing to deliver these aircraft to the Navy on budget and on schedule , just as we have with every F/A-18E/F."

SA sub exercises with US frigate

The Heroine-class submarine SAS Charlotte Maxeke (S-102) has exercises with the US Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG 29) off the South African coast. 

The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) says on its website the exercise, last week, was part of a series of joint-training operations between South African and US navies. Commander Matthew Rick, commanding officer of the Stephen W. Groves, told the AFRICOM news service that the exercise allowed his crew to test their ability to deal with real-life situations they might face during their military career.

MARAD Awards Contracts for $77 Million to Crew and Maintain National Defense Reserve Fleet Ships

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced contracts totaling $77 million for three U.S. maritime firms to operate 10 National Defense Reserve Fleet ships through July 27, 2015.

“This money will help make sure these important Defense Reserve Fleet ships are manned with skilled mariners and are ready when our Nation calls,” said Secretary LaHood.

The contracts were awarded to Ocean Duchess Inc. of Houston, Texas for $16,618,430; Keystone Ocean Shipping of Bala Cynwyd, Pa. for $30,212,588; and Interocean American Shipping Corporation of Moorestown, N.J. for $30,533,710. These companies are responsible for maintaining the ships in good mechanical condition and ensuring crews are available for their operation when needed.

Eight of the ships are reserve-status cargo ships, part of the Department of Transportation’s Ready Reserve Force, and two ships are used to assist Missile Defense Agency operations. Ready Reserve Force ships have been activated 91 times since 2002.

Exxon-Led Consortium: Oil Spill Response System Ready To Deploy

HOUSTON (Dow Jones)–A consortium of oil giants led by Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) said Thursday that an early version of its containment system for deepwater oil spills is ready for deployment, potentially paving the way for resumption of deepwater drilling in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The consortium said the system will be ready to deploy within 24 hours of a spill and will be able to capture up to 60,000 barrels of oil per day at depths of up to 8,000 feet. The system, similar to the one devised by BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) after months of trying to contain the Deepwater Horizon spill, consists of a capping stack that would be placed atop a leaking well and send captured crude up to vessels in the surface. Its components are now stored on the Texas and Louisiana coasts.

US Officials Probe Death Of Worker On Apache Platform

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)–U.S. offshore-drilling regulators are investigating the death of a worker who died Wednesday aboard a natural-gas production platform owned by Apache Corp. (APA).

The worker fell into the water as he was moving from a boat to the platform, located about 150 miles south of Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S. officials said in a statement.

Crew members were able to get the worker out of the water and on to the platform, but he became unresponsive shortly afterward and was subsequently pronounced dead, officials said.

The incident occurred around 7:45 a.m. CST.

Iran deploys two warships to Mediterranean

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday called the fact of two Iranian warships heading to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal a "provocation."

In a speech before the leaders U.S. Jewish organization in Jerusalem, Lieberman said that the two Iranian warships would pass through the Suez Canal overnight and then head to Syria, a country with which Israel is formally at war.

Lieberman referred that the deployment of the warships was "a provocation that proves Iran's nerve and self-esteem is growing from day to day."

USS Abraham Lincoln Arrives in Singapore

SINGAPORE (NNS) -- USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 arrived in Singapore, Feb. 16, to enjoy liberty, meet with local professionals and colleagues, and serve the community.

Approximately 5,000 Lincoln and CVW 2 Sailors will visit the island to experience the rich culture and history of one of the world's most thriving nations. 

While in Singapore, Lincoln will host a reception for nearly 400 distinguished visitors. Guests of honor include Republic of Singapore Navy Fleet Commander, Rear Adm. Joseph Leong and U.S. Ambassador to Singapore David Adelman.

Navy to issue Rs 50,000 crore submarine tender this year

NEW DELHI: The Navy will issue a global tender for procuring six next generation submarines worth over Rs 50,000 crore by the end of this year. 

"The government has cleared Project-75 India which is the next lot of six submarines... At the moment we are going with the Request for Information (RFI) process, I hope within this year we would be able to push off the tender," Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma told reporters on the sidelines of a submarine seminar. 

Project-75 India is a follow on of the Scorpene submarine project, six of which are being built by the Mazgaon Dockyards Limited (MDL) under a Rs 20,000 crore deal with French company DCNS. 

With a depleted submarine strength, the Navy is planning to induct over 12 submarines in the next 10-12 years. The plans have also suffered a setback in view of the delays in the construction of the Scorpenes in Mumbai. 

U.S. Navy Destroyer's Mast Breaks Off while the warship was underway off the northern Florida coast

The upper part of the mast on the destroyer Gravely broke off Feb. 13 while the warship was underway off the northern Florida coast, the U.S. Navy has confirmed.

"While underway conducting routine operations Feb. 13, USS Gravely (DDG 107) experienced structural damage to the mast mounted antenna. No personnel were injured during the incident," Cmdr. Elissa Smith, a spokesperson for the Second Fleet in Norfolk, said in a Feb. 15 e-mail to Defense News. "USS Gravely's crews took immediate action and secured the damaged mast-mounted antenna. The cause and extent of the damage is unknown.

"The ship safely returned to Mayport, Fla. at approximately 10 a.m. local yesterday and is undergoing assessment. Commander, U.S. Second Fleet and Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic are taking prudent actions to ensure safe, efficient and effective repairs to the ship. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is leading the investigation to identify the root cause of the failure."