President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov met with Vagit Alekperov, President of Lukoil Oil Company, on April 19.
The parties discussed Lukoil’s activities in Uzbekistan with regard to geological prospecting and development of hydrocarbon deposits in a range of investment blocks, as well as the progress in constructing a new gas processing plant in Bukhara region.
According to President Islam Karimov, the effective materialization of exploration works has allowed Lukoil to secure growth of hydrocarbon reserves across deposits of Kandym group, Khauzak-Shady, Gissar region, Kungrad segment, and as part of Investors Consortium on the Uzbek section of the Aral Sea.
It has been stressed during the meeting that Lukoil’s direct investments into the hydrocarbon complex of Uzbekistan on three investment schemes have already exceeded US$2 billion. More than US$5 billion of investments in general are due for the period of execution of all projects with Lukoil. Uzbekistan’s willingness to bolster cooperation in deep reprocessing of raw stock with production of goods with higher added value has been underscored.
In his turn, Vagit Alekperov expressed gratitude for a warm welcome and a facilitating environment created to implement extensive mutually advantageous projects; he also highly appreciated the Lukoil activities in Uzbekistan’s oil and gas industry. The guest assured of the readiness of the company he runs to continue with the longer-term and rewarding interaction with Uzbek partners.
Central Asian News Service, en.ca-news.org
KOREA's Hanjin Shipping has announced it will expand its east Mediterranean service by joining the existing ABX (Asia-Black Sea Express) string from mid-May and TLS (Turkey-Levant Service) loop from April 25.
The ABX loop is jointly run by China Shipping, "K" Line, PIL, Wan Hai and Yang Ming at present, covering north China, south west Asia and the Black Sea regions with eight 4,000- to 4,250-TEU vessels.
With a transit time of 26 days from Shanghai to Constanza, the ABX loop calls at Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen-Shekou, Singapore, Port Kelang, Piraeus, Istanbul, Constanza, Ilichevsk, Port Kelang and back to Shanghai.
And the TLS loop is currently operated by Arkas Line and Turkon Line, each deploying one 2,000- to 3,000-TEU vessel. Hanjin will add a third ship to this weekly service that links Port Said and Piraeus to Turkey and Levant regions.
"Using Port Said and Piraeus as transshipment hubs, TLS service will cover all major Turkish ports in addition to Lebanon and Egypt so as to fulfil customers' demand in the area," said a Hanjin's statement.
Port rotation of the TLS service is Port Said, Alexandria, Beirut, Mersin, Piraeus, Evyap, Istanbul, Gemlik, Izmir, Mersin and back to Port Said.
Hanjin said it also launched its own ADN (Adriatic) service in early April to build presence in the area.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
DUBAI-based Emirates Shipping has announced it will launch two direct fixed scheduled weekly services to Africa, the Gulf Mombasa Express (GMX) and the Gulf Dar-es-Salaam Express (GDX), with CMA CGM from May 11
The Gulf Mombasa Express (GMX) service will call at Jebel Ali, Khor Fakkan, Mombasa, Zanzibar and back to Jebel Ali.
And the Gulf Dar-es-Salaam Express (GDX) service will rotate through Jebel Ali, Khor Fakkan, Dar-es-Salaam and back to Jebel Ali.
First sailing for both loops will start from Jebel Ali. Emirates will deploy five 2,200-TEU ships on GMX loop and three 1,700-TEU vessels on the GDX string.
Emirates Shipping, registered in Dubai and commercially run from Hong Kong, said the two new services "targeted the high growth areas in East Africa which is important to our overall strategy. By offering a comprehensive weekly network of reliable services we are responding to the needs of our customer base."
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
DURING the first quarter of this year, southeastern Fujian province spent CNY14.97 billion (US$2.38 billion) on road and water traffic projects, taking 18.7 per cent of the province's annual investment target, Xinhua reports.
Expenditure on expressways totalled to CNY7.32 billion. Those on roads and highways totalled CNY5.17 billion. Waterway projects cost CNY1.88 billion. CNY219 million was spent on freight yards and depots. The province also spent CNY352 million on other auxiliary facilities for transportation.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
THE G6 Alliance, made up of APL, Hyundai, MOL, Hapag-Lloyd, NYK and OOCL, has started a Far East weekly service to Sweden's largest port of Gothenburg from the Far East, port authorities announced.
"We have worked for several years to attract more direct calls for Swedish industry to key markets in the Far East. This news is extremely welcome and very positive," said the Port of Gothenburg's sales chief Claes Sundmark.
The first to arrive was the 8,110-TEU APL Finland. "APM Terminals in Gothenburg is the only container terminal in Sweden that can handle vessels of this size," said Port of Gothenburg CEO Magnus Karestedt.
APM Terminals officially took control of Sweden's largest port in January, noted the UK's Port Technology International.
"Up to now, Sweden has had one direct service to the Far East - Maersk Line, which calls the Port of Gothenburg once a week with its very largest container vessels. From next week, there will two competing alternatives. The Port of Gothenburg now has seven direct deep sea services," Mr Karestedt said.
The new Far East service rotates through Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen-Shekou, Singapore, Tangier, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Gothenburg, Rotterdam, Jeddah, Singapore, Shenzhen-Shekou, Hong Kong and back to Shanghai.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
STIMULATED by the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between mainland China and Taiwan, Xiamen city's fruit imports from Taiwan doubles in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period a year ago, Xinhua reports.
In the first three months, the southeast China coastal city imported 160 batches of Taiwan fruit, up 22.1 per cent year on year, weighing 22.22 million tonnes, up 99.9 per cent over the same period in 2011. Value of these fruit soared 103.1 per cent to US$2.49 million.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
TAIWAN's Evergreen Line is to add a Japan-Thailand-Vietnam service through slots purchases on the NYK and Bangkok-based carrier Siam Patella's Phoenix service (PHX) with a first sailing from Laem Chabang on April 24.
The PHX serves Kobe, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Yokohama, Laem Chabang, Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Ho Chi Minh City (Cat Lai), Hong Kong and back to Kobe.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
CHINA's Tibetan territory plans to invest CNY46.2 billion (US$7.3 billion) in roads in the next four years, 178 per cent expenditure increase against the period between 2005 to 2010, reports Xinhua.
The region aims to build a comprehensive transport network by 2015 by boosting construction of outbound mainline highways and rural highways. Tibet's total highway mileage will reach 70,000 kilometres with paved roads linking all its counties and covering 60 per cent of its towns and villages in 2015.
Tibet's highway operating mileage stood at 58,200 kilometres in 2010, while in 2011 the territory spent CNY8.5 billion (US$1.35 billion) to build 15 projects which increased to 4,600 kilometre of new highway, creating a total of 63,100 kilometre of road surface. Investment in road building will come to CNY9.5 billion this year.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
KMTC (Korea Marine Transport Company) has added a second Far East-western India service by taking slots on the service recently organised by Emirates Shipping Line, Hapag-Lloyd and Regional Container Line (RCL), reports Alphaliner.
This service calls at Xingang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen-Dachan Bay, Singapore, Port Kelang, Colombo, Mumbai-Nhava Sheva, Pipavav, Port Kelang, Singapore, Xingang, complementing the Far East India Express (FIX) operated by KMTC, Hanjin and STX Pan Ocean.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
BEIJING's freight forwarders recorded revenues of CNY126.1 billion (US$20 billion) in 2011 drew from 946 registered forwarder companies, reports Xinhua.
Privately-owned forwarders make up 70 per cent of the total while the state-owned enterprises and holding companies account for 15 per cent with another 15 per cent being accounted for by foreign-owned and joint-ventures.
Forwarding in Beijing has seen a 30 per cent growth in revenue, in import and export cargo volume over the last two years, says International Freight Forwarder Association (IFFA) secretary general Li Rong.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
GERMAN logistics giant Dachser, which has posted a 13 per cent year-on-year revenue increase to US$5.9 billion in 2011, gave credit to the 17 per cent growth in its air and sea segments that scored sales of $1.5 billion.
In 2011, Dachser handled 49.3 million shipments of 40.9 million tonnes. "Following the economic crisis and a period of recovery, the markets stabilised again somewhat last year. Dachser was able to return to the growth trend we have defined as ideal for long-term business expansion," said Bernhard Simon, head of the company's management board.
The company said it continues to set high targets, aiming to increase revenue in the air and sea logistics business to $2.8 billion by 2017, with 5,000 employees in 220 branch offices in 49 countries.
European logistics was the company' s largest business segment generating revenue of $3.7 billion. The European overland transport network was further reinforced in 2011. Three Eurohubs in Bratislava, Clermont-Ferrand and Uberherrn/Saarland now enable Dachser to consolidate group freight via a pan-European scheduled service, optimising capacity utilisation, efficiency and environmental sustainability, said a company statement.
Dachser Food Logistics increased revenue in 2011 to $772 million - a surge of 16 per cent.
In 2012, Dachser expects to increase growth by double-digit rates again and to invest in the expansion of its European and international network. Over the next five years, the company intends to invest an estimated $1.7 billion in its European overland transport network alone. The company will continue to invest in development of its international network by adding the right people in the right locations. "Consistently investing in initial training and advanced training is the only way to build a qualified and effective staff," Mr Simon said.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
TAIWAN's Evergreen Line will launch a Belawan-Malaysia feeder service from April 28 along the Malacca Strait.
Evergreen will deploy a 1,164-TEU vessel to the weekly BMS service, calling at Belawan, Penang, Tanjung Pelepas and back to Belawan, 20 kilometres from Medan (pop 2.1 million), the capital of Indonesia's North Sumatra province.
The carrier said the route serves Indonesia and Malaysia which has a large enough population to drive increased imports. Also, these two countries have rich natural resources that encourage increasing exports of raw materials.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
NEW YORK-listed Seaspan Corporation, headquartered in Vancouver, but managed from Hong Kong and registered in the Marshall Islands, has announced it has taken delivery of the 13,100-TEU COSCO Hope from Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries.
This is Seaspan's third delivery in 2012 and expands the company's operating fleet to 68 vessels, said the company statement. This is the seventh of eight 13,100-TEU ships and the 17th of a total of 18 vessels to be chartered by Seaspan to Cosco. The COSCO Hope is on a 12-year, fixed-rate time charter.
Seaspan is an independent owner and manager of containerships, which are chartered under long-term fixed-rate time charters to major container lines. Seaspan's contracted fleet of 72 containerships consists of 68 containerships in operation and four containerships scheduled for delivery through 2014.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
KUWAIT's United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) has taken delivery of its eighth 13,500-TEU containership, the Al Qibla, during a naming ceremony at Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard.
"The ships are living up to expectations and are providing substantial savings, which, combined with recent freight increases, have resulted in a substantial improvement for UASC," said CEO Jorn Hinge.
Said USAC chairman Othman Ibrahim Al-Issa: "Al Qibla takes her name after a city in my homeland Kuwait, and her name carries a special spiritual meaning as well, in the Arabic language it means the direction towards which we turn for prayer."
This almost completes the US$1.5 billion Samsung order of nine 13,000-TEU ships placed in 2008. Seven have already entered service on routes between the Far East, Arabian Gulf, Red Sea and northern Europe on the AEC8 and AEC2 and AGX1 services.
The naming ceremony was attended by Kuwait's ambassador to South Korea Mr Muteb Al-Mutoteh, Samsung's senior management, several UASC executives and financial partners.
The investment in the 13,000-TEUers is expected to yield important economies of scale, allowing UASC to compete more effectively in key trades, said the company statement. The new bigger ships will reduce UASC's per TEU cost and will place the shipping line in a stronger position vis-a-vis rivals, said UASC, which owns and operates 48 containerships.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
MALAYSIAN carrier MSC Berhad is making its final moves in withdrawing from the container trade, ending all domestic East Malaysia services after its dramatic decline.
The removal of two 836-TEU containerships the Bunga Mas Sembilan and Bunga Mas Sepuluh will end services from Port Kelang to East Malaysia.
The remaining fleet of nine vessels are as yet unsold with two of its largest capacity 7,943 TEU built in 2006 and 2007 respectively for a reported sale of US$48 million. It has sold two small vessels of 699 TEU as converted escorts to the Malaysian Navy.
The niche operator failed to secure buyers for three containerships built in 1990-1991 in the 1,290-TEU range at a discounted price of US$3.7 million from a initial reserve of $5.5 million in 2010.
The withdrawal from container services will lead to one-time costs of $475 million, the company said when it announced its exit last quarter 2011.
Source Shipping Gazette - Daily Shipping News
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