Firm to pay $9.5M in GoM cases

Wood Group PSN Inc., a Nevada corporation headquartered in Houston, was ordered to pay $9.5 million in two separate cases involving incidents in the Gulf of Mexico. Wood Group PSN was ordered to pay $7 million for falsely reporting, for several years, that its personnel had performed safety inspections on offshore facilities in the GoM’s Western District of Louisiana, and $1.8 million for negligently discharging oil into the Gulf in violation of the Clean Water Act after an explosion on an offshore facility in the Eastern District of Louisiana, according to Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeff Wood of the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Stephanie A. Finley, and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana Kenneth A. Polite. Wood Group PSN was also ordered to pay $700,000 in community service to projects in the areas where the criminal conduct took place. (Source: Marine Link 02/27/17)

CG medevacs toddler from cruise ship

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard medevaced a 3-year-old from a cruise ship some 95 nautical miles southwest of Southwest Pass, La., on Feb. 27. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a call about 6:30 a.m. reporting the toddler was suffering from a potential chest infection aboard the Carnival Cruise Ship Liberty of the Seas. CG Air Station New Orleans dispatched an MH-65 helicopter. Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., launched an HC-144 Ocean Sentry to assist. The MH-65 arrived on scene and transferred the child, nurse, and parent to Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. The child was reported in stable condition by the hospital. (Source: Coast Guard 02/27/17)

GIF to consolidate in Houma

Gulf Island Fabrication’s board of directors has OK’d management’s recommendation to place its properties in Aransas Pass and Ingleside, Texas, up for sale, and consolidate fabrication operations to its Houma, La., facility. The Texas properties are currently underutilized and represent excess capacity, according to the board. GIF will re-allocate remaining backlog and workforce to its Houma yard. "We do not expect the sale of these properties to impact our ability to service our deep-water customers or operate our fabrication division," the board said. GIF acquired the Houma facility with its 2016 acquisition of Leevac Shipyards. (Source: Marine Log 02/24/17)

LCS 4 undergoes unique training

CHANGI NAVAL BASE, Singapore - After completing a four-day visit to Brunei, the littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) conducted a passing exercise, and search and seizure training with the Royal Brunei Navy in the South China Sea. On Feb. 25, the Gulf Coast-built LCS returned to its forward-deployed base in Singapore. Training at sea with a regional partner for the first time while deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet provided unique opportunities for the crew, said Lt. j.g. Anthony Grayson, surface warfare detachment officer in charge. Flight operations with its embarked MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter and MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopters were a primary focus of the underway period, according to Lt. Cmdr. Thanh Nguyen, officer in charge of detachment five of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23. (Source: USS Coronado 02/27/17) Gulf Coast Note: LCS 4 was built at Austal USA Shipyard in Mobile, Ala.

Reimaging central GoM

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company (TGS) and Schlumberger announced a new multi- and wide-azimuth (M-WAZ) reimaging program for multiple clients in the highly prospective Central Gulf of Mexico. Final results are expected in early 2018, ahead of a period when substantial block turnover is anticipated. The new Fusion M-WAZ reimaging program comprises data covering more than 1,000 Outer Continental Shelf blocks from 3D WAZ programs previously acquired by TGS and Schlumberger with the WesternGeco Q-Marine point-receiver marine seismic system. This reimaging program will process data from the Mississippi Canyon, Atwater Valley and Ewing Bank areas using the latest imaging technology to provide a significant uplift in data quality for upcoming licensing rounds. The area will benefit from two licensing rounds every year for the next five years under the new Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s 2017-22 program. (Source: Marine Link 02/27/17) Gulf Coast Note: TGS is a Norwegian-based company with an office in New Orleans. Schlumberger is a global provider of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production, and processing to the oil and gas industry. It has an American office in Houston.

Bilden out of SECNAV nomination

Financier Philip Bilden has withdrawn his named Feb. 26 from consideration for Secretary of the Navy. In a statement, Bilden said he would be unable to meet the requirements of the Office of Government Ethics requirements for the position without “materially adverse divestment” of his family’s financial interests. Defense Secretary James Mattis said he would make a new recommendation to President Trump “in the coming days.” Bilden was formally nominated for SECNAV on Jan. 25 after conflicting media reports that former congressman Randy Forbes would likely get the job. Bilden was a former Army intelligence officer and Naval War College cyber-security leader. In recent years, he had been involved with the Navy through serving on the board of directors of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation and Naval War College Foundation. Additionally, one of his sons graduated from the Naval Academy and another is currently a midshipman. (Source: US Naval Institute News 02/26/17) Gulf Coast Note: Former Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus was the last SECNAV.

Partially submerged tow on lower MS

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard is responding to a partially submerged towing vessel on the Lower Mississippi River near Vidalia, La., on Feb. 26. Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River received a report around 3 a.m. that the towing vessel Sonny J was partially submerged with some 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board. The vessel’s fuel tank vents are above water and have been plugged. Members from Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Vicksburg, Miss., arrived on scene around 8 a.m.to assess the situation. A marine surveyor and WT Drilling of Natchez, Miss., an oil spill response organization, are also on scene. Containment boom and sorbent material have been deployed around the towing vessel and there is light sheening within the boomed area. The cause of the incident is under investigation. (Source: Coast Guard 02/26/17) Natchez is less than 3 miles from Vidalia, La.

UPDATE: The towing vessel Sonny J was raised and dewatered March 5 after it had become partially submerged since Feb. 26 on the Lower Mississippi River near Vidalia, La.

2016: Record drug haul for CG

Last year was a record-breaking haul for the Coast Guard’s fight against drug trafficking. By Oct. 31, the CG had seized more than 416,600 pounds of cocaine worth about $5.6 billion, the largest one-year amount in service history – accumulated in more than 260 interdictions in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and eastern Pacific Ocean. A total of 585 suspected drug smugglers were apprehended - 465 were transferred to the U.S. for prosecution. The maritime flow of cocaine has been rising over the last several years - from 577 tons in 2013 to 2,834 tons in 2016. The CG’s overworked fleet is a major area of concern for the service. Some of its Medium Endurance Cutters were built in the 1960s and need replacing. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul F. Zukunft says they have “80 percent awareness” of all illegal operations, but “can only act on about 20 percent” because of resource constraints. “We’re giving 60 percent of what we know, literally, a free pass.” The CG’s Offshore Patrol Cutter program has become the service’s No. 1 priority. (Source: National Interest 02/25/17) Gulf Coast Note: Eastern Shipbuilding of Panama City was awarded a contract on Sept. 15, 2016, to build the first 9 to 11 in class of Offshore Patrol Cutters.

NRF calls for averting port shutdowns

The National Retail Federation (NRF) has called on the U.S. Maritime Alliance and International Longshoremen’s Association to work together to avoid a one-day shutdown of East and Gulf Coast ports proposed by ILA. “Thousands of companies and millions of workers rely on these ports and any disruption to their activity even for a day could have a negative impact on the U.S. economy,” said NRF VP for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jon Gold. The ILA and Maritime Alliance have begun informal discussions on a contract extension well in advance of the current contract’s expiration. But “proposing a shutdown runs counter to this spirit of cooperation and may threaten this positive action,” Gold said. ILA is planning a one-day shutdown and march on Washington to protest “government interference” by the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor and state port operators in the Southeast. No date for the proposed shutdown has been announced. (Source: Marine Link 02/24/17)

Halter names Socha senior VP

VT Halter Marine, a shipbuilding subsidiary of Vision Technologies Systems, has named Robert A. Socha as Senior Vice President of Business Development and Estimating. In his role of VP, Socha is responsible for overall management and leadership of business development and estimating departments. He brings more than 30 years of executive experience to VTH Marine, including offshore and inland shipbuilding, engineering and construction. Socha previously has worked as Mid-Gulf Shipping of Slidell, La.; Baker Marine Solutions of Covington, La., and Bollinger Shipyards in Louisiana. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sam Houston State University. (Source: Marine Link 02/24/17) Gulf Coast Note: VT Halter Marine specializes in ship design, construction, and repair and offers comprehensive packages covering shipbuilding projects from blueprint to blue water, according to its website.

Gulfport Seabees returning

ROTA, Spain - Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 assumed charge of the Seabee's Europe and Africa Naval Construction Force missions from NMCB 11 during a transfer of authority ceremony at Naval Station Rota's Seabee camp Feb. 20. Cmdr. Jim Brown, commanding officer of NMCB 11, expressed confidence in the battalions before he exchanged salutes to signify the transfer of authority. Brown then exchanged salutes with Cmdr. Lance Flood, commander of NMCB 1, to signify the official transfer of authority. As NMCB 11 returns to its homeport in Gulfport, Miss., the oncoming battalion will continue the Seabee mission. (Source: US Naval Forces Europe Africa 02/22/17) Gulf Coast Note: Both NMCBs are home ported in Gulfport, Miss.

USCG awards contracts

Ingalls Shipbuilding and VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., and Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, La., were among five companies awarded firm, fixed-price contracts from the U.S. Coast Guard for heavy polar icebreaker design studies and analysis. The other companies awarded contracts Wednesday were Fincantieri Marine Group, LLC, Washington, D.C.; and General Dynamics/National Steel and Shipbuilding, San Diego, Calif. The combined total value of the awards is about $20 million. The studies are to identify design and systems approaches to reduce acquisition cost and production timelines. The studies are expected to take 12 months to complete, with study results provided incrementally during that time. The Coast Guard plans to release a draft request for proposals for detail design and construction by the end of fiscal year 2017, followed by release of the final RFP in fiscal year 2018. (Source: Marine Technology News, 02/22/17)

La. marine firm delivers Mex ferry

 The 150 foot-plus catamaran passenger ferry Ultramar has been delivered to a Mexican tourism-operator. The catamaran was built by Midship Marine of Harvey, La. Ultramar was specifically designed for the operator’s Playa de Carmen-Cozumel run, offering high capacity, high durability and a world-class passenger experience. (Source: Marine Link 02/23/17) Gulf Coast Note: Midship Marine is a family business established in 1989. Company founder/president Michael Hinojosa has been designing aluminum vessels for more than 30 years. Midship Marine builds a range of aluminum water craft including mono-hull and catamaran passenger ferries, sailing catamarans, semi-submersibles, oil skimmers and crew/supply boats to customer specifications, according to its website.

UA climatologist has Gulf warning

Dr. Rebecca Minzoni, the newest climatologist at the University of Alabama, is perhaps best known for studying the glaciers of Antarctica, but has some advice for the Gulf Coast. "We should definitely be planning for sea level rise in coastal communities, especially those on the Gulf Coast." As a paleoclimatologist, she sees the rise of sea levels as “the greatest threat to our society." Paleoclimatology is the study of the long history of the Earth's climate. Scientists use tools like core borings deep into the sea floor to analyze and compare conditions of the past to today. Scientists know the world's seas are rising, and Minzoni expects a rise of about 4 millimeters a year in the future. "The Gulf of Mexico hasn't experienced sea level rise this rapid since 7,000 years ago," she added. Most Southern reaction to rising-sea level predictions has focused on Louisiana with its low-lying communities and estuaries, but Mobile Bay’s delta system could also be vulnerable in coming decades. Minzoni worked with Shell Oil after getting her Ph.D. from Rice University. (Source: AL.com 02/22/17)

Ports, Cuba sign accords

The Mississippi ports of Pascagoula and Gulfport signed agreements in Cuba on Monday with an eye to future business and with a Republican U.S. senator from the state looking on. It was done despite concerns President Donald Trump might backtrack on improved relations. Sen. Thad Cochran is the only Republican among five U.S. senators and a U.S. representative on a three-day visit to the Communist-run Caribbean island to discuss relations and explore business opportunities. The agreements were signed during a business forum to explore future trade attended by Cochran. Similar agreements were signed last month with Virginia, Louisiana and Alabama. The Florida ports of Everglades and Palm Beach had also been planning to sign deals, but balked after Republican Gov. Rick Scott threatened to cancel their funding if they did business with the "Cuban dictatorship." (Sources: Multiple, including Reuters, NBCNews, 02/20/17)

Keel laid for DDG 121

PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- The keel of future guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr. (DDG 121) was ceremoniously laid Feb. 21 at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard. Although official construction of DDG 121 began April 2016, the keel laying symbolically recognizes the ceremonial beginning of the ship. Frank E. Petersen, Jr. was the first African-American aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps general. When he retired in 1988 after 38 years of service, he was, by date of designation, the senior-ranking aviator in the Marine Corps and Navy. (Source: NNS, 02/21/17)

Robots poised to fill military jobs

The wave of automation that swept away tens of thousands of U.S. manufacturing and office jobs over the last two decades is creeping upon the military that may put rear-echelon and front-line positions in jeopardy. “The U.S. military is very likely to pursue forms of automation that reduce ‘back-office’ costs over time,” says said University of Pennsylvania professor Michael Horowitz, a global expert on weaponized robots, and removing some personnel from non-combatant risks on the battlefield. Automation will likely have a big impact on military organizations in logistics and manufacturing. Driverless vehicles are poised to take transportation jobs from combat-support billets. Warehouse robots can do the same chores inside Air Force ordnance and supply units. Divers may no longer need to rip out sea mines by hand. Robots can do it. New warships are increasingly designed to reduce the number of sailors needed for operations. The highly automated guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt, homeported in San Diego with 147 sailors or half the number that run similar ships, deploys three MQ-8 Fire Scout drones to find targets, map terrain and identify weather conditions. The Office of Naval Research and Strategic Capabilities Office continue to experiment with what some call a “ghost fleet” of unmanned, networked surface and sub-surface vessels, to go along with drone-cousins. The inexpensive software and automated machinery trends in artificial intelligence and robotics will begin to threaten military jobs, just as it will to nearly half of all civilian jobs over the next several decades, according to a 2013 analysis by Oxford University. (Source: San Diego Union-Tribune 02/20/17) Gulf Coast Note: The second ship in the Zumwalt class is Michael Monsoor. Its start of fabrication took place in October 2009. In July 2014, Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Gulfport, Miss., facility delivered DDG 1001’s composite deckhouse to the Navy. Ingalls also built the peripheral vertical launch system and composite deckhouse for the ship, and all components were sent for final vessel assembly to Bath (Maine) Iron Works. Navy divers train at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla. In April 2006, production on the flight test airframes of the MQ-8B drone was initiated at Northrop Grumman's Unmanned Systems production plant in Moss Point, Miss.

CG medevacs vessel master

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard medevaced a vessel master from the chemical tanker FPMC 28 near Southwest Pass, La., on Feb. 20. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a call of a male suffering from chest pains, and launched a CG Air Station New Orleans MH-65 helicopter early Monday. The aircrew transferred the man to West Jefferson Memorial Hospital in New Orleans. He was reported in stable condition. (Coast Guard 02/20/17)

USA prof earns Navy YIP award

Dr. Kelly Dorgan of the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium and the University of South Alabama in Mobile was among 33 scientists named recipients of the Office of Naval Research’s 2017 Young Investigator Program (YIP) awards. The scientists’ researches – from 25 academic institutions - hold strong promise across several naval-relevant science and technology areas. Dr. Dorgan’s research on “Impacts of Infauna on Acoustic and Geotechnical Properties of Sediments” was winner in the Navy’s Ocean, Atmosphere and Space Research Division. The division is part of the Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department that concentrates on improving the Navy and Marine Corps' understanding of environmental evolution, the assimilation of data and limits of predictability. YIP awards support laboratory equipment, graduate student stipends and scholarships, and other expenses critical to ongoing and planned investigational studies. Typical grants are $510,000 over a three-year period. (Source: Office of Naval Research 02/17/17) Gulf Coast Note: Dr. Dorgan is an assistant professor of Marine Sciences and a faculty member at USA’s Dauphin Island (Ala.) Sea Lab.

Bryne named subcommittee vice chair

Alabama’s 1st District U.S. Rep. Bradley Bryne (R-Fairhope) has been named vice-chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC). The subcommittee has oversight over Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force programs. Serving as vice chairman, Bryne said he would “continue to advocate for our nation’s shipbuilders, including the hard-working men and women at the Austal Shipyard in Mobile and other Gulf Coast shipyards.” Bryne was served on the full HASC since  2014. (Source: Alabama Today 02/17/17)