According to London consultants Drewry, shipbuilders have received more than three times as many orders for oil tankers in the first quarter of 2006 as they did one year ago, as owners invested their record profits in new vessels.

Drewry's figures show that contracts were issued for 377 vessels, with a capacity of 38.4 million DWT and by comparison, 101 carriers of 7.5 million DWT were contracted for in the first quarter last year. Furthermore, Drewry's research reveals nine more ships totalling 2.8 million DWT were ordered in the first quarter than in the second due to a surge of orders before the introduction of regulations in April that increased building costs. Tankers built under 'common structural rules' (which came into effect on April 1 for vessels over 150 metres in length) may require up to 9 per cent more steel to satisfy the new requirements.

Another factor that has affected figures has been demand for berth space at shipyards from an increase in orders for container ships that limited the capacity available for tanker construction.

Following the surge in shipping rates to record highs in 2004 around $207 billion was then invested in new carriers, the same amount spent in the preceding 10-year period, according to London-based shipbroker, Clarkson Plc.

Exports from BP's new one-million barrel-a-day Caspian Sea pipeline are also expected to stimulate demand for tankers as is the action of Venezuela in re-directing crude currently sent to the US, on longer routes to Asia

According to Drewry, average daily earnings for oil supertankers on the benchmark route between the Arabian Gulf and Japan reached their peak at $95,258 in 2004 and while earnings slipped to $59,058 a day in 2005, they were still higher than they were in 2001, 2002 or 2003.

Qatar's maritime initiatives

On a visit to the United States, Qatar's Minister for Energy and Industry met with the chairman of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and during that meeting, Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah, received a scholarship award presented by Robert D. Somerville on behalf of the class society in support of Qatar's maritime initiatives.

They also discussed Qatar's plans to become established as an international maritime centre and the future needs for LNG, LPG and bulk carriers for its export trades, plus its desire to establish a major new ship repair facility. Furthermore, Somerville pledged ABS support for the Minister's long held dream of constructing an LNG ship in a Qatari shipyard within the foreseeable future.

The annual scholarship that has been established by ABS is part of a comprehensive programme offered to support Qatar's maritime ambitions and it is intended to assist selected Qatari citizens to undergo academic and practical training in maritime related disciplines.

Other ABS initiatives include a separate technical training program for Qatar Gas personnel in LNG carrier design, construction, maintenance and in-service surveys. The training programme will be conducted by veteran ABS surveyors and engineers with extensive LNG experience.

"There is no doubt that Qatar will rapidly expand its maritime industry and its maritime influence within the Middle East region," said Somerville. "It is clear that the Government is committed to supporting this strategy and that it has the will and the resources needed to realise these plans. It is important that Qatari citizens gain the necessary maritime skills and experience that will be required. ABS is pleased to be able to enter into this long term relationship with the State to assist the future maritime leaders of Qatar to gain the needed training and experience."

The scholarships and associated technical training that will be undertaken by ABS further underpin its long standing involvement in the Middle East and growing activity within Qatar. The class society's Middle East regional administrative headquarters relocated to Doha, Qatar in late 2004 in recognition of Qatar's emergence as an international centre of maritime activity. ABS now administers its operations in 19 countries from Doha.

"ABS is committed to supporting the Government of Qatar in the areas of training and of ship construction, repair and operation, as Qatar further develops its maritime centre," Somerville stressed.

MISC signs up to new MAX service

Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) has recently joined up with Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) and Tokyo Senpaku Kaisha (TSK) on their new Middle East Asia Express (MAX) service, covering ports in mainland China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

In a statement, MISC said that joining the service would enable it to offer the fastest transit time from China to the Middle East and back.

Five vessels, ranging between 4,700 TEU and 5,900 TEU, have been deployed on the service, which began earlier in July.

The service rotation is Shanghai, Ningbo, Hong Kong, Shekou, Singapore, Port Klang and Jebel Ali, Port Klang, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

IMO launches bravery award

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has launched a new award for exceptional bravery at sea that will "uniquely, provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment."

At last month's 96th session, the IMO Council gave the formal go-ahead for the award, approving guidelines for the process of selecting the winner. Nominations are now being invited for the 2007 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.

- The writer is a Dubai-based marine consultant.