CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent

STX Canada Marine announced that they have been awarded a contract to design the future flagship polar icebreaker of the Canadian Coast Guard. The $9.5 million contract was awarded by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans as part Canada’s the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy to create and strengthen Canada’s shipbuilding industry.

The polar icebreaker, to be named CCGS John G. Diefenbaker after the former Prime Minister, will be able to operate autonomously for 270 days in the Arctic, over a larger area, and in more difficult conditions than any of Canada’s current icebreakers.

The new Icebreaker will be delivered to coincide with the decommissioning of the CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent in 2017 and will replace the vessel as the CCG Flagship.

STX Canada Marine has previously worked with the Department of National Defense on the design of an Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPS) and the Canadian Coast Guard on the design of a Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV).

The polar icebreaker is one of the vessels included in the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy (NSPS) Non-Combat contract awarded to Seaspan Vancouver Shipyards Ltd in October and will be designed and built in Vancouver.  The work will be carried out at STX Canada Marine’s Vancouver office and be completed by the end of 2013.

Supporting the project will be a team of experts from Aker Arctic Technology (AARC), SNC-Lavalin, INDAL Technologies and Noise Control Engineering.

An artist's rendition of the new Equinox Class vessels. Photo: Algoma Central Corp.

Algoma Central Corp., the largest Canadian shipowner and operator of Canadian-flagged Great Lakes vessels, has announced plans to install fresh water exhaust gas scrubbers on six new vessels that the company says will remove 97% of sulphur oxides emissions generated by vessel engines.

The St. Catharines, Ontario-based company has signed a contract with Wärtsilä Ship Power for the supply of the systems for its Equinox Class vessels, which are currently being built by Chinese shipbuilder Nantong Mingde Heavy Industry Co. Ltd, for a total supply and installation cost of the six scrubber systems is US$12 million.

The two gearless bulk carriers and four self-unloading bulk carriers are designed specifically for Great Lakes service with high efficiency hulls that will require less horsepower to achieve higher speeds than any previous Great Lakes design and thus achieve the lowest fuel consumption and emissions per tonne/kilometre of cargo carried.  The first Equinox Class vessel will arrive in Canada in the first half of 2013.

The Algoma order is the first for Wärtsilä’s new, integrated, fresh water, exhaust gas scrubber design. The scrubbers are designed to clean the exhaust gases of the vessels’ main and auxiliary engines as well as the oil-fired boiler and will meet more stringent environmental regulations taking effect over the next three years.

These scrubber systems will allow shipowners to use lower cost, heavy fuel oils while, at the same time, meet the new Emission Control Area sulphur limits established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and adopted by Canada and the United States for the Great Lakes and coastal waters.  Without scrubber technology, shipowners will be forced to convert vessels to burn more expensive low sulfur diesel.

The Wärtsilä scrubber concept works with fresh water recirculating in a closed-loop system. Sulphur oxides that are washed out of the exhaust are neutralized with caustic soda. A small amount of scrubbing water is continuously extracted and an on board water treatment unit removes other captured contaminants such as particulate matter.

A major advantage of fresh water scrubbers is the possibility to operate in a zero discharge mode which means that there is no effluent (waste product) from the scrubber discharged into the lake water. The treated, clean effluents would be held in a holding tank for discharge at an appropriate location while solid contaminants are disposed of at reception facilities in port.

“These are truly important vessels as they will set new standards for environmentally sustainable shipping on the Great Lakes and for cargo vessels in general. The Wärtsilä integrated scrubber solution removes more than 97 percent of sulphur oxides emissions,” says Juhani Hupli, Vice President, Ship Power Technology at Wärtsilä Ship Power.

“In addition to the environmental initiatives another key focus for Algoma’s fleet renewal process has been to reduce maintenance costs. Wärtsilä’s capability in providing both an integrated marine solution and global service support was a major reason Wärtsilä was selected to provide this comprehensive equipment package.” says Al Vanagas, Senior Vice President Technical, Algoma Central Corporation.

This process meets all the quality and monitoring requirements stipulated by the IMO. Wärtsilä is the first manufacturer to have been awarded a marine scrubber certificate by the classification societies Det Norske Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd, and Bureau Veritas.

More about Wärtsilä’s Fresh Water Scrubbers

Click here to view the embedded video.

Views of the U.S.-Canada fourth joint mission to map the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean in August and September 2011. The 2011 joint mission employed the flagship icebreaker from each country, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent (LSSL), with each ship performing different functions and one ship breaking ice for the other.[State Department photo/ Public Domain

By Brian Van Pay and Barbara Moore, US Department of State

In the enduring spirit of friendship and cooperation, the United States and Canada conducted their fourth joint mission to map the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean this past summer. The 2011 Arctic mission traversed more than 5,600 total miles and reached more than 1,230 miles north of the Alaskan coast. It marks the completion of a successful five-year collaboration between the United States and Canada to collect the scientific data necessary to determine the extent of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles (referred to as the extended continental shelf) in the Arctic. Determining the extent of the continental shelf is important because a country has rights to manage and protect the resources of its continental shelf.

Collecting these data was not a trivial endeavor, especially in the Arctic’s ice-covered waters. The 2011 joint mission spanned nearly six weeks in August and September and employed the flagship icebreaker from each country, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent (LSSL), with each ship performing different functions and one ship breaking ice for the other. The partnership is an important example of the use of science as an effective tool of international diplomacy and both countries obtained more data and saved money by working together.

Each ship is equipped with different tools to accomplish its mission. The Healy is one of the few icebreakers in the world with a sophisticated mapping system called a multibeam echo-sounder that can generate beautiful three-dimensional images of the seafloor. The LSSL collected seismic data that provide a cross-section view of what is beneath the surface of the ocean floor, giving scientists insight into the thickness, geometry, and other characteristics of the geologic layers that make up the floor of the ocean.

Since the start of U.S. ECS work in the Arctic in 2003, the Healy has mapped more than 123,000 square miles of the Arctic seafloor, an area equivalent to the size of Arizona. Since 2006, the LSSL has collected 9,320 miles of seismic data, enough to cross the United States almost three times. As in previous Arctic missions, the scientists and crew were not entirely sure the ice would allow the ships to proceed, especially in the eastern portions where some of the thickest Arctic ice is found. The 2011 mission exceeded expectations.

The continental shelf is an important maritime zone, one that holds many resources and vital habitats for marine life. Each nation has sovereign rights to exploit and manage the resources of its continental shelf. From oil to tin, diamonds to gravel, metals to mussels, the resources of the seabed are enormous. Knowing how far the ECS extends, and what resources it contains, is necessary for national security and effective management of those resources.

The U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Task Force, chaired by the Department of State, will analyze the data collected on this and other cruises to determine the full extent of the U.S. continental shelf. Preliminary studies have indicated that the U.S. ECS likely totals at least one million square kilometers — an area about twice the size of California or nearly half the Louisiana Purchase — and a significant portion of that is in the Arctic.

Barbara Moore, a NOAA detailee to the Department of State, was a key participant in this summer’s final joint cruise. To view some of Barbara’s amazing photos taken during the 2011 Arctic expedition, visit the Facebook page of the Bureau of Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific Affairs or the Department of State’s Flickr page.

The U.S. ECS work is not limited to the Arctic and also includes areas in the Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Alaska, and Atlantic Ocean. To learn more about mapping the U.S. continental shelf, please visit the webpage of the U.S Extended Continental Shelf Task Force: www.continentalshelf.gov.

Brian Van Pay serves as a Maritime Geographer in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and Barbara Moore is serving on detail to the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Royal Dutch Shell has won a $970 million bid (NS 11-1) for exploration rights offshore Nova Scota, says the Canada – Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board (CNSOPB).

This 9-year license covers rights to explore 4 offshore fields located approximately 250 kilometers south of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Speaking with Tanya White, Manager, Public Relations & Administration for the CNSOPD, seismic surveys will begin, followed by exploratory drilling during the latter part of their license.  These parcels are all located in waters between 1400 and 3750 meters deep, which is the top-end range of any new ultra deepwater drilling rig currently available on the market today.

As winner of this bid, Shell is required to post a deposit of $242,500,000, or 25 percent of the amount of the bid, to demonstrate their commitment to conduct the intended work.

In order to even qualify to bid for this work package, bidders must have experience in the drilling of exploration wells in water depths greater than 800 metres in the past ten years.

Shell demonstrated that it has extensive worldwide experience in deepwater drilling including involvement in three previous deepwater exploratory wells drilled offshore Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

“These Work Expenditure Bids are the highest received to date for parcels offshore of Canada’s east coast,” says Stuart Pinks, CNSOPB Chief Executive.

“These lands are located offshore Southwest Nova Scotia where recent studies have identified oil potential.  It is also important for our community to know that we have a regulatory regime in place which serves to ensure that petroleum activities are only conducted by competent parties in a manner which holds the health and safety of offshore workers and the protection of the offshore environment paramount.”

The next Call for Bids will be issued in May 2012 with nominations now being accepted until March 16, 2012.

Irving, which owns the Halifax Shipyard, secured the lion’s share–a C$25 billion deal to build combat ships–while Seaspan was awarded a smaller C$8 billion contract for non-combat ships. A third contender, Quebec’s Davie Shipyard, was shut out.

The economy is the big winner from the contracts, according to the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters. “Beyond the benefits for the winning companies and their workers, the shipbuilding contracts will have profound benefits for the entire economy, coast-to-coast,” CME President Jayson Myers said in a statement. He described it as a “great day” for Canada’s manufacturing industry, saying that hundreds of suppliers from across the country will have a chance to bid for various sub-contracts.

There will be another C$2 billion contract to build smaller ships which will be open to Davie Shipyard and other bidders, but not to Irving and Seaspan, government officials said.

The major contracts are a politically sensitive matter as they determine which regions stand to benefit. A controversial decision in 1986 by then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservative government to award a fighter-plane maintenance contract to Montreal’s Bombardier Inc. (BBD.B.T) over a more competitive bid from a western Canadian company helped spark the creation of the right-wing, western-based Reform Party–which later morphed into the present-day Conservative Party that’s now in power.

The government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper structured the decision-making for the shipbuilding contracts in such a way as to make it an arm’s-length process. The way the announcement was made further underscores the political sensitivities. Major announcements are typically made by cabinet ministers, but this one was unveiled by a senior bureaucrat from the Public Works department.

Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose said later Wednesday that the government is delivering on its promise to create good jobs across Canada and provide much-needed ships for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coastguard, “all through a transparent and arm’s length process.” She said the contracts will create 15,000 thousand jobs annually over the next 30 years. She did not take questions from reporters.

The fact that the Quebec company didn’t get the main contracts can be expected to draw criticism from the opposition parties. The main opposition New Democratic Party holds 59 of the 75 federal seats in the French-speaking province, while the Conservatives have just five.

-Nirmala Menon, Dow Jones Newswires

The exercise, called Operation Nanook, involves more than 1,000 Canadian troops. Military aircraft and navy vessels, and–for the first time–pilotless drones are taking part. Mr. Harper is also expected to unveil several economic initiatives aimed at developing the increasingly accessible Canadian Arctic.

Melting ice–blamed by many scientists and governments on global warming–promises to open new shipping routes and make oil and mineral deposits there more accessible. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that already-discovered onshore Arctic fields contain about 10% of the world’s known, conventional petroleum reserves. The agency thinks there could be another 90 billion barrels of oil–just a little less than the reserves of a super producer like Kuwait–still undiscovered, especially in the largely unexplored offshore.

That has set off a scramble by rival Arctic powers to position themselves to take advantage. Last month, Canada announced details of its military exercise just days after Russia said it would deploy two army brigades to the north to defend its own interests.

At the same time, government and international bodies are scrambling to come up with rules and emergency response protocols as economic activity increases. Michael Byers, an international law scholar and Arctic authority at the University of British Columbia, says the chances of armed conflict over the region are small. But Ottawa and other governments are waking up to serious threats that melting polar ice might pose, including criminal activity, from smuggling and illegal immigration to terrorism.

“The challenge is, as the amount of activity, shipping in particular, increases almost exponentially, can the Canadian government ramp up to deal with that,” Mr. Byers says.

At a summit in May, Arctic powers, including heavyweights Russia, Canada, the U.S., Denmark and Norway, divided up search-and-rescue responsibilities for the region and pledged to create rules for preventing and cleaning up oil spills. Washington sent Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the highest-ranking U.S. official to attend such a meeting. International maritime officials are drafting new safety guidelines for polar voyages, anticipating increased shipping.

Meanwhile, lofty metals and petroleum prices–even after steep declines amid recent market turbulence–have emboldened companies to swallow the higher costs of exploring and developing hard-to-reach Arctic or near-Arctic reserves. Earlier this month, Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA, RDSB) cleared another regulatory hurdle to drill in Arctic waters offshore Alaska. Steel giant ArcelorMittal SA (MT, MT.AE) plans to develop a vast iron-ore mine in Canada’s Arctic.

Russian and Nordic shippers have recently invested in Arctic-capable cargo ships, ice breakers and escort tugs to ply the icy waters.

The stakes this year are especially high for Canada. This summer, research teams are wrapping up field work to support claims by Ottawa of additional economic privileges in the Arctic Ocean. Those claims are due at the United Nations next year.

Mr. Harper has long made the Arctic a centerpiece of his right-of-center platform. Ottawa has pledged to deploy a fleet of new, ice-breaking naval patrol craft, build an Arctic deepwater naval port and bolster Arctic warfare training.

By Chip Cummins, Dow Jones & Co

Clearly this individual was not in a position to write such a letter, but now that the question is out in the open, what’s your vote?

Here’s the full article from the Toronto Sun

On Aug. 5, 2010, a massive island of ice, roughly 97 square miles (251 square kilometers) in size or 4 times the size of Manhattan, broke off the Petermann Glacier, along the northwestern coast of Greenland.  Scientists from the Canadian Ice Service project the chunk of ice to be moving toward the Nares Strait, which separates Greenland’s northwestern coast and Canada’s Ellsemere Island.  While the iceberg poses no immediate threat, it could eventually threaten Canada’s offshore platforms in the Grand Banks off Newfoundland and major shipping lanes.  The Canadian Ice Service however estimates that the journey could take one to two years and it’s likely to break up as it weathers and moves through warmer waters.

Icebergs calving off the Petermann Glacier are not unusual. Petermann Glacier’s floating ice tongue is the Northern Hemisphere’s largest, and it has occasionally calved large icebergs.  The recently calved iceberg is the largest to form in the Arctic since 1962, said the University of Delaware.

Keep reading after the jump for more pictures released by NASA.

Above image taken at 17:15 UTC on July 28, 2010

Above image taken at 18:05 UTC on August 5, 2010

Above image credit: NASA

Permanent joint maritime policing legislation proposed

By Robert Matas

Vancouver, BC — From Friday’s Globe and Mail

Canadian and U.S. authorities are talking about extending cross-border security measures that were implemented for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and were to end with the closing of the Winter Games.

The RCMP and the U.S. Coast Guard have jointly patrolled the waters off Vancouver since the beginning of the month, boarding nearly 200 vessels and interviewing about 500 people in their efforts to maintain security, RCMP Sergeant Duncan Pound of the border integrity program said in an interview.

Almost every small craft in the vicinity of the maritime border has been contacted to confirm the legitimacy of its voyage. Although some arrests on outstanding criminal warrants have been made and some vessels have been sent back to port for not being safe, none of the incidents involved a threat to Olympic security.

keep reading »