Maria Desgagnés - layup or layover

There was lots of room to tie up at pier 33, since the bunkering tanker Algoma Dartmouth, which uses pier 34 had gone to Point Tupper for a refill. Its large fenders were left in its place, just visible at left. It returned late Saturday.

The Petro-Nav tanker Maria Desgagnés arrived at pier 33 on Saturday in ballast. The only place it would load product in Halifax is at Valéro (formerly Ultramar) and it may be that there are delays there. The tanker High Fidelity unloaded at Valéro on Friday, and went to anchor in Bedford Basin, also on Saturday. 

In ballast and with fire wires deployed, the tanker may be in layup, or just in layover.

Qiuxin Shipyard in Shanghai launched the ice class 1A tanker Kilchem Asia in September 1998, but is was acquired and completed for Transport Desgagnés Inc in March 1999. It traded its way to Canada, arriving in Quebec September 22, 1999 where it was then chartered to the Desgagnés subsidiary Petro-Nav.

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More tankers: Maersk Katalin, Piltene and Desgagnés

The tankers keep rolling into Halifax, with both Imperial (Esso) and Ultramar (Valero)  hosting a steady stream of ships.
The Latvian Shipping Company's Piltene arrived on January 29 and tied up at Ultramar in Eastern Passage. Then yesterday it moved to #1 anchorage, which would normally mean a short stay. However she will remain there until at least tomorrow.

Built by the 3 Maj shipyard in Rijeka, Crotia in 2007, Piltene measures 30,641 gross otns, 52,648 deadweight.

Also arriving on January 29, Maersk Katalin, from Houston, has been anchored in Bedford Basin ever since. She had under water surveys going on all day yesterday. Built by Guangzhou International Shipyard in China, she is a very similar ship to the tanker Alice built in the same yard in 2013, and which sailed for Saint John January 29 after a prolonged stay in Halifax since January 5.

Maersk Katalin was built in 2012 and measures 24,463 gross tons, 39, 724 deadweight. Registered in Singapore, she is owned by Maersk Tankers Singapore. She carries the full Maersk colour scheme, unlike fleet mate Maersk Elliot (which sails for Maersk Tankers France) which still has the white superstructure from a previous owner's paint scheme.

Maersk Elliot, now anchored in Bedford Basin  has been in port since January 6 and has been on and off berth.

This morning's arrival was the Canadian flag tanker Maria Desgagnés which is understood to be on charter to Imperial Oil. She anchored for bunkers from Algoma Dartmouth (the first such operation since Sterling Fuels took over harbour bunkering in Halifax.)

The ship is due to move to Imperial Oil this evening, and fleet mate Sarah Desgagnés is also due in port this evening. Maria Desgagnés was due to layup for repairs for about a month. When she leaves Imperial Oil, her place is to be taken by Piltene.

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More tanker news, Algonova, Algoma Dartmouth and Maria Desgagnés

A fire aboard the tanker Algonova in the Honguedo Strait (between Anticosti Island and the Gaspé peninsula) was extinguished by the crew today. The Oceanex ship Cabot and possibly other ships stood by and the Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax dispatched a helicopter and a Hercules from Greenwood, NS to assist if needed. Latest reports indicate that there was no injury and no spill, but the extent of damage is not clear. The tug Océan Arctique is en route from Sept-Iles.

1. Algonova fresh from drydocking in September.

Algonova was built in 2008 by Medmarine Eregli, Turkey and delivered to Algoma Tankers September 12 of that year. Since 2011 it has worked on this coast, exclusively for Imperial Oil until last fall when it shifted to Valero (Ultramar). It arrived in Halifax on January 14 and was tied up at pier 34 for repairs, moving to Valero, Eastern Passage on January 15. It then loaded kerosene and moved to the Imperial Oil dock before sailing from Halifax Friday, January 17, 2014 bound for Quebec.

Fleetmate Algoma Dartmouth has a new lease on life following the charter deal with Sterling Fuels to provide bunkering services in Halifax. Sterling has bunkering facilities in Windsor, ON and bunkering tankers in Hamilton, ON, but there was a question as to where the fuel would come from for Halifax.

2. Algoma Dartmouth temporarily displaced to pier 9 on January 12 when Algonova was in for repairs.

Fuel for the Halifax operation is en route from Montreal on the articulated tug/barge Victorious / John J.Carrick. Operated by parent company McAsphalt, the tug/barge are usually in the dedicated asphalt trade between Sarnia and Montreal, but have worked on this coast, sometimes loading from Irving Oil in Saint John. On this trip however they will be carrying IFO to be transferred to Algoma Dartmouth likely at pier 33..

Meanwhile the tanker Maria Desgagnés- ironically on charter to Imperial Oil, will be arriving soon for a four to six week layup/repair session. It will be using pier 34, Algoma Dartmouth's usual home base.

3. On December 29, 2013, Maria Desgagnés arrived at sunrise.

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Maria Desgagnés at Imperial Oil

1. The coastal tanker Maria Desgagnés tied up at Imperial Oil's number 3 dock today (that is Seafriend at number 4 dock in the foreground). 

As if more signals of the big changes at Imperial Oil were needed, this arrival is certainly a sign of things to come.Since shutting down their refining activity at Imperoyal, Imperial Oil has seen a variety of foreign product tankers at their terminal (some arriving with little if any cargo and leaving with little if any cargo)  but precious few Canadian tankers. The familiar Algoma tankers have been nowehere to be seen for weeks. Here is the rundown:
Algonova September 26 to 27, departed for St.John's.
Algoscotia September 28 to October 1 departed for Sydney.
Algocanada October 4 to 6.
Rio Dauphin October 18-20 (foreign flag, chartered to Algoma, and is due for one more trip from Sarnia)

When Imperoyal was a refinery, Algonova and Algoscotia were in an out of port every few days, distributing refined product around Atlantic Canada. Since the closure Algonova is now en route to the Ultramar refinery at St-Romuald (Lévis) and Algoscotia  has been to Sarnia and Nanticoke and is now in Montreal.Aside from any foreign product that may have been brought in, the only Imperial oil cargo before today came on the Rio Dauphin's one trip.

The Irving Oil tanker Acadian has been in twice, which is more than usual, but since Irving and Imperial share the terminal dock, it is hard to tell how much of its cargo may have been for Irving use and how much for Imperial. 

Maria Desgagnés, like most Petro-Nav tankers usually serves Ultramar, so it is likely that if the ship brought in any product it came from Quebec.

Maria Desgagnés was built in 1998 by Qiuxin Shipyards in Shanghai as Kilchem Asia. However the original owners, Kil Shipping of Denmark, defaulted on the contract and Transport Desgagnés acquired it in early 1999. It is a modern double hulled chemical/product  tanker of 8848 gross tons, 14,335 deadweight and was built to LR Ice Class 1A. During the past summer it made several trips to the north. The ship is chartered to the Desgagnés tanker subsidiary PetroNav Inc.

2. Maria Desgagnés in Montreal in 2002.

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