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Jones Act Rulemaking Proposal Withdrawn by US Customs

Posted in Gulf Coast,Jones Act,Maritime Law,World Maritime News on December 13, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC – An Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“ANPRM”) regarding the Jones Act has recently been withdrawn by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”). The withdrawal of the rulemaking proposal occurred on November 15, 2010 and has to do with the transportation of merchandise and equipment by foreign-flagged vessels engaging in the support… read more

BP & Transocean Lawyers Object to Questioning at Houston Hearings

Posted in BP British Petroleum,Government,Gulf Coast,Maritime Law,Transocean,World Maritime News on December 10, 2010

HOUSTON, TX – Lawyers for BP and Transocean objected to persistent questioning from Coast Guard investigator Capt. Hung Nguyen over blame for the Deepwater Horizon disaster that occurred April 20, 2010. Nguyen conducted three days of hearings in Houston where he faced repeated challenges from lawyers for the companies and for individual witnesses.

BP Could Save $3B in Fines By Challenging Government Oil Spill Estimates

Posted in BP British Petroleum,Deepwater Horizon,Government,Gulf Coast,Maritime Law,World Maritime News on December 8, 2010

British oil company BP is challenging the government estimate of how much oil spilled into the Gulf. The government calculated that 206 million gallons spilled, but BP says the real amount was just half that which would save BP $3 billion in fines. Matt Gutman from ABC News takes us down to the ocean floor… read more

BP Disputes Oil Spill Size to Avoid Excessive Federal Fines

Posted in Alabama Maritime News,BP British Petroleum,Deepwater Horizon,Environment,Florida Maritime News,Government,Gulf Coast,Maritime Law,Maritime Lawsuits,Mississippi Maritime News,Texas Maritime News,World Maritime News on December 6, 2010

The Houston maritime lawyer news blog reports that BP realizes that billions of dollars in federal fines are at stake and are challenging the size of the oil spill from The Deepwater Horizon Macondo well that exploded in April 2010 in order to avoid excessive fines for their part in the disaster. BP is contending… read more

Obama Reverses Oil Drilling Expansion After Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Posted in Alabama Maritime News,BP British Petroleum,Deepwater Horizon,Environment,Florida Maritime News,Government,Gulf Coast,Louisiana Maritime News,Maritime Law,Mississippi Maritime News,World Maritime News on December 3, 2010

The Interior Department said it is reversing the plan laid out last March to drill for oil off the East Coast and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The Obama administration unveiled the plan before the BP oil spill. The new plan means no new drilling proposals off of the East Coast for at least… read more

Barge Hits MLK Bridge in St. Louis; No Injuries Reported

Posted in Barge Accidents,Missouri Maritime News on December 1, 2010

ST. LOUIS, MO – A barge accident occurred on the Mississippi River when a barge hit the Martin Luther King Bridge on Monday, November 29th. The accident occurred at approximately 2:10 am. No injuries were reported at the time of the incident. “The barge was coming down through St. Louis and struck the bridge. Four… read more

Five Somali Pirates Convicted of Attacking U.S. Navy Ship Will Get Life Sentence

Posted in Virginia Maritime News,World Maritime News on November 29, 2010

NORFOLK, VA — Five Somali men accused of attacking a U.S. Navy ship off Africa’s coast were convicted on federal piracy charges Wednesday, November 24, in what is considered to be the first trial of its kind in America in more than a century. The men face mandatory life terms in a  sentencing hearing set… read more

Oil Spill Tarballs Found On Shrimp In Newly Re-Opened Gulf Waters (VIDEO)

Posted in BP British Petroleum,Deepwater Horizon,Environment,Gulf Coast,Mississippi Maritime News,World Maritime News on November 24, 2010

PASCAGOULA, MS – The Bon Secour shrimp boat Our Mother was trawling in newly re-opened waters north of the Deepwater Horizon Macondo well site when it hauled in tar balls with its shrimp. There were enough tar balls along with the shrimp that spoiled thousands of dollars worth of the day’s catch. The ruined shrimp… read more

Deadline for Emergency Claims From Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Arrives

Posted in Alabama Maritime News,Deepwater Horizon,Government,Gulf Coast,Louisiana Maritime News,Maritime Law,Mississippi Maritime News,Texas Maritime News,World Maritime News on November 22, 2010

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Courthouse News reports that Tuesday is the deadline for individuals seeking restitution from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Kenneth Feinberg, administrator for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill compensation fund, has been criticized for moving too slowly and not allowing enough transparency into the compensation process.

Kidnapped Oil Rig Workers Rescued By Nigerian Military

Posted in Maritime Law,World Maritime News on November 19, 2010

The oil rig workers who were kidnapped on 8 November, when gunmen attacked the oil rig belonging to London-based Alfren PLC, have been rescued. According to officials, Nigerian troops rescued the 19 hostages kidnapped by militants in the Niger Delta this month. Two Americans, two Frenchmen, two Indonesians and a Canadian were freed along with… read more