TOWLINES

Dubai-based Marsol specialises in offshore single point buoy terminals and related infrastructure having operated at 32 offshore marine terminals in more than 20 countries and with tug activities often required, Kotug’s involvement will provide enhanced integration. Accepting current “exceptionally challenging times” Kotug states it is committed to strengthening its worldwide activities also allowing it to enter the Middle East market while Marsol feels the acquisition will open the door, through its terminal operations and maintenance packages, for its staff to participate with Kotug globally.

Salvage services provider Ardent has announced it is no longer entering into new contracts although all current contracts will be fulfilled.

Ardent was formed in 2015 with the merger of Svitzer Salvage and Titan Salvage and has completed over 300 contracts for the marine and oil and gas industry. In April Royal Boskalis Westminster announced the acquisition of maritime emergency response specialist Ardent Americas, a leading player under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 for provision of marine emergency response services in the US.

Technical consultancy Brookes Bell has expanded its marine casualty capability with the addition of two Special Casualty Representatives bringing the company’s total number of SCRs to five.

Based in Singapore senior master mariner Michael Riddell has served on ocean-going salvage tugs with experience in emergency response, wreck removal and other related work. William Leschaeve is based in London and is a senior naval architect working for a classification society and other marine consultancies and specialises in casualty investigations.

This year’s cancelled International Tug, Salvage and OSV Convention and Exhibition (ITS) has been rescheduled for 2021.

The popular biennial gathering was due to take place in Singapore during June of this year but became a victim of the Covid-19 situation with early stages of the pandemic originating in the Far East. The event will now take place from 7-11 June 2021 at the original venue, Suntec Convention Centre in Singapore with registrations being carried through, The ABR Company Ltd stating further details will be provided closer to the date. ITS alternates annually with the similar Tugnology event and this means the occasion due to have taken place next year will return to the events calendar in 2022.