ORION MARINE CORPORATION
79 W. Monroe Ste 1105
Chicago IL 60603
Tel (312) 263 5153
Fax (312) 263 4233
Email orionm@orion-marine.com

Orion Marine blog

Did you know?

Did you know ConFlo Lines can also serve places like
PORBANDAR,DILI,MORONI, LUANG, PRABANG, PLOCE, DARKHAN,POINTE DES GALETS, …………

IN HOUSE NEWS:

We are happy to welcome a new arrival into the Orion family. A little girl (Malea) was born last month to Christiane Logger who replaced long time associate Kathleen Nicolaus. Christiane, a native of Germany, will return in October to resume her duties in the special projects department

NEWS

Russia

Due to the war like situation brought upon by the invasion of Georgian troops into South Ossetia the entire region is again imperiled. Overland transports by rail and road into the northern Caucasus including Vladilavkaz and Stavropol are subjected to intense inspections by Russian security personnel and customs have opened every container causing delays and extra costs.

Mauretania

The military has overthrown the government and arrested both President Abdallahi and his Foreign Minister. The putsch leader has taken over the function. No new elections were announced. Mauretania, a desert state on West Africa’s coast is one of the poorest countries on earth.

West Africa

Our Dakar correspondents are advising that it is now possible to ship 40ft containers with max 18 mtons of cargo via Dakar (Senegal) all the way to TIMBOUCTOU (MALI) by road. There is also a barge option from Bamako during the rainy season (July/December). In addition there are connections available via Lome (Togo) although some road sections are again under constructions and may encounter delays

PORT CONGESTIONS IN JEBEL ALI & OTHER GULF PORTS

Please be informed that there are severe port congestions in all the gulf including JEBEL ALI (AE), KUWAIT (KW), BAHRAIN (BH), DAMMAN (SA), DOHA (QA), MUSCAT (OM), ETC... due to which every vessel remains in anchorage for 2-3 days in POL and POD. Therefore there will be substantial delays in all subsequent voyages for every sector.
This delay will remain till the congestion is over in each port.

MYANMAR

The loss of an estimated 100,000 lives following the devastating cyclone has again reminded the world of the vulnerability of this globe. Without outside assistance the Myanmar government will be hard pressed to restore storm-damages infrastructure. The container port of Thilawa, some 40 km down river from Yangon, is operational only for smaller geared container ships. Other facilities have lost shore cranes, handling equipment and warehouses. The access road to Yangon is only partially open. Trucks from Thailand crossing at Mae Sot en route to Yangon must take long bypasses to reach their destinations and pay loads are sometimes restricted to seven tons of cargo only. Some lower lying cities are cut off and are accessible by river craft only. The Government has but a few helicopters. Foreign aid is trickling in, hindered by official intransigence, but totally insufficient.

Transit via China to Mongolia

The Chinese Government has just announced severe restrictions with regards to transit cargo via Xingang/Tianjin to the Mongolian border at ZU. Although final regulations are still to be published it is anticipated that all traffic by road vehicles will be diverted around an extensive perimeter of Greater Beijing resulting in a deviation of some 500 miles. Those restrictions are implemented to provide security during the Olympic Games and will be enforced beginning May through October 2008.
At this point a fixed route has not been disclosed by the Authorities and, thus, no cost analysis can be prepared at this time. We will continue to monitor the regulations very closely and advise you of any changes in transit and cost.

Chad

Rebels are still pressing Government forces from the Sudan (Darfur) border right into the capital of N’Djamena. The two border crossing points to Cameroon at Kousseri and Bongor are congested with refugees trying to leave the country with their few possessions. The main road from the port of Douala up north toward Chad is partially impassable due to heavy seasonal rains.
In addition bandits are roaming the border area and Cameroon has mobilized troops to keep order.

Timor Leste (East Timor) 

This island country has declared state of emergency following the failed attack on its president. Ship operations in its only seaport, Dili, have been temporarily suspended in response to continued pro and anti government demonstrations in and near the port. The Army has been out patrolling the area

Nigeria

Several carriers omit the port of Onne (near Port Harcourt) due to security concerns. Lately the rebels in the delta have attacked both tankers and supply ships. It appears that the Nigerian Government cannot guarantee safe passage and there is no definite date set for resumption of service.

Orion in house news 

Kathleen Nicolaus is returning to the native Germany. She first came to Orion Marine as a student intern in 1999 and, after completion of her studies in international business management returned to Chicago as marketing analyst and subsequently special projects manager. Kathleen excelled in assisting customers with operational and logistical questions. In her time off she enjoyed biking and sailing on Lake Michigan. She also volunteered in a women’s shelter. After an extensive trip through India she will take up a post in either Antwerp or Hamburg where she will work for ConFlo Lines’s partners.

Ukraine

ConFlo Lines’ agents report that the port of Ilychevsk increased its handling of general cargo by more than 16% during 2007. Much of the expansion was due to an increase of Ro-Ro cargo and more than 500000 TEU of containerized cargo. It is interesting to note that the ratio of import to export is eight to one. Ilychevsk now far exceeds the old traditional port of Odessa in cargo handling.  

Sri Lanka

Renewed fighting between the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan security forces has further eroded the fragile infrastructure of this country. As a result of very thorough security measures the port of Colombo has resulted in longer waiting times for ships anchored outside the port.

Pakistan

The apparent politically motivated assassination of the Presidential contender Benazir Bhutto has thrown this country into severe turmoil. ConFlo Lines’ agents report long delays in Karachi and Bin Qasim. The main highway to Islamabad and Lahore is clogged with lorries and there is a shortage of truck drivers in Peshawar willing to cross over to Afghanistan.

Kenya

Post election riots causing scores of civilian deaths are getting out of hand and seriously impact Kenyan economy. Cargo is mounting at port Mombasa and the highway as well as the rail connection to Nairobi is suffering from long delays in transit as well as sporadic attacks on trucks and rail cars. The situation is particularly critical in Eldoret, about 15o mls northwest of Nairobi where much of the rioting is concentrated. This city is the gateway to Uganda, Sudan and Rwanda all of which are now severely imperiled by those tribal conflicts.

Nepal

The constitutional Monarchy has been suspended and King Birendra Is seeking refuge in a European country. A coalition of Democratic and Maoist factions will provide the first basis of a new Government. Longer delays for trucks at the Indian/Nepalese border are expected resulting in higher transport cost.