On Friday 25 March the final vessel discharging and loading using the old COSMOS system will take place at DCT: Pier 2. On Saturday 26 March at 06h00 operations will stop at the terminal. All TPT-operated terminals in Port Elizabeth, Ngqura, Cape Town and Durban will then cease operation from 18h00 on Saturday 26 March to resume operations at 06h00 on Sunday 27 March if all goes smoothly.

The computerised, web-based Navis operating system governs the movement of all container logistics and operations in the terminal from gate to yard to vessel. DCT is one of the biggest and busiest container terminals in the Southern Hemisphere. Teething problems and delays around the changeover are a real possibility for which the port operator must be fully prepared. The terminal would also be introducing the same R15 million automated gate system and multi-lane drive through that has been in place at the neighbouring DCT: Pier 1 since 2008.

Supported by a computerised operating system, access card scanner, security cameras with optical character recognition (OCR) and Navis integration, the auto gate should bring faster truck and cargo turnaround, reduced costs, decreased traffic, more accurate data, damage inspection at check-in point, effective track-and-trace, increased security, and improved health and safety for truckers and employees who no longer need to exit their vehicles to complete paperwork.

The vessel was being followed by a US warship as it travelled back towards the Somali coastline but earlier on 22 February it was reported by a US official speaking through US news networks that gunshots were heard on the vessel and that action had been taken to intervene. The exact circumstances of the incident have not yet been fully revealed.

If Somali pirates killed the captives prior to a US naval intervention it would be unprecedented. Crew members have hitherto been killed during vessel hijackings or rescue attempts. Somali pirates have not killed captives out of spite or in an attempt to create a political impact, although with US nationals they have in fact threatened this course of action in the past (notably after the Maersk Alabama escaped captivity). Killing hostages severely compromises the ransom negotiation process which is the ultimate aim of the largely apolitical pirates.

Oil berth operations
The berth has held up well. Next stage is to confirm that the pipework is fully serviceable. Based on that we expect to be operational in 48 hours. We have a tanker scheduled for fuel discharge on Saturday 26 February 2011.

Container operations
An assessment of container assets is that wharves have held up well, but there are urgent minor works to be done. We are aiming to have limited operations available within 3-4 days. Our current best estimate to get back to our previous operation service levels prior to the 6.3 quake is in 10 days. We will give daily updates to directly effected customers. We regret to advise that receival and delivery is currently suspended but expect to be operational within 24 hours. We will notify customers as soon as possible.

General cargo operations
General cargo assets are being assessed on Thursday 24 February. We will update you further.

CityDepot operations
In the morning we intend to correct any misaligned containers at our CityDepot site and intend to be operational in the afternoon. Our clear focus is on ensuring that fuel and essential services will get through to Christchurch. We have greatly appreciated the support of the Royal NZ Navy who have had a number of divers assisting our engineers in assessing our structures and carrying out a series of soundings to review the channel depth.

We would like to thank all of our customers for their understanding and patience in what has been a stressful and busy time for everyone. Personally, I wish to acknowledge the incredible effort from the LPC team whose aim is to ensure our customers’ and community needs are met. Our thoughts are with all the families of Canterbury during this difficult time.

A small tornado hit Karratha (close to Dampier) yesterday afternoon damaging buildings and cutting power to the area. Dampier and Port Walcott areas are currently on Red Alert. The cyclone is expected to pass close to Port Walcott and Dampier this afternoon.