Maritime administrator congratulates AMO, Shell

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Maritime administrator congratulates AMO, Shell

Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton recently congratulated American Maritime Officers and Shell Ship Management Limited on the historic memorandum of understanding that will put AMO members aboard Shell liquefied natural gas carriers worldwide.

AMO and Shell worked "very, very hard in coming together on this," Connaughton said prior to the signing of the MOU April 30 by the national president of AMO and Capt. Richard Mellor, general manager of Shell Ship Management Limited. The Maritime Administration hosted the signing at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.

The AMO-Shell memorandum of understanding will yield "experience and employment opportunities" for U.S. merchant marine officers in "one of the best and safest fleets in the world," Connaughton said.

"Those employment opportunities are going to be provided by American Maritime Officers, one of the largest officer labor organizations in the United States, one of the best, and one that has an exceptional record in all that it does," Connaughton added. Connaughton acknowledged the AMO Safety and Education Plan’s Simulation, Training, Assessment and Research Center and its LNG programs as a factor behind the AMO-Shell agreement. STAR Center provides "not just simply education and training," but also "experience of a much higher caliber than we see in many places in the world," Connaughton said.

He said expanding international markets and growing world trade offer "limitless potential" for U.S. merchant mariners "if we’re willing to work to address it."

Increasing demand for highly trained U.S.-licensed merchant marine officers in LNG markets and other trades portends "a great future for us," he said. Shell, for example, "is looking to greatly expand its fleet — its very specialized, very complex vessels."

MARAD considers LNG shipment a way for the U.S. to "diversify its energy resources," Connaughton continued. "Looking at all the projections, we see America’s importation of LNG increasing dramatically and, obviously, having the ability to have Americans out there is something we feel is very positive."