MILESTONES

NEW RECORD - MID WEST PORTS
The MV Kagrura departed carrying 87,265 tonnes of iron ore, officially breaking the throughput record for an individual vessel at the port.
2024
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - GLADSTONE PORTS CORPORATION
TransitAnalyst is commissioned for Gladstone Ports Corporation, Queensland.
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - PORT PHILLIP
TransitAnalyst is commissioned for the Port Phillip Sea Pilots, Victoria.
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - PORT HEDLAND
TransitAnalyst is commissioned for The Port of Port Hedland, WA.
2023
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
Celebrating 30 years since the first DUKC® installation, a plaque unveiling ceremony is held at the Hay Point, Queensland.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - JEBEL DHANNA
A DUKC® system is installed at Jebel Dhanna Port, United Arab Emirates.
NEW RECORD - PORT BOTANY
Stretching 350m long and tipping the scales at 111,000 tonnes, The CMA CGM Pelleas becomes the greatest length overall to ever dock at Port Botany. The vessel is 43m wide and has a capacity of 9,600 TEUs.
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - EASTLAND PORT
TransitAnalyst is commissioned at Gisborne, NZ.
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - SOUTHERN PORTS AUTHORITY
TransitAnalyst is commissioned for Bunbury Port, AUS
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - NORTHPORT
TransitAnalyst is commissioned at Whangarai Harbour, NZ.
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - PORT BOTANY
TransitAnalyst is commissioned at Port Botany, AUS.
NEW RECORD - PORT BOTANY
At nearly 300 metres long, the 10,926 TEU CMA CGM Estelle arrived at Patrick Terminals in Port Botany, setting a new record for the ship carrying the most containers to ever visit Australia.
2022
AWARD - OMC WINS
OMC is named winner of the ‘Excellence in Transport and/or Conveying’ award for technology that moves bulk solids materials from one location to another, with DUKC® technology being recognised at the awards ceremony in Melbourne.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - WESER RIVER
A DUKC® system is installed for the Weser River, Germany
DUKC® INSTALLATION - CAPE PRESTON
A DUKC® system is installed at Cape Preston, Western Australia.
NEW RECORD - RAK PORTS
With a draft of 13.25m, Summer Sky becomes the deepest draft vessel to call at SAQR Port.
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - LYTTELTON PORT COMPANY
TransitAnalyst is commissioned for Lyttelton Port, New Zealand.
NEW RECORD - SOUTHERN PORTS AUTHORITY
Port of Bunbury breaks their throughout record with 17.945 million tonnes of product traded through the port during the 2021-22 financial year.
NEW RECORD - WHYALLA
On June 2nd, the Bulk Honduras sets a new record load of 52,000wmt for SIMEC’s Whyalla Port.
NEW RECORD - PILBARA PORTS AUTHORITY
PPA creates a new annual throughput record of 773.1 million tonnes for the 2021-2022 financial year - an increase of 1%.
NEW RECORD - LYTTELTON PORT
Lyttelton Port achieves the milestone of exchanging over 500,000 TEU in a financial year - with a total of 503,00 TEU.
NEW RECORD - PORT BOTANY
Le Havre becomes the heaviest ship ever to arrive at Port Botany, with a displacement of 140,480 tonnes.
NEW RECORD - PORT BOTANY
MSC Tokyo becomes the deepest draft container ship to call at not only Port Botany, but any Australian port, with a draft of 15.1m.
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - PORT NELSON
TransitAnalyst is commissioned for Port Nelson, New Zealand
NEW RECORD - MID WEST PORTS
Great Wencheng becomes the largest cargo export out of the Port of Geraldton, with a total load of 79,996 tonnes of iron ore.
2021
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - KIWIRAIL
TransitAnalyst is commissioned for KiwiRail, New Zealand.
AWARD - OMC WINS
OMC wins the 'Advanced Technologies' award at this year's Governor of Victoria Export Awards (GOVEAs) for outstanding international success in the field of information technology (IT), digital technologies, software, hardware or digital services, including solutions utilising cloud based platforms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT, augmented /virtual reality and/or blockchain.’
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS
TransitAnalyst is commissioned for Marlborough District Council, New Zealand.
NEW RECORD - PORT BOTANY
STI Condotti becomes the deepest tanker to be welcomed at Port Botany, with a draft of 14.7m, exceeding the previous deepest by approximately 50cm.
NEW RECORD - PORT BOTANY
Port Botany breaks records after containership MSC Asya becomes the heaviest vessel to berth with a displacement of 140,252 tonnes. It is also understood to be the deepest container ship to berth in an Australian Port, with a draft of 14.8m.
NEW RECORD - RAK PORTS
On October 7, the Star Crios set a new record draft of 13.25m from the Inner Harbour of Saqr Port, UAE.
NEW RECORD - MID WEST PORTS
During August, Mid West Ports Authority recorded a total iron ore trade of 1,092,166 tonnes, the highest monthly throughput recorded since November 2019.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - ABBOT POINT
A DUKC® system is installed at Abbot Point, Queensland.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - PORT BOTANY
A third DUKC® system has been commissioned for New South Wales Port Authority, with this latest system being installed at Port Botany, Sydney.
NEW RECORD - RAK PORTS
On July 23rd, bulk carrier Zagori sets a new record for Saqr Port, with a draft of 13.18m.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MONTREAL
With a capacity of 6,730 TEU, the MSC Melissa becomes the largest container ship to sail St. Lawrence River, measuring 303m long and 40m wide.
NEW RECORD - SOUTHERN PORTS AUTHORITY
The Port of Bunbury surpasses previous records with an annual throughput of 117.11MT.
NEW RECORD - PILBARA PORTS AUTHORITY
Pilbara Ports Authority achieves a record-breaking annual throughput of 724.7MT, exceeding 700MT for the first time.
TRANSITANALYST INSTALLATION - PORT OF TAURANGA
The first TransitAnalyst is commissioned for the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MELBOURNE
The Soroe Maersk at 347 metres long and a capacity of 9640 TEU is the largest ship ever to enter the Port of Melbourne.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MELBOURNE
At 9200 TEU, the CMA CGM Loire becomes the heaviest vessel to berth at West Swanson Dock.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MELBOURNE
The OOCL Canada, measuring at 335m long,42.9m wide, with a displacement of 120,000 tonnes and 8.888 TEU, becomes the largest and heaviest container vessel to berth at West Swanson Terminal.
AWARD - OMC RECOGNISED
RAK Ports, for Saqr Ports, is announced as the winner of the ‘Intelligent Shipping Award’ for optimising port operations with DUKC® at the 2020 Seatrade Maritime Awards.
2020
NEW RECORD - SOUTHERN PORTS AUTHORITY
The Port of Bunbury reached a new trade record in December 2020 with 1.845 million tonnes of trade and 46 ships through the port, up from the 1.67 million-tonne record from January 2018.
PORTWEATHER INSTALLATION - CENTREPORT
PortWeather commissioned for CentrePort Wellington, NZ.
PORTWEATHER INSTALLATION - LYTTELTON
PortWeather commissioned for Lyttelton Port Company, NZ.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MELBOURNE
The MSC Rachele arrived with a displacement of 123,900mt, the heaviest vessel ever for East Swanson dock.
NEW RECORD - RAK PORTS
The MV Soho Mandate loaded a cargo of Clinker at Berth 12 in the Inner Harbour of Saqr Port with a final draft of 13.02m, allowing the vessel to load approximately 7000t of additional cargo.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF PORT HEDLAND
Annual iron ore exports at the Port of Port Hedland totalled 531.5Mt, an increase of 24.9Mt or five per cent from the previous year.
BERTHALERT INSTALLATION - ALCOA
A BerthAlert installation for Alcoa Kwinana Refinary, Western Australia.
NEW RECORD - FREMANTLE PORTS
At a draft of 14.7m and displacement of 138,820 tonnes, the MSC Sindy set a new record for the deepest vessel ever to depart Fremantle Inner Harbour.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MELBOURNE
MSC Pamela calls to Melbourne, at a length of 336.7m and a beam of 45.7m, it makes her the largest container ship to successfully berth at Swanson Dock.
NEW RECORD - RAK PORTS
At a draft of 12.85m, Elbabe becomes the deepest draft vessel to sail out of Saqr Port, 65cm deeper than the static draft.
NEW RECORD - RAK PORTS
The Ganga K sails from Saqr Port with a record draft of 12.83m.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - RAK PORTS
RAK Ports has commissioned a DUKC® system for Saqr, UAE. The first ship to sail under DUKC® had a draft of 12.76m, 56cm deeper than the previous maximum draft.
NEW RECORD - FMG
Fortescue Metals Group has achieved a record shipment of iron ore in the December 2019 quarter with 46.4 million tonnes.
2019
NEW RECORD - PORT OF PORT HEDLAND
A new monthly record for iron ore exports totalled 47.3m, a 3% increase from the same time last year.
NEW RECORD - FREMANTLE PORTS
At a draft of 14.2m and a beam of 48.2m, the CMA CGM Rhone becomes the widest draft constrained vessel to call at Fremantle.
NEW RECORD - FREMANTLE PORTS
Fremantle Ports welcomes two giant container ships, Maersk Skarsind and MSC Elma, to call at the Fremantle Inner Harbour. Both vessels have a beam of 48.3m.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MELBOURNE
MSC Elma, with a deadweight of 110,103 tonnes and a beam of 48.3m, is one of the largest vessel classes to call at Melbourne.
NEW RECORD - WHYALLA
Loaded to 205,805Mt, the Hanna Oldendorff sets a new tonnage record for SIMEC's Whyalla/Spencer Gulf iron ore export operation.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF NEWCASTLE
The Pro Alliance has become the largest fuel tanker to enter the Port of Newcastle, measuring 244 metres in length.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF PORT HEDLAND
The Port of Port Hedland reported a new tonnage record on January 15. 10 vessels departed the port in convoy carrying a total of 1,754,741 tonnes of bulk, exceeding the previous record from December 2017 by 165,680 tonnes.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF NEWCASTLE
The Brook Trout becomes the first LR1 tanker to call at the Port of Newcastle.
AWARD - OMC RECOGNISED
OMC is named the runner-up of the 'The China Merchants Port Holdings Innovation' Award at the Lloyd's List Global Awards.
AWARD - OMC WINS
OMC is named the winner of the 'Supply Chain Innovation & Technology' Award at the Australian Shipping & Maritime Industry Awards.
AWARD - OMC WINS
OMC is named the winner of the 'Support Service Provider of the Year' Award for the Lyttelton Port (NZ) dredge optimisation project at the Dredging and Port Construction Awards.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - LYTTELTON PORT CORPORATION
A DUKC® system is installed at Lyttelton Port, New Zealand, as part of the port's dredging project where OMC's channel design was able to reduce dredging by 43% in Stage 1.
AWARD - OMC RECOGNISED
OMC is named the runner-up of the 'Intelligence Safety Innovation Award' at the Lloyd's List Asia Pacific Awards.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - AMRUN
A DUKC® system is installed for Rio Tinto's Amrun project in North Queensland.
NEW RECORD - TORRES STRAIT
The Leda Maersk has become the deepest eastbound container vessel to transit Torres Strait. With a draft of 12.5m, the vessel used AMSA's UKCM system to optimise timing to ensure there was an available sailing window to safely navigate.
AWARD - OMC WINS
OMC is named the winner of the 'Business Services Award' at the Governor of Victoria Export Awards.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MELBOURNE
Cosco Thailand arrived at Victoria International Container Terminal, becoming the largest container ship to enter the Port of Melbourne. It is a 101,200 DWT vessel with a TEU capacity of 8500.
NEW RECORD - PILBARA PORTS AUTHORITY
Pilbara Ports Authority set a new 24-hour record of 2.478m tonnes was reported over two tides and 14 vessels.
NEW RECORD - TORRES STRAIT
At a draft of 12.5m, Lica Maersk becomes the deepest container vessel to transit through Torres Strait.
NEW RECORD - PILBARA PORTS AUTHORITY
The Port of Port Hedland achieved a record annual throughput of 519.4Mt, an increase of 18.4Mt of 4% from the previous year.
AWARD - OMC WINS
At the International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA) Awards in London, OMC is jointly named the inaugural winner in the ‘Safe, Efficient & Secure Port’ category with Pilbara Ports Authority.
NEW RECORD - PILBARA PORTS AUTHORITY
A new monthly record for iron ore exports totalled 47.2Mt, an increase of 18.Mt or 4% from the previous year.
NEW RECORD - PILBARA PORTS AUTHORITY
The Port of Port Hedland reported a record tonnage in a 24-hour period on 2 June. Twelve vessels departed during the 24 hours, carrying a cargo of 2,398,423 tonnes. This was 187,599 more than the previous record of 2,210,824 set on 25 February 2018.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - GLADSTONE PORTS CORPORATION
A DUKC® system is installed at Gladstone, Queensland.
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
OMC International (OMC) celebrates the 25th anniversary of the implementation of the first operational DUKC® system in the coal port of Hay Point, Queensland, maintaining an unblemished track record.
NEW RECORD - GERALDTON PORT
Mid West Ports Authority welcomes the largest-ever bulk carrier – MV Rising Sun – to berth at Geraldton Port as part of a live trial using DUKC® technology. (This new 235m x 43m class ship can carry 10-15% more cargo).
NEW RECORD - PORT OF PORT HEDLAND
DUKC® plays a major role in helping PPA export a total 42 million tonnes (Mt) of iron ore from Port Hedland in the month - an 8% increase from March 2017.
NEW RECORD - TORRES STRAIT
The RTM Weipa sets a new record for the deepest vessel to sail through Torres Strait, with a draft of 12.83m.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF PORT HEDLAND
DUKC® technology helps PPA set numerous shipping records at Port Hedland, including a new record tonnage on a single tide achieved on Dec 27. A total of 1,589,061 tonnes of cargo sailed out on eight ships.
2017
NEW RECORD - PORT OF PORT HEDLAND
A record 272 ship visits and a record monthly throughput of 47.1Mt for the Port of Port Hedland.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF PORT HEDLAND
Port Hedland sets a new tonnage record of 2,183,611 tonnes over a 24-hour period, with a total of 12 ships sailing under DUKC® advice.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MELBOURNE
An Exxon tanker, the Aspen Spirit, sails as the deepest ship that has ever come into the port, with a draft of 14.7m. Two OMC engineers on board undertake GPS validation and the full-scale measurements provide excellent correlation with the results predicted by the DUKC® system.
NEW RECORD - GRAINCORP
DUKC® technology helps GrainCorp set new tonnage records for its Geelong operations. The Nord Pollux sails with more than 61,900 tonnes (biggest single shipment of canola fully loaded in Geelong)
DUKC® INSTALLATION - WHYALLA
A DUKC® system is installed at Whyalla, South Australia.
STRATEGIC ALLIANCE
OMC announces a strategic alliance agreement with New Zealand-based MetOcean Solutions. The two announce the launch of three new products: KeelCheck, PortWeather and BerthAlert.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MELBOURNE
The Port of Melbourne records a new draft record - the Ultimate Freedom becomes the deepest tanker to call at the port, with a draft of 14.58m.
NEW RECORD - GEELONG PORT
Cyprus- flagged ship Efraim A is the deepest draft bulker to visit the Port of Geelong with a draft of 11.9 metres.
NEW RECORD - GEELONG PORT
Singapore- flagged aframax tanker Phoenix Advance becomes the deepest-draft ship to call at the Port of Geelong with a draft of 11.9 metres – previously 11.6 metres was considered the limit.
NEW RECORD - PORT OF MELBOURNE
Exxon chartered Felicity tanker ship with a draft of 14.5 metres – the deepest draft ship to visit Melbourne – docks at Gelibrand berth after a transit into port.
NEW RECORD - ARRIUM MINING
Arrium Mining sets new record for the most tonnes loaded aboard an export cape vessel. The MV ‘FPMC B Nature 380’ was loaded with nearly 205,700 wet metric tonnes (wmt) of iron ore for export, exceeding Arrium’s previous record by more than 1000wmt.
2015
AWARD - OMC WINS
At an awards ceremony dinner in Antwerp, OMC is named Winner of the IBJ Safety in Bulk Handling (Marine) Award for its maritime technology.
QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST
In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, Dr Terry O’Brien is appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for ‘significant service to maritime engineering, to the development of innovative marine navigation equipment and to education’.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - GEELONG PORT
Victorian Regional Channels Authority (VRCA) announces it has adopted DUKC® technology to safely allow larger ships with more cargo to access the Geelong Port.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - SPENCER GULF
Victorian Regional Channels Authority (VRCA) announces it has adopted DUKC® technology to safely allow larger ships with more cargo to access the Geelong Port.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - RIO TINTO
OMC delivers a DUKC® for Rio Tinto’s Dampier Salt operations at Mistaken Island. This system is used to help maximise safe sailing drafts and increase departure windows for Panamax ships.
2014
AUSTRALIAN MARITIME HALL OF FAME
OMC Founder and Executive Director Dr Terry O’Brien AM is inducted into the Australian Maritime Hall of Fame for “making an outstanding contribution to Australia’s maritime industry” during an impressive career spanning more than 50 years.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - ST LAWRENCE RIVER
Port of Montreal commissions the DUKC® Series 5 system for the St Lawrence River after more than 4 years of preliminary studies and visits.
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
Port of Montreal commissions the DUKC® Series 5 system for the St Lawrence River after more than 4 years of preliminary studies and visits.
2013
AWARD - OMC WINS
At an awards ceremony dinner in Hamburg, OMC iHeave® wins the IBJ ‘Innovative Technology’ (Marine) Award.
2012
UKCM SYSTEM FOR TORRES STRAIT
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority accepts DUKC® Series 5 for operational use as a UKCM system in Torres Strait. AMSA is the first client to install DUKC® Series 5 which allows accessibility via the internet.
2011
ENTERING NORTH AMERICAN MARKET
OMC wins its first North American contract, a DUKC® desktop study, for the Columbia River Bar, a treacherous waterway known as ‘The Graveyard of the Pacific’ because it has claimed about 2000 ships and 700 lives since 1792. The Columbia River Bar Pilots commissioned this study with funding from the Oregon Department of Transportation.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - CAPE LAMBERT
Contract announced to install DUKC® management system in Rio Tinto’s Western Australian Cape Lambert port. This is OMC’s 21st DUKC® installation and is significant because Cape Lambert is Rio Tinto’s main growth port.
2010
QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST
In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, OMC Founder and Executive Director Dr Terry O’Brien is awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the maritime transport industry.
2010
AWARD - OMC WINS
In Sydney, OMC wins the Lloyd’s List DCN Maritime Services Award ‘for its work in developing under keel clearance systems, which it has taken to international markets’.
2009
DUKC® INSTALLATION - PORT OF MELBOURNE
OMC licenses DUKC® to the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) to help ensure the safety of large ships entering Port Phillip Heads, one of the most challenging waters for ship navigation to be found anywhere on earth.
AWARD - OMC WINS
DUKC® In-Transit wins the ‘Marine Civil Engineering and Construction’ category of the international Seawork Innovation Showcase Awards in the UK.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - PORT OF WEIPA
A DUKC® system is installed in the North Queensland port of Weipa.
2008
WORLD FIRST INTEGRATION
DUKC® VTS (Vessel Traffic Services) operational
DUKC® INSTALLATION - PORT KEMBLA
A DUKC® system is installed for the Port Kembla Ports Corporation.
UNBLOCKING AUSTRALIA'S LARGEST IRON ORE PORT
DUKC® emergency response capability is successfully tested for the first time when Port Hedland Port Authority requests OMC’s technical help in refloating a large bulk carrier the ‘Iron King,’ which grounded due to a steering malfunction in Port Hedland, Western Australia. OMC helped to quickly unblock the port, avoiding the loss of US $40 million of product per tide cycle.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - PORTO DE LISBOA
The fist European DUKC® installation for Porto de Lisboa, Portugal.
2007
DUKC® PPU OPERATIONAL
DUKC® PPU (Portable Pilot Unit) operational - a World first.
GRANT AWARDED
Third R&D grant awarded for development of Ground Warning System, later renamed DUKC® VTS.
2006
DUKC® INSTALLATION - NEWCASTLE
The first DUKC® installation in New South Wales, Australia, is for Port of Newcastle.
ISO 90001:2000 CERTIFIED
OMC’s quality management system certified to ISO 9001:2000 Certification issued by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Ltd with reciprocal recognition by JAS-ANZ and UKAS.
2005
DUKC® INSTALLATION - MARSDEN POINT
Marsden Point in New Zealand is the first port to have DUKC® installed purely on safety grounds. The previous year, two super tankers were grounded within three months of each other in the channel leading to NZ’s only oil refinery. It was later shown that a DUKC® system would have prevented both these near environmental disasters due to inadequate UKC.
2004
GRANT AWARDED
Second R&D grant awarded for development of PPU, the first ship-based system.
2003
DUKC® INSTALLATION - NAPIER
A DUKC® system is installed at Napier Port, New Zealand.
OMC FEATURED IN PROMOITIONAL CAMPAIGN
The Victorian State Government showcases OMC as an innovative Victorian company in a promotional campaign for the State titled ‘Spotlight on Victoria – Think Melbourne, Australia for ICT’.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - TARANAKI
Port Taranaki becomes New Zealand's first port to have DUKC® installed.
2001
DUKC® INSTALLATION - GERALDTON
A DUKC® system is installed at Geraldton, Western Australia.
1999
GRANT AWARDED
First R&D grant awarded for a Berth Warning System (BWS) and upgrade of DUKC® system to Series II.
1997
DUKC® INSTALLATION - BUNBURY
A DUKC® system is installed at Bunbury, Western Australia.
1996
DUKC® INSTALLATION - PORT OF PORT HEDLAND
BHP commissions a DUKC® system at Port Hedland, Western Australia.
1995
DUKC® INSTALLATION - DAMPIER
A DUKC® system is installed at Rio Tinto’s Dampier Port in Western Australia.
DUKC® INSTALLATION - FREMANTLE
DUKC® introduced into Western Australia (Fremantle Port) for BP tankers, then containers, with strong support from Captain Eric Atkinson, Australia’s longest-serving Harbour Master and 2012-2014 President of the International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA).
1994
FIRST DUKC® INSTALLATION - HAY POINT
The first DUKC® Series 1 is installed at Hay Point, Queensland following strong support from Ports Corporation of Queensland. This is the first operational Dynamic UKC System in the World.
1993
SHIP MOTION MODEL TRIAL
Dr O’Brien moves to Brisbane to trial his ship motion model in preparation for tje first DUKC® installation.
1992
THE BEGINNING OF OMC INTERNATIONAL
After a distinguished 22-year academic career, Dr O’Brien leaves Melbourne University to commercialise his ship motion research to solve practical problems in the maritime industry and establishes OMC International – working from his home office in converted stables.
1987