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Kapoor News

11 Aug 2023

Three Bulk Carriers Robbed in Singapore Strait

Credit: Leonid/AdobeStock

Three bulk carriers were robbed in the Singapore Strait earlier this week, a Singapore-based regional maritime security centre on Friday. One of the busiest commercial waterways in the world has seen a spike in piracy in recent years. The incidents of "petty crime" happened between Aug 8-9, when the ships were in the Phillip Channel in the Singapore Strait, said the Information Fusion Centre, which is a regional facility hosted by the Singapore navy. One of the ships was flagged to Cyprus, while the other two carried Liberia flags, the center said in a statement.

20 Mar 2023

Chevron Suspends Production at Thai Oil Field after Fatal Accident

©Thai Navy

Production at the Benchamas oil field in the Gulf of Thailand was suspended immediately after an accident last week and remains offline, U.S. oil giant Chevron Corp said in a statement on Monday.The announcement comes after an accident last week at an oil storage vessel caused seawater to leak into the vessel's hull, killing one crew member."We have recovered the body of our colleague who was fatally injured on March 13," a Chevron spokesperson said in a separate statement, adding that preparations were being made to return the body to the victim's family.

13 Mar 2023

S&P Global Buys Firm to Bolster Capability to Track Commodity Shipments

©AUUSanAKUL+/AdobeStock

S&P Global Commodity Insights said on Monday it had acquired UK-based technology firm Tradenet and its live vessel-tracking platform Market Intelligence Network (MINT) to bolster its capability to track and analyze commodity shipments. Demand for ship-tracking data has grown in the commodities sector in recent years, leading to the creation of new data analytics businesses such as Kpler, Vortexa and Refinitiv that compete with S&P Global. "The acquisition adds powerful new capabilities to our cargo…

20 Feb 2023

Philippines, US Discuss Joint Coast Guard Patrols in South China Sea

(Photo: Diolanda Caballero / U.S. Coast Guard)

The Philippines and the United States are discussing conducting joint coast guard patrols, including in the South China Sea, a Manila official said on Monday.With overlapping sovereign claims in the strategic waterway, the Philippines has ramped up rhetoric against what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tensions around naval operation.Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) spokesperson on South China Sea issues…

10 Jan 2023

Maersk Announces New Executive Leadership Team

Vincent Clerc, CEO of A.P. Moller - Maersk (Photo: A.P. Moller - Maersk)

Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller - Maersk on Tuesday announced a new organizational structure and a new executive leadership team.The changes are effective February 1, 2023 and follow the appointment of Vincent Clerc as CEO of A.P. Moller - Maersk effective January 1, 2023."The business has executed well during the past years, and we have a highly engaged and competent global team ready for the next miles of our transformation, Clerc said. "We face a challenging global economic outlook…

03 Jan 2023

Risking Death at Sea, Rohingya Muslims Seek Safety in Indonesia

Credit: Amnesty International Archive

Crying with relief after a traumatic 40-day voyage to Indonesia in a leaky boat, Rohingya Muslim Fatimah bin Ismail held a mobile phone with shaky hands as she made a video call to relatives. The 19-year-old was among 174 surviving Rohingya in the overloaded wooden fishing boat when it washed up on the shores of Indonesia's Aceh province this week. Around 200 had been on board, fleeing poverty and persecution, when it set off across the Indian Ocean from Bangladesh on Nov. 21.

20 Dec 2022

Thailand Races to Find Missing Marines from Sunken Warship

(Photo: Royal Thai Navy)

Thailand's military mobilised helicopters, warships and unmanned drones off its central coast on Tuesday as rescue teams raced against time to find survivors after a navy corvette sank at the weekend in choppy waters.One marine was rescued alive on Tuesday from the waters of the Gulf of Thailand, the navy said, among dozens who were forced to abandon the HTMS Sukhothai late on Sunday after it was knocked over by four-metre (13 ft) waves and strong winds. Five were found dead.There were 24 marines still unaccounted for by Tuesday evening.

22 Nov 2022

Indonesia: Pertamina's Shipping Unit Eyes $3B Investment to Rejuvenate Vessel Fleet

© Carabay/AdobeStock

Pertamina International Shipping, a unit of Indonesia's state energy firm, aims to invest up to $3 billion over the next five years to rejuvenate and expand its fleet, including investing in vessels to transport liquefied natural gas, an executive said. Pertamina International Shipping (PIS) operates more than 400 vessels, including three very large crude carriers (VLCC) and two very large gas carriers (VLGC). "We will invest big in replacing vessels," Wisnu Santoso, a director at PIS told reporters on Tuesday.

09 Nov 2022

US Allows Transactions to Free Sanctioned Oil Tanker Stranded in Indonesia

©Direktorat Jenderal Perhubungan Laut

The U.S. government has allowed some transactions to take place with a sanctioned oil supertanker in efforts to free the vessel stranded in Indonesian waters, the U.S. embassy in Singapore said on Wednesday. The Indonesian navy has been trying to free the Djibouti-registered ship, Young Yong, which ran aground off Indonesia's Riau Islands on Oct. 26 near a gas pipeline. The U.S. last week issued sanctions against an international oil smuggling network it said supports Hezbollah and Iran's elite Quds Force…

07 Nov 2022

Oil Supertanker Grounded in Indonesia Will Take a Month to Free - Navy

Indonesian authorities said on Monday it could take up to a month to free a crude oil tanker stuck in its waters, while the United States slapped sanctions on the vessel for alleged links to Hezbollah and a branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The Indonesian navy has been trying to free the Djibouti-registered vessel, Young Yong, which ran aground off Indonesia's Riau Islands on Oct. 26. The U.S. last week issued sanctions against an international oil smuggling network it said supports Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force, targeting dozens of people, companies, and tankers as Washington sought to mount pressure on Tehran. The Young Yong was among the vessels sanctioned. U.S. embassy officials in Singapore and Jakarta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

10 Mar 2022

Cerberus to Buy Philippine Shipyard at Ex US Navy Base

Photo: schlawginski (CC BY-SA 3.0)

U.S. private equity firm Cerberus will acquire for $300 million a debt-laden shipyard in the Philippines at a former U.S. navy base close to the South China Sea, the facility's trustee and two sources with knowledge of the deal said on Tuesday.The fate of the strategically located Subic Bay shipyard has been a national security concern for defense chiefs, with fears it could be taken over by state-run firms from China, with which the Philippines has a long history of mistrust.In 2019…

10 Feb 2022

Thailand Deploys Ships to Contain Second Oil Leak Off East Coast

©Thai Navy

Ships were deployed in Thailand on Thursday to contain a fresh oil spill off its eastern coast, authorities said, two weeks after an undersea pipeline leak in the same area damaged coastal communities and marine life.The pipeline, owned by Star Petroleum Refining Public Company (SPRC), sprang a leak on Jan. 26 and spewed an estimated 47,100 to 55,000 litres (12,443 to 14,529 gallons) of oil into the sea.It was patched up within a day but not before it damaged a beach area in Rayong province and threatened corals in the shallow waters.The same pipeline on Thursday spilled a further 5…

04 Dec 2019

OceanPro Accelerates Tech Innovation

OceanPro by Maersk, the first of its kind startup accelerator within the shipping and logistics industry, announced the graduation of its second cohort of start-ups showcasing the artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) led solutions developed by them over the last 120 days.The India-focused company of the Danish shipping giant also unveiled the start-ups that form a part of the third cohort as a continuation of its efforts to drive industry-wide digital transformation propelled by start-up led innovations in India.OceanPro successfully launched its first set of 7 start-ups last year, that saw approximately 50% conversion to a production scale solution provider.

18 Oct 2019

Tankers Defer Retrofits to Cash in on Record Freight Rates

© Tony Vingerhoets / Adobe Stock

Tankers that had been scheduled to install emissions-cutting equipment ahead of stricter pollution standards starting in 2020 have deferred their visits to the dry docks to capitalize on an unexpected surge in freight rates, three trade sources said.U.S. sanctions on subsidiaries of vast Chinese shipping fleet Cosco in September sparked a surge in global oil shipping rates as traders scrambled to find non-blacklisted vessels to get their oil to market.The rates for chartering a supertanker from the U.S.

18 Oct 2019

Tankers Defer retrofits as Record Freight Rates Beckon

File Image: A VLCC in Drydock (EuroNav)

Tankers that had been scheduled to install emissions-cutting equipment ahead of stricter pollution standards starting in 2020 have deferred their visits to the dry docks to capitalise on an unexpected surge in freight rates, three trade sources said.U.S. sanctions on subsidiaries of vast Chinese shipping fleet Cosco in September sparked a surge in global oil shipping rates as traders scrambled to find non-blacklisted vessels to get their oil to market.The rates for chartering a supertanker from the U.S.

09 Oct 2018

Maersk Launches Startup Accelerator

(Photo: Maersk)

AP Moller - Maersk has launched India-focused OceanPro, a 120-day accelerator program to give shipping and logistics startups an opportunity to partner with Maersk to bring innovative technology solutions to ease the global supply chain for customers and further accelerate global digital transformation.“We recognize the immense potential of India’s technology and digital talent and are looking to capitalize on these capabilities to help the logistics industry worldwide, to reinvent itself,” said Søren Skou, CEO, A.P.

22 Jun 2018

Indonesians Face Daunting Task to Recover Bodies from Sunken Ferry

(Photo: Basarnas)

Indonesian teams searching a lake for a sunken ferry in the hope of recovering nearly 200 bodies trapped inside have to contend with dangerous currents and cold, murky water far deeper than any scuba diver can ever go.The over-loaded ferry Sinar Bangun sank in bad weather in Lake Toba on Sumatra island on Monday. The lake, in the crater of an ancient supervolcano, is ringed by steeply sloping mountains, and is about 450 meters (1,500 feet) deep.Three people have been confirmed…

20 Jun 2018

Divers, Underwater Drone Searching for 192 Missing in Ferry Disaster

(Photo: National Search and Rescue Agency Republic of Indonesia)

Divers and an underwater drone on Wednesday joined a fleet of rescue vessels in Indonesia's search for at least 192 passengers missing two days after an overcrowded wooden ferry sank in one of the world's deepest volcanic lakes in Sumatra.Authorities are unable to confirm how many were aboard when the vessel sank on Monday in bad weather, since it did not have a manifest. Four were confirmed dead and 18 survivors picked up, but officials fear the death toll could be much higher.Tearful relatives waiting for news gathered at the small port of Tigaras on Lake Toba.

19 Jun 2018

Rescuers Hunting for Ferry Disaster Victims in Indonesia

The search for victims of a ferry that sank in the lake of an ancient supervolcano crater in Indonesia will resume on Wednesday with divers and an underwater drone to scour the depths for at least 128 missing passengers.The wooden tourist ferry sank in rough weather on Lake Toba on Sumatra island on Monday. Eighteen survivors were found that evening, but only one body was recovered, and a day long search on Tuesday was suspended having failed to account for any more.One survivor, Widya, said her family died when the boat was hit by strong waves."There were at least five couples with two children each. I wish I had died with my family…

30 May 2018

Plans Emerge for Strategic Indian Ocean Naval Port

Indonesia and India pledged on Wednesday to step up defense and maritime cooperation, with plans to develop a strategic Indonesian naval port in the Indian Ocean, the leaders of the two countries said after meeting in Jakarta. Indonesian President Joko Widodo met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss, among other issues, developing infrastructure and an economic zone at Sabang, on the tip of Sumatra island and at the mouth of the Malacca Strait, one of the busiest shipping channels for global trade. "India is a strategic defence partner...and we will continue to advance our cooperation in developing infrastructure, including at Sabang Island and the Andaman Islands," Widodo told a news conference after the meeting at the presidential palace.

22 Mar 2017

Indian Navy 'Coast to Coast' Rally Team Arrives at Indian Naval Academy

A 5-car rally team of Indian Navy’s Social Outreach Programme “Coast to Coast”, arrived at Indian Naval Academy on 21 March 2017. The rally is part of celebrations to commemorate the Platinum Jubilee of INS Valsura. The team was formally received by Captain Sumeet Kapoor, NM, Training Captain (Coord), Indian Naval Academy. INS Valsura is a 75 year old establishment of the Indian Navy located at Jamnagar, Gujarat. The establishment is a premier training institute for the Electrical Engineers of the Indian Navy. The establishment boasts of a rich maritime heritage, dating back to pre-Independence India of 1942, when the British Navy set up a Torpedo School on 15 December 1942 and named it Val-Sura from the Tamil words Val – “Sword” and Surah – “Fish”.

21 Aug 2017

Ten Sailors Missing after US Warship, Tanker Collide

Damage to the portside is visible as the USS John S. McCain steers toward Changi Naval Base, Singapore, following a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. Significant damage to the hull resulted in flooding to nearby compartments, including crew berthing, machinery and communications rooms. (U.S. Navy photo by Joshua Fulton)

Ten U.S. sailors were missing after a collision between a destroyer and a tanker east of Singapore on Monday, the second involving a U.S. warship and a merchant ship in Asia in about two months, triggering a fleet-wide probe of operations and training. The guided-missile destroyer John S. McCain and the tanker Alnic MC collided while the warship was heading to Singapore for a routine port call. The collision tore a hole in the warship's waterline, flooding compartments that included a crew sleeping area, the U.S. Navy said in a statement. "Initial reports indicate John S.

16 Jan 2018

Fire Rips through Maritime Museum in Indonesia

(Photo: Jakarta Dept. of Fire and Rescue)

A huge fire destroyed most of a Dutch colonial heritage site dating back to the 17th century, including a maritime museum, in the north of the capital Jakarta on Tuesday. Television images showed flames ripping through the red-tiled roof of the whitewashed rectangular buildings. No casualties were reported. “Most of the building...was on fire,” the city fire department said on its website. “The Bahari Museum is being cooled down,” it said on its official Twitter account. The buildings…