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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Miles East News

26 Mar 2024

US Approves Orsted's Sunrise Wind Offshore Wind Farm

© chungking / Adobe Stock

The Biden administration on Tuesday gave final approval to Orsted and Eversource's Sunrise Wind offshore wind facility, which is expected to provide power to more than 320,000 homes in New York.The announcement was the latest positive development for the project, which Denmark's Orsted warned just months ago could fail without a new contract that would cover soaring costs for equipment and financing.Orsted and Eversource said separately that they had taken a final investment decision…

20 Mar 2024

India to Prosecute 35 Pirates Who Hijacked Ship Off Somalia

Indian naval forces seized the Maltese-flagged bulk carrier Ruen that had been hijacked by Somali pirates, rescuing 17 crew members. All 35 pirates aboard the ship surrendered. (Photo: Indian Navy)

India will bring in and prosecute 35 Somali pirates its navy captured on a hijacked ship off Somalia, a navy official said, in a departure from its recent practice of rescuing vessels and crew but leaving the disarmed pirates at sea.The captured pirates are due to arrive in India on Saturday and will be handed over to the law enforcement agencies, the official said. He declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to the media.The exact charges against the pirates were not immediately clear…

17 Mar 2024

Explosion Reported Near Ship Off Yemen Coast

Map courtesy JMIC

The captain of a merchant ship east of Yemen's Aden has reported an explosion near the ship, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said early on Sunday."No damage to the vessel has been reported and the crew are reported safe. The vessel is proceeding to its next port of call," UKMTO said in an advisory note.The ship was 85 nautical miles (157 km, 98 miles) east of Aden, in an area where Houthi militant groups often target ships they say are linked to Israel or the United States.Months of Red Sea attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants have disrupted global shipping…

12 Mar 2024

Armed Pirates Board Cargo Ship Off Somalia

© Venera / Adobe Stock

Twenty armed people have boarded a cargo ship off the coast of Somalia and have taken control of it, a maritime security firm said on Tuesday.The vessel is the latest to be targeted following a resurgence of attacks by Somali pirates in recent months although the maritime security firm, Ambrey, did not specify that it was Somali pirates who boarded the ship.Ambrey said the ship was a Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier - a type of merchant ship used to transport large amounts of cargo…

11 Mar 2024

Cargo Ship Sinks Near Vietnam, All Crewmembers Rescued

© Prapat / Adobe Stock

A Vietnam-registered cargo vessel sank in about 380 nautical miles east of Vung Tau, Vietnam, local officials said.At about 4 p.m. on Sunday, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Singapore operated by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), received a distress alert from the general cargo vessel Hung Phat 89 (HP89) within the Singapore Maritime Search and Rescue Region.MRCC Singapore immediately issued navigational broadcasts for vessels in the vicinity to keep a lookout and report sightings of the vessel in distress…

05 Mar 2024

MSC Containership Hit by Houthi Missile Sailing to Djibouti

(Photo: Indian Navy)

Container ship MSC Sky II was continuing its voyage to Djibouti on Tuesday after being hit by a missile a day earlier near Yemen's port city of Aden, its operator MSC said.MSC Sky II was hit by a missile about 85 miles southeast of Aden and 170 miles east-southeast of the Bab al-Mandab Strait while it was sailing from Singapore to Djibouti, the Swiss-headquartered MSC said in a statement."The missile caused a small fire that has been extinguished while no crew were injured. She is currently continuing her journey to Djibouti and will arrive today for further assessment…

29 Feb 2024

New York Awards Equinor and Orsted New Offshore Wind Contracts

© Fokke Baarssen / Adobe Stock

New York officials on Thursday awarded provisional contracts to two proposed offshore wind projects under a program meant to support the embattled industry and keep the state's clean energy goals on track.The state selected a planned 810-megawatt project, Empire Wind 1, (developed by Equinor) and Sunrise Wind, a planned 924-megawatt project (developed by Orsted and Eversource).The closely watched solicitation by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)…

29 Jan 2024

Russian Oil Facilities Hit by Drone Attacks, Fires

© evannovostro / Adobe Stock

Russia energy infrastructure has been hit by drone attacks and fires in the past month, adding to uncertainty in global oil and gas markets already rocked by the conflict in the Middle East.Russia and Ukraine have targeted each other's energy infrastructure in strikes designed to disrupt supply lines and logistics and to demoralise their opponent as they try to get the edge in a nearly two-year-old war that shows no sign of ending.Following are recent major incidents at Russian oil facilities in the past month:* A Russian appointed official said on Jan.

11 Jan 2024

Iran Confirms Seizure of Oil Tanker Involved in US-Iran Dispute

© evannovostro / Adobe Stock

Iran seized a tanker with Iraqi crude destined for Turkey on Thursday in retaliation for the confiscation last year of the same vessel and its oil by the U.S., Iranian state media reported, a move likely to stoke regional tensions.The seizure of the Marshall Islands-flagged St Nikolas coincides with weeks of attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militias targeting Red Sea shipping routes."After the theft of Iranian oil by the United States last year, St Nikolas tanker was seized by Iran's Navy this morning with a judicial order ...

11 Jan 2024

Oil Tanker Involved in US-Iran Dispute Boarded by Armed Guards Near Oman

© Vladimir / Adobe stock

An oil tanker caught up in a dispute last year between the United States and Iran was boarded by armed individuals off the coast of Oman on Thursday and appeared to have changed course towards Iran, according to UK maritime sources.The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker St Nikolas was boarded by armed intruders as it sailed close to the Omani city of Sohar, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey, and its AIS tracking system was turned off as it headed in the direction…

03 Jan 2024

Houthis Say They 'Targeted' Containership, No Damage Reported

© Genya / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said on Wednesday they had "targeted" a container ship bound for Israel, a day after the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the militant group had fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles in the southern Red Sea.The Houthis, who control much of Yemen including the capital, have since October attacked in the Red Sea commercial vessels they say have Israeli links or are sailing to Israel, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.The Houthis' military spokesman…

15 Dec 2023

Warship Rushes in to Investigate Suspected Pirate Attack off Somalia

(Photo: EUNAVFOR)

A Spanish navy ship is sailing at full speed towards a Maltese-flagged commercial vessel that may have been hijacked by pirates off Somalia, the European Union's Somali counter piracy force said on Friday.If confirmed, it would be the first successful hijacking involving Somali pirates since 2017 when a crackdown by international navies stopped a rash of seizures in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.EUNAVFOR's joint operations centre in Spain said it received an alert on Thursday about the "alleged pirate-hijacked vessel" Ruen, which was approximately 500 nautical miles east of Socotra Isl

15 Aug 2023

DCA Voices Support for US Offshore Wind Development

(Photo: The Dutra Group, courtesy Dredging Contractors of America)

The Dredging Contractors of America (DCA), a trade association representing the U.S. dredging and marine construction industry, said it strongly supports the development of a robust offshore wind industry.“As the industry grows in the United States and along the U.S. East Coast, the DCA and its companies are working with state and federal regulators on matters related to dredging operations,” said William P. Doyle, CEO of the Dredging Contractors of America.The U.S offshore wind…

14 Aug 2023

US Coast Guard, Navy Rescue Four Missing Divers off North Carolina

A Coast Guard Station Oak Island 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew arrives at Station Oak Island, North Carolina on Aug. 14, 2023 after rescuing four missing divers 46 miles southeast of Cape Fear River, N.C. (Photo: Eric Tucker / U.S. Coast Guard)

Four divers that went missing off the U.S. East Coast on Sunday were rescued Monday 46 miles southeast of Cape Fear River, N.C.The U.S. Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector North Carolina initially received a notification Sunday from Coast Guard Sector Charleston stating four men were diving from the pleasure craft Big Bill’s, approximately 63 miles east of Myrtle Beach, S.C. near noon, and had not resurfaced. Sectors Charleston and North Carolina coordinated a multi-asset…

01 Jun 2023

U.S. Coast Guard Calls Off Search for 35-Year-Old Who Fell from Carnival Magic Cruise Ship

The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday suspended the search for a missing 35-year-old man who went overboard from a cruise ship 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida.Coast Guard crews searched more than 5,171 square miles and 60 hours. Missing is Ronnie Peale.Carnival Cruise Lines personnel contacted Coast Guard watchstanders at 6:36 p.m., Monday, reporting that a passenger fell off the cruise ship Carnival Magic and entered the water.Coast Guard watchstanders launched air crews and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba (WMEC 907) to conduct search and rescue efforts from the air and on the water. U.S. Navy ships and aircraft in the…

25 May 2023

First US-Built Offshore Wind Substation Sets Sail

©Orsted

Offshore wind developers Ørsted and Eversource marked the sailaway of the first U.S.-built offshore wind substation, which departed a Texas fabrication facility Wednesday. The substation is transiting across the Gulf of Mexico and then up the East Coast for installation at the South Fork Wind project site in a few weeks.Kiewit Offshore Services, Ltd. (Kiewit), the largest offshore fabricator in the U.S., designed and built the substation, which will be deployed at Ørsted and Eversource’s South Fork Wind project serving Long Island…

03 May 2023

Video: Burn Victim Airlifted from Bulk Carrier off US East Coast

(Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)

An injured crewmember was medevaced Wednesday from a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier approximately 173 miles east of Morehead City, N.C., the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders with Coast Guard 5th District Command Center received a notification from the the 200-foot-long vessel PRT Ace, that a 29-year-old crewman on board had suffered burns while using the ship’s incinerator.The watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and…

06 Apr 2023

Taiwan Watching Chinese Movements After Beijing Denounces US Speaker Meeting

U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in formation with the Japanese destroyer JS Umigiri (DD 158), South Korea's destroyers ROKS Yul Gok Yi (DDG 992), ROKS Dae Jo young (DDH 977) and ROKS Choi Young (DDH 981), combat support ship ROKS So Yang (AOE 51), and the U.S. destroyers USS Decatur (DDG 73) and USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) in the East China Sea on April 4, 2023. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

Taiwan was keeping a close watch on a Chinese aircraft carrier and threats to inspect ships in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday after Beijing condemned a meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.McCarthy - the third highest ranking official in the U.S. leadership hierarchy - and other Republican and Democratic lawmakers met Tsai on Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.The meeting took place at a low ebb of U.S.-China relations and despite threats of retaliation from Beijing…

05 Mar 2023

Drug Bust Nets $677 Million of Cocaine from Vessel Off Australia

(Photo: Western Australia Police Force)

A joint U.S. and Australian law enforcement operation busted an international drug ring after intercepting 2.4 tonnes of cocaine aboard a vessel off the coast of South America that had been bound for Australia.The cocaine, linked to a Mexican drug cartel, had a street value of around A$1 billion ($677 million), and was equivalent to half of Australia's estimated annual consumption, making the seizure one of the biggest that Australian police have been involved in.Twelve suspects have been arrested and charged in the case…

06 Jan 2023

What’s Next for Eastern Shipbuilding?

(Credit: Eastern Shipbuilding Group)

When Hurricane Michael slammed the Florida Panhandle in October 2018, the deadly category 5 storm inflicted billions in damages to the region, tearing apart homes and businesses in its path. Among those severely impacted was Eastern Shipbuilding Group, which suffered a nearly direct hit at its Allanton shipyard, located about 15 miles east of the company’s headquarters and main yard in Panama City.Eastern, which had been scheduled to begin building the first of up to 11 Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC) for the U.S.

14 Dec 2022

Tanker Helps Rescue Overdue Boaters off US East Coast

A Hong Kong registered tanker assisted in the rescue of two men adrift in a sailboat off the U.S. East Coast.On Sunday, watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard Fifth District command center were notified of an overdue sailing vessel, Atrevida II, which was sailing from Cape May, N.J. to Marathon, Fla. The two men aboard, 65-year-old Kevin Hyde and 76-year-old Joe Ditomasso, were last in contact with family and friends on December 3, when they departed Oregon Inlet, N.C. The Coast Guard began urgent marine information broadcasts and direct communication with commercial vessels in the area in an attempt to locate the Atrevida II. A search effort was launched, involving multiple Coast Guard aircraft and cutters, vessels from the U.S.

01 Nov 2022

Ghana's Historic Slave Forts are Being Swallowed by Rising Seas

Cape Coast Castle - Ghana / ©demerzel21/AdobeStock

For 21 years, Fort Prinzenstein's caretaker James Ocloo Akorli has watched the Gulf of Guinea's tempestuous waters eat away at both his livelihood and his heritage.The 18th century Danish citadel, set along Ghana's palm-fringed coastline, was once the last stop for captured Africans before they were forced onto slave ships bound for the Americas.Today, three-quarters of the UNESCO World Heritage site has been swallowed by the sea."There have been mornings after a storm when I have come to find large parts of the fort have just disappeared…

08 Aug 2022

Mexico, Venezuela Assisting Cuba Fight Massive Fire in Main Oil Storage Facility

©Albert/AdobeStock

Cuba sought on Sunday to bring under control a fire at its main oil storage facility that has killed one firefighter, drawing on help from Mexico and Venezuela to fight the raging flames.A lightning strike on Friday ignited one of eight storage tanks at the Matanzas super tanker port 60 miles east of Havana. A second tank caught fire on Saturday, catching firefighters and others at the scene by surprise. Sixteen people were missing.The second explosion injured more than 100 people…