US to Reimpose Oil Sanctions on Venezuela
The Biden administration said it would not renew a license set to expire early on Thursday that had broadly eased Venezuela oil sanctions, moving to reimpose punitive measures in response to President Nicolas Maduro’s failure to meet his election commitments.Just hours before the deadline, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on its website that it had issued a replacement license giving companies 45 days to “wind down” their business and transactions in the OPEC country's oil…
China Coastguard Uses Water Cannons Against Philippine Ships
China's coastguard said it had taken measures against Philippine vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Saturday, while the Philippines decried the moves, including the use of water cannons, as "irresponsible and provocative".China's actions led to "significant damage" and injury to personnel on a civilian boat hired to resupply troops, the Philippine task force on the South China Sea said in a statement.The incident occurred in the Second Thomas Shoal and Spratly Islands waters, according to the Chinese coastguard.
UN Starts Removing Oil from Decaying FSO in Red Sea
The United Nations said on Tuesday it had started the removal of more than 1 million barrels of oil from a decaying supertanker off Yemen's Red Sea coast in a complex operation it hopes will ward off a regional disaster.U.N. officials have been warning for years that the Red Sea and Yemen's coastline was at risk as the Safer tanker could spill four times as much oil as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off Alaska.A U.N. spokesperson said on Tuesday a spill could cost $20 billion to clean up.The war in Yemen caused the suspension in 2015 of maintenance operations on the Safer…
China State Shipbuilding, CNPC Among 11 Caught in Auditor Snare
China's National Audit Office has found irregularities at 11 state-owned conglomerates ranging from misrepresentation of assets to illegal property development, highlighting the challenges the government faces in overhauling the public sector. China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), the parent of PetroChina Co Ltd , China Resources (Holdings) Co Ltd, the parent of 10 companies listed in Shanghai and Hong Kong, and defence contractor China South Industries Group Corp, were among the firms whose 2012 audit reports were released on Friday. China has been moving to overhaul its state-owned sector following last year's decision to diversify ownership to give equal political and legal status to state and private companies.
China's "Ordinary" Billionaire Behind Nicaragua Canal Plan
Wang Jing, the enigmatic businessman behind Nicaragua's $50 billion Interoceanic Grand Canal, shrugs off scepticism about how a little-known entrepreneur can be driving a huge transcontinental project, insisting he's not an agent of the Beijing government. "I know you don't believe me," said Wang, who reckons that he's forked-out about $100 million in canal preparation work, and is burning as much as $10 million a month on the project. "You believe there are people from the Chinese government in the background providing support. High-ranking Chinese officials including President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and former leaders Jiang Zemin and Wen Jiabao have all visited the state-connected wireless communication technologies company Wang took control of four years ago.
ASA Welcomes New Members
At its recent Spring meeting, the American Salvage Association (ASA) welcomed a new General Member, 10 new Associate Members, and four new Corporate Associate Members to its ranks. The New General Member is Associated Marine Salvage, Inc., based in and led by Gordon Olson, Vice President. Eva Longobardi, Northeast Diving Services, Inc.
