Mystery Barges Emerge on Both US Coasts
Two cargo barges have popped up on either coast of the country, prompting wild rumors about whether Google is behind the floating enigmas and what projects could possibly be in store, reports the Christian Science Monitor. On the edge of Treasure Island, an old Navy base in the San Francisco Bay, the 250-foot long, 72-foot wide, four-story tall cargo barge with the registration BAL 0010 is not open to the public, and is heavily guarded at all times. It is also attached to a warehouse called Hangar 3, which has also been heavily guarded since it started working with a new tenant last year.
Suezmax Tankship Demand Boosted
Before the EU adopted sanctions on Iran in July this year, Suezmax super tankers were in dire straits. Previously there were too many tankships in operation and not enough demand for transport through the Suez Canal on to Mediterranean ports feeding European markets, reports 'The Christian Science Monitor'. Now that Iran’s own exports have dropped by at least half in the face of European sanctions, the concomitant increase in production by Saudi Arabia and Iraq has reignited demand for the tankers and their transport route via the Suez Canal. The bottom line is that refineries previously supplied by Iran on the Mediterranean prefer to accept cargoes from elsewhere shipped via Suezmax tankers. Source: The Christian Science Monitor
UAE Says Japanese Oil Tanker Attacked by Terrorists
According to a report from the Christian Science Monitor, Japanese oil tanker M. Star was subject last month to a terrorist attack, UAE inspectors said on Friday, August 6, raising fears of a new campaign targeting global oil interests. The M. Star, a 1,082-ft supertanker, was shaken by what appeared to be an explosion shortly after midnight on July 28 as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow channel of water separating Iran and Oman. On August 6, a state-run news agency in the United Arab Emirates, said experts investigating the cause of the damage in the UAE port of Fujairah had found traces of explosives on the tanker’s starboard hull. (Source: Christian Science Monitor)
