Amos News

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) crew and embarked researchers ventured onto a floe of multi-year ice for the first of three multi-instrument ice stations in the Arctic Ocean Basin late July and early August.As the Healy carefully approached and maintained position alongside an ice floe above 77 degrees north, the crew and a team of scientists, working in cooperation with the Office of Naval Research, (ONR) offloaded a diverse collection of equipment on to the floe carefully…

Israeli and Lebanese leaders finalised a U.S-brokered maritime demarcation on Thursday, bringing a measure of accommodation between the enemy states as they eye offshore energy exploration.Leaders from Lebanon, Israel and the United States have all hailed the deal as "historic" but the possibility of a wider diplomatic breakthrough remains slim. As a result, there was no joint signing ceremony: Lebanese President Michel Aoun signed a letter approving the deal at his palace in Baabda in the presence of the U.S.

Israel's Supreme Court on Sunday rejected petitions that would have held up a landmark U.S.-brokered deal setting a maritime border with Lebanon, which Washington predicted could be finalized on Thursday. Four groups, including an Israeli opposition lawmaker, had asked the court to force the government - which is looking to fast-track the deal ahead of a Nov. 1 election - to instead hold a full vote in parliament. The court's decision eliminates one of the last hurdles in Israel that could disrupt the deal.

U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein will be in Beirut next week carrying a copy of the maritime agreement with Israel for Lebanese officials to sign, Lebanese negotiator Elias Bou Saab told Reuters on Wednesday. The deal - hailed by all three parties as a historic achievement - marks a diplomatic departure from decades of war and hostility and once in force will open the door to offshore energy exploration. "Hochstein will be in Beirut next week with the agreement that we will sign," Bou Saab said. He did not say when the deal would be signed.

Israel gave its preliminary nod on Sunday to a draft U.S.-brokered deal demarcating a maritime border with Lebanon that may lead to profit-sharing in a disputed Mediterranean gas prospect. Hoping to defuse one source of conflict between the hostile countries and prod them toward accommodation, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein last week submitted a new proposal that would pave the way for offshore energy exploration.After years of stop-start shuttle diplomacy, agreement seems closer than ever.

The head of Lebanon's Hezbollah said on Thursday that his group could stop Israel from extracting gas from a maritime field that Beirut says lies in disputed waters, adding Hezbollah is "not afraid of war."Lebanon warned Israel on Sunday against any "aggressive action" in disputed waters where both states hope to develop offshore energy, after a vessel operated by London-based Energean arrived off the coast to produce gas for Israel.Hezbollah "has the capacity to prevent the enemy from beginning to extract from Karish…

Lebanon said on Monday it would invite a U.S. mediator to Beirut to continue negotiations over a disputed maritime boundary with Israel to prevent any escalation after accusing Israel of encroaching on contested waters.The issue flared up on Sunday when a vessel operated by London-based Energean arrived off the coast to develop a gas field which Israel says is part of its exclusive economic zone but which Lebanon says falls within the contested waters.In Israel's first response to the Lebanese accusation…

Several Democratic U.S. senators said late on Monday, after meeting with Biden administration officials, that they believe sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline backed by Republican Senator Ted Cruz could harm relations with Germany.Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and President Joe Biden's global energy security adviser Amos Hochstein met on Monday behind closed doors with about 10 Democratic senators who have been undecided on the Cruz bill.The legislation is expected to get a Senate vote this week after both parties struck a deal last month…

The U.S. mediator for indirect talks on border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel said on Thursday that the negotiations he was hoping to revive should be concluded in a short period if they were to succeed.Amos Hochstein, speaking to Al Hadath TV during a visit to Beirut, said holding the indirect talks last year between the two sides in the presence of the United States and the United Nations was an important milestone but that it remained to be seen whether the right time to resume the talks was now."Perhaps there should be some shuttle diplomacy first…

A section of the oil pipeline that burst off the Southern California coast was displaced 105 feet (32 meters) across the ocean floor, officials said on Tuesday, fueling speculation that a ship's anchor may have caused the environmental disaster.The revelation came as the U.S. Coast Guard and drilling company Amplify Energy Corp came under further scrutiny about the time it took to respond to the spill, amid reports that mariners first reported seeing oil in the water on Friday night…

Israel is ready to renew efforts to solve its dispute with Lebanon over the delineation of their territorial waters in the Mediterranean, but it will not accept that Beirut dictates the terms of the negotiation, its energy minister said on Tuesday.The talks mediated by the United States were launched a year ago to try to resolve the dispute, which has held up exploration in the potentially gas-rich area. The talks stalled in May.U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein is due in both…

The Biden administration on Friday slapped sanctions on a Russian ship and two companies involved in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, but opponents of the nearly-completed project said the measures would not stop it.The sanctions were imposed on ship Ostap Sheremeta, shipowner JSC Nobility and construction company Konstanta, the State Department said in a report to congressional committees. A copy of the report was seen by Reuters.U.S. President Joe Biden separately issued an executive…

Israel received its most advanced warship on Wednesday, describing the German-made vessel dubbed "Shield" as a bulwark for vulnerable Mediterranean gas rigs as tensions with Tehran soar over the assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist.The Saar-6 corvette that docked in Haifa port, and three of the same model to follow next year, will bring to 15 the number of missile boats deployed by an Israeli navy which, while small, carries out missions as far away as the Red Sea and the Gulf.Israel also wants to protect off-shore natural gas fields close to Lebanon…

The July/August edition of Marine Technology Reporter, the 15th Annual "MTR100", recognizes Graham Hawkes a subsea innovator, explorer, inventor and pusher of boundaries. A pioneer in the realm of ocean engineering, he’s designed and built more than 60 manned submersibles—everything from atmospheric dive suits to flying subs. As a test pilot, he’s maintained the deepest solo dive record for more than 20 years. He’s also the founder of HAWX Open Ocean LLC, created to design and…

While Norway ranks 120th among countries globally in terms of population size (5.3 million), it packs a powerful punch in the maritime world, as Norwegians rank near the top as maritime and offshore industry innovators.As the global maritime markets enters a transcendent period – with decarbonization, digitalization and autonomy on the horizon – innovation from Norway stands strong as the Norwegian university of science and technology (NTNU) has established a new firm, Zeabuz…

ShipServ, the marine eProcurement platform for ship operators, announced it is set to deliver a full supplier integration solution for AMOS Group Ltd, the SGX-listed global provider of diversified products services and solutions to the marine and offshore industries.The new full integration solution will enable AMOS Group to increase efficiencies and the speed of processing multiple transactions, significantly reducing labour time as well as quickly responding to RFQs. This will help drive customer retention and the ability to win more business through faster turnaround times.The development is an important part of AMOS Group’s digitization strategy…

Law firm Mayer Brown advised CLP Power Hong Kong on the Hong Kong offshore LNG terminal project, which involves the use of floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) technology for the first time in Hong Kong. The FSRU will receive, store, and regasify LNG into two separate subsea gas pipelines to supply natural gas to Castle Peak Power Company Limited and Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd., generating power for Hong Kong residents.Mayer Brown advised CLP Power Hong Kong Limited on the FSRU charter and regasification agreements and operation and maintenance services to be provided to the offshore LNG terminal with Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), one of the world's largest shipping operators.

Oakley Capital Investments Ltd has acquired majority stakes in two maritime e-learning providers from Norwegian private equity firm Herkules Private Equity Fund IV and US satellite company KVH Industries.Oakley, the private equity investment company contributed GBP25 million, through its Oakley Capital IV fund to buy the stakes in SG MidCo AS, also known as Seagull, and Videotel Marine Asia Ltd and Super Dragon Ltd, collectively known as Videotel.Over the past 40 years, Videotel and Seagull have established themselves as the best-in-class providers of e-learning to the maritime sector globally. Every year they each provide over 10,000 ships and installations with comprehensive and up-to-date compliance…

Norway is growing its arsenal of military grade drones for missions that’ll take them into the exhaust streams of ship’s funnels. With the IMO now supporting the 0.1 percent sulfur cap on marine fuel from Jan. 2020, and with southern Norway below the 62nd parallel officially a European Emissions Control Area, or ECA, the Norwegian Maritime Authority, the NMA, is cracking down on illegal sulfur emissions.Oslo’s NMA and its domestic enforcement allies — the Norwegian Coast Guard (Kystvakten)…

The U.S. Navy commission its newest amphibious transport dock ship during a ceremony Saturday, April 21, at the Port of Portland, Marine Terminal 2 in Portland, Ore.Built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., USS Portland (LPD 27) is the 11th ship in the San Antonio class designed to support embarking, transporting, and landing elements of more than 800 Marines with both a flight deck, which accommodates CH-53E Sea Stallion, and MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, and a well deck…

The Navy will commission its newest amphibious transport dock, the future USS Portland (LPD 27), during a 10 a.m. PDT ceremony Saturday, April 21, at the Port of Portland, Marine Terminal 2 in Portland, Oregon. Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Bonnie Amos, wife of the 35th Commandant of the Marine Corps, retired Gen. James F. Amos, serves as the ship's sponsor. "USS Portland enters service in a period of dynamic security challenges, and I am confident this ship and crew will conquer these and future challenges because of the strength and talent of the Sailors and Marines who will serve aboard this ship," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer.

Plans have been put in motion to develop a new intermodal container terminal on the lower Mississippi River. Designed to service the largest ocean carriers, the new 1,000 acre container terminal will be capable of docking vessels up to 20,000 TEU with deep-water access and 21,600 linear feet of waterfront allow for multiple ocean and APCT vessels to be accommodated simultaneously. The container port, located between mile 50 and 55 on the Mississippi River, will be the southern-most full service port complex on the river…

An extensive area of the Trondheimsfjord in Northern Norway was designated as an official test bed for autonomous shipping by the Norwegian Coastal Authority (NCA), during a special event in Trondheim, Norway on Friday, September 30th 2016. As potentially the first coastal area in the world officially dedicated to the development of technology for autonomous ships, the new test bed is set to become a vital facility for the future of shipping. Norwegian maritime technology company…