China Maps Ocean Floor as It Builds Submarine Warfare Capability
China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S.
Bahrain Pushes UN Action on Hormuz Shipping, France Offers Alternative
Bahrain has put forward a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely to get through the council…
Explosion Forces Shutdown of Valero’s Port Arthur Refinery
Valero Energy Corp has shut its 380,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, following an explosion and fire at a diesel hydrotreater unit, people familiar with the plant operations said on Monday.The cause of the explosion at the 47,000-bpd 243-diesel hydrotreater unit was not clear. The blast could be heard as far as 11 miles away, the sources said.In an emailed response to Reuters…
Oil Rises as Iran Denies US Talks, Supply Risks Persist
Oil prices rose on Tuesday on supply fear, as Iran denied it had talks with the United States to end the war in the Gulf, contradicting U.S. President Donald Trump who said a deal could be reached soon.Brent futures LCOc1 rose $2.89, or 2.9%, to $102.83 a barrel at 0710 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) CLc1 climbed $2.49, or 2.8%, to $90.62.Crude futures dropped more than 10% on Monday, after Trump ordered a five-day delay to attacks on Iran's power plants, saying the U.S.
Hadrian Opens Alabama Facility to Support Submarine Production
Manufacturing company Hadrian has opened a new facility in Cherokee, Alabama dedicated to the U.S. Navy's Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs.Known as Factory 4, the Cherokee facility is an advanced, highly automated manufacturing plant that will mass-produce components needed for submarine construction, including parts, assemblies, and finished products.These products have been identified by the industry as the largest drivers of submarine schedules…
Wattlab Scales Up Solar Power for Bulkers
Following successful pilot projects and the first full-scale installation on a seagoing vessel, the Vertom Tula, Wattlab is now taking the next step: scaling its Solar Flatrack solution towards the international bulk shipping market.Currently, Solar Flatracks can be deployed on vessels up to and including the Supramax segment. In parallel, Wattlab has started the development of seaworthy solar solutions for Panamax and even Capesize bulk carriers.Wattlab…
TotalEnergies Abandons US Offshore Wind for Fossil Fuel Projects
The United States and French energy major TotalEnergies said on Monday they would redirect nearly $1 billion from offshore wind leases to U.S. oil and natural gas production.The agreement marks a new strategy in the Trump administration's wide-ranging effort to stymie development of U.S. offshore wind projects, which President Donald Trump has said he finds ugly, costly and inefficient.His administration…
African Bunkering Hubs Gain as Ships Reroute Around Cape
Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift…
Two India-Bound Tankers Pass Through Strait of Hormuz
Two tankers bound for India sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran’s power plants unless Tehran drops threats that have effectively closed the Gulf.Gulf nations including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have seen exports blocked since the war in Iran began on February 28 and Tehran launched attacks on ships and threatened any…
Bahrain Proposes Use of Force to Protect Hormuz Shipping
Bahrain has put forward a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely…
PPG Completes 200th Electrostatic Dry Docking
PPG announced the completion of its 200th vessel dry docking using electrostatic application of marine fouling control coatings, nearly three years after introducing the technique to the global shipping market.The project was completed on the Stena Britannica, a passenger and roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel operated by Stena Line, one of the world’s largest ferry companies, at the EDR Antwerp shipyard in Belgium.
KVH Link to be Deployed Across MOL Chemical Tankers Fleet
KVH Industries has announced that, together with MOL Chemical Tankers (MOLCT), they are deploying KVH Link across their in-house managed fleet. MOLCT has contracted MOVIElink, TVlink, MUSIClink, and YOURlink to create a crew content package onboard for their crew. With a wide selection of movies, including Hollywood blockbusters, Bollywood hits, major Pinoy releases in addition to top TV series and documentaries delivered each month…
Vessev Expands Into Australian Market with Hydrofoiling Passenger Vessels
New Zealand marine technology company Vessev has announced its expansion into the Australian market, with the Enautic Group set to introduce Vessev's electric hydrofoiling passenger vessels to Western Australia. There are currently only three commercially-certified electric hydrofoiling vessels in operation anywhere in the world, two of which are Vessev VS-9s, which together have logged close to 10…
Oil Prices Drop 8% Ahead of Possible Middle East Peace Talks
Oil prices dropped about 8% on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would postpone any military strikes against Iranian power plants for five days and cited constructive talks to resolve hostilities in the Middle East, hours before a deadline that threatened to escalate the four-week-old war.Brent futures fell $8.92, or 8.0%, to $103.27 a barrel at 12:31 p.m. EDT (1631 GMT), while U.S.
US Energy Secretary: Oil Prices Are Not High Enough to Cause Demand Destruction
Global oil prices have not climbed enough to cause demand destruction, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Monday at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Texas, even as markets continued to gyrate and global oil prices remained near $100 a barrel due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.The world is enduring one of the worst energy crises in decades following the closure of a key shipping channel and attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East that have caused long-term damage.
Bunkering Hubs Along African Coast See Surge as Vessels Reroute
Ship-refuelling companies along Africa's coast are seeing a surge in business as more vessels divert around the Cape of Good Hope, with war in the Middle East reshaping global shipping routes and boosting the continent's role as a bunkering hub.Carriers have been avoiding the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait since late 2023, when Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping began. U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have reinforced the shift…
Cellula Robotics USA to Deliver AUV Prototype for CAMP Defense Innovation Unit Project
Cellula Robotics USA Inc. has announced its role in delivering a long-endurance Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) under a contract awarded by the Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) as part of the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform (CAMP) initiative. Under the contract led by Metron Inc., Cellula Robotics USA Inc. will be responsible for delivery of a commercial off-the-shelf, fuel cell-powered Guardian AUV.
International Launches Aluminum-Pigmented Primer Intergard 6788
AkzoNobel’s marine coatings brand, International, has launched Intergard 6788, a new aluminum-pigmented universal primer developed to meet the demands of the global newbuilding market. The launch in Asia will take place at the Asia Pacific Maritime conference in Singapore, with availability in China and Vietnam as key markets.Epoxy technology enables a higher solids content for the product, proactively meeting increasingly stringent global Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) regulations.
Two India-Bound Tankers Pass Hormuz as Most Shipping Remains Halted
Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers on Monday sailed through the Strait of Hormuz although overall traffic through the critical waterway remained blocked, according to data and sources.The Pine Gas tanker sailed through the Strait with the Jag Vasant following close by, shiptracking data on the MarineTraffic platform showed.The Pine Gas tanker broadcast a message of "India ship and crew", according to separate LSEG ship tracking data.Hundreds of ships remain stuck inside the
Vessel Struck by Projectile off UAE's Sharjah Coast
An unknown projectile struck a vessel 15 nautical miles north of the United Arab Emirates' Sharjah, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said early on Sunday.It said that all crew were reported safe.The UKMTO said in a later statement that the target of the incident could not be conclusively identified and authorities were investigating.(Reuters - Reporting by Menna Alaa El-Din; Editing by Nia Williams)
