South Korean, U.S. Shipbuilders Deepen Ties
The quest to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding capability quickly is premised on partnering with existing shipbuilding powers outside of China, with several recent announcements today solidifying the connection between the two allies.Four separate partnerships were recently announced, three today, underscoring a growing bilateral effort to rebuild America's maritime industrial base through investments in shipbuilding capacity…
Fincantieri Celebrates Delivery of Third Explora Luxury Travel Vessel
Explora Journeys celebrated the delivery of Explora III at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa. The vessel is the third ship built by Fincantier for Explora Journeys, MSC Group's luxury ocean travel brand.Held in the presence of national, regional and local authorities, the ceremony marked a milestone in the development of the Explora Journeys fleet, which has now reached the halfway point of its planned growth.
Fincantieri, OCCAR Amend U212 NFS Program Submarine Contract
Fincantieri signed a contract amendment with OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) under the U212 NFS (Near Future Submarine) program, related to the construction of four submarines currently being built by the Group for the Italian Navy at the Integrated Shipyard of Muggiano.The agreement, signed by Joachim Sucker, Director of OCCAR-EA and by Fulvio Palermo, Head of Project Management of Fincantieri’s Naval Vessels Division…
Saronic, Samsung Heavy Industries Collaborate on Autonomous Marine Systems
Saronic and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of autonomy-capable maritime systems and technologies to strengthen America’s shipbuilding industrial base. Through this partnership, the companies will harness technology and expertise to build the maritime industrial capacity and workforce needed to deliver on American and allied shipbuilding needs…
Two Oil Tankers Attached by Drones Near Black Sea CPC Terminal
Drones have attacked another two oil tankers approaching the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's terminal on Russia's shores of the Black Sea, further clouding prospects for oil exports from Kazakhstan, which uses the outlet, three industry sources said on Thursday.The closure of the terminal, which accounts for more than 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports, earlier this week over safety concerns forced the country to cut its oil production…
US Begins Importing Iraqi Oil Through Syria
The United States has begun importing fuel oil of Iraqi origin shipped through Syria for the first time, according to shipping data and two sources familiar with the operations, as Iraq expands a Mediterranean export route established after disruptions to Gulf trade routes earlier this year.The alternative route is a further example of shippers seeking ways to move supplies around the world that circumnavigate the Strait of Hormuz…
Aramco Offers Additional Crude Cargoes Amidst Houthi Threats
Saudi Aramco has offered additional crude cargoes for loading from Egypt's Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir, according to five trading sources, as Houthi threats to Saudi shipping raise risks for southbound Red Sea exports through the Bab el-Mandeb strait.The cargoes, which are shipped to Egypt's Red Sea port of Ain Sukhna and then carried by the Suez-Mediterranean Pipeline to Sidi Kerir, are being offered on a spot basis…
Shipping Insurance Costs for Red Sea Voyages Surge After Houthi Attacks
The insurance cost of shipping goods through the southern Red Sea doubled for some companies on Thursday, after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked at least one tanker overnight, sources said.The Houthis said their forces had carried out missile and drone strikes on Saudi oil tankers, the Encelia and the Layla. This worsened the turmoil for shipping in the region, with the Strait of Hormuz essentially shut down.Maritime security sources confirmed the strike on the Encelia…
US, Partner Nations Conduct Live-Fire Sinking During RIMPAC 26
Ships and aircraft participating in exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 conducted a planned, live-fire sinking exercise (SINKEX) and sank decommissioned USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), July 12, 2026, and decommissioned USS Peleliu (LHA 5), July 17. Mobile Bay and Peleliu were sunk in waters 15,000 feet deep, more than 50 nautical miles off the northern coast of the island of Kauai.During the SINKEXs, participating units from Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the U.S.
Intellian Announces the Commercial Launch of the C100M GMDSS System
Intellian Technologies, a provider of satellite communication antennas and ground gateway solutions, and Iridium Communications Inc., announced the commercial launch of the Intellian C100M GMDSS System.Offering an alternative for essential L-band safety communications at sea, the C100M has received both the Marine Equipment Directive (MED) Wheelmark and UK Marine Equipment Regulations (MER) Red Ensign approvals.Designed for retrofitting…
Port of Bilbao Sees Largest YoY Growth Since 2004
In the first half of the year, the Port of Bilbao handled 17,317,427 tons of cargo, an increase of 1,893,980 tons and 12.3% up on the same period last year. This figure represents the highest year-on-year growth recorded at the start of a year for the last twenty-two years, or since 2004.Furthermore, despite a difficult start to the year due to the storms, mostly in January and part of February, that affected the vast majority of state-owned ports…
Sonplas Unveils Explosion-Proof Test Chambers for Fuel and Energy Components
German-based engineering firm Sonplas has developed explosion-proof thermal chambers designed to test fuel and energy system components under controlled temperature conditions in hazardous environments, as demand grows for validation of equipment used with alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methanol and ammonia.The company said the chambers are designed for testing components including injectors, pumps…
Grandweld Lands Bahri Logistics’ OSV Shipbuilding Deal
UAE shipbuilder Grandweld Shipyards has secured a contract from Bahri Logistics, the logistics arm of Saudi Arabia's national shipping company Bahri, to design and build two offshore support vessels (OSV) for operations at Ras Tanura Port.The vessels will be designed to support Bahri Logistics' offshore operations at the Saudi port, one of the world's largest energy export hubs, and are scheduled for delivery later in 2026.Grandweld said the vessels will be equipped with advanced navigation…
Saipem Marks Neptun Deep Offshore Installation Milestone in Black Sea
Saipem has confirmed the completion of a key offshore installation campaign for the Neptun Deep natural gas project in Romania, marking another milestone in the development of what is expected to become the European Union's largest offshore gas project.The campaign, carried out by the Saipem 7000 heavy-lift vessel, included the installation of the production platform's 7,500-tonne jacket and 9,000-tonne topside…
DOF Reshapes Fleet With Six-Vessel Transactions
DOF Group has agreed to sell four platform supply vessels (PSVs), acquire two construction support vessels (CSVs) under construction and declare a constructive total loss on the anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel Skandi Amazonas, as the company continues to optimize and modernize its fleet.The company said it will sell the Skandi Mongstad, Skandi Flora, Skandi Feistein and Skandi Kvitsøy, with…
Hormuz Disruption Shifts LNG Bargaining Power to Buyers
Asian and European buyers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) plan to ask for lower prices and additional supply guarantees from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as the U.S.-Iran war raises insurance costs on those deliveries, buyers, traders and industry executives told Reuters.The war is reshaping the global energy industry, stripping Gulf producers of their reputation as the world's most reliable suppliers, which in the past gave them significant negotiating power.
Chinese Supertankers Exiting Red Sea Amid Houthi Threats
Two Chinese supertankers carrying a combined 4 million barrels of Saudi Arabian oil are exiting the Red Sea via the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Thursday, shipping data showed, even as a Saudi vessel came under attack in the region.The ships' attempt to transit the strait will clearly test how tightly the Houthis will impose the naval blockade on Saudi Arabia they announced on Monday. The group said they…
Houthis Claim Attack on Saudi Tankers in Red Sea
The Iranian-aligned Houthis said on Thursday they struck two Saudi oil tankers as part of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening to create a second chokepoint on global oil supplies alongside Iran's near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz.Meanwhile the U.S. military completed a new round of strikes on Iran at President Donald Trump's direction, marking a 12th successive night of American attacks and prompting further Iranian retaliation.Iran said it attacked U.S.
