US to Deploy Amphibious Assault Ship, Marines to Middle East
The U.S. military is deploying a large amphibious assault ship with thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, as Iran's new supreme leader hailed Iran's "unity" and "resistance".Reuters had reported that Washington, desperate to reopen the Gulf oil bottleneck of the Strait of Hormuz, shut by Iran since the U.S. and Israel attacked almost three weeks ago…
Indian Gas Tankers Prepare to Sail Through Strait of Hormuz
Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas tankers are preparing to sail through the Strait of Hormuz in coming days after a pause in voyages, with no crude oil tankers having transited the waterway in the past 24 hours, according to shipping data and sources.Hundreds of vessels have dropped anchor since Tehran threatened to attack ships attempting to leave the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, through…
Damaged Russian Tanker Drifts Towards Libyan Shores, Only Days Away
A damaged Russian LNG tanker that has been drifting unmanned in the Mediterranean for more than two weeks, risking a major ecological disaster, is four to six days from Libya’s shores, an Italian official said on Friday.The Arctic Metagaz, carrying LNG from the Arctic port of Murmansk, has been unmanned since early March, when it was hit by Ukrainian naval drones, according to Russia's Transport Ministry.Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for any such attack.The tanker is currently in internati
Tanker Bound for Cuba with Fuel Cargo Diverts to Trinidad
A tanker carrying fuel originally bound for Cuba on Friday changed its destination to Trinidad and Tobago, according to LSEG ship-tracking data, a blow for the island amid a severe fuel scarcity that has triggered power blackouts.The Hong Kong-flagged vessel Sea Horse loaded a diesel cargo earlier this year through a ship-to-ship transfer in the Mediterranean before setting sail to the Caribbean.The Russian-origin cargo was bound for Cuba…
France Boards Tanker in the Mediterranean Linked to Russian Shadow Fleet
The French Navy seized an oil tanker on Friday in the Western Mediterranean that President Emmanuel Macron said belonged to Russia's shadow fleet, a network of vessels that enables Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions.Local officials told Reuters earlier on Friday that the navy had boarded a Mozambique-flagged oil tanker named Deyna that was suspected of flying a false flag. The ship had…
Dorian LPG Takes Delivery of Dual-Fuel 93,000cbm Areion
Dorian LPG took delivery of its 93,000 cubic meter (cbm) dual-fuel newbuilding named Areion an LPG and ammonia very large gas carrier (VLGC/AC) from Hanwha Ocean Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. at the Okpo Shipyard in South Korea. Areion will commence employment on charter under the Helios LPG Pool, an entity jointly controlled by Dorian LPG Ltd and MOL Energia Pte Ltd., with offices in Copenhagen and Singapore.DID YOU KNOW?
Quantum: The Bigger the Battery, The Quicker it Charges
Australian scientists have demonstrated proof-of-concept for a quantum battery.Like conventional batteries, it charges, stores and discharges energy. However, unlike conventional batteries, it leverages unique properties of quantum mechanics such as superposition and entanglement rather than chemical reactions.The battery has a multi-layered organic microcavity and is wirelessly charged with a laser.
New Fuels Studies Still Require Apples with Apples Comparisons
It was back in 2022, that industry group SEA-LNG said: The industry is making newbuild investment decisions now that will impact greenhouse gas emissions today and for the next 25-30 years, the typical lifetime of a vessel. It is essential their assessments of alternative marine fuel pathways are made on a like-for-like, or “apples with apples” basis.The issue was that discussion of alternative fuels…
US Crude Being Shipped to Asia Via Panama Canal
Asian refiners are increasingly sending medium-sized crude cargoes from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Asia through the Panama Canal as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran disrupts trade flows, raises shipping costs and forces Asian refiners to hunt for alternative supplies.The use of medium-sized tankers that typically cost more per barrel to transport crude, coupled with Asian companies' willingness to pay additional fees to move oil through the Panama Canal…
IKM Gruppen Acquires Hendrik Veder Group
Norway’s IKM Gruppen has acquired Hendrik Veder Group, headquartered in Rotterdam.The combined entity will operate under the new name IKM Hendrik Veder.Hendrik Veder Group brings a distinguished 225-year legacy, making it one of the oldest maritime enterprises in the Netherlands. With 79 employees, the company has built a strong reputation for quality, reliability, and long-standing customer relationships.
HII Promotes Veteran-to-Shipbuilding Workforce Pipeline
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division recently welcomed senior enlisted leaders from the U.S. Marine Corps for a visit focused on strengthening pathways between Marines completing active service and long-term careers in the shipbuilding industry.The visit underscored the longtime partnership between Ingalls and the Marine Corps, particularly through Ingalls’ role as the nation’s primary builder of amphibious warships.“Marines bring discipline…
IMO to Negotiate Humanitarian Framework for Vessel Evacuation
The IMO Council condemned attacks on merchant ships and the purported closure of the Strait of Hormuz during an extraordinary session in London and called for an internationally coordinated approach to security.The Council directed IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez to establish a safe maritime framework, as a provisional and urgent measure, to facilitate the safe evacuation of merchant ships…
PERC Leads Fuel Conversation at Port of the Future Conference
The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) will showcase how propane and renewable propane can support reliable, lower-carbon port operations at the Port of the Future Conference at Hilton University of Houston on March 24-25.As a Gold Sponsor of the event, PERC will spotlight how propane helps ports reduce emissions while maintaining continuous operations. Jim Bunsey, senior manager of business development at PERC…
Silverback Truckable Tug Commissioned
Silverback Marine has completed seatrials and commissioning of the OX series, twin Z-Drive equipped truckable tug earlier this month.The concept was designed to fulfill the vision of a truly tow-capable, tractor tug style vessel to the non subchapter M market. Traditional truckable tugs, driven by prop and rudder, are suited strictly for pushing, with limited maneuverability. The OX tug however, introduces a 25 x16 hull form with true tractor-tug lines…
MARPOL Redux: Look Back, because Something may be Gaining on Us
Amidst the IMO sustainable fuel regulation highs and lows there are other parts of the maritime regulatory environment that may warrant a closer look.For roughly a century, maritime relied on liquid fossil fuels. Meanwhile, it took over half a century for regulations to start to deal with the negative effects of liquid fossil fuels and to effectively deal with maritime fossil fuel disasters.The star player in this effort was OPA90…
First Hydrogen-Fueled Cruise Ship Launched
Fincantieri has launched what it says will be the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship. Viking Libra was floated out at the company’s Ancona shipyard in Italy and is being built for cruise operator Viking, with delivery scheduled for late 2026.At approximately 54,300 gross tons and 239 meters long, the ship will accommodate up to 998 passengers across 499 cabins, consistent with Viking’s small-ship positioning.
Energy Prices Jump After Iran Attacks Qatar LNG Plant
Energy prices surged on Thursday after Iran struck the world’s largest LNG complex, causing damage that Qatar said could take five years to repair, as the energy sector's worst fears about the war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Iran came true.QatarEnergy CEO Saad al-Kaabi told Reuters the state-owned gas company may have to declare force majeure on long-term contracts to Italy, Belgium, South Korea…
US Considers Removing Sanctions on Iranian Oil in Stranded Tankers
The U.S. may soon remove sanctions from Iranian oil that is stranded on tankers to help lift global supplies and reduce prices, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday."In the coming days, we may unsanction the Iranian oil that's on the water. It's about 140 million barrels," Bessent told Fox Business Network's "Mornings with Maria" program."So, depending on how you count it, that's 10 days to two weeks of supply…
European Nations, Japan Release Joint Statement on Safety of Strait of Hormuz
Leading European nations and Japan issued a joint statement on Thursday saying they were ready to join appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and would take steps to stabilise energy markets.This is the full text of the statement from Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan:We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf…
China Calls for Gulf Conflict to End, Addressing Southeast Asia Energy Shortages
China called for an end to conflict in the Gulf and said the safety of waterways should not be disturbed on Thursday, adding that it was ready to work with Southeast Asia to address energy shortages as oil markets reel from supply shocks.While the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has allowed China to cast itself as the more reliable superpower, analysts say it is wary of global energy market uncertainty, not…
