Bahrain’s Bapco Declares Force Majeure After Refinery Attack
Bapco Energies has declared force majeure on its group operations following the impact of the ongoing regional conflict in the Middle East and a recent attack on its refinery complex.The Bahrain-based integrated energy company said the declaration applies to operations affected by the incident.Despite the disruption, the company said local fuel supply remains secure and that domestic demand continues to be met through contingency plans already in place.According to reports…
Governments Move to Shield Economies as Oil Jumps 25%
Governments scrambled to limit the impact on economies and consumers from the widening Iran war, which fuelled a record surge in oil prices on Monday after key producers cut output and Tehran signalled that hardliners would remain in charge.In a sign of mounting governmental concern over supply disruptions, the Group of Seven finance ministers will discuss the possibility of a joint release of emergency oil reserves in a meeting on Monday…
Aramco Launches Rare Oil Tenders as Iran War Disrupts Exports
Saudi Aramco has offered more than 4 million barrels of Saudi crude in rare tenders as the U.S.-Iran conflict disrupted exports from the Middle East, several traders said.In a tender that will close at 5 p.m. Beijing time (0900 GMT) on Monday, Aramco offered 2 million barrels of Arab Heavy crude to load at the Ain Sokhna port of Egypt.The loading date, subject to confirmation, is from March 10 to March 30, according to a tender document shared by the traders.
Kuwait Declares Force Majeure, Cuts Oil Output Amid Gulf War
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation began cutting oil output on Saturday and declared force majeure, adding to earlier oil and gas reductions from Iraq and Qatar as the U.S.-Iran war blocked shipments from the Middle East for the eighth consecutive day.The war has blocked the world's most important oil artery the Strait of Hormuz which is responsible for 20% of global oil and LNG supply. Analysts predict…
US-Israel War with Iran Sends Oil Above $100
The dollar surged on Monday as soaring oil prices sent investors scrambling for cash on worries that a protracted Middle East war could severely disrupt energy supplies and hurt global growth.Against the surging greenback, the euro EUR= and sterling GBP= were down roughly 1% in Asia, while the Aussie AUD= and even the safe-haven Swiss franc CHF= similarly tumbled, as the dollar proved king."The U.S.
AYK Energy to Supply Polarstern Battery
AYK Energy has secured a contract to supply the largest battery ever installed on an ice class vessel for Germany’s next generation polar research ship Polarstern.The partnership for the new diesel-electric vessel currently under development for the Alfred Wegener Institute has been signed directly with Wärtsilä.The AYK Energy Pisces+ battery system, with a capacity of 16 megawatt-hours (MWh) and weighing 131 tonnes, will be delivered in 2028.
Livestock Carrier Catches Fire in Brazil
A fire broke out on the Panama-flagged livestock carrier North Star 1 while it was docked at the Port of São Sebastião, Brazil, on 3 March.Some of the 28 crew onboard required medical attention due to smoke inhalation, and the 2,600 cattle onboard, destined for Turkey, were disembarked.The fire was reported to have started in a provisions store containing livestock fodder.“The incident is a strong reminder of the dangers of fire at sea…
Seatrium Wins FSRU Conversion Contract
Seatrium has been awarded a contract by Karpowership for the conversion of a new floating storage regasification unit (FSRU).Scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2026, the LNG carrier Karadeniz will be converted to a high-capacity FSRU engineered to deliver a regasification capacity of up to 600 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd).This latest completion brings Seatrium’s FSRU conversion track record to 23 FSRU and FSU conversion projects delivered.Alvin Gan…
Singapore Developing Master Maritime Plan
Amidst a more complex and uncertain operating environment, Singapore’s MPA is charting the long-term direction for Maritime Singapore. This includes developing strategies to seize growth opportunities and strengthen Singapore’s position as a key node in global trade, while continuing to drive innovation, accelerate technology adoption, and develop a future-ready workforce.MPA is developing the Maritime Singapore Master Plan…
GMS Calls on EU to Include Indian Recycling Yards on List
GMS, the world’s largest buyer of ships for recycling, has called on the European Commission to approve qualified Indian ship recycling facilities for inclusion on the European List under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR).Despite more than 110 Indian yards holding Hong Kong Convention (HKC) Statements of Compliance issued by IACS member classification societies, over 35 formal applications submitted…
Japan and New Zealand Plan Hydrogen Corridor
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Obayashi Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Chiyoda Corporation have established the Japan–New Zealand Hydrogen Corridor. The consortium will study the commercialization of green hydrogen production in New Zealand and export operations to Japan.Hydrogen is expected to play a key role as a clean energy source that does not emit CO2 when burned. Japan has a low energy self-sufficiency rate…
Livestock Carriers Delayed in Middle East
The NGO Robin des Bois is concerned about the thousands of seafarers currently stuck in the Middle East and about the approximately 70,000 animals on livestock carriers in the region.The livestock has been exported from South America, the European Union, and the Horn of Africa to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, and Jordan.“Under normal circumstances, the conditions of confinement on board are deplorable.
Clean-Up of Louisiana Oil Spill Underway
A Unified Command, consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office (LOSCO) and the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), continues its recovery and cleanup efforts after a crude oil discharge reported near the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port on February 26, 2026.The Unified Command was officially established on February 27, 2026, to manage the spill's environmental impact.
Coast Guard Announces Passing of Petty Officer Tyler Jaggers
Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Jaggers, an aviation survival technician assigned to Air Station Astoria, Oregon, passed away the evening of March 5, 2026, as a result of critical injuries suffered during the rescue of a distressed mariner from a commercial ship offshore of Oregon on February 27.As part of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, Jaggers was injured while responding to a medical emergency aboard the commercial motor vessel Momi Arrow…
DHT Takes Delivery of New VLCC
DHT Holdings has taken delivery of the second VLCC newbuilding from Hanwha Ocean.The vessel is named DHT Addax and is entering the spot market.It is the second in a series of four VLCC newbuildings to be delivered to the company during the first half of 2026.The newbuildings are fully funded and will increase the company’s customer offerings and earnings power.The next newbuilding is scheduled for delivery in late March 2026.
IMO Secretary-General: Seafarer Deaths in Strait of Hormuz Unacceptable
Seafarers must not be targets, says Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a report of an incident six nautical miles north of Oman in the Strait of Hormuz. Media reports indicate the deaths occurred onboard a tug assisting the container ship Safeen Prestige.Dominguez said: “I am alarmed and deeply saddened to hear of a deadly attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on 6 March 2026…
Oil Output Cut Across the Middle East
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has disrupted oil and natural gas exports from the Middle East and forced production stoppages from Qatar to Iraq, with Kuwait announcing cuts over the weekend.Analysts predict that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia will also have to cut output soon as they run out of oil storage.Below are the main energy disruptions so far:PRODUCTION SHUTDOWNSIraqi output collapses…
US Pressing Sri Lanka not to Repatriate Iranian Crew
The U.S. is pressing Sri Lanka not to repatriate the survivors from an Iranian warship it sank this week or the crew of a second Iranian ship that is in Sri Lankan custody, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters.A U.S. submarine sank the frigate Dena in the Indian Ocean about 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka's southern port city of Galle on Wednesday, killing dozens of sailors and dramatically widening Washington's pursuit of the Iranian navy.On Thursday…
US Will Reinsure Maritime Losses in Gulf Region Up to $20b
The U.S. will provide reinsurance for losses up to $20 billion in the Gulf region, to help provide confidence for oil and gas shippers during the war on Iran, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation said on Friday.President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered the DFC to provide political risk insurance and financial guarantees for maritime trade in the Gulf after oil and liquefied natural gas tanker transit had ground to a halt in the Strait of Hormuz waterway off Iran…
Swedish Coast Guard Boards Vessel Suspected of Being Stateless in the Baltic Sea
The Swedish coast guard said it boarded and took control of a suspected stateless vessel in Swedish waters of the Baltic Sea on Friday, and it was carrying out investigations on the ship."At 3:50 p.m. today, the Coast Guard took control of a vessel with unclear flag status and thus suspected of being a stateless vessel," it said in a statement, adding that the boarding had taken place off the coast of the southern Swedish town Trelleborg.The ship Caffa was sailing under a Guinean flag…