Ahmad News

An oil tanker loaded with Iraqi crude passed through the Strait of Hormuz close to the Iranian coast, a day after Iran said Iraq was exempt from any restrictions to transit the vital sea route, data from LSEG and Kpler showed.The Ocean Thunder loaded about 1 million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude on March 2 and is expected to discharge its cargo in Malaysia's Pengerang, in mid-April, Kpler data showed.The tanker - which the data showed was chartered by Petco, a unit of Malaysian state energy firm Petronas - is among seven Malaysia-linked vessels cleared by Iran to transit the strait…

Kuwait Oil Company is in talks with some U.S. firms including Devon Energy and EOG on potential cooperation to develop its shale oil and gas resources, its CEO said on Thursday.KOC is "engaging with some U.S. operators to explore how their expertise can support the development of Kuwait’s shale oil and shale gas resources", Ahmad Al-Eidan said on the sidelines of the Kuwait Oil & Gas Show.This would be the first time Kuwait has sought to develop its shale oil and shale gas resources…

Thirteen people were confirmed dead with dozens more missing after a boat ferrying around 100 passengers capsized on Saturday in Niger state in north-central Nigeria as they headed to market, authorities said on Sunday.Twenty-six people, mostly women and children, were rescued from the wooden boat, said Yusuf Lemu, an official of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency.Local official Isiyaku Akilu said the boat driver, who was among those rescued, could not confirm the number of passengers on the boat.

Yemen's Houthis said on Monday that they targeted three ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, attacks they called part of their efforts to enforce a naval blockade on Israel.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised address the vessels were targeted for attempting to approach ports bound for Israel.According to the latest data from LSEG, all three targeted vessels were Liberia-registered.One of the vessels, identified by the Houthis as bulk carrier Motaro, was last seen off Yemen's western coast in the Red Sea…

Fueltrax has launched a smart financing program designed to help vessel operators take advantage of its electronic fuel management systems without the obstacle of an initial capital investment.Fueltrax has signed an agreement with Malaysia-based Vestera in which the two companies work together to help expedite the installation of the systems. Vestera is a technology-based solutions provider serving regional and international clients.Payment arrangements are customized to vessel operators’ specific needs.The Fueltrax system is designed and supported by former NASA engineers.

Libyan crude exports reached about 550,000 barrels per day last week, a three-fold increase on the previous week, according to data from analytics firm Kpler and a shipping agent.Tankers carrying crude including Flavin, Pacific Pearl, Ghibli, and Delta Atlantica set sail to European destinations from various Libyan ports in the week starting Sept. 9, the data show.This comes as the OPEC producer remains in the throes of a political stand-off that has hampered its oil production.The standoff began last month when western Libyan factions moved to oust central bank governor Sadiq al-Kabir…

A power outage in the Rotterdam port area in the Netherlands briefly interrupted operations at one of Europe's biggest oil refineries on Tuesday, the plant's operator BP said.Electricity grid operator TenneT said the problem was solved shortly after 1000 GMT.

More than 500 people from seafaring communities around the coast of Malaysia's Sabah state have been evicted from their homes this week as part of a crackdown against undocumented migrants, local activists said.The Bajau Laut are a community of mostly stateless sea nomads, living offshore in wooden houseboats or huts built on stilts in the Semporna district of Sabah on Borneo island.Born without identification documents, most do not have access to basic facilities such as education, financial or health services.

OPEC+ agreed on Sunday to extend most of its deep oil output cuts well into 2025 as the group seeks to shore up the market amid tepid demand growth, high interest rates and rising rival U.S. production.Brent crude oil prices LCOc1 have been trading near $80 per barrel in recent days, below what many OPEC+ members need to balance their budgets. Worries over slow demand growth in top oil importer China have weighed on prices alongside rising oil stocks in developed economies.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia…

As many as 35 oil tankers that usually carry crude or fuel oil could switch to carrying cleaner products like diesel and jet fuel in the next two months as shipowners chase higher profitability, oil analytics firm Kpler said in a LinkedIn post.An LR2 (long-range 2) type tanker typically carries cargoes of about 90,000 metric tons of cleaner fuels.

Tankers carrying Russian oil have continued sailing through the Red Sea largely uninterrupted by Houthi attacks on shipping and face lower risks than competitors, according to shipping executives, analysts and flows data.Russia has become more dependent on trade through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea since it invaded Ukraine, which led to Europe imposing sanctions on Russian imports and forced Moscow to export most of its crude to China and India. Before the war, Russia exported…

Britain and the United States on Thursday said they had imposed coordinated sanctions on four key Houthi figures for their roles in supporting or directing attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.Attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East.Those sanctioned were Houthi Defence Minister Mohamed Nasser al-Atifi…

Yemen's Houthi movement will expand its targets in the Red Sea region to include U.S. ships, an official from the Iran-allied group said on Monday, as it vowed to keep up attacks after U.S. and British strikes on its sites in Yemen.Attacks by the Houthis on ships in area since November have impacted companies and alarmed major powers in an escalation of Israel's more than three-month war with Hamas militants in Gaza. The group says it is acting in solidarity with Palestinians.British…

Yemen's Houthis have been targeting vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in attacks that the Iran-aligned group says aim to support the Palestinians as Israel and Hamas wage war.Several freight firms including MSC, the world's largest container shipping line, said they would avoid the Suez Canal as a result, which could mean having to circumnavigate Africa instead.War risk insurance premiums have risen as a result.WHAT ARE THE RECENT HOUTHI ATTACKS?* Dec.

Russia has pledged to disclose more data about the volume of its fuel refining and exports after OPEC+ asked Moscow for more transparency on classified fuel shipments from the many export points across the vast country, sources at OPEC+ and ship-tracking firms told Reuters.Russia is the only member of OPEC+ which contributes to export cuts rather than production cuts as part of its participation in the group's agreement to curb supplies. Market analysts have struggled to verify…

Pakistan has become a Party to the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 (Hong Kong Convention).Vice Admiral (Retd.) Iftikhar Ahmad Rao, Maritime Minister and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Maritime Affairs, Pakistan, deposited the instrument of accession with IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim at IMO Headquarters in London on November 30.The deposit follows an IMO-run national seminar in Karachi to…

Pakistan is a step closer to becoming a party to the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009 (Hong Kong Convention).Following an IMO-run national seminar in Karachi, Pakistan, (November 13-15) to support the country’s implementation of the Convention and related guidelines, the Pakistan (Federal) Cabinet completed the processes needed to prepare the instrument of accession to the convention.The seminar was hosted by Pakistan's Ministry of Maritime Affairs.

A U.S. registered laker ran aground in the St. Clair River near Marine City, Mich. on Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The Coast Guard said it was notified at 7:21 a.m. that the 617-foot-long vessel American Courage grounded with a cargo of 20,000 tons of stone on board. No injuries or pollution have been reported.The river remains open to navigation, though a marine safety broadcast has been issued urging mariners to use caution while transiting the area.The Coast Guard said it is coordinating with the vessel's owner—Traverse City…

The Israel-Hamas war has raised the spectre of a wider regional conflict which could embroil Iran and other regional factions.Analysts and market observers say the conflict could prompt the United States to tighten sanctions on Iran, which may spur Tehran to take retaliatory action against ships in the Strait in Hormuz.The Marshall Islands registry, one of the world's top shipping flags, last week flagged that vessels with links to Israel or the United States may face a heightened threat of attack within Israeli territorial waters…

Russia said on Sept. 21 that it had temporarily banned gasoline and diesel exports to all but four ex-Soviet states in response to domestic shortages, a move that will disrupt global trade that has already had to adjust to Western sanctions on Russian fuel exports.Russia eased some of the restrictions on Sept. 25, saying it would allow the export of bunkering fuel for some vessels and diesel with high sulphur content. The government has yet to give a timeline for any further easing…

Four major oil ports in Libya have reopened after shutting down on Saturday because of the powerful storm that swept the country, killing thousands of people, port agent Al Omran International Maritime Agencies said on Wednesday. The eastern ports of Brega, Es Sidra and Ras Lanuf opened on Tuesday and the port of Zueitina opened on Wednesday morning, Al Omran said. Oil prices rose on Wednesday, with Brent firming around a 10-month peak reached during trading a day earlier, as…

Shipments of refined products from French refinery and depots were blocked on Monday by a 13th day of strike action, though some refineries operated with a reduced flow, a company spokesperson said.The industrial action is part of a nationwide movement against pension system changes that lift the retirement age two years to 64. The changes were forced through parliament without a vote last week.There is an increasing expectation of diesel supply shortages in France and Europe as a result of the strike-caused outages…

BP Azerbaijan has declared force majeure on loadings of Azeri crude from the Turkish port of Ceyhan, after a series of earthquakes on Monday, the company said on Wednesday.The notice was issued to oil shippers following a temporary suspension of loading operations from the Ceyhan Marine Terminal (CMT), BP Azerbaijan spokeswoman Tamam Bayatly told Reuters by email.BP Azerbaijan operates the Azerbaijan and Georgia sections of the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.BP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Azerbaijan uses the Turkish port of Ceyhan as its main crude export hub…