Asia News

Panama-flagged tanker Idemitsu Maru, carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi oil, crossed the Strait of Hormuz, LSEG shipping data showed on Tuesday, becoming the first Japan-linked crude tanker to do so since the Iran war began.Before the U.S.-Iran conflict broke out on February 28 and disrupted Middle East crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, Japan relied on the region for 95% of its oil imports, much of it coming via the Strait of Hormuz.The move comes as Japan's recent diplomatic efforts to safeguard energy supplies were disrupted by the war.Earlier in April…

Mooring and anchoring specialist Mooreast Holdings has granted an option to sell its leasehold property in Singapore for $23.3 million, aiming to boost offshore wind activities at new location.The company said it expects net proceeds of about $15 million after settling outstanding loans and transaction costs related to the 51 Shipyard Road property, with funds to be redeployed toward its newly acquired facility at 60 Shipyard Crescent in Singapore.The property sale remains subject to conditions including approval from Jurong Town Corporation and Mooreast shareholders…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and its partners have secured approval in principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the basic design of an unmanned autonomous rocket recovery vessel.The project is being developed with Innovative Space Carrier and TSUNEISHI SOLUTIONS TOKYOBAY.The approval covers the overall offshore recovery system, including the recovery vessel, a support vessel and an onshore control system.MOL said the concept is designed to support offshore rocket…

Seatrium has completed the divestment of its fleet of 17 tugboats in Singapore, following an earlier announcement in February.The company said the transaction was completed on April 24, 2026.The divestment, along with other non-core asset sales, is expected to deliver more than $39.1 million (S$50 million) in annualized cost savings.The tugboats were sold in January 2026 for $81.5 million (S$104 million) through Seatrium Marine Services to KST Maritime and its affiliate Maju Maritime…

South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean said in its first-quarter earnings presentation on Monday that uncertainty is rising over demand for commercial vessels due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.The market for very large crude carriers (VLCCs) has been hit hard by the Iran war, the company said, as shipping rates have soared with some crude carriers stuck in the Strait of Hormuz.The demand for container vessels is forecast to decline as worries mount over inflation and the slow growth of the global economy amid the war, the company said.In the long term, demand for commercial vessels

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore has launched an Offshore Center of Excellence in Asia Pacific to support offshore energy projects.The center will combine regional teams in Singapore, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur with the company’s global technical network to support oil and gas and offshore renewable energy developments.The initiative comes as offshore projects increase in scale and complexity, requiring coordinated expertise across multiple disciplines and supply chains.Bureau Veritas said the center will provide a single hub for services including classification…

Iran said it had captured two container ships seeking to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after firing on them and another vessel, in its first seizures since its war with the United States and Israel began in February.Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported the seizures and added its Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy had warned that any disruption to order and safety in the strait would be considered a "red line."The seizure of one of the ships, the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca…

Ocean services provider DeepOcean has secured a contract to support installation of inter-array cables at the TPC offshore wind farm phase 2 (TPC-II) off Taiwan.The scope includes installation of cables connecting turbines to offshore substations, as well as engineering and project management services.DeepOcean will work with Dong Fang Offshore and use the subsea vessel Orient Adventurer, which has been upgraded with new remotely operated vehicles, an under-deck carousel and a cable lay system.“We look forward to working together with Dong Fang Offshore on this significant project.

Malaysia-based offshore support vessel (OSV) provider Nam Cheong has sold two vessels for $36.7 million, including its first newbuild sale in more than a decade.The transactions include a newly built multi-purpose support vessel (MPSV) and a 120-tonne anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel, which was 16 years old and divested following the completion of its charter contract in the first quarter of 2026.Both vessels were delivered in the second quarter of 2026 to a vessel operator…

Oil prices jumped on Wednesday with Brent trading above $100 a barrel, erasing earlier losses following reports of gunfire attacks on at least three container ships in the Strait of Hormuz.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up $1.59, or 1.6%, at $100.07 a barrel at 0842 GMT. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 rose $1.51, or 1.7%, to $91.18. Both benchmark contracts rose about 3% on Tuesday.At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime…

At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.Iran has imposed restrictions on ships using the strait, first in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of the country, and then in response to a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.A Liberia-flagged container ship sustained damage to its bridge after being hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades northeast of Oman.The UKMTO said the master of the vessel reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat.

The conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel is creating the worst energy crisis ever faced by the world, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday."This is indeed the biggest crisis in history," Birol told France Inter radio in an interview broadcast on Tuesday."The crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia," he added.The war in the Middle East has choked up maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.It has also come on

Fraudulent messages promising safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been sent to some shipping companies whose vessels are stranded west of the waterway, Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS has warned.The U.S. has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then re-imposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before war broke out in the Middle East.Amid ceasefire talks…

China-based offshore wind foundations manufacturer Dajin Heavy Industry has launched a 40,000 DWT deck carrier, KING TWO, at its Panjin shipbuilding facility.The vessel, launched on April 19, is the second large-scale deck carrier built at the facility, following KING ONE, which has already completed its maiden voyage.KING TWO measures 239.8 meters in length, 51 meters in breadth and 13 meters in depth, with a deck area of 12,000 square meters.The vessel is equipped with dual engines and dual propellers…

Dubai-based energy and commodities trading group BGN has signed a contract with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for the construction of four new dual-fuel Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs).The vessels, each with a capacity of 90,000 cbm, will be built in Korea and delivered by 2029, strengthening BGN’s position in the global LPG market and enhancing its integrated trading and logistics capabilities.Designed to operate on both conventional and lower-emissions fuels, the newbuilds are also capable of carrying ammonia…

The stop-start shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz underscores the profound uncertainty hanging over the world’s most critical oil and gas chokepoint. But one thing is already clear: even if the guns fall silent, flows through the narrow waterway will take months – and possibly years – to recover to pre-war levels.Iran said on Saturday that it was tightening control over the strait in response to a U.S. blockade on Iranian tankers, firing at several vessels and warning mariners that the strait was closed.

Oil prices jumped more than 6% in early Monday trading on fears that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran could collapse after the U.S. seized an Iranian cargo ship and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained largely halted.Brent crude futures LCOc1 advanced $5.51, or 6.1%, to $95.89 a barrel by 0752 GMT and U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 was up $5.46, or 6.5%, at $89.31.Both contracts tumbled by 9% on Friday, their largest daily declines since April 18, after…

European countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and France have mine clearance capacity which could help secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin told French TV station TF1 on Friday."There are capabilities to provide fully supported escort services – that is to say, in no way offensive, of course – for ships to ensure safe passage through the strait; that is what will be debated today in Paris," she added.France and Britain are set to chair on Friday a meeting of around 40 countries aimed at signalling to the United States that some of its clo

Perdana Petroleum has secured contracts to provide two anchor handling tug and supply vessels (AHTS) to Petronas Carigali.The company said its wholly owned unit Perdana Nautika received the work orders on April 8 for the provision of the vessels to support offshore operations.The contracts cover charter periods of 303 days and 224 days respectively, each with an option to extend by a further 40 days.Perdana said the vessels will be deployed to provide 24-hour services including support for drilling rigs…

Glamox, a global leader in lighting, has secured a contract to supply lighting for four Offshore Energy Support Vessels (OESVs) being built for Sea1 Offshore.Glamox will supply a total of 8,000 marine lights for the exteriors and interiors of four vessels that will be used to support offshore energy installations.OESVs are specialized vessels that deliver logistics, transport, installation, maintenance, and operational support to offshore energy infrastructure - including offshore wind farms…

The U.S.-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry made its way back to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after exiting the Gulf the day before, shipping data showed, failing to break through a U.S. blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports.U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach a deal."During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade," the U.S. Central Command saidon X, adding that six vessels complied with directions from U.S.

Toyo Engineering Corporation has signed a memorandum of understanding with OneSubsea to explore collaboration in subsea carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects.The agreement aims to combine the companies’ capabilities to develop integrated system solutions for subsea CCS, focusing initially on projects in Japan and Southeast Asia.The companies said the collaboration will explore opportunities in areas including system design optimization and marketing strategies for offshore CO2 transport…

Russian energy giant Gazprom has delivered a second post-sanctions LNG cargo from the Baltic Sea's Portovaya plant to China, LSEG data showed on Wednesday.The small-scale Portovaya plant, which has a production capacity of 1.5 million tons of LNG per year, started operations in September 2022.Exports from the plant have been interrupted by additional U.S. sanctions over the Ukraine war that were imposed in January 2025 to disrupt Russia's ability to produce and export LNG and reduce its revenue from the trade.Gas carrier Valera…