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Bosphorus Strait News

19 Mar 2025

Bosphorus Strait Traffic Suspended After Engine Failure

Traffic was suspended in Turkey's Bosphorus strait on Wednesday after a general cargo ship had an engine failure. Credit: Adobe Stock/Mindaugas Dulinskas

Traffic was suspended in Turkey's Bosphorus strait on Wednesday after a general cargo ship had an engine failure during northbound transit through the strait that runs through Istanbul, shipping agent Tribeca said.Tribeca said that the Vanatu-flagged ship Bers suffered an engine failure around Kuzguncuk area and that an assistance vessel was sent to the scene.(Reuters)

30 Dec 2024

Saipem’s Castorone Vessel on Its Way to Türkiye’s Largest Gas Field

Castorone  vessel (Credit: Saipem)

Saipem’s pipelay vessel Castorone has crossed the Bosphorus Strait in Türkiye, continuing its journey toward the Black Sea for a pipeline installation job as part of the second phase of the Sakarya project for Turkish Petroleum - Offshore Technology Center (TP – OTC).In the early hours of December 26, the vessel crossed the Dardanelles Strait, covering a distance of 36 nautical miles in approximately six hours.In the afternoon, it continued its journey through the Sea of Marmara.

26 Dec 2024

Oil Rises on China Stimulus Hopes, US Inventory Drop

Oil rose almost 1% on Thursday in thin holiday trade driven by hopes for additional fiscal stimulus in China, the world's biggest oil importer, and supported by an industry report showing a decline in U.S. crude inventories.Chinese authorities have agreed to issue 3 trillion yuan ($411 billion) worth of special treasury bonds next year, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing two sources, as Beijing ramps up fiscal stimulus to revive a faltering economy.Brent crude futures rose 48 cents, or 0.7%, to $74.06 a barrel by 1445 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $70.72, up 0.9%, or 62 cents, from Tuesday's pre-Christmas settlement."I see two factors supporting oil prices.

26 Dec 2024

Tanker Engine Failure Shuts Bosphorus Straight Traffic

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Traffic was suspended in Turkey's Bosphorus strait on Thursday after a tanker had an engine failure during northbound transit through the strait that runs through Istanbul, shipping agent Tribeca and the Transport Ministry said.Tribeca said that the Panama-flagged tanker Cordelia Moon with Russia destination suffered an engine failure around Yenikoy area and that an assistance vessel was sent to the scene.(Reuters)

17 Nov 2024

Bosphorus Traffic Paused After Tanker Suffers Rudder Failure

© Resul / Adobe Stock

Turkey suspended shipping traffic in Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait in both directions on Sunday due to a rudder failure on a 114-metre tanker, the Nazann, the Transportation Ministry said.The vessel, en route from Russia to Kocaeli in Turkey, had mechanical problems in the strait and the coast guard deployed tugboats, the ministry said. The Bosphorus connects the Black Sea in the northeast to the Sea of Marmara to the southwest, and beyond to the Mediterranean.(Reuters - Reporting by Jonathan Spicer and Canan Sevgili; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

15 Oct 2024

Watch: Bulker and Livestock Carrier Collide

Source: Facebook

The bulk carrier Bunun Ace and the Ayed 1, a bulk carrier that appears to have been converted to carry livestock, were involved in a collision in the Bosphorus Strait on October 3.The Turkish Directorate General of Coastal Safety said the Bunun Ace was heading towards the Üsküdar coast, and the swift action of the tug Kurtarma-5 averted the vessel from running aground.The Ayed 1 appeared to suffer minimal delay to its voyage. It has not been confirmed that there was livestock onboard…

10 Jul 2024

Ship Traffic to Resume in Turkey's Bosphorus Strait

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Ship traffic in Turkey's Bosphorus Strait is set to resume for northbound vessels as of 1440 GMT, after a suspension earlier on Wednesday due to an operation failure during the towing of a vessel, the Tribeca shipping agency said.(Reuters - Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun, Editing by Huseyin Hayatsever and Andrew Heavens)

11 Feb 2024

Russia Says it Foiled Ukrainian Drone Attack on Civilian Cargo Ships

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Russia said on Saturday it had repelled an attempted Ukrainian drone attack on Russian "civilian transport ships" on Friday evening in the southwestern part of the Black Sea, a key artery for grain and oil exports from both countries.Civilian vessels on the Black Sea have not generally been targeted since Moscow ordered its troops into Ukraine in February 2022, but last July both sides said they would start treating ships headed to the other's ports as potential carriers of military cargo.In a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app…

21 Jan 2024

Ship Traffic Resumes in Bosphorus Strait After Incident

© Artur Bogacki / Adobe Stock

Ship traffic in Turkey's Bosphorus Strait is set to resume for northbound vessels as of 1700 GMT on Sunday, after a suspension due to an anchor failure on one ship, the Tribeca shipping agency said.According to a report shared by the agency, the Liberia-flagged tanker Peria's anchor self-released due to bad weather around the Yavuz Sultan Selim bridge area during its passage through the strait and tugs were dispatched for assistance.The ship will proceed to the Kucukcekmece anchorage area under escort tugs, the report also said.(Reuters - Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

10 Nov 2023

Ukraine: Alternative Black Sea Export Corridor is Working Despite Attack

Credit: glebzter/AdobeStock

Ukraine's alternative Black Sea export corridor is working despite a recent Russian attack on a civilian vessel, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Thursday.Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday a Russian missile damaged a Liberia-flagged civilian ship entering a Black Sea port in the Odesa region, killing one person and injuring four others. The vessel was supposed to transport iron ore to China."#Ukrainian_Corridor: vessel traffic continues both to and from the ports of Big Odesa (region)…

22 Sep 2023

Ship with Ukraine Grain Back in Turkey under "Humanitarian corridor"

The cargo ship "Resilient Africa" arrived off Turkey's Bosphorus Strait on Thursday, the first vessel loaded with grain from Ukraine to sail in and out of the Black Sea using a temporary corridor. The ship left the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk this week with 3,000 metric tons of grain, Kyiv had said.Ukraine last month announced a "humanitarian corridor" to release ships bound for African and Asian markets, and to circumvent a de facto blockade after Russia abandoned a deal this summer that had guaranteed its exports during the war. (Reuters - Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen;Writing by Daren Butler;Editing by Jonathan Spicer)First Big Grain Ship Leaves Ukraine's Black Sea Port

18 Aug 2023

First Ship to Use Ukraine's Corridor Arrives in Istanbul

(Photo: Turkish Directorate General of Coastal Safety)

The first vessel that used Ukraine's Black Sea corridor is crossing through Turkey's Bosphorus Strait, a Reuters witness said on Friday.The Hong-Kong-flagged Joseph Schulte container ship that left the Russian-blocked Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa earlier this week had been in the port since Feb.

24 May 2023

Russia: Warship Attacked by Ukrainian Drones While Guarding Black Sea Gas Pipelines

Illustration only ©frag/AdobeStock

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that the Russian warship Ivan Khurs had been attacked unsuccessfully by three Ukrainian uncrewed speedboats in the Black Sea, on the approaches to the Bosphorus strait.In a statement posted on Telegram, the ministry said the warship had been protecting the TurkStream and Blue Stream gas pipelines - which carry gas from Russia to Turkey, partly across the Black Sea - and "continues to fulfill its tasks".No comment was immediately available from Kyiv.The ministry cited the attack as a justification for Russia expanding defensive measures.

01 May 2023

Ship Traffic Resumes in Bosphorus Strait After Suspension

© Wilding / Adobe Stock

Ship traffic in Turkey's Bosphorus Strait is set to resume for southbound vessels as of 1840 GMT on Sunday, after a suspension due to an engine failure on one ship, the Tribeca shipping agency said.According to a report shared by the agency earlier on Sunday, the Turkish-flagged ship Ilyas Konan had an engine failure during its passage through the strait and dropped anchor.(Reuters - Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Alex Richardson and Hugh Lawson)

23 Apr 2023

Bosphorus Ship Traffic Temporarily Suspended

© milanchikov / Adobe Stock

Ship traffic in the Bosphorus Strait will be suspended between 0500 GMT and 1400 GMT on Sunday for the passage of a Turkish naval force vessel, Tribeca Shipping said on Saturday.As part of a deal between Ukraine and Russia brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, ships carrying grain from several Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea are inspected before entering the Bosphorus Strait.Russia has said that extending the deal beyond the May 18 deadline depends on the West lifting restrictions it says hinder Moscow's agricultural exports.(Reuters - Reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen; Editing by Mark Heinri

16 Jan 2023

Cargo Ship Refloated After Grounding Near Istanbul

(Photo: turkey Directorate General of Coastal Safety)

The cargo ship MKK 1, travelling from Ukraine to Turkey, was grounded in Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on Monday and traffic in the strait was suspended for a few hours, shipping agents Tribeca said.Several tugs were among vessels sent to provide assistance to the ship, the coastguard authority said.

13 Dec 2022

Eight Oil Tankers Wait to Pass through Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait

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The number of tankers waiting to pass through Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on the way to the Mediterranean fell to eight on Tuesday from 13 a day earlier, the Tribeca shipping agency said, in a further easing of the recent build-up in traffic.A Turkish measure in force since the start of the month has caused shipping delays. It requires vessels to provide proof of insurance for the duration of transit through the Bosphorus Strait or when calling at Turkish ports.Five tankers were set to go southbound through the Bosphorus on Tuesday, Tribeca said.

12 Dec 2022

Oil Tankers Waiting to Pass through Istanbul Strait Fall to 13

©momentscatcher/AdobeStock

The number of tankers waiting to pass through Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on the way to the Mediterranean fell to 13 on Monday from 17 a day earlier, the Tribeca shipping agency said, showing an easing of the recent build-up in traffic.A Turkish measure in force since the start of the month has caused shipping delays. It requires vessels to provide proof of insurance covering the duration of their transit through the Bosphorus Strait or when calling at Turkish ports. Five tankers were scheduled to go through the Bosphorus southbound on Monday, Tribeca said.

09 Dec 2022

Oil Price Cap Not to Blame for Turkey Tanker Queues, EU says

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The Group of Seven countries' price cap on Russian oil is not responsible for a queue of tankers waiting in the Black Sea to pass through Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on the way to the Mediterranean, the European Commission said. The number of vessels queuing in the Black Sea increased on Friday to 20, according to the Tribeca shipping agency, amid talks to disperse the build-up. Since the start of the month, Turkey has required vessels to provide proof of insurance covering their transit through the Bosphorus strait or when calling at Turkish ports, which is causing a logjam.

09 Dec 2022

20 Oil Tankers Wait to Cross Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait

©Wilding/AdobeStock

One more tanker took to 20 on Friday the number of vessels waiting in the Black Sea to pass through Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on the way to the Mediterranean, the Tribeca shipping agency said, amid talks to disperse the build-up.On Thursday, dismissing pressure from abroad over the lengthening queue, Turkey's maritime authority said it would continue to keep out of its waters oil tankers that lacked the appropriate insurance letters, and it needed time for checks.Eight tankers were also waiting for passage through the Dardanelles strait into the Mediterranean…

08 Dec 2022

Why Are Oil Tankers Stuck in Turkish Waters?

© momentscatcher / Adobe Stock

Turkey's maritime authority said on Thursday it would continue to block the passage of oil tankers that don't carry appropriate insurance letters, adding that insurance checks on ships in its waters were a "routine procedure".The logjam is creating growing unease in oil and tanker markets and comes as the G7 and European Union introduce a price cap on Russian oil.Millions of barrels of oil per day move south from Russian ports through Turkey's Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Mediterranean.Here are key facts about the issue.Ships typically have protection & indemnity (P&I) insurance…

08 Dec 2022

Turkey Says to Continue Blocking Oil Tankers Without Proper Insurance

© mustafaoncul / Adobe Stock

Turkey's maritime authority said on Thursday it would continue to block the passage of oil tankers without appropriate insurance letters, adding that the insurance checks on ships in its waters was a "routine procedure."A Turkish measure in force since the start of the month has caused shipping delays. It requires vessels to provide proof of insurance covering the duration of their transit through the Bosphorus strait or when calling at Turkish ports.(Reuters - Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Can Sezer; Editing by Jonathan Spicer)

07 Dec 2022

Western Officials in Talks with Turkey Over Oil Tanker Delays

© Dmytro / Adobe Stock

Western officials are in talks with Turkish counterparts to resolve oil tanker queues off Turkey, a British Treasury official said, after the G7 and European Union rolled out new restrictions on Dec. 5 aimed at Russian oil exports."The UK, U.S. and EU are working closely with the Turkish government and the shipping and insurance industries to clarify the implementation of the Oil Price Cap and reach a resolution," the official told Reuters."There is no reason for ships to be denied access to the Bosporus Straits for environmental or health and safety concerns."The G7 group of countries…