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Clarke News

26 Jan 2024

China Presses Iran to Rein in Houthi Attacks in Red Sea

© icholakov / Adobe Stock

Chinese officials have asked their Iranian counterparts to help rein in attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis, or risk harming business relations with Beijing, four Iranian sources and a diplomat familiar with the matter said.The discussions about the attacks and trade between China and Iran took place at several recent meetings in Beijing and Tehran, the Iranian sources said, declining to provide details about when they took place or who attended."Basically, China says: 'If our interests are harmed in any way, it will impact our business with Tehran.

03 Oct 2023

Silver Ships Names Powers COO

Silver Ships promoted Jason Powers to Chief Operating Officer (COO). Image courtesy Silver Ships

Silver Ships promoted Jason Powers to Chief Operating Officer (COO). Previously, Powers held the role of Director of Business Development and has been a valued and dedicated member of the Silver Ships team for more than 25 years.As COO, Powers will direct daily production operations alongside the executive team and report directly to CEO, Steven Clarke. His responsibilities will include organizational leadership, process optimization, cost management, performance management and continuous improvement.

25 May 2023

Lloyd's Register Drops Ships of Top Indian Carrier of Russian Oil

© komi$ar / Adobe Stock

Lloyd's Register has told India's Gatik Ship Management, which has become a major carrier of Russian oil since the Ukraine war, that it will withdraw certification of 21 of its vessels by June 3, the maritime services company told Reuters.It is the latest setback for Gatik, which was also been forced to find new flags for 36 of its ships after they were deflagged by the St. Kitts & Nevis International Ship Registry."Lloyd's Register is committed to facilitating compliance with sanctions regulations on the trading of Russian oil," it said in an email to Reuters.

09 May 2023

Why the EU is Restricting Grain Imports from Ukraine

The European Commission has announced restrictions on the imports of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed in Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria until June 5.The move led to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria lifting unilateral import bans they had imposed citing the need to protect their farmers. Romania had not banned imports.Here are some of the issues:WHY IS UKRAINE EXPORTING THROUGH EASTERN EUROPE?Ukraine mainly exported agricultural products…

24 Apr 2023

Floating Wind Power Gains Traction But Can It Set Sail?

Credit: Untrakdrover/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0

After a bumper year for floating offshore wind farm tenders, the nascent industry is poised for explosive growth in the coming decade as countries strive to cut their carbon emissions. But it's unlikely to be all plain sailing. Rising costs and supply chain bottlenecks have hit some projects and without investment in infrastructure to launch the vast turbines and tow them to sea, hopes of harnessing the full power of the ocean's winds to hit climate targets could be dashed, industry experts say.

22 Dec 2022

Has Green Hydrogen Sprung a Leak?

©Andreas Prott/AdobeStock

The green hydrogen express is gathering pace, but it may have a worrying problem with leaks.As governments and energy companies line up big bets on the much-touted fuel of the future, some scientists say the lack of data on leaks and the potential harm they could cause is a blind spot for the nascent industry.At least four studies published this year say hydrogen loses its environmental edge when it seeps into the atmosphere. Two scientists told Reuters that if 10% leaks during its production…

05 Dec 2022

Russian Oil Sanctions Fuel Demand for Old Tankers

©Vladimir/AdobeStock

The market for old oil tankers is booming, and it's all down to efforts by Western nations to curb trade in Russian crude.As Western shipping and maritime services firms steer clear of Russian oil to avoid falling foul of sanctions or harming their reputations, new companies have leapt into the void, and they're snapping up old tankers that might normally be scrapped.The European Union banned all seaborne Russian crude imports from Dec. 5, with a fuel import ban to follow in February.

15 Nov 2022

Silver Ships Appoints Co-Owner Steven Clarke to CEO

Steven Clarke (Photo: Silver Ships)

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Silver Ships announced Steven Clarke has been appointed to the role of CEO. Clarke joined Silver Ships in 2015 as co-owner and chief financial officer. Since then, the company experienced a revenue increase of more than 40%. Clarke has focused on diversification of the Silver Ships customer base. This includes segmenting the customer base from more than 80% military focused to a more even cross-industry segmentation, with expansion into industries such as fire rescue and law enforcement."Since joining the team in 2015…

17 Oct 2022

Lebanon Claims Israeli Gunboats Violated Its Territorial Waters

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The Lebanese army said on Sunday that Israeli gunboats violated Lebanese territorial waters several times on Saturday in an area opposite Ras Naqura near the border between the two countries, an accusation Israel denied.The statement said there were four violations where gunboats entered several hundred meters inside Lebanese waters and that authorities were discussing the violations with a United Nations Interim Force.An Israeli military statement said there "was no crossing…

28 Sep 2022

Ship Captains Held by Indonesian Navy Decry Bribes and Betrayal

Plagued by mosquitoes at night and marauding monkeys by day, ship captain Glenn Madoginog was held for months at an Indonesian naval base before ending up in a cramped prison cell, sleeping alongside convicted murderers and child rapists.The Filipino father of four was one of dozens of captains held at the Batam naval base after being arrested for anchoring in Indonesian waters without a permit while waiting to enter Singapore, according to a dozen people involved in the cases, including captains, ship owners, intermediaries and insurers.Most of the captains were freed after a few weeks once ship owners made unofficial payments to navy intermediaries of between $300…

18 Jul 2022

Guyana Races Against the Clock to Bank Its Offshore Oil Bonanza

Liza Destiny FPSO offshore Guyana - Credit: Rolf Jonsen

For the poor, small South American country of Guyana, there's no time like the present when it comes to reaping the rewards of its offshore oil jackpot.With sky-high oil prices, a transition to renewable energy on the horizon, and 750,000 citizens desperate for better lives, Guyana is putting its foot on the gas to exploit its vast oil reserves, even if that means sacrificing some longer-term gains.Already locked into contracts with oil firms that have been criticized for being too one-sided…

11 Jul 2022

Ships Get Older and Slower as Emissions Rules Bite

©OlegD/AdobeStock

If shipping is the beating heart of global trade, its pulse is about to get slower. Faced with uncertainty about which fuels to use in the long term to cut greenhouse gas emissions, many shipping firms are sticking with aging fleets, but older vessels may soon have to start sailing slower to comply with new environmental rules.From next year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) requires all ships to calculate their annual carbon intensity based on a vessel's emissions…

05 Jul 2022

U.S. to Reward Tips on Illicit Cargos in the Middle East

 GULF OF OMAN (May 16, 2022) An MH-60R Seahawk from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35, Detachment 1, provides aerial support to an interdiction team from guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG 92) approaching a fishing vessel May 16. The vessel was seized while transiting international waters in the Gulf of Oman. Photo By: MC3 Lily Gebauer

The U.S. Navy will for the first time reward individuals for providing information that leads to the seizure of illicit cargos such as illegal weapons or narcotics in waters across the Middle East, it said on Tuesday.The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), which is headquartered in Bahrain and covers strategic waterways such as the Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz, said the rewards could be in cash or items such as boats."NAVCENT could potentially reward a maximum $100,000 payout for information or non-lethal assistance that supports counterterrorism operations or leads U.S.

21 Jun 2022

Old is Gold: Sky-high Cost of Ageing Containerships Sounds Inflation SOS

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Shipping companies are transforming rust buckets into gold mines in a modern-day alchemy that could fuel already rampant inflation for years to come.The disruption to world trade caused by pandemic lockdowns and a shortage of new cargo vessels has pushed freight rates for ageing containerships to record highs.Cashing in on the boom, shipping firms are locking in long-term leases lasting three to four years, which means consumers could carry on paying the price for the surge in costs until hundreds of new ships on order come into service.Take the Synergy Oakland…

09 Jun 2022

Indonesian Navy Officers Want $375,000 to Release Detained Tanker

Indonesian naval officers have asked for $375,000 to release a fuel tanker they detained last week, accusing it of anchoring illegally in Indonesian waters off Singapore, two people involved in negotiations over the unofficial payment said.The incident comes after Reuters reported a dozen similar detentions last year. In those cases, the ship owners made unofficial payments of about $300,000 each and the vessels detained by the Indonesian navy east of Singapore were released. The Nord Joy fuel tanker was boarded by armed navy personnel on May 30 whilst anchored in Indonesian waters to the east of the Singapore Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes…

28 May 2022

Iran Says Crew of Two Seized Greek Tankers Not Detained and Are On Board

Iran's state maritime body said on Saturday the crew of two Greek tankers seized by its Revolutionary Guards on Friday had not been detained, and were in good health and being cared for on board their vessels.Iranian forces seized two Greek tankers in the Gulf on Friday, shortly after Tehran warned it would take "punitive action" against Athens over the confiscation of Iranian oil by the United States from a tanker held off the Greek coast."The crew of the two Greek tankers have not been arrested, and all crew members ... are in good health and are being protected, and provided with necessary services while on board, in accordance with international law…

26 May 2022

Black Sea Ports Still the Best Way to Get Ukraine's Grain Moving Fast

© bergamont / Adobe Stock

Ukraine is desperately trying to export its vast stores of grain by road, river and rail to help avert a global food crisis but has no chance of hitting its targets unless Russia's blockade of its Black Sea ports is lifted, a government official said.Before Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, the country had the capacity to export up to 6 million tonnes of wheat, barley and maize a month but exports collapsed to just 300,000 tonnes in March and 1.1 million in April.While the government wants to lift that to 2 million…

26 May 2022

Russia Ready to Set Up Corridor for Ships Leaving Ukraine, With Conditions

© glebzter / Adobe Stock

Russia is ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for vessels carrying food to leave Ukraine, in return for the lifting of some sanctions, the Interfax news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying on Wednesday.Ukraine's Black Sea ports have been blocked since Russia sent thousands of troops into Ukraine on February 24 and more than 20 million tonnes of grain are stuck in silos in the country.Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global…

01 Apr 2022

Bunker Suppliers Stop Serving Russian Vessels in the Med

© Alex Stemmers / Adobe Stock

Marine fuel sellers have stopped serving vessels flying the Russian flag at major European hubs including Spain and Malta in another blow to Moscow's exports, five industry sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.Losing access to refueling points in the Mediterranean Sea poses major logistical problems for Russian oil tankers going from Baltic ports to Asia and also creates safety concerns over potentially being stuck at sea with flammable cargoes, shipping sources say.Russia…

03 Feb 2022

FPSO Explodes Offshore Nigeria

Illustration only - FPSO Flare © Teimuraz/AdobeStock

An oil production and storage vessel exploded off the coast of Nigeria early on Wednesday with 10 crew members on board though it was not yet clear if there were any casualties or how much crude might have spilled into the sea.Nigeria's Shebah Exploration & Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL) said on Thursday that flames had engulfed the Trinity Spirit floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel following the blast a day earlier."At this time there are no reported fatalities…

26 Nov 2021

U.S. Interior Department Set to Release Federal Oil Leasing Review

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The U.S. Interior Department will release a long-awaited report reviewing the environmental costs and economic benefits of the nation's federal oil and gas leasing program as early as Friday, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.President Joe Biden's administration launched the review earlier this year in what had been widely seen as a first step in delivering on a campaign promise to end new federal fossil fuel drilling to fight climate change.The report, however…

07 Oct 2021

Silver Ships Wins $8.2 Million Order for Navy and Coast Guard Boats

(Image: Silver Ships)

Aluminum workboat builder Silver Ships, Inc. said it was awarded an $8.2 million delivery order as a result of being awarded a firm-fixed-price indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) single award contract by the Naval Sea Systems Command for the construction and delivery of up to 110 Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Surface Support Craft (SSC) and U.S. Coast Guard Special Purpose Craft, Law Enforcement (SPC-LE) vessels, in addition to other accessories, parts and training.

23 Aug 2021

Only 15km Left to Finish Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, Putin Says

© Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt (File Photo)

There are only 15 km (9 miles) left to finish the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany that bypasses Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.The $11 billion project doubling the capacity of the first Nord Stream pipeline to 110 billion cubic meters a year has been a focal point of tensions between Moscow and the West.Despite U.S. sanctions, Nord Stream 2 is almost complete and the key question is how Russia will ship its gas to Europe once a current…