US Navy Says It Prevented Iran from Seizing Tankers in Gulf
The U.S. Navy said it had intervened to prevent Iran from seizing two commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, in the latest in a series of attacks on ships in the area since 2019.In a statement, the U.S. Navy said that at 0100 local time (2100 GMT), an Iranian naval vessel had approached the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker TRF Moss in international waters in the Gulf of Oman."The Iranian vessel departed the scene when U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul arrived on station…
Shots Fired at Oil Tanker in Gulf
Shots were fired at a tanker in the Gulf on Wednesday in an interaction with an unspecified country's security forces, a British maritime body said, the latest incident in a series of seizures or attacks on commercial ships in the Gulf since 2019.The vessel and its crew were safe following the incident in waters between Iran and Oman off the coast of Omani capital Muscat on Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), part of the Royal Navy, said.The UKMTO described the incident as an "interaction with national maritime forces", without specifying which country the forces belonged to. Earlier it had classified it as a "suspicious approach".Maritime security company Ambrey said the ship was a Bahamas-flagged oil tanker…
Analysis: Strait of Hormuz and the Risk of Escalation
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping lane between Iran and Oman named after the fabulously wealthy ancient kingdom of Ormus, has fascinated oil traders since the Iranian revolution in 1979. Iran has periodically threatened to close the strait to enemy shipping, while the United States and its allies have pledged to keep it open and maintain freedom of navigation, by force if necessary.The strait has become a symbolic flashpoint in the region-wide confrontation and indirect…
Lamprell, GustoMSC join forces to develop Jackup Rig design
Lamprell announced its exclusive collaboration with GustoMSC to develop the Lamprell Jackup-43 (LJ43) jackup rig design, creating an advanced drilling rig with the highest level of safe, efficient and reliable drilling capabilities. The LJ43 drilling rig will combine Lamprell’s system integration capability, detailed engineering expertise and construction experience with the robust and advanced technology of GustoMSC designs. The rig utilises GustoMSC’s leg design with a custom designed hull and living quarters developed by Lamprell. It includes various high-end technology features such as a new innovative blowout preventer handling system and enhanced skidding capabilities via a X-Y cantilever, which will enable optimised and highly efficient drilling.
Saudi Oil Pipeline Set Alight
A "limited fire" broke out on a subsidiary oil pipeline in eastern Saudi Arabia on Saturday after assailants fired shots at a security patrol, the state news agency SPA said. An industry source told Reuters there was no impact on oil operations in the world's top crude exporter. SPA, citing the spokesman for police in Eastern Province, said authorities were at the scene quickly and had put out the fire. It said the incident happened at 2:00 a.m. local time on Saturday (2300 GMT Friday), when the patrol came under fire at the entrance of Awamiya in Qatif district. Saturday's incident followed a similar one last month when a small fire broke out on a gas pipeline in the oil-rich Eastern Province.
