Mine News

The warning came booming over the airwaves, in a voice unmistakably from the American south: "Warship! Get out of our waters!"Norwegian Lieutenant Thomas Johannsen and his sailors were preparing for a simulated boarding operation -- a core mission for their NATO maritime unit. But with so many other war games happening in the area, the crew was picking up unrelated chatter from a nearby vessel.Johannsen pivoted to a clear frequency before addressing the cargo ship in his sights.

For decades, floating nuclear power occupied a niche position in the energy debate – technically feasible, strategically intriguing, but commercially marginal. Today, however, combined pressures of decarbonization, energy security, land constraints, rising electricity demand and water scarcity are making floating nuclear power a more serious proposition for policymakers, utilities, and infrastructureFloating Nuclear offers a potential source of reliable, low-carbon electricity and heat (and…

Oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz picked up on Friday after the United States and Iran signed a ceasefire deal, with Gulf producers preparing to raise exports despite concerns over conditions set by Tehran for using the vital waterway.Washington and Tehran released the text of an interim agreement signed on Wednesday to end the conflict, although U.S. President Donald Trump warned he could resume attacks and target Iranian officials if commitments are not honoured.At least four tankers carrying crude…

Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement on Thursday that the country's Persian Gulf Strait Authority will take measures to issue fast authorizations to ships wanting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz as per the memorandum of understanding signed by Tehran and Washington.Measures on mine clearance will be carried out under the Islamabad MoU, though ships are advised to stick to the path and timing allocated by the authority, the statement published by state media added.The U.S.

Germany is deploying two ships to the Red Sea in preparation for a possible military mission in the Strait of Hormuz, Germany's defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said on Thursday.Hours after U.S.

Microwave-based method to upcycle old lithium-ion cathodesInstead of letting old lithium-ion batteries pile up as waste, Sandia National Laboratories researchers have developed a microwave-based process to recover and remake their cathodes, potentially turning spent batteries into a new domestic source of critical materials.Lithium-ion batteries power everything from phones and electric vehicles to grid-scale energy storage and earbuds, but their cathodes — the part of batteries denoted by a plus sign — are expensive to make and rely on minerals sourced from a limited number of countries…

Fassmer of Germany has placed an order for eight of the new Henriksen Slipway Systems (HSS) for the automatic launch and recovery of small boats and unmanned surface drones from larger vessels. The eight systems will be installed aboard four vessels being built by Fassmer for an undisclosed customer.The new system can benefit any organization that operates drones (USVs) or fast intervention craft from larger vessels. Besides naval forces, these might include coast guard, police…

A maritime drone self-detonated on Friday in Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta near an oil terminal, without causing casualties, as Ukraine accused Russia of jamming one of its vessels before it drifted into Romanian waters.The explosion was the second major incident in a populated area in Romania on NATO's eastern flank in just a week as the spillover threat increases from the war in Ukraine, which has been fighting against a full-scale Russian invasion since 2022.Ukraine's navy said one of its naval drones lost control while on a mission in the Black Sea…

The European Union has proposed that the bloc's Aspides naval mission take "the primary role" in clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz "when conditions allow" as part of a Franco-British-led initiative, according to a document seen by Reuters.The European External Action Service wrote in a note dated May 26 and sent to member states that "the situation requires the Union to provide a meaningful contribution" to a coalition led by France and Britain "to be materialised once conditions allow and separated from the belligerents".Changing the Aspides mission's mandate would require unanimity…

The U.S. Navy has selected HII’s ROMULUS unmanned surface vessel to advance to the at-sea testing phase of the Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) program.Andy Green, executive vice president of HII and president of HII’s Mission Technologies division, said: “HII is proud that ROMULUS USV has advanced to the U.S. Navy’s Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel evaluation phase, a milestone that reflects HII’s longstanding track record for delivering mission-ready autonomous capabilities that support the U.S.

The United States, Britain and Australia are working together to develop unmanned undersea vehicles as part of their trilateral AUKUS defence pact, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters on Saturday.AUKUS said in a joint statement that delivery of the vehicles will start in 2027.The program will improve the three nations' reconnaissance and strike capabilities, "and bolster superiority in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare, and contested littoral manoeuvre," the statement added.

Western Australian premier Roger Cook said on Wednesday he had been "assured" by federal Resources Minister Madeleine King that a new government policy of reserving 20% of gas output for domestic use would not harm his state's large LNG industry."Maddie King is a very good friend of mine, she's my local member of parliament (and) we’ve talked at length about this and she is determined to make sure that it doesn’t have an adverse impact in terms of Western Australia’s established practice…

The world's second-largest gold miner, Agnico Eagle, is counting on barge transport through the Northwest Passage to keep the cost of producing gold in its Hope Bay Mine under $1,000 per ounce, Agnico Eagle CEO Ammar Al-Joundi told Reuters, as it attempts to lead a mining revival in Canada's remote Arctic.Agnico Eagle announced on Tuesday that it will invest $2.4 billion to revive the Hope Bay mine in Nunavut, Canada's northernmost region, which had been shuttered since 2022, after the company acquired it from Toronto-based TMAC Resources.

Britain said on Tuesday it would contribute autonomous mine-hunting equipment, Typhoon fighter jets and the warship HMS Dragon to a multinational defensive mission aimed at securing shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.Defence minister John Healey announced the commitment during a virtual summit with more than 40 of his counterparts from other nations involved in the mission, which he said would become operational when conditions allowed."With our allies, this multinational mission will be defensive…

Vane Brothers has announced the retirement of Captain Rick Iuliucci, Vice President of Operations, effective July 1.An official Change of Command takes place on June 1. At that time, Brendan MacGillivray assumes the role of Vane Brothers’ Chief Operating Officer at the head of a team that includes Captain Brian Rau in the new position of Vice President, Operations–East, and John Shkor as Vice President, Regulatory Compliance and Health, Safety, Security, and the Environment (HSSE).Together…

A newly designed automatic launch and recovery system for small boats and unmanned surface drones (USVs), has been developed by Henriksen AS of Norway and will be presented for the first time at Seawork (Stand F34) in Southampton, June 9-11.The new system enables the automated launch and recovery of craft from the stern ramp of a mother vessel. The Henriksen slipway system now makes it possible for a police or military crew to board a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) and be under way on the water in less than two minutes.

The U.S. military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones as Tehran sought to thwart a new U.S. naval effort to open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.U.S. President Donald Trump launched the operation, called Project Freedom, on Monday as he sought to wrest control of the critical waterway from Iran, which effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel started the conflict on February 28.U.S.

As the United States embarks on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz, it could draw on an arsenal of drones, explosive‑laden robots and helicopters to reduce risks, though de‑mining crews could still be vulnerable to Iranian attacks.The U.S. is trying to secure the strait from mines as part of efforts to end Iran's disruption of shipping, which has severely curbed global energy supplies since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran at the end of February.But while the U.S.

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

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz stood at well below 10% of normal volumes on Thursday despite a U.S.-Iran ceasefire as Tehran asserted its control by warning ships to keep to its territorial waters while doing so.Hundreds of tankers and other ships have been stuck inside the Gulf since the Iran war began on Feb 28, cutting global oil supply by 20% in the world's biggest-ever supply disruption. Prices for some physical oil grades hit fresh all-time highs on Thursday as the crisis showed little signs of abating.Iran must open the strait without conditions…

A Taiwan-based NYK Group ship-management company, NiMiC Ship Management Co., Ltd. (NiMiC), has appointed Louise Lin (Lin Yi-chun) as captain of Taitar No. 4., a NiMiC-managed liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier and she assumed her duties. This milestone marks the first time a woman has been named captain of an LNG carrier within the NYK Group.Lin began her maritime career at NiMiC as a deck cadet in 2011 and advanced to full-time service as a third officer on an LNG carrier managed by NiMiC in 2015.

Brent crude futures climbed more than $1 a barrel on Thursday following U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to attack ships laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, casting doubt on the survival of a ceasefire in the war with Iran.Brent crude futures were up $1.26, or 1.24%, to $103.17 a barrel at 9:19 a.m. CDT (1419 GMT) after settling above $100 for the first time in more than two weeks on Wednesday. West Texas Intermediate futures were up 72 cents, or 0.77%, at $93.68.Iran flaunted its tightened grip over the Strait of Hormuz with video of its commandos storming a huge cargo ship…

BIMCO’s Jakob Larsen, Chief Safety & Security Officer, warns of a potential scam from parties claiming to be Iranian authorities and demanding toll:“BIMCO has received reports of an email scam, but we are still awaiting confirmation that this was in fact a scam. The fact that ships were attacked following apparent Iranian approval to transit underscores the complexity and volatility of the current security situation.”Iran is blockading the Strait of Hormuz against what they perceive as hostile ships.