At the 163rd ABS Annual Members Meeting, the classification society says it has never been stronger, with substantial growth and leading safety performance reported. Key numbers in 2004 included the fleet growing to 300 million gross tons, giving it pole position in global class in global new order share with 22 percent.At the Members Meeting it was also announed that  ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki will step down as Chairman and CEO and retire at the end of 2025…

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has launched the first Crew Transfer Vessel (CTV) immersion suit in the world designed for women working in offshore wind energy, using guidance on diversity and inclusivity from industry leaders Ørsted, Siemens and Vestas.The VIKING YouSafe Cyclone suit joins a growing portfolio of VIKING PPE whose fit and features reflect the safety needs of female seafarers, pilots and technicians in the marine and offshore industries.The most recent UK Government…

Dutch geodata firm Fugro on Tuesday said it started reducing its U.S. workforce and scaling back operations there after warning its sales and earnings would miss earlier forecasts because of volatile markets and lack of new U.S offshore wind projects.The company, which provides geotechnical, survey, subsea and geosciences services, said it has already divested assets and cut more than 100 jobs in the United States because of deteriorating market environment, group CEO Mark Heine told reporters."The shift in the U.S. political landscape has led to a pause in new offshore wind projects.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping company Flex LNG has informed its chief executive officer (CEO) Øystein Kalleklev resigned from the role.Kalleklev joined Flex LNG in October 2017 and was appointed CEO the following year.Following Kelleklev’s resignation, the company’s board has appointed Marius Foss, chief commercial officer, as interim CEO.Kalleklev will remain available in an advisory capacity until end of the third quarter to ensure a smooth transition period.“On behalf of the Board…

Kongsberg Maritime has launched the K-Sim Offshore DP3 Anchor Handling Simulator, designed for training for complex offshore operations.With an investment of over $322,000, the innovative training solution is designed to elevate competency standards, enhance operational efficiency, and promote sustainability across the sector.Additionally, it focuses on improving maritime safety by supporting our local customers and partners in ensuring safe operations and reducing risks in critical maritime activities.Situated at Kongsberg Maritime’s Aberdeen office in Westhill…

Japan-based classification society ClassNK has named Hayato Suga as its new president and CEO, and Fumihiko Higashi as its executive vice president.Effective March 21, 2025, Suga will move from his current senior vice president role, while Higashi will advance from the current corporate officer post.Former president and CEO Hiroaki Sakashita has been appointed as chairman of the board of directors, while the former chairman of Koichi Fujiwara has assumed the position of advisor to the society.“The business environment is changing rapidly…

Scottish shipbuilder Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) has appointed a Graeme Thomson as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).Graeme will officially take up the position on May 1, 2025, following on from former interim CEO, John Petticrew.Graeme joins Ferguson Marine from international aerospace, defense and nuclear engineering services business, Babcock, where he has been Programme Director since 2019, overseeing the delivery of the Type 31 Royal Navy frigate program.Prior to joining Babcock…

Dawn Massa Stancavish, President, CEO, and Chief Innovation Officer, Massa Products Corporation, recently joined Rhonda Moniz on the DEEP DIVE podcast to discuss this innovative company’s rich history and its role in helping to inspire a new generation of technology workers.

Petrobras is looking at potential opportunities in Argentina while advancing in projects in Colombia and Africa, the firm's exploration and production head Sylvia dos Anjos said on Tuesday.Gas from the Vaca Muerta region would be interesting to Petrobras as a pipeline connecting Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil could be used to transport it, Anjos said on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference in Houston.She added the firm could also look for oil opportunities in Argentina, as…

Petrobras obtained approval from the country's environmental agency to clear corals from the underside of the drilling vessel it plans to use in the Foz do Amazonas region, Reuters reports. Its February 10 request was granted on Monday for the vessel the state-run firm will send to drill off the coast of the northern Amapa state if it obtains a long-sought license to explore the environmentally sensitive region.Due to the corals being a potentially invasive species if moved to another biome…

Watson Farley & Williams (‘WFW’) advised Eurazeo, acting as lead investor via its Eurazeo Transition Infrastructure Fund, on a $73m investment in new offshore service vessel platform MPC OSE Offshore. The platform, a joint venture between MPC Capital and O.S. Energy, helps develop, build, and manage service support vessels for offshore wind farms. The consortium of investors comprised the European family office and others in addition to Eurazeo.A leading European investment group with $37bn AUM, Eurazeo supports 600+ mid-market companies across Europe, Asia, and the United States.MPC Capital is a global investment and asset manager with $5bn AUM specializing in transport…

Subsea Global Solutions, an underwater maintenance and repair services specialist, has named Eric Smith as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).With a career spanning leadership roles in maritime operations, commercial management, and strategic business development, Smith brings a wealth of industry expertise to the Subsea Global Solutions team.Prior to joining Subsea Global Solutions, Smith served as Director of Shared Resources at Resolve Marine, overseeing worldwide assets, vessels…

St. Johns Ship Building, owned by Americraft Marine, signed a contract with Hal Jones Contractor, a Division of Vecellio & Grogan, Inc., to build a 150 x 60 x 8-ft. Spud Barge. The Spud Barges, built to support various marine construction and operations, will serve in Hal Jones Contractor’s fleet.

ADNOC Logistics and Services (ADNOC L&S), part of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), has partnered with an Abu Dhabi seaglider operator to introduce REGENT seagliders into its fleet for offshore energy logistics services.The seagliders will provide high-speed, zero-emission transport of passengers to and from offshore energy infrastructure.Seaglider technology represents an innovative solution to increase efficiency in maritime transportation and advance the energy transition.ADNOC…

U.S. energy firms this week cut the number of oil and natural gas rigs operating for a third week in a row to the lowest since December 2021, energy services firm Baker Hughes BKR.O said in its closely followed report on Friday.The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by four to 576 in the week to Jan. 24. RIG-USA-BHI, RIG-OL-USA-BHI, RIG-GS-USA-BHIBaker Hughes said this week's decline puts the total rig count down 45, or 7% below this time last year.Baker Hughes said oil rigs fell by six to 472 this week…

The Responsible Offshore Development Alliance (RODA) extends gratitude to President Trump for his decision to temporarily withdraw all areas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from consideration for new or renewed wind energy leasing.This important move recognizes the vital role our communities, industries, and ecosystems play in the broader national interest. The decision is a much-needed pause that allows us to reassess the future of offshore wind development and its potential…

The Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA) views President Trump’s Presidential Memorandum to pause offshore wind development projects as a critical opportunity to reassess the industry’s direction.While offshore wind offers tremendous potential for economic growth and job creation in the U.S., OMSA agrees that over-reliance on foreign renewable energy companies, foreign vessels, and foreign mariners to build American offshore wind farms undermines these benefits and is deeply problematic.“The offshore oil industry was born in South Louisiana…

National Ocean Industries Association President Erik Milito issued the following statement regarding the inauguration of President Donald Trump:"American offshore energy stands as a cornerstone of our nation's greatness. We are committed to working alongside the new administration and Congress to advance all facets of American offshore energy. Our focus is clear: achieving American energy dominance, driving innovation, ensuring market stability, lowering energy costs for future generations…

Germany-based maritime condition monitoring equipment supplier CM Technologies (CMT) has appointed David Fuhlbruegge and Jens Uwe Krueger as joint Managing Director.The appointments, effective immediately, come as the company's current Managing Director and founder, Matthias Winkler, begins the transition to semi-retirement after leading the company since its formation in 2003.David and Uwe have been with CMT for 20 and 10 years respectively. David joined CMT as technical sales in 2003 before becoming the company’s Operations Director…

Oil prices edged lower on Friday but remained on course for a fourth consecutive week of gains, as the latest U.S. sanctions on Russian energy trade added to worries about oil supply disruptions.Brent crude futures were down 41 cents, or 0.5%, at $80.87 per barrel by 11:30 a.m. ET (1630 GMT), having gained 1.4% this week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 89 cents, or 1.1%, at $77.81 a barrel, having climbed 1.6% for the week."Sanctions on Russia are causing tightness of supply in Europe…

BP will cut over 5% of its global workforce, it said on Thursday, as part of CEO Murray Auchincloss' efforts to reduce costs and rebuild investor confidence in the energy giant.Around 4,700 employees and 3,000 contractor positions will be cut this year, BP BP.L told Reuters. The cuts were announced in an internal memo seen by Reuters earlier on Thursday.BP shares were up 1% at 1200 GMT.Auchincloss last year said he would cut the British company's costs by at least $2 billion by…

International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) Publications is proud to announce the release of the sixth edition of the ICS Guide to Helicopter/Ship Operations, an essential resource that has been setting the standard for safe and efficient helicopter/ship interactions for almost 50 years.Recognized as the go-to reference for shipping companies and crew, the Guide has been meticulously updated with input from leading experts in both the maritime and aviation sectors, including the Civil Aviation Authority…

Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump's pick to head the U.S. Energy Department, will tell U.S. senators in his confirmation hearing on Wednesday his first priority is expanding domestic energy production including liquefied natural gas and nuclear power.Wright, 59, believes fossil fuels are the key to ending world poverty, which is a greater problem than climate change's "distant" threat, according to a report he wrote as CEO of oilfield services company Liberty Energy LBRT.N.Wright supports some fossil fuel alternatives…