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Sunday, May 17, 2026

Ship News

15 May 2026

Oil Prices Rise More Than 3% As US-Iran Talks Dent Hopes of Peace

© Adobe Stock/Miha Creative

Oil prices gained more than 3% on Friday, climbing more than $3 a barrel, after comments by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran's foreign minister further dented hopes of a deal to end ship attacks and seizures around the Strait of Hormuz.Brent crude futures gained $3.35, or 3.17%, to $109.07 a barrel by 12:34 p.m. CDT (1734 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were up $3.85, or 3.81%, at $105.02.Over the week, Brent has climbed 7.72% and WTI 10.11% on uncertainty over the shaky ceasefire in the Iran war."The tone between the U.S.

15 May 2026

Greek-Operated Tanker Crosses Strait of Hormuz

© Adobe Stock/aerial-drone

A Greek-operated tanker sailed from the Gulf to India on Friday after crossing the Strait of Hormuz in one of the few crude sailings through the waterway this week, ship tracking data showed on Friday.The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has led to the effective closure of the strait, stranding hundreds of ships and leading to unprecedented disruption of energy supplies.The Liberia-flagged suezmax tanker Karolos, which can carry a maximum of 1 million barrels of oil, was sailing towards the western India port of Sikka on Friday after crossing the Strait of Hormuz on May 14…

14 May 2026

Oil Prices Rise Amid Fears of Ship Attacks and Seizures

Source: Government of China

Oil prices rose Friday as market concerns persisted over ship attacks and seizures despite Iran saying about 30 vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. and Chinese presidents were set for a second day of talks in Beijing.Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 rose 60 cents, or 0.57%, to $106.32 a barrel by 0100 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 were up 54 cents, or 0.53%, to $101.71.A ship was reported seized by Iranian personnel off the United Arab Emirates and headed for Iranian waters on Thursday, while the White House said U.S.

14 May 2026

Ship Seized by Iran Off UAE, Trump Discusses Hormuz Shipping Lanes with Xi

© Adobe Stock/libin

A ship was reported seized by Iranian personnel off the United Arab Emirates and headed for Iranian waters on Thursday while the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed on the need to keep the nearby Strait of Hormuz shipping lane open.China is close to Iran and is the main buyer of its oil. Iran has largely shut the strait to ships apart from its own since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, causing the biggest-ever disruption to global energy supplies.The U.S.

14 May 2026

India-Flagged Cargo Vessel Sinks Off Coast of Oman After Suspected Attack

© Adobe Stock/Nataliia

India said on Thursday that an Indian-flagged wooden cargo vessel had sunk while sailing through Omani waters following a fire from a suspected drone or missile strike.The vessel is the second to have been sunk in the region since the Iran conflict began on February 28. The war has left hundreds of ships stranded and 20,000 seafarers unable to leave the Strait of Hormuz waterway that leads out into the Gulf of Oman.The attack on the dhow – a vessel built of wood – happened while it was sailing to the United Arab Emirates from Somalia in the early hours of Wednesday…

14 May 2026

NexusWave Implemented on IEA Fishing Vessels

© Inmarsat Maritime

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has worked with its Argentinian partner Ingenieros Electrónicos Asociados (IEA) to implement NexusWave for Glaciar Pesquera to support the fishing company’s fleetwide targets to achieve greater operational efficiency and enhanced crew welfare.As a fully managed, bonded multi-network service, NexusWave delivers the cost and performance predictability Glaciar requires to meet its data-intensive commercial and crew connectivity needs. Previously, IEA had to monitor data usage and frequently experienced overages.

14 May 2026

Japan Secures Second Oil Tanker Passage Through Strait of Hormuz

© Pawinee / Adobe Stock

A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker managed by Japanese refining group Eneos has passed through the Strait of Hormuz, ship-tracking data from LSEG showed on Thursday, the second instance of such a Japan-linked oil ship making it through.Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has directly contacted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to allow for the transit of the ship, which has four Japanese crew members onboard, she said in a post on X.Before the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran largely disrupted oil supplies via the Strait of Hormuz…

14 May 2026

Oil Edges Higher as Markets Watch US-China Summit

© EA09 Studio / Adobe Stock

Oil prices edged up on Thursday, with markets focusing on the high-stakes meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to see if it will yield any positive results towards a resolution for the Iran war.Trump is expected to encourage China to convince Tehran to make a deal with Washington to end the conflict, but analysts doubt that Xi will be willing to push China's long-time strategic partner too hard.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 45 cents, or 0.43%, to $106.08 a barrel by 0714 GMT, while U.S.

13 May 2026

Davie Defense Finalizes Contract for U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Security Cutters

Source: Davie Defense

Davie Defense has finalized a $3.5 billion contract with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for the construction and delivery of five Arctic Security Cutters (ASC), a new class of Arctic icebreaker.Two of the ships will be constructed at Davie Defense affiliate Helsinki Shipyard in Finland and three ships will be constructed at the company's Gulf Copper facilities in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas. The first ship will be delivered in 2028.The contract runs through February 2035 and maintains the previously announced delivery schedule for all five vessels. The program forms part of the U.S.

13 May 2026

Historic Settlement Finalized for Dali Allision with Francis Scott Key Bridge

Source: NTSB

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has announced that the State of Maryland has reached a final settlement of $2.25 billion with Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., the owner and operator of the M/V Dali, resolving the State’s claims against those parties arising from the cargo ship’s March 26, 2024 allision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge. On the morning of March 26, 2024, the M/V Dali crashed into a supporting column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing its catastrophic collapse.

13 May 2026

Families of Pakistani Hostages Call for Rescue from Somali Pirates

© dummy / Adobe Stock

Ambreen Fatima protested in Karachi with her children on Wednesday for the release of her husband, one of ten Pakistani crew aboard an oil tanker seized by Somali pirates 23 days ago, and who is now drinking dirty tank water to survive, she said.The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged product tanker, was seized on April 21 approximately 30 nautical miles off Somalia's Puntland region with 17 crew members aboard, 10 of them Pakistani.Fatima said her daughter had been hospitalised for two days due to the stress and her 16-year-old son…

13 May 2026

China Connected VLCC Exits Strait of Hormuz, Stops in Oman

Copyright corlaffra/AdobeStock

A Chinese supertanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after being stranded in the Gulf for more than two months due to the U.S.-Iran war, LSEG and Kpler ship-tracking data showed.The VLCC Yuan Hua Hu is now anchored off the Gulf of Oman, near where the U.S. Navy has set up a blockade on Iranian vessels, LSEG data showed.The crossing comes as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to meet over the next two days…

13 May 2026

Anemoi’s Wind-Assisted Rotor Sails Pass Eight-Year Operational Milestone (Video)

M/V Afros at sea with four Anemoi Rotor Sails installed, demonstrating the wind-assisted propulsion system in operation (Credit: Anemoi)

Anemoi Marine Technologies’ Rotor Sail wind-assisted propulsion system has completed more than eight years of continuous commercial operation after M/V Afros successfully passed its second intermediate dry dock survey.The survey, conducted by Lloyd’s Register in China in April, confirmed the structural integrity and operational condition of the vessel’s four Rotor Sails, Anemoi said.The 64,000-deadweight-tonne Ultramax bulk carrier Afros became the first bulk carrier fitted with Rotor Sails when the system was installed in 2018.According to Anemoi…

13 May 2026

Tech Feature: Coatings & Corrosion Control

Image courtesy PPG

How Electrostatic Technology Moves from Experiment to Reality Shipyards face mounting pressure to align with the maritime industry’s decarbonization goals. As vessel owners and operators explore alternative fuels, better hull designs and route optimization to cut emissions, shipyards reevaluate their own practices to keep pace. One area of focus includes the coatings application. Among emerging innovations, electrostatic spraying is now gaining traction in global marine projects.Unlike traditional airless spraying…

12 May 2026

Car Carrier Elder Leader Trials Autonomous Nav System

Image courtesy NYK

NYK-operated car carrier Elder Leader, which is equipped with an autonomous navigation system, made its first call at the port of Singapore on April 29, 2026. On this occasion, NYK, together with the NYK Group company MTI Co., Ltd. and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), conducted a demonstration trial to verify the interoperability between the vessel’s autonomous navigation system and the port systems.The vessel is a next-generation car carrier equipped with marine DX technologies…

13 May 2026

Iraq, Pakistan Secure Oil Shipments via Hormuz with Iran Agreements

© Fajar / Adobe Stock

Both Iraq and Pakistan have cut deals with Iran to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the Gulf, according to five sources with knowledge of the matter, in a demonstration of Tehran's ability to control energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has slashed energy exports from a region that normally supplies 20% of the world's crude oil and LNG. The U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports in recent weeks. And though Iran initially sought to halt traffic through the strait…

12 May 2026

Tech Feature: Electrification of Ferries


An example of a charging arm mounted on a platform near the terminal. Once a vessel is secured at the dock, the arm connects, delivers power, and disconnects before departure. Image courtesy Washington State DOT

Ferries are typically designed to operate very close to population centers, contributing to urban pollution while also creating an ideal opportunity for significant in-harbor emissions reduction.Internationally, the world is seeing an imbalance of efforts to develop and implement sustainable solutions in the maritime industry. More specific to ferry electrification and decarbonization, Europe is at the forefront of the effort, while the United States is lagging behind.While ferries present an opportunity for emissions reduction…

12 May 2026

US Indicts Two Foreign Operators, Shoreside Superintendent in 2024 Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse

Cashman’s Dale Pyatt working with Sterling Equipment’s The Pulverizer; in the back drop is the Weeks 533 and Chesapeake 100. Photo courtesy DOD/DVIDS

The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday a grand jury indicted two foreign operators and a shoreside superintendent in the March 2024 collision of the 984-foot cargo ship Dali that destroyed Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and killed six construction workers.The Justice Department said the collision caused at least $5 billion in damage and significant environmental damage. The National Transportation Safety Board found a single loose wire in the electrical system caused a breaker to unexpectedly open…

12 May 2026

Op-Ed: Bringing Nuclear Propulsion to Commercial Reality

Jan Emblemsvåg, Professor at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU)'s Department of Ocean Operations and Civil Engineering. © Jan Emblemsvåg

With demonstration projects now underway, including a nuclear-powered LNG tanker and an offshore vessel, the debate is shifting from whether nuclear shipping is possible to how it can be delivered. Jan Emblemsvåg, Professor at the Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU)'s Department of Ocean Operations and Civil Engineering in Ålesund, argues that the key barriers are no longer technical, but regulatory, commercial and political.Nuclear propulsion is returning to the…

12 May 2026

Hope of US-Iran Peace Fade, Oil Prices Continue to Rise

© Adobe Stock/M. Jurzyk

Hopes for a peace deal with Iran dwindled on Tuesday after Donald Trump said a ceasefire was "on life support" as Tehran rejected a U.S. proposal to end the conflict and stuck to a list of demands the U.S. president described as "garbage".Iran has called for an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, where U.S. ally Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Tehran also emphasised its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, demanded compensation for war damage, and an end to the U.S.

12 May 2026

PD Ports Expands Operations with Third Electric Liebherr LPS 550

© Liebherr

An LPS 550 fitted with an electric drive from Liebherr’s Baltic-side production facility has been delivered to Middlesbrough to increase PD Ports’ productivity. The new machine will focus on bulk work at Teesport, complementing two sister cranes commissioned in 2023, strengthening hatch coverage and maintaining consistent cycle times.Day-to-day, the Port supports a complex gateway that handles tens of millions of tonnes of cargo each year, with over USD$1.9 billion (£1.4 billion) contributed to the regional economy.

13 May 2026

Petronas Signs 20-year Charter Deal with MISC for Five LNG Carrier Newbuilds

Illustration (Credit: Petronas)

Petronas LNG (PLL) has signed a 20-year time charter agreement with MISC Group for five newbuild liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers as the Malaysian energy company strengthens long-term LNG supply capacity.The agreement covers five 174,000-cubic meter LNG carriers that will be built by Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding in Shanghai, China, with charter commencements expected between 2029 and 2030.The vessels will feature XDF2.1 propulsion technology, shaft generators and onboard reliquefaction…

13 May 2026

Shipping’s Data Problem: From Overload to Insight

Orca AI Seapod, AI-based maritime navigation assistance.
Image courtesy Orca AI

Vessel owners of every size, shape and locale today face a mounting opportunity and challenge: effectively utilizing all of the data coming from their vessels, their fleets, and putting that information to work to make maritime operations more efficient and profitable.At “The Business of Shipping” panel on Day 1 of the Connecticut Maritime Association’s Shipping 2026 conference, a senior executive from a leading gas carrier operator put it plainly: “Our ships produce massive amounts…