Ship News

Oil prices fell nearly 7% on Monday as optimism grew that the United States and Iran were moving closer to a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even though Washington and Tehran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were down $7.24, or almost 7%, at $96.30 a barrel at 2:29 p.m. ET (1843 GMT) and U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 futures were down $6.30, or 6.5%, at $90.88.Trading volumes were light due to the U.S. Memorial Day…

Several magnetic mines had been detected on a tanker in Russia's Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, Russia's Investigative Committee said on Monday.The committee said the mines, manufactured in a NATO country, were found by divers during an inspection of the hull of the tanker Arrhenius, which arrived from Belgium's port of Antwerp to load liquefied petroleum gas.Russia has beefed up safety measures in its ports following suspected acts of sabotage aimed at undermining its energy infrastructure.NATO has not mined any tanker…

The IMO's Maritime Safety Committee met for its 111th session from May 13 to 22 and adopted a global code for autonomous ships and advanced guidelines for ships operating on alternative fuels.First global code for autonomous shipsIMO adopted a new International Code of Safety for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS Code) to support the safe integration of AI-enabled and remotely operated commercial ships into global shipping.The MASS Code sets out a comprehensive, goal-based framework to ensure that remotely controlled or autonomous ships are designed and operated to a level of safety…

A Chinese coast guard ship left waters near Taiwan's strategically located Pratas Islands at the top of the South China Sea on Sunday following a tense standoff and verbal sparring between the coast guards, Taiwan's Coast Guard said.China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a position the government in Taipei rejects.China has pressured Taiwan by increasing its military presence around the island, and Taipei is on high alert for further Chinese actions after President Xi Jinping discussed Taiwan with U.S.

Iran's publication of a new map asserting its control over the Strait of Hormuz risks extending an already punishing ordeal for thousands of mariners trapped on ships in the Gulf.More than 20,000 sailors are stuck on around 2,000 vessels in the Gulf, many of them unable to leave ship, lacking adequate supplies of food and fresh water, and fearful of an uncertain future at sea in a war zone.Sailors interviewed by Reuters in recent weeks have described the hardships and anxieties of their experience…

A Third Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker is transiting the Strait of Hormuz and heading to China, ship-tracking data showed on Friday, as a Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran to try to help secure a deal to end the war with Iran.As shipments through the waterway continue to be erratic, this third transit of a Qatari LNG tanker is taking place nearly two weeks after a first such cargo passed through the strait under an Iran-Pakistan arrangement.The vessel, Al Sahla, with a capacity of 211…

Master Boat Builders christened Marauder, the first vessel in an eight-tug construction program for Maritime Partners, marking a key milestone for the Gulf Coast shipbuilder and the growing fleet operator.The christening ceremony was held at the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in Mobile, Ala., bringing together executives from both companies as well as shipyard workers involved in the vessel’s construction.Built at Master Boat Builders’ Coden, Ala. shipyard, Marauder is an 88-foot tug classified as an A1 Escort Tug and Towing Vessel.

French engineering firm GTT has an order from the shipyard Hanwha Ocean for the tank design of a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, on behalf of a European ship-owner.GTT will design the cryogenic tanks of the vessel, offering a total capacity of 174,000 m3.The tanks will be fitted with the NO96 Super+ membrane containment system, a technology developed by GTT.Delivery of the vessel is scheduled for the second quarter 2029.

The IMO has adopted a new International Code of Safety for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS Code) at the 111th session of the Maritime Safety Committee in London.The MASS Code aims to support the safe integration of autonomous and remotely operated commercial ships into global shipping. It sets out a comprehensive, goal-based framework to ensure that autonomous vessels are built, operated and certified at equivalent safety and environmental standards to conventional ships.The Code applies to large internationally-trading cargo ships and will take effect from July 1, 2026.

Captain Chris Welch of Kennebunk, Maine, is catching fewer lobsters this spring because spiking diesel prices have made it too costly to take out his fishing boat as often as he normally would.Instead of checking and re-baiting his traps every four or five days to collect the valuable crustaceans, he's doing so every seven to 10 days to conserve fuel."It cuts into your profitability at the end of the day," Welch said after fueling his vessel, Quality Time, on a rainy day at Kennebunk's harbor.

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded a $17.8 million contract to Ocean Construction Services Inc. for the construction of new engineering and weapons training facilities at Training Center (TRACEN) Yorktown, Virginia.The project is a critical step in preparing Coast Guard personnel to operate the service’s next generation of Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs) and Waterways Commerce Cutters (WCCs).The project will add 18,700 square feet of building space to Samuel Travis Hall, the training center’s Cutter and Weapons Training Building.

A Chinese-operated container ship was among the few to cross the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, data showed on Thursday, as uncertainty grows around reopening the critical waterway with talks over a deal between the U.S. and Iran deadlocked.Before the war on Iran began on February 28, shipping traffic through the strait averaged 125 to 140 daily passages. Due to the conflict, 20,000 seafarers remain stranded inside the Gulf on board hundreds of ships.Shipping traffic has…

"So far this year, ship transits via the Panama Canal have increased 8% y/y to a daily average of 38, driven by the tanker sector. Transits have been especially high during the past five weeks, rising 16% y/y, as US energy exports to the Pacific jumped,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.The Iran War and the subsequent reduction in Strait of Hormuz transits have disrupted exports from the Persian Gulf, tightening the global energy supply and boosting prices for energy commodities.

Fincantieri has signed a memorandum of understanding with Teijin Automotive Technologies to jointly develop advanced composite bulkheads for naval vessels, marking another step in the shipbuilder’s push to expand beyond traditional steel construction.Under the agreement, Teijin Automotive Technologies—the European arm of Japan’s Teijin Group—will lead engineering and industrialization efforts, with Fincantieri providing shipbuilding support and application expertise.The collaboration is focused on non-structural bulkheads for naval applications…

French engineering firm GTT has been selected by HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), on behalf of the ship-owner BW LNG, for the tank design of the world’s first large-scale LNG carriers featuring a three-cargo-tank configuration.This new design will equip four new buildings - two vessels already ordered in November 2025 and two additional vessels ordered in May 2026.The four LNG carriers will be fitted with the GTT Mark III Flex membrane containment system…

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, the IMO, and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have released a revised Rescue Guide, a tool to help all partners uphold the humanitarian and legal duties to rescue refugees and migrants in distress at sea and bring them to safety.The revised edition of Rescue at Sea: A guide to principles and practice in the context of refugee and migrant movements comes as tragic shipwrecks continue to highlight the urgent need for stronger collective action to prevent further loss of life among people fleeing danger or seeking better prospects.

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) has celebrated the keel-laying of its seagoing technology platform at the FSG Shipyard in Flensburg.The ship, named Modularis, will serve as a floating laboratory for innovative maritime technologies. The name combines the adjective 'modular' with the Latin noun 'maris' ('of the sea'), reflecting how DLR intends to use the platform: to test innovative technologies flexibly and under real operating conditions at sea.The focus will be on climate-compatible propulsion systems…

Three supertankers were crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday carrying oil bound for Asian markets, after waiting in the Gulf for more than two months with 6 million barrels of Middle East crude on board, while another was entering, shipping data on LSEG and Kpler showed.The ships are among a handful of supertankers exiting the Gulf this month via a transit route that Iran has ordered ships to use.The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran which began on February 28 has severely curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz…

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.

DNV has released a new recommended practice (RP) for hydrogen as ship fuel. It outlines the competence requirements for crew, inspectors, and technical personnel to support the proper handling of hydrogen systems on board ships.Hydrogen is gaining traction as a marine fuel, with seven vessels currently in operation and another 30 in the orderbook. However, several safety barriers like hydrogen leakage, low ignition energy, and management of high‑pressure or cryogenic storage, still limit its uptake.

Diamond Gas Jade, a 174,000-cu.-m. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carrier invested by a joint venture under U-Ming Marine Transport Corp., held its grand naming ceremony on May 19 at the Samsung Heavy Industries Geoje Shipyard. Built by Samsung Heavy Industries, Diamond Gas Jade is equipped with the latest energy-saving environmental technologies and a dual-fuel propulsion engine. Upon delivery, it will commence long-term LNG transportation operations supporting global energy logistics.U-Ming Marine's Board of Directors recently approved the construction of four 210…

RINA awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) to DRIFT Energy for a novel vessel concept designed not simply to transport cargo, but to generate and deliver clean energy at sea.The AiP marks what DRIFT claimsis the first such class recognition for an energy-harvesting ship concept, advancing the UK startup’s plans to develop what it describes as the world’s first net-positive vessel.Bath, England-based DRIFT Energy has developed a vessel design that uses deep-ocean wind resources to generate energy while underway.

INTERCARGO has published the first dedicated ship-to-ship (STS) transfer guidelines for dry bulk carriers, as such operations expand into new trading regions and offshore locations with limited port infrastructure.The ‘Ship to Ship Transfer Guidelines for Bulk Carriers’ establishes a framework for dry bulk STS operations, covering planning, risk assessment, maneuvering, fendering, cargo handling and emergency response procedures.STS transfers are increasingly used in dry bulk shipping where ports cannot accommodate vessel size…