The Guide News

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) announced the launch of the sixth edition of its benchmark publication, the Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals). First published in 1971, the Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals) is an industry reference for the safe operation of chemical tankers. This new edition provides up‑to‑date, practical guidance for those serving on board ships carrying hazardous and noxious liquid substances in bulk under MARPOL Annex II, supporting safe, compliant and pollution‑free operations.The sixth edition incorporates substantial updates to reflect evolving industry practice…

Singapore has launched OCEANS-X, a new data and application programming interface (API) eXchange platform developed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).It enables secure system-to-system connectivity across the maritime ecosystem, allowing maritime companies and government agencies to exchange trusted data directly. This in turn enables integrated digital services for better service delivery, more efficient port operations, smoother trade flows, and stronger…

The IMO’s Legal Committee has approved a new set of guidelines to improve transparency and due diligence in ship registration, as well as prevent fraudulent registrations and misuse of flags. The guidelines help to close a key regulatory gap for the maritime industry, given there is currently no binding international framework to regulate the registration of ships. The newly approved Guidelines will assist new and existing flag State ship registries by providing practical measures to strengthen verification and due diligence…

Many claim to have ‘saltwater in their veins,’ but all you have to do is walk into the corner office of John McDonald, the new Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), to see that him saying “I was born into maritime” is not hyperbole. The first thing that greets you is a Dusan Kadlec nighttime painting of the Brooklyn Bridge, a painting that has special meaning to him as he fondly remembers being on a boat in New York harbor in 1983, his father USCG Captain of the Port of New York at that time, watching the fireworks over the bridge for the celebration.

Oil prices rose on Thursday as doubts over a fragile two-week Middle East ceasefire raised concerns that energy flows through the crucial Strait of Hormuz will remain restricted.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up $2.18, or 2.3%, at $96.93 a barrel at 0645 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 rose $3, or 3.18%, to $97.41 a barrel.Both benchmarks fell below $100 per barrel in the previous trading session, with WTI recording its biggest decline since April 2020…

For much of its modern history, shipping has relied on experience, instinct and relationships as much as data. Decisions were – and in many cases still are – informed by spreadsheets, phone calls, intuition and experience built over decades. Today, that foundation is being reshaped by digital tools designed to bring clarity, visibility and confidence to some of the industry’s most complex challenges.Few companies sit more squarely at the intersection of shipping expertise and digital innovation than Klaveness Digital, part of the Torvald Klaveness Group.

Weiler Abrasives, a leader in surface conditioning solutions, has been recognized for its sustainability-related achievements by the Sustainable European Abrasive Manufacturers (SEAM). In a recently released CO2 Emissions Report, SEAM identified Weiler Abrasives as one of only 11 abrasives companies to achieve recognition for climate leadership for the 2024 fiscal year by achieving greater than 4% emissions reduction.The member companies were recognized for their significant progress in emissions reduction.

Home to one of the world’s busiest transshipment hubs, Singapore is stepping up to shield its maritime sector from wildlife traffickers, with a targeted guide to help industry members spot and stop those exploiting shipping systems.The Red Flag Indicators for Wildlife Trafficking in Containerised Sea Cargo: A Summary Compendium and Guidance for the Maritime Shipping Sector in Singapore makes Singapore the first in Asia to have tailored the 2021 global version of the guide to its needs.Developed by the TRAFFIC Southeast Asia…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) announced that Cyprus officially recommended the ICS International Medical Guide for Seafarers and Fishers for use on board vessels under its flag.The Republic of Cyprus Deputy Shipping Ministry has issued a circular to its fleet recommending the comprehensive medical guide, joining an expanding list of leading flag states that recognize the guide's value in protecting seafarer and fisher health and safety. In addition to recommending inclusion of the guide in the list of publications to be on board Cyprus flagged ships…

PPG announced the completion of its 200th vessel dry docking using electrostatic application of marine fouling control coatings, nearly three years after introducing the technique to the global shipping market.The project was completed on the Stena Britannica, a passenger and roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel operated by Stena Line, one of the world’s largest ferry companies, at the EDR Antwerp shipyard in Belgium. The team applied PPG SIGMAGLIDE 2390 fouling release coating, a silicone-based…

America’s maritime infrastructure is measured in draft depth, vessel clearance, sediment management, and days available to dredge. If the United States is serious about competing in a century defined by supply chains, energy exports, and sealift readiness, then ports, harbors, and waterways must move from being in the background to becoming part of the national strategy.The Dredging industry and it importance to the U.S. Port infrastructure will be discussed in depth at the Port of the Future Conference and Exhibition, scheduled for March 23-25 in Houston.

An ATSB preliminary investigation report details the circumstances leading up to the brief grounding of the Australian research vessel Nuyina off Heard Island, 4,000 km south-west of Perth, October 13 last year.The grounding occurred while Nuyina, the Australian Antarctic Division’s research and supply vessel, was conducting drone survey operations over the shore of Heard Island, close to an area of uncharted seafloor.On board the vessel were 37 marine crew and 85 expeditioners.“Nuyina had several scientific instruments installed on a retractable drop keel…

Offshore drilling contractor Seadrill has appointed Samir Ali as its new chief executive officer (CEO).Effective immediately, Samir Ali will step up from its Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) position to its new role, succeeding Simon Johnson.Ali has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer of the company since August 2022. Prior to joining Seadrill, Ali was with Diamond Offshore, most recently serving as Vice President of Investor Relations…

Yesterday, a new ISO standard was published to help port authorities, shipowners and operators navigate rules on how ships should be cleaned in an environmentally sound way. Hull cleaning is gaining traction among shipowners, while countries are increasingly introducing regulations—but many ports still lack practical guidance on how to manage it. “Biofouling on ships’ hulls can spread invasive aquatic species and damage ecosystems. It also increases drag, reducing a vessel’s efficiency and leading to higher fuel consumption and increased greenhouse gas emissions…

PPG has completed its 200th vessel dry docking using electrostatic application of marine fouling control coatings, nearly three years after introducing the technique to the global shipping market.The project was completed on the Stena Britannica, a passenger and roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel operated by Stena Line, one of the world’s largest ferry companies, at the EDR Antwerp shipyard in Belgium. The team applied PPG SIGMAGLIDE® 2390 fouling release coating, a silicone-based…

Amidst a more complex and uncertain operating environment, Singapore’s MPA is charting the long-term direction for Maritime Singapore. This includes developing strategies to seize growth opportunities and strengthen Singapore’s position as a key node in global trade, while continuing to drive innovation, accelerate technology adoption, and develop a future-ready workforce.MPA is developing the Maritime Singapore Master Plan, an industry-wide blueprint to guide the sector’s longer-term development.

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has launched the IMCA Next Generation Network – a global, member-led network that will support the development of early career professionals.Designed to strengthen development pathways for junior workers in the marine construction sector, the new global community forms a central pillar of IMCA’s strategic focus on people, competency, and skills.It will also support the offshore industry to raise awareness of the growing range…

The IMO's Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response held its 13th session at IMO Headquarters in London from 9 to 13 February 2026.Outcomes include:Groundwork laid for future legally binding framework on biofoulingFollowing the decision of MEPC 83 to develop a legally binding framework on biofouling management to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species, the Sub-Committee agreed some fundamental elements that will guide this work. These include the recommendation for the framework to take the form of a standalone instrument…

Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California had disrupted several major wildlife trafficking operations, including seizing hundreds of illegal products made from ivory, rhino horn, walrus tusks, suspected bear gall bladders, saiga antelope, and turtle shells.“The international illegal market for these products encourages poaching and threatens global biodiversity — California wants no part of it. We’re using every tool at our disposal to catch and shut down these trafficking rings…

Lloyd’s Register (LR) will assume the Chair of The Open Class 3D Exchange (OCX) Consortium this month (January 2026).LR’s Nathan Lindop will take over as both Chair and Coordinator of the Consortium, succeeding DNV’s Ole Christian Astrup, who has held the position since the group’s formation in 2019.The planned rotation comes as the initiative moves from its early development phase into broader industry adoption, with more shipyards, designers and technology providers now building…

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) began icebreaking operations in the Southern Ocean in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2026 and marked its 50th year of commissioned service Saturday by freeing and escorting a cruise ship trapped in pack ice.The Australian-owned cruise ship Scenic Eclipse II contacted Polar Star at approximately 11 p.m., local time Friday after becoming beset in pack ice roughly eight nautical miles from McMurdo Sound. Polar Star’s crew conducted two close passes to break the vessel free…

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) released its new Deck Procedures Guide, a vital addition to ICS’s suite of shipboard operational guidance. ICS says the publication addresses a critical gap in maritime safety guidance by providing the industry's first comprehensive resource dedicated specifically to deck operations. Together with the widely used Bridge Procedures Guide and Engine Room Procedures Guide, this new publication completes a trilogy of core resources designed to harmonise best practice across all shipboard departments.Covering the full spectrum of deck-side activities…

The formerly retired tugboat Polar King is back on the water thanks to the hard work of the Alaska Marine Lines team and many others throughout the Lynden companies. The 50-year-old tugboat was completely overhauled earlier this year and is now back in the fleet and will be towing barges between Seattle, Hawaii, and Western Alaska ports. The 120- by 34-ft. tug was built in 1974 at McDermott Shipyard, one of eight built that year. Four of those vessels ended up towing barges at AML.