Venezuela Passes Law Against Piracy, Blockades Amidst US Tanker Seizures
Venezuela's ruling-party controlled National Assembly unanimously approved a law on Tuesday that allows prison sentences of up to 20 years for anyone who promotes or finances what it describes as piracy or blockades.The law, which includes "other international crimes", comes after recent U.S. actions against Venezuelan oil shipments.The U.S. Coast Guard seized a sanctioned supertanker carrying Venezuelan…
Venezuela Turns to Floating Oil Storage as Onshore Tanks Fill
Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA has started filling tankers with crude and fuel oil and keeping them in Venezuelan waters, as inventories have mounted due to the U.S. seizing Venezuela-linked ships at sea, according to company documents and shipping data.This month, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the Skipper and Centuries tankers in the Caribbean Sea, both fully loaded with Venezuelan crude.
North Sea Boulevard Reopens After TenneT Offshore Wind Cable Installation
The North Sea Boulevard and Maasvlakte Boulevard are reopened to traffic as TenneT's cables for connecting two offshore wind farms are now buried in the seabed along the road. The high-voltage cables for the future IJmuiden Ver Beta and IJmuiden Ver Gamma offshore wind farms have been installed by contractor NRG.In a few years, the green energy from the offshore wind farms will arrive onshore via cables…
CMA CGM Vessels Navigate the Suez Canal, Hinting at Easing Tensions
Two vessels from CMA CGM, the world's third-largest container shipping line, have travelled through the Suez Canal, the authority that runs the waterway said on Tuesday, in a sign the disruptions linked to the Gaza war could be easing.While the Suez Canal provides the fastest link between Asia and Europe, since November 2023, shipping companies have had to take much longer routes because Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants attacked commercial vessels…
Svitzer Reshuffles Leadership in Americas and Europe
Towage services provider Svitzer has announced leadership changes across its Americas and European operations, starting from 2026, as part of a planned management transition.Arjen Van Dijk, who has served as managing director of Svitzer’s Americas business for the past six years, will move to lead the company’s European operations. During his tenure in the Americas, Svitzer expanded its footprint across…
CMA CGM, DHL Step Up Ocean Freight Decarbonization with Biofuel Deal
DHL Global Forwarding and shipping group CMA CGM have agreed to jointly use 8,990 metric tons of second-generation biofuel to reduce emissions from ocean freight.The initiative is expected to cut around 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions on a well-to-wake basis for container shipments moved under DHL’s GoGreen Plus service, marking a further step in efforts to decarbonize maritime transport.Under the agreement…
Trump-Class Battleship Unveiled, Defense Contractors Put on Notice
U.S. President Trump on Monday announced plans for a new "Trump class" of battleships, marking the start of an expanded naval buildup and signaling increased scrutiny of defense contractors over production delays and cost overruns.Trump said the new battleships would be larger, faster and "100 times more powerful" than any previously built, forming the centerpiece of what he called an expanded "Golden Fleet" aimed at cementing U.S.
Gulf Marine Hooks Multi-Year Jack-Up Vessels Charter in Europe
Gulf Marine Services (GMS), a provider of jack-up support vessels to the offshore energy industry, has secured a contract covering two of its large-class vessels in Europe.The contract spans a total of 1624 days and will see the vessels continue to support offshore operations across the region.Following this award, GMS’s contracted backlog has increased to $540 million, according to the company.“We are delighted to have secured this contract…
Equinor Halts Activities on Empire Wind Project After US Stop-Work Order
Equinor said it is complying with a stop-work order issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which ordered the suspension of offshore construction activities on the Empire Wind project citing national security concerns.Empire Offshore Wind LLC, the project company, received the notice on December 22 and has begun safely suspending all ongoing work on the U.S.
DOF Bags Two Deals in Asia-Pacific Region
Norwegian offshore vessel owner and subsea services provider DOF Group has secured two contracts for its vessels and services in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.DOF signed a three-year frame agreement for the provision of subsea inspection, maintenance and repair services with associated assets in the APAC region.A call off under the contract has also been confirmed and will utilize DSV Skandi Singapore…
