Tanker Carrying Venezuelan Heavy Oil Heads to Louisiana
A crude tanker chartered by Trafigura departed on Sunday from Venezuela's Jose port to Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), LSEG data and documents showed, the first cargo going directly to the U.S. as part of a 50-million-barrel supply deal agreed this month between Caracas and Washington.This month, trading houses Vitol and Trafigura received the first U.S. licenses to load and export Venezuelan oil as part of the deal.
One Rescued, 50 Feared Drowned After Migrant Boat Sinks
A migrant has been rescued and 50 others are feared drowned after a boat sank in the Mediterranean, officials said on Sunday.The man had been in the sea for 24 hours and said he believed everyone else on the vessel had died, according to the Alarm Phone group which runs an emergency hotline for migrants.The boat had come from Tunisia, it added, a common departure point for migrants risking the dangerous…
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star Celebrates 50 Years, Begins Operation Deep Freeze 2026
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.
VLCC Charter Rates Soar - “We are in unprecedented times" say CEO
Frontline plc (NYSE and OSE: FRO) entered into one-year time charter-out agreements for seven of its VLCCs. The charters will commence during the period from late-January to April 2026 at a rate of $76,900 per day per vessel.“We are in unprecedented times, and these are charter-out-levels not seen for decades," said Lars H. Barstad, CEO, Frontline Management AS.
SLX Group Acquires Clements Engineering
SLX Group Ltd has announced the acquisition of Clements Engineering (St Neots) Limited, the Bedfordshire-based specialist in marine propellers, marine shafts, sterntube assemblies and ancillary equipment for small-to-medium-sized leisure and commercial vessels.Clements Engineering has been supporting the marine industry for over 40 years, becoming a leading designers and manufacturers of propulsion engineering solutions in the United Kingdom.
US Sanctions Iran's Shadow Vesels over Protester Crackdown
The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on nine vessels of what is known as the shadow fleet and eight related firms, the U.S. Treasury Department said, as the Trump administration sought to escalate pressure on Iran over the recent killing of protesters.The Treasury said the vessels and their respective owners or management firms, which include entities based in India, Oman and the United Arab Emirates…
Europeans Commit to Wind Energy Expansion Despite Trump Criticism
European governments including Germany, Britain and Denmark will reinforce their plans to massively expand wind power projects on Monday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump stepping up criticism of their green energy agenda, a draft declaration due to be signed by government leaders showed.Trump has been openly critical of European countries' efforts to shift to low-carbon energy.
French Navy Diverts Russian Oil 'GRINCH' to Marseille-Fos Port
The French navy has diverted the "GRINCH" oil tanker it detained on Thursday towards the port of Marseille-Fos for further investigation, a source close to the investigation told Reuters on Friday.The navy had intercepted the tanker, which had left Murmansk in early January, on suspicion of operating under a false flag and belonging to the "shadow fleet" that enables Russia to export oil despite sanctions…
MV Isle of Islay Begins Maiden Voyage to Scotland
The MV Isle of Islay began her maiden voyage from Cemre shipyard in Turkey back to Scotland last night.Following her official handover to owners Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. (CMAL) last week, a crew from CalMac is now onboard and will sail her back to Scotland. The repositioning voyage is expected to take around two weeks, depending on weather conditions.During the journey home, MV Isle of Islay will call at two to three European ports for refueling…
Kongsberg Maritime Formally Separates From Kongsberg Gruppen
At a general meeting of Kongsberg Gruppen on Thursday afternoon, the separation of Kongsberg Maritime was formally approved by the shareholders. The plan is to list the maritime company on the Oslo Stock Exchange on April 23.Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, as we know it today, will continue as two companies. The business areas Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery will form the new KONGSBERG…
Associated Terminals takes a Pair of All-Electric Cranes
Associated Terminals and Liebherr Maritime Cranes celebrated the christening of two CBG 500 E cranes in New Orleans, introducing the first all-electric transshipment cranes of their kind on the Lower Mississippi River. Each crane is engineered for high-volume bulk handling, offering maximum grab capacities of 90 tonnes in sheltered waters and up to 65 tonnes inopen water, complemented by a lattice boom design with up to 50 metres outreach.
Largest Self-Propelled Hopper Dredger in US History Delivered
Seatrium delivered FREDERICK PAUP to Manson Construction Co. Built at Seatrium’s Brownsville Texas yard, the Jones Act-compliant vessel is the largest self-propelled hopper dredger in US history.Key highlights:Largest in the U.S. – 420’ length x 81’ beam, with a 15,000+ cubic yard hopper capacityPowerful and Agile – Self-propelled with 25,000 horsepower, triple azimuthing stern drives, and twin bow…
India's SDHI Books $227M Chemical Tanker Order from European Shipowner
Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI) has signed its first newbuild contract for six IMO Type II chemical tankers, marking a milestone for India’s commercial shipbuilding sector and the country’s first chemical tanker order placed with a domestic shipyard.The contract, valued at $227 million, was awarded by European shipowner Rederiet Stenersen AS and covers six 18,000 deadweight-tonne vessels to be built at SDHI’s shipyard in Pipavav, Gujarat.
Experts Discuss Maritime Security Risks
This week’s maritime security report from Palaemon Maritime starts by saying: “Hello Shipmate, this week saw a sharp escalation in maritime security incidents across Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia.”Key developments include:• Ballistic missile attack on Chornomorsk Port, Ukraine, causing container damage and an oil spill• Greek-managed oil tankers hit by drone strikes near the CPC terminal off Novorossiysk• A Panama-flagged vessel struck by a Russian UAV…
Fall From a Pilot Ladder Investigation Highlights Health Concerns
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has released its report into the death of a pilot while attempting to board Finnhawk from the pilot vessel Humber Saturn, in Humber Estuary on 8 January 2023.The Humber pilot fell from a pilot ladder after likely suffering a cardiac event while boarding the roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel Finnhawk from the pilot vessel Humber Saturn. The pilot hit the deck of Humber Saturn before falling into the water and losing consciousness.
Survey: EU Citizens Demand Strong Reform of Live Animal Transport
Over eight in every 10 (82%) citizens across the EU are concerned about the welfare of animals during live transport, a new survey concludes, as EU regulation remains at risk of being weakened and leaving millions of animals unprotected.A newly-launched survey conducted across nine EU member states has highlighted public concern for the plight of millions of animals transported over long distances…
Tanker Recues Belgium Rower
US Coast Guard Sector San Juan Command Center watchstanders and the crew of the Horten Liberian-flagged tanker rescued a capsized rower in the Atlantic Ocean east of Puerto Rico, Wednesday night.Benoit Bourguet, 47, was in his single-man rowing vessel, City of Liverpool, which was reportedly struck by two rogue waves and capsized in 13 to 15-foot seas which forced Bourguet to deploy and board his life raft.Bourguet and the City of Liverpool vessel were competing in the World’s Toughest Row Race…
Methanol-Fueled CMA CGM Monte Cristo Delivered
The CMA CGM Group recently received its 400th owned vessel, the CMA CGM Monte Cristo, the first in a series of six methanol container ships.This key milestone reflects the Group’s long-term investment strategy, built on asset ownership and the integration of advanced technologies to enhance the environmental and operational performance of its fleet.With the CMA CGM Monte Cristo, the Group reaches a milestone of 400 owned vessels, within a fleet of more than 650 vessels worldwide.
Inland Waterways Infrastructure: The Time is Now
As Americans do each year, with 2026 just the same, we are hopeful for a more promising year, with better outcomes and calmer seas. But for construction of the Nation’s inland waterways lock and dam infrastructure, there is a strong sense of urgency like never before.Since 1987, just 10 projects to modernize or expand locks on the inland waterways system have been completed, with seven of them started and finished between 1987 and 1997 at an average cost overrun of 33%.Since 2008…
Floating Data Centers: Maritime Frontier for a Data-Hungry World
As global demand for data storage and processing accelerates — driven by cloud computing, streaming media, and the explosive growth of artificial intelligence — the physical footprint of data centers has become a growing challenge. Land-based facilities face mounting constraints: limited space, water scarcity, grid congestion, long permitting timelines and rising community opposition. Against that backdrop…
