Saudi Oil Lifeline Shut After Attack as Red Sea Threat Grows
Saudi Arabia has shut down its East-West pipeline, after the vital oil conduit came under aerial attack in the widening Middle East war, threatening to send energy prices even higher.The world’s largest crude oil exporter said it temporarily closed the pipeline as a precaution after a drone attack that both Baghdad and Riyadh said had originated in Iraq, where Iranian-backed militias operate. Iraq dismissed a military commander on Saturday in response to the attack.The 1,200-km…
Houthi Forces Reach Perim Island, Raising Red Sea Shipping Threat
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on Friday reached the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters, potentially tightening their grip on one of the world's vital shipping routes and further increasing the threat to energy markets in the widening Middle East war.Earlier, two sources from the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised Yemeni government said its forces had withdrawn from Perim and that the Houthis had also taken the mainland Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab…
Iran Waives 10% Levy to Ease Foreign Energy Shipping
Iran has suspended a 10% charge on freight fees for foreign vessels carrying imported or exported oil, gas and liquid petroleum products to and from Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Thursday.A U.S. naval blockade has sharply disrupted the country's seaborne oil exports.(Reuters - Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Alex Richardson)
NATO Allies Disrupt Russian Subsea Cable Sabotage Exercise
Deep in Arctic waters near the remote Svalbard archipelago this spring, NATO allies caught Russian subs training to unleash a secret weapon designed to disable critical undersea cables without leaving any fingerprints.The clandestine Russian operation, described to Reuters by two Western officials, was carried out by Moscow's GUGI undersea warfare directorate, which used deep-sea submersibles to simulate the deployment of the sophisticated and destructive technology.A joint operation involving Britain…
Brent Crude Oil Prices Rise Above $100/Barrel
Brent crude futures breached $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since late July after Iran and the U.S. struck tankers in the biggest wave of attacks on shipping since the war began, threatening to worsen the ongoing impairment of energy supplies from the Middle East.Front-month Brent crude futures were up $3.04, or 3.1%, at $100.95 a barrel as of 1:39 p.m. EDT (1739 GMT), after touching a high of $101.58. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up $2.75, or 3%, at $95.78 a barrel…
WTO: Global Goods Trade Strengthens Despite Uneasy Politics
Global trade in goods has strengthened from June despite geopolitical and policy-related uncertainties, the World Trade Organization said on Wednesday, signaling resilience in merchandise flows even as risks remain elevated.The September reading of the WTO's barometer tracking merchandise trade growth was 102, an improvement from the June barometer of 101.7, with growth remaining above trend.The WTO publishes its Goods Trade Barometer four times a year. It covers export orders…
US Court Reverses NJ permit for Williams NESE Natural Gas Pipeline
The U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a key New Jersey water permit for U.S. energy company Williams Cos' long-delayed Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) natural gas pipeline project in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.The court said in a ruling on Tuesday that it granted petitions by environmental groups, vacated the Water Quality Certification and remanded the case to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).“Following the Third Circuit's decision…
Iraqi Oil Tanker Hit Amidst US-Iran Attacks
A tanker carrying about 2 million barrels of Iraqi fuel oil was struck by a drone in Iraqi territorial waters on Wednesday, port officials said, and British navy-affiliated UKMTO reported that several merchant vessels in the Gulf had been hit by disabling fire overnight.A fire broke out aboard the Panama-flagged oil tanker New Andros after it was hit in Iraqi waters at around 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Wednesday, two Iraqi port officials told Reuters.There were no reports of casualties among the 22 crew members…
US, Iran Strike Oil Tankers in Biggest Attack Wave Since War's Start
Iran said on Wednesday it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest declared wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping by both sides since the start of the six-month-old war.The attacks sent the price of oil surging, with benchmark Brent crude LCOc1 futures breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July. At least one seafarer aboard a tanker was reported killed and another listed as missing.Iran also said it had fired ballistic missiles at a base used by U.S. forces in Jordan.
Iran Strikes Back After US Military Destroys Five Oil Tankers
The Middle East war intensified on Tuesday with Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen launching strikes on several Saudi cities, further embroiling a U.S. ally in the conflict, while U.S. forces hit multiple Iranian oil tankers and Iran targeted a U.S. base in Jordan.The Houthis attacked four cities in the south of Saudi Arabia, wounding 73 people and setting oil installations ablaze in what appeared to be a major expansion of the six-month-old war.As global oil markets were pricing in the Saudi attacks, the U.S.
Wheat Prices Rise After US Diplomatic Attempts Falter
Chicago wheat futures jumped on Tuesday as hopes faded for a U.S. diplomatic effort to end the war in Ukraine, which has disrupted Black Sea grain shipments, analysts and traders said.Corn and soybean futures chopped up and down as traders adjusted positions ahead of Friday's U.S. Department of Agriculture supply and demand report.The most-traded wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade was 4-3/4 cents higher to $7.38-3/4 per bushelas of 11:00 a.m. CT (1600 GMT). It had jumped as high as $7.63 in earlier overnight trade.CBOT corn fell 2-3/4 cents to $5.34 a bushel…
Oil Prices Reach Six-Week High
Oil prices rose to a six-week high on Tuesday after Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen attacked Saudi energy facilities, setting oil installations ablaze and threatening a major expansion of the six-month-old Middle East war.Brent crude futures rose 70 cents, or 0.7%, to $97.70 a barrel at 10:56 a.m. EDT (1456 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.21, or 1.3%, to $92.69. That puts Brent on track for its highest close since July 23 and WTI on track for its highest close since June 4.The Houthis attacked four cities in the south of U.S.-ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday…
73 Injured as Houthis Attack Four Saudi Cities
Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthis attacked four cities in the south of U.S. ally Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, wounding more than 70 people and setting oil installations ablaze in what appeared to be a major expansion of the six-month-old Middle East war.The Houthis, who control most of Yemen's populated areas including the capital, said they had launched a broad operation deep into Saudi territory. They used drones and missiles to strike a Saudi airbase in the southern city of Khamis Mushait…
Oil Jumps as Houthi Strikes Disrupt Saudi Energy Operations
Oil prices hit multi-week highs on Tuesday after Iran-backed Houthis attacked Saudi energy facilities and Tehran threatened the United States with "economic warfare".Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up $2.00, or 2.06%, at $99.00 a barrel by 0800 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was at $94.41 a barrel, up $2.93, or 3.2%.Brent earlier rose to as much as $99.22 a barrel, its highest since July 24, while WTI reached $94.60 a barrel, its highest since June 8."The price action…
Iran Raises Stakes with Gulf Exclusion Zone and Missile Warning
Iran threatened the United States with "economic warfare" on Tuesday and said it had fired an advanced missile at U.S. warships, underscoring the risks of further escalation in the war only days after both sides traded blows again.The six-month-old war has been marked by a cycle of pauses followed by periodic flare-ups, with the U.S. last reporting attacks on Iranian targets on Saturday, when U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers. Iranian state media on Sunday reported that Iran fired the Qassem Basir missile.Despite U.S.
Windward Offshore Completes Four-Vessel Vard-Built CSOV Fleet (Video)
Windward Offshore has taken delivery of the Windward Hamburg, completing its four-vessel series of purpose-built commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) ordered from shipbuilder Vard.The delivery brings the Windward Hamburg into the fleet alongside sister vessels Windward Athens, Windward Paris and Windward Munich, providing capacity to support offshore wind projects during construction, commissioning and long-term operations.Based on VARD's 4 19 design, the Windward Hamburg is 87.5 meters long and 19.5 meters wide and can accommodate up to 120 people.
Tanker Strikes Push Hormuz Traffic to Lowest Since May
An average of 10 commodity ships transited the Strait of Hormuz per day over the past 10 days, the lowest since May, according to shipping data on Monday, after U.S. and Iranian strikes on tankers.The 10-day moving average was 10 on Sunday, down from more than 15 on Friday and nearly 13 on Saturday, data from analytics firm Kpler found.Only two vessels passed through the strait on Saturday while six went through on Sunday, mostly using the Iranian route.U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, U.S.
South Korea Reviewing Military Options for Hormuz
South Korea is reviewing options, including military measures, to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the presidential office said on Friday, while denying media reports that the government had already decided on a deployment.Several South Korean media outlets, including JTBC and MBC, reported late on Thursday that Seoul was preparing to deploy military assets before the end of the year and could seek parliamentary approval this month.The reports said options under consideration included a maritime patrol aircraft…
China Conducted Survey of Waters East of Taiwan
China's Ministry of Natural Resources conducted a survey of waters east of Taiwan last month that it said would help it create "one map" for territorial planning and resource management, state broadcaster CCTV said on Thursday.China has been stepping up its activities to the east of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean to assert its claims of sovereignty and jurisdiction over the island and its waters, to the anger of the government in Taipei.Taiwan's coast guard said on August 21 that it had warned off and shadowed a Chinese research ship sailing in sensitive waters near the island…
Norway Seizes Russian Cruise Ship on Behalf of Ukrainian Energy Firm Naftogaz
Norwegian authorities have seized a Russian cruise ship in the Arctic on behalf of Ukrainian energy company Naftogaz, which is seeking to enforce a $4.22 billion compensation award for assets that Moscow took when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.Officials said the vessel, the Professor Molchanov, was seized late on Wednesday in Barentsburg, a coal mining settlement that Russia operates on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the terms of a 1920 treaty.Russia called the arrest of the ship an act of piracy and said it had summoned the Norwegian ambassador to deliver a strong protest.
Strait of Hormuz Stalemate Worsens As US, Iran Refuse to Back Down
A U.S. campaign to throttle Iran's economy by blockading its oil exports and stopping sanctions evasion is growing increasingly difficult to withstand, three senior Iranian sources said.Washington has in recent weeks sought to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, in an effort to extract concessions in any future negotiation that six months of conflict have so far failed to secure.Although Iran's clerical rulers managed to bypass sanctions for decades, the latest U.S. moves have left them in a far more sensitive position…
Alfa Laval Launches PureBallast 3 Ultra Skid Ballast Water Management System
Alfa Laval unveiled PureBallast 3 Ultra Skid, a new skid-mounted version of its PureBallast 3 Ultra ballast water management system, at SMM 2026. Developed in response to customer demand, the PureBallast 3 Ultra Skid combines the system’s biological treatment performance with a prefabricated design that minimizes footprint and installation time.As shipyards face increasing pressure to reduce installation time and improve standardization, demand for factory-assembled turnkey ballast water management solutions has grown.
MAGNASHEAR Brakes Approved by CSA For Hazardous Duty Applications
Force Control Industries' MAGNASHEAR hazardous duty (MHD) motor brakes are now CSA approved for hazardous duty applications in North America. With Oil Shear Technology, MHD brakes are available in torque capacities ranging from 3 to 1250 lb-ft.Designed for fast installation, MAGNASHEAR brakes feature a "Quick Mount" design for direct mounting to standard NEMA 56C through 449TC motors. Fully enclosed and sealed against dirt, moisture, and other contaminants, they are well suited for severe-duty and washdown environments.
