Trump's Asian Allies Fear Iran War Will Sap Defenses Against China
Japanese lawmakers reeling from attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel gathered on Monday at the ruling party's offices in Tokyo to question bureaucrats about evacuation plans, energy stocks and the legal basis for U.S. action.But one query posed at the closed-door meeting, described to Reuters by a politician who attended, reflected a deeper fear haunting Asia's corridors of power since Trump's…
MSC to Offload All Cargo Bound for Gulf
MSC, the world's largest carrier of ocean container cargo, said on Tuesday all cargo bound for ports in the Gulf will be offloaded at the nearest safe seaport due to ongoing hostilities in the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.The move, known as an "End of Voyage" declaration, also applies to empty containers that have been released for loading with cargo and are intended for export to the ports in the Gulf…
Trump Orders Oil Tanker Insurance Support, Says Navy Could Escort Ships
The U.S. Navy could begin escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, adding he had ordered the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to provide political risk insurance and financial guarantees for maritime trade in the Gulf.The move marks one of the administration’s most aggressive steps yet to attempt to contain soaring energy…
IMCA Launches New Career Support Network
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…
Ferry Pollution Worse Than Cars in Many European Port Cities
Ferries in port cities like Barcelona, Dublin and Naples are responsible for more toxic air pollution (SOx) than all the cars in those cities, a new study by T&E shows.Promisingly, 60% of Europe’s ferries could be electric by 2035, and over half (52%) would be cheaper to operate than fossil-fueled vessels, the report shows.With the average age of ferries in Europe at 26 years, now is the time for a clean renewal…
Saudi Arabia Tries to Divert Oil to Red Sea
Saudi Arabia's state oil company Aramco is attempting to reroute some of its crude exports to the Red Sea to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, where the risk of Iranian attacks has slowed shipping to a near halt, sources said on Tuesday.Saudi Arabia and other regional Gulf oil producers, such as the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq, have been unable to move oil through the Strait since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran on Friday.
France Sending Aircraft Carrier to Mediterranean
President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday said France was sending its aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Mediterranean and working to build a coalition that would help secure maritime traffic imperiled by the escalating crisis in the Middle East.In a televised address to the nation, Macron said that action needed to be taken with the Straits of Hormuz closed and the Suez Canal and Red Sea shipping routes threatened by the widening conflict."We have economic interests to protect…
Damen to Serve as Partner for Construction of LST 100 Vessels for the Australian Army
On Friday, 20 February, Austal Defence Australia and Damen Shipyards Group signed a contract supporting the local construction of Landing Ship Transport (LST) 100 vessels for the Australian Defence Force. Under the agreement, Damen will provide the design and associated licences, enabling Austal to build the vessels at its Henderson shipyard in Western Australia.The signing ceremony took place at the…
Fincantieri Secures Viking Order for Two Expedition Vessels
Fincantieri announces the acquisition of an order from Viking for the construction of two expedition vessels. In addition, the two companies also signed an agreement for an option for two ocean ships, marking a new milestone in the collaboration between the two companies. The value of these agreements, subject to financing and other typical terms and conditions, is considered very important[1].The two expedition vessels…
Russian Oil Exports Curtailed By Drone Attacks, Weather
Russia has been unable to capitalize on this week's surge in global crude prices, as days of Ukrainian drone attacks and harsh winter storms have sharply curtailed its capacity to export oil, industry sources said.Russia's Sheskharis oil terminal in Novorossiysk port suspended oil loadings on Monday after a Ukrainian drone attack left a fuel terminal ablaze and damaged dozens of buildings, Russian and Ukrainian officials and three trade sources said.Crude oil benchmarks rose about 8% on Tuesday…
London Marine Insurance Market Widens Risk Zone in Middle East
London's marine insurance market has widened the area in the Gulf it deems as high risk as the conflict in the Middle East escalates, according to an advisory issued on Tuesday.Guidance from the Joint War Committee, which comprises syndicate members from the Lloyd's Market Association and representatives from the London insurance company market, is watched closely and influences underwriters' considerations over insurance premiums.The JWC added waters around Bahrain…
Global Energy Prices Jump as Middle East Crisis Interrupts Shipping, Oil Production
Global oil and gas prices jumped on Tuesday as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran halted energy exports from the Middle East, with Tehran attacking ships and energy facilities, closing navigation in the Gulf and forcing production stoppages from Qatar to Iraq.The benchmark Brent crude oil contract gained nearly 8% on Tuesday to above $83 per barrel, the highest since July 2024, taking gains since Friday to more than 15%.
Greece Calls for Protection of Shipping, Seafarers Amidst Escalating Iran Conflict
Greece's shipping minister on Tuesday called for the protection of global shipping and seafarers, amid an "alarming" situation that has left dozens of ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider area due to the widening Iran conflict.Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was closed for a fourth day on Tuesday, choking off a key artery accounting for about 20% of global oil and gas supply.
Belgium Imposes 10m Euro Bail on Seized Ethera Tanker
Belgium has imposed a 10 million euro ($11.61 million) bail on Russian oil tanker Ethera, which it seized on Sunday, the government said on Tuesday.The North Sea ministry said the tanker was part of a Russian shadow fleet sailing with a false flag and false documents."Forty-five violations were identified. These mainly involved false certificates, stemming from the discovery that the ship was sailing under a false Guinean flag…
US Considers Policy to Support Oil Tanker Insurance Amidst Middle East Conflict
President Donald Trump will review a set of policy options on Tuesday aimed at controlling energy prices during the escalating Middle East conflict, including a proposal for the U.S. government to help oil tankers in the region obtain insurance, two sources said.Global crude prices have spiked since Israeli and U.S. forces began striking Iran over the weekend, leading to fighting that has interrupted…
Iraq Cuts Oil Output With Possible Further Reductions
Iraq has cut oil production by nearly 1.5 million barrels a day and those cuts could widen to more than 3 million bpd within days as the country runs out of storage and cannot export crude due to the Iran crisis, two Iraqi oil officials told Reuters on Tuesday.As of Tuesday, Iraq has cut production from the Rumaila oil field by 700,000 bpd, from the West Qurna 2 field by 460,000 bpd and from the Maysan field by 325,000 bpd, the officials, who did not wish to be named, said.That output cut could
DRIFT Energy, Enapter to Develop Marinized Electrolyzer Technology for Offshore Hydrogen
DRIFT Energy, a leader in ocean-based renewable energy, has signed a collaboration agreement with Enapter to adapt the design of their Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyzer technology for deployment at sea. The agreement was formalized during a visit by DRIFT’s CEO, Ben Medland, to Enapter’s production facility in Pisa, Italy, this week.The partnership will accelerate development of the energy storage element of DRIFT’s technology ecosystem…
Ferguson Marine Secures Award to Build Four Vessels
The Scottish Government has announced its intention to award Ferguson Marine the contracts to build four vessels. This decision provides a guaranteed five-year pipeline of work.The package of vessels as part of the proposed award includes the design and build of a new class of Marine Protection Vessel (MPV) and Marine Research Vessel (MRV) for Marine Scotland to replace MPV ‘Minna’ and MRV ‘Scotia,' originally built by Ferguson Marine and currently nearing the end of their service lives.
NOAA, Northrop Grumman to Release Sonar Images of the USS Monitor Shipwreck Site
NOAA and Northrop Grumman will release the first-ever high definition sonar images of the USS Monitor shipwreck site during a media briefing on Saturday, March 7. The briefing will include presentations from members of the research team. Reporters will also have the opportunity to tour the Batten Conservation Complex, the primary conservation facility for artifacts recovered from the Monitor, including the revolving gun turret, Dahlgren guns, and steam engine.
RS Aqua Announces Strategic Partnership with US -based Seasats to Bring Autonomous Surface Vehicles to UK and Ireland Defence Market
RS Aqua announced a new strategic partnership with Seasats, a San Diego-based unmanned surface vehicle (USV) developer, to introduce their range of security platforms to the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland defense market.Seasats is known for its high endurance, modular, and user-friendly USVs designed to deliver maritime domain awareness through autonomous operations. Through this partnership, RS Aqua…
