Global Shipyard Orderbook Up 13%, China Dominates
"On 1 September 2026, the global shipyard order book reached an estimated 203.2m Compensated Gross Tonnage (CGT), up 13% from 180.0m CGT a year earlier,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.This is slightly below the all-time high of 210.4m CGT reached in May but remains above the previous record of 195.4m CGT from 2008.Much of the growth has been captured by Chinese shipyards, who secured 74% of the CGT contracted during the past year.
LR, BPA Urge Ports to Prep for Maritime Nuclear Tech
Ports should begin preparing for advanced nuclear technologies, including nuclear-powered ships, floating power plants and small modular reactors (SMRs), according to a joint report from Lloyd's Register (LR) and the British Ports Association (BPA).The report, Advanced Nuclear Technology Use Within Port Environments, examines how nuclear technology could support growing port energy requirements while creating opportunities in shipbuilding…
DOF Gets Deepwater Subsea Installation Job in Africa
Norwegian offshore vessel owner DOF Group has secured a subsea installation contract in Africa, with its Skandi Acergy construction support vessel (CSV) scheduled to undertake the offshore campaign in early 2027.The contract, valued at between $15 million and $25 million, covers project management, engineering, logistics and offshore execution services for the transportation and installation of subsea…
Oil Prices Surge as Attacks on Saudi Arabia Fuel Supply Concerns
Oil prices rallied over $2 a barrel on Thursday after more Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia stoked concerns over a broader escalation of conflict and further disruptions to crude supplies from the world's key exporting region.Brent crude futures LCOc1 climbed$2.82, or 2.59%, to $111.64 a barrel at 0626 GMT, close to a five-month high. US West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 gained $2.24, or 2.31%, to $99.39."Oil prices remain well bid…
Seven Ships Hit Near Hormuz as Iran Warns US of Escalation
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said on Thursday that four vessels involved in illegal oil transfers in the northern Persian Gulf were simultaneously hit and caught fire after being tracked by its forces on Wednesday.The IRGC added that three more vessels collided with mines west of the Strait of Hormuz, and warned the US military that continued provocations could lead to a wider response against its regional bases.(Reuters - Reporting by Tala Ramadan; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
Houston Ship Channel Cargo Volumes Rise as Exports, Steel Imports Surge
Trade activity across the Houston Ship Channel region continued to expand in August and September 2026, with strong growth in foreign cargo exports, vessel traffic, container throughput and steel imports, according to Port Houston's latest Monthly Trade & Market Report.The Houston Ship Channel region handled 22.3 million short tons of foreign cargo in August, an 18% increase from 18.9 million tons in August 2025.
NIMASA Conducts Enforcement Compliance Operation
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has conducted a targeted enforcement operation code named Operation Sea Guardian in order to enforce compliance with maritime regulations in Nigeria waters.The operation, which focused on vessels of interest identified through intelligence and surveillance profiling, led to the arrest and detention of several vessels for nonconformity including MT HOLMES, MT FUJAIRAH ENERGY, JS GRATITUDE, MT BORA within the Lagos maritime domain.
Marine Mammal Classifier App Wins Canadian Edition of Ocean Hackathon 10
A machine learning-driven web app providing whale and dolphin IDs from hydrophone recordings will represent Canada at the Grand Finale of international competition Ocean Hackathon 10.The winning project was chosen during the Victoria edition of 48-hour innovation sprint Ocean Hackathon 10 this past weekend, hosted by COAST, an initiative of the South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP), Greater Victoria's economic development alliance.
Urals Prices Fall to Lowest in Six Weeks at Russian Ports
Urals crude prices at Russia's Baltic and Black Sea ports fell to their lowest levels in one and a half months this week, according to Reuters monitoring and LSEG data, as the dated Brent benchmark also weakened and freight costs stayed high.Free-on-board prices for Urals crude for loading at Primorsk, Ust-Luga and Novorossiysk this week fell to around $80 per barrel for the first time since early September.Increased supply in physical markets for prompt dates weakened the dated Brent benchmark.
Gulf Bourses Drop As Iran-US Diplomacy Comes to a Halt
Most Gulf equities closed down on Wednesday, after Iran said there would be no talks with the US to end their conflict unless its demands are met.Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in an article published in the Financial Times on Wednesday said Iran is open to diplomacy but will defend itself.Iran told Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who was in Tehran as part of the mediation efforts…
Chinese Coast Guard Monitors Philippine Vessel Resupplying in South China Sea
China's coast guard said it monitored the Philippines delivering necessities to a vessel on Second Thomas Shoal on Wednesday, roughly a month after Manila accused Beijing of obstructing its resupply mission in the disputed South China Sea.The China Coast Guard (CCG) said the Philippine ship receiving the delivery was "illegally grounded" at the shoal, which China claims as its own territory along with…
Egypt Rejects Libyan Maritime Boundary Deal With Turkiye
Egypt's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday rejected the maritime boundaries deal that Libya's eastern parliament ratified with Turkey, saying in a statement that the ratification will have no legal impact on Cairo.The deal approved on Tuesday is part of a years-old dispute over competing claims to sea borders and energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean."Egypt reaffirms that this memorandum is null and void ...
The Whiskey Project Group Opens North Carolina Manufacturing Facility
The Whiskey Project Group (TWPG) has officially opened its watercraft manufacturing facility in Edenton, North Carolina, marking a milestone in the company’s U.S. expansion and strengthening domestic production and sustainment capacity for American defense, government and commercial customers.The facility was officially opened at a ceremony attended by North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and Congressman Don Davis…
Speedcast Delivers Connectivity Services to Wallenius Wilhelmsen RoRo Vessels
Speedcast, a global communications and IT services provider and Tier 1 Starlink Enterprise Account leader, and Soya IT Marine Solutions have completed the deployment of upgraded digital connectivity solutions on 41 roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels for global shipping and logistics company, Wallenius Wilhelmsen.As part of a connectivity transformation program delivered by Soya IT Marine Solutions for the customer…
First Commercial Ship-to-Ship Green Ammonia Bunkered in China
The FKAB-designed L21 ammonia carrier Shenghang Yongle has successfully supplied 1,000 tonnes of green ammonia to the ammonia-powered bulk carrier Mineral Europa in Zhoushan, China. A liquefied gas carrier originally designed by FKAB Marine Design has completed what Jiangsu Andefu Energy Development describes as the world’s first commercial ship-to-ship bunkering operation using green ammonia. On 13 October 2026…
OEG Orders Three More Offshore Wind CTVs from Diverse Marine
OEG Marine Services has ordered three additional crew transfer vessels (CTVs) from Diverse Marine, expanding its offshore wind support fleet under a newbuilding program scheduled for delivery throughout 2027.The vessels will be built to the BREVITY SL Class design developed by Chartwell Marine, with each measuring 26 metres in overall length and having a load line length of less than 24 metres.All three CTVs will be constructed to the same specification…
Equinor, SNOC to Explore Joint LPG Shipping, Storage and Trading in UAE
Norwegian energy company Equinor and Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore cooperation in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas liquids (NGL) shipping, storage, trading and logistics in the United Arab Emirates.The agreement, announced on October 20, establishes a framework for assessing potential business opportunities across the downstream oil and gas sector.The companies will evaluate cooperation in infrastructure…
ZF [pro]Tech plus Launched in Mexico
ZF Aftermarket has officially launched ZF [pro]Tech plus in Mexico, expanding access to advanced technical training and expert support for independent workshops. The program equips technicians with practical knowledge across transmissions, hybrid and high-voltage systems, ADAS and advanced chassis technologies, helping them service increasingly complex vehicles and strengthen long-term business performance.Following its introduction at INA PAACE Automechanika in July…
Nakilat Brings In $355m Net Profit for Q3 2026
Qatar Gas Transport Company Q.P.S.C. (Nakilat) announced its consolidated financial results for the third quarter ending September 30, 2026, with a net profit of USD$355 million (QAR 1.29 billion) compared to USD$360 million (QAR 1.31 billion) for the corresponding period in 2025."The ongoing regional situation continued to affect activities within our Marine Services segment, including ship repair, shipping agency and towage services," said Eng.
Gecko Robotics' USN Contract Expands to $300m
The U.S. Navy and General Services Administration (GSA) have increased the ceiling value of Gecko Robotics' maintenance and inspection contract to $300 million, more than quadrupling the original $71 million award just six months after its announcement.The expanded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract will support broader deployment of Gecko's robotic inspection and artificial intelligence technologies across the Navy fleet…
