Asia News

ADNOC’s XRG has completed the acquisition of an additional equity interest in Trains 4 and 5 of the Rio Grande LNG project in Texas, increasing its participation across all five trains currently under construction at the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility.The transaction increases XRG's overall participation in the NextDecade-operated project through the acquisition of an additional 7.6% equity interest in Trains 4 and 5 from an acquisition vehicle of Global Infrastructure Partners…

MODEC has completed the forward hull section of floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel Gato do Mato, marking a key construction milestone for the Brazil-bound offshore production unit.The forward hull section, built at Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering's Yokosuka shipyard in Japan, has departed for China, where it will be integrated with the aft hull section before the vessel moves to the next stage of construction.The project is the first to use…

Iran's state media said on Wednesday a foreign container ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz after entering shallow waters outside the shipping route designated by Iranian authorities.State media reiterated the Revolutionary Guards' warning that vessels should transit only through the corridor south of Iran's Larak island, which Tehran says is the sole approved entry and exit route for ships passing through the strait.(Reuters - Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and IBM Japan have jointly developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform designed to support decision-making in vessel operations by integrating operational, weather and geopolitical information.The platform, which went live on July 1, is centered on MOL's Safety Operation Supporting Center (SOSC), which monitors and supports the safe operation of MOL-affiliated vessels worldwide.The companies said the platform consolidates weather and sea condition data…

Oman's Asyad Group and France's CMA CGM Group have signed a framework agreement to develop, manage and operate a multipurpose logistics terminal in Sohar, establishing a strategic partnership aimed at boosting maritime connectivity and opening new regional trade corridors.The agreement, signed during the official visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to France, provides the framework for the development of a new $400 million multipurpose logistics terminal in Sohar.The companies said the project would enhance integrated logistics services and supply chain solutions…

TGS has secured exclusive rights from the Petroleum Authority of Brunei Darussalam to undertake a multi-client 3D seismic survey offshore Brunei.The contract covers the acquisition, processing and marketing of new 3D seismic data under a multi-client model.TGS said the project would allow it to seek industry prefunding to deliver new seismic data aimed at improving understanding of reservoir potential, de-risking exploration leads and supporting investment decisions ahead of future…

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has delivered a hybrid construction and cable laying vessel (CLV) to Japan's Toyo Construction, marking its first vessel delivery to the Japanese offshore wind market.The vessel was handed over at Vard Langsten in Norway on June 26. It is also the first vessel Toyo Construction has ordered from Vard.The CLV was outfitted, commissioned and delivered on time from Vard Langsten, while the hull was built at Vard Shipyards Romania-Tulcea.Spanning 151 meters long and 28 meters wide…

Crude prices may be back near levels seen before the Iran war, but the surge in oil exports from the Middle East following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is creating a chaotic market that could take months to settle.The steep slide in Brent crude LCOc1 back to pre-war levels of around $73 a barrel following the U.S.-Iran interim deal might, at first glance, suggest business as usual has returned to the world’s most important oil and gas hub. The narrow waterway, which once carried about a fifth of global oil and gas…

Oil prices steadied on Monday as Iran and the United States agreed to halt recent hostilities in the Gulf and Middle East producers pushed ahead with loading oil and liquefied natural gas despite fresh ship attacks.The two countries also agreed to renew talks over the Strait of Hormuz, raising hopes of saving an interim peace deal that had been threatened by days of tit-for-tat strikes.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 4 cents at $72.03 a barrel by 0803 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 gained 44 cents, or 0.6%, to $69.67."There's still plenty of risk facing the oil market.

While oil and gas are once again flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, the closure of the vital waterway for over 100 days could prove to be a turning point in global energy markets. The Arab oil embargo of 1973, a similarly disruptive supply shock, offers clues about where we might be headed.The latest Middle East crisis tested the limits of the modern energy system, which has evolved over recent decades into a highly interconnected global market held together by thousands of tankers…

Faced with declining production post-2030, across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the Majors have started the process of reloading exploration hoppers. Targeting predominantly deep and ultra-deep waters, they have signed numerous agreements aimed at unlocking acreage and discovering the next Namibia or Guyana. But while there have been agreements for acreage that were offered as part of traditional licensing rounds – such as the award to TotalEnergies of PPLs 2000 and 2001 in Nigeria in September 2025 – there has been an increasing trend to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoU)…

Indonesian offshore vessel operator PT Wintermar Offshore Marine (WINS) has acquired the remaining stakes in Singapore-based Fast Offshore Supply (FOS) and its subsidiary PT Fast Offshore Indonesia (FOI), gaining full control of both companies and expanding into the building and operation of aluminium crew transfer vessels (CTVs).WINS acquired the remaining 52.5% shareholding in FOS and the remaining 49% stake in FOI, which it previously owned jointly with FOS.FOS won an international…

Japanese offshore services company MODEC has secured a contract to supply a SOFEC internal turret mooring system for the Coral Norte floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project offshore Mozambique, being developed by Eni and its partners.MODEC is collaborating with the Technip Energies-JGC joint venture on the project to support integration and execution of the mooring system.The Coral Norte project is being developed by Eni together with CNPC, ENH, XRG and KOGAS.The project…

Yinson Production has held a naming ceremony for the floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit PTSC Lac Da Vang ahead of the vessel's deployment to the Lac Da Vang oil project offshore Vietnam.The FSO vessel has been contracted to Murphy Cuu Long Bac Oil, a wholly owned subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corporation, to provide storage and offloading services for the Lac Da Vang field in Block 15-1/05 offshore Vietnam.The contract has a firm term of 10 years and includes an option to extend…

Oman said it would keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping without imposing any tolls and had designated two temporary routes north and south of the existing shipping lane to facilitate the safe passage of vessels departing the region.In coordination with the International Maritime Organization, Oman established temporary maritime corridors to help ships leave the area safely amid heightened security risks.The Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the war…

Logistics and materials management company ASCO has opened its first office in the Middle East, establishing a presence in Qatar as it looks to expand its regional operations and support growing demand for logistics and environmental services.The new office in Doha will support ASCO's clients across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as well as the wider Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions, bringing the company's services closer to customers in energy, port and marine markets.The Middle East business will be managed by Craig Revie…

Four liquefied natural gas tankers controlled by Qatar headed into the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, despite a fall in ship traffic after Iran announced that it had again closed the waterway over the weekend, shipping data showed.The tankers - Wadi Al Sail, Mekaines, Al Sadd and Mesaimeer - entered the strait via the Iranian route for the first time since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran started, shiptracking data from analytics firm Kpler showed.QatarEnergy, whose LNG exports have been heavily curbed since the war began on February 28…

Oil prices rose on Friday as the prospect of a lasting truce between the U.S. and Iran was clouded after peace talks in Switzerland were called off and as Israel stepped up attacks on Lebanon.By 0645 GMT, Brent crude futures LCOc1 gained 51 cents, or 0.64%, to $80.36 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 rose $1.28, or 1.7%, to $77.88 a barrel, with the front-month July contract expiring on Monday. Both contracts were headed for a weekly loss of about 8%.The more actively traded WTI August contract CLc2 was up 59 cents at $76.44 a barrel.Switzerland said U.S.

Middle East oil producers face a reckoning. The Iran war exposed the dangers of relying on a single chokepoint for vital oil and gas exports, leaving Gulf governments with a clear strategic imperative: diversify – at all costs.An Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had long been viewed as a “Doomsday” event that would never happen. Experts assumed it would require a massive military effort and that Tehran would be reluctant to choke off its own exports.Those assumptions were proven painfully wrong.

Italian engineering, certification and consulting company RINA has secured a contract to provide safety assessment services for Indonesia's Green Hydrogen Hub Project H2WATT, a key initiative being developed by PLN Puslitbang, the research and development arm of state-owned utility PT PLN.The H2WATT project is aimed at supporting Indonesia's energy transition through the development of an integrated green hydrogen ecosystem and forms part of the country's broader efforts to build a low-carbon energy framework.Under the contract…

The world oil market will recover gradually from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz before tipping into a significant surplus in 2027, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly oil market report on Wednesday.The U.S. and Iran reached an agreement to end the three-month-old war, which includes Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. lifting its naval blockade, potentially bringing an end to the largest oil supply disruption in history which shut in over 14 million barrels per day of Middle East oil output…

At least three tankers carrying Iranian oil have sailed through the U.S. naval blockade this week, with a fourth, an empty vessel, heading towards the Gulf of Oman, after the U.S. and Iran agreed a framework deal to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed.The shipments indicate a gradual resumption of Iranian oil exports that are expected to add to global supplies although demand from China, its biggest buyer, has been lacklustre due to poor domestic margins.Very Large Crude Carriers Hero II and Diona…

Gulf Marine Services (GMS) has retuned to service all four of its self-propelled, self-elevating support vessels that were temporarily evacuated from one Gulf country due to the prevailing geopolitical situation.The UAE-headquartered offshore support vessel operator said the fourth and final vessel has successfully resumed operations, restoring the affected fleet to full contracted utilization under its existing contracts.GMS maintained its adjusted EBITDA guidance for 2026 in the range of $105 million to $115 million…