Two Vessels News

Federal regulators on Wednesday gave Venture Global LNG permission to introduce natural gas into its Plaquemines export plant in Louisiana, documents show, moving the plant a step closer to producing the superchilled gas.The 20 million metric tons per annum (MTPA) Plaquemines LNG plant will be the second-largest U.S. export facility when fully operational. It and other projects due to start next year will help the United States retain its position as the world's largest exporter of the gas.Its commercial startup will make Venture Global the second-largest U.S.

Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) officially took custody of its new training ship Patriot State during a handover ceremony on October 11.The vessel is the second of five being built by Philly Shipyard under the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program, designed to provide a purpose-built, state-of-the-art training ships for the nation's state maritime academies.During the handover ceremony, Rear Admiral Ann Phillips…

French engineering company GTT has received an order from Korean shipyard HD Hyundai Samho for the tank design of two new Ultra Large Ethane Carriers (ULEC).The order has been placed on behalf of shipowner Eastern Pacific Shipping.GTT will design the tanks of these two vessels, which will each offer total capacity of 150,000 m3. The tanks will be fitted with the Mark III membrane containment system developed by GTT.The containment system has been designed to carry a wide range of liquefied gases from the petrochemical industry…

The Philippines' Bureau of Fisheries said a "Chinese maritime militia" boat deliberately sideswiped one of its two vessels that were conducting a routine maritime patrol in the vicinity of Thitu island in the South China Sea last Friday.The vessel had sustained dents in its starboard bow, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said in a statement issued late on Monday.China and the Philippines have been at loggerheads over a succession of confrontations near disputed features in the South China…

Another Russian missile attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa damaged two civilian vessels and a grain storage on Monday, killing one person and injuring at least eight, Ukrainian authorities said.Russian troops have ramped up strikes on Ukraine's southern port infrastructure in recent weeks. Such attacks, which damaged a total of four foreign-flagged vessels since Oct. 6, had already pushed insurance rates up.One of the two vessels hit on Monday was a Palau-flagged bulk carrier…

AW Shipping, a joint venture between ADNOC L&S and Wanhua Chemical Group, has awarded contracts worth $250 million to China’s Jiangnan Shipyard for two additional Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs).The VLACs each have a carrying capacity of 93,000 cubic meters of ammonia, making them among the largest ammonia carriers in the world.Scheduled to be delivered between 2027 and 2028, the vessels will be equipped with energy-efficient dual-fuel engines capable of operating on liquefied petroleum gas or conventional fuels.

A Liberia-flagged tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Red Sea causing minor damage, but no casualties, British maritime security agencies said on Thursday.The incident occurred about 73 nautical miles (135 kilometres) southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, security firm Ambrey said.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said separately that it had received a report of an incident in the same area, adding authorities are investigating.The chemical/products tanker, en route from Saudi Arabia's Jeddah to Muscat in Oman was struck on its starboard side.

The owners of a private island in the U.S. rely on vessel transport as a lifeline to the mainland. Their boat, used for carrying supplies and even supplying medevac support in emergency situations, must be able to run at any time, in all conditions.So when it came time for their existing vessel to be replaced, the island’s owners sought a new vessel that would be rugged and reliable enough to withstand the harshest weather, said Tim Weston, the island’s general manager (note: Tim Weston is a fictitious name used to protect the identity of the island’s owners…

The U.S. military said it carried out 15 strikes on Friday against targets linked to Iran-aligned Houthi fighters in Yemen, where residents reported blasts at military outposts and even an airport.Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, said the targets were tied to Houthi offensive military capabilities, but did not detail whether that included missile, drone or radar capabilities.In a post on X, Central Command said the strikes took place at about 1400…

Three shipyards have expressed interest in building a long-awaited series of new hybrid-electric car and passenger vessels for Washington State Ferries (WSF).Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in Freeland, Wash.; Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Fla. and Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia have sent pre-qualification packages after WSF earlier this year invited shipbuilders to bid, Washington State Department of Transportation Assistant Secretary Steve Nevey, the head of WSF…

On a warm spring night in Athens, shortly before midnight, a senior executive at a Greek shipping company noticed an unusual email had landed in his personal inbox.The message, which was also sent to the manager's business email address, warned that one of the company's vessels travelling through the Red Sea was at risk of being attacked by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi militia.The Greek-managed ship had violated a Houthi-imposed transit ban by docking at an Israeli port and would be "directly targeted by the Yemeni Armed Forces in any area they deem appropriate…

Two vessels sustained damage after being hit with missiles and a sea drone off Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodeidah early on Tuesday, maritime security agencies and sources monitoring the area said.Both vessels reported that their crews were safe.One of the vessels, the Panama-flagged tanker M/T Cordelia Moon, reported being hit by an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) 64 nautical miles northwest of Hodeidah, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said.The vessel, which was in ballast condition…

The Pioneer tanker, sanctioned by the United States over its links to Russia-sourced liquefied natural gas (LNG), has passed through the Suez Canal with an LNG cargo, LSEG data showed on Monday.The source of the LNG and Palau-flagged Pioneer's destination were not immediately clear. The tanker is registered to Zara Shipholding Co, which has offices in Dubai and India's Mumbai.Shippers have largely shunned the Suez route since late last year to avoid attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis in the Red Sea.The canal is a key trade link between Europe and Asia, channeling nearly 12% of global cargo.

Maritime security and industry groups raised the risk level for ships calling at Israeli ports on Friday, with terminals facing possible missile strikes from Lebanese group Hezbollah in the Mediterranean and Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea.Earlier this week, the Israeli government's port authority issued a letter stating that terminals ranging from the southern port of Eilat on the Red Sea to the major Mediterranean ports in Haifa in northern Israel were operating at normal capacity.But…

Israel's ports in the northern city of Haifa were operating at normal capacity despite an escalation in fighting with Hezbollah in nearby Lebanon and the city being targeted by rocket fire, Israeli authorities said on Tuesday.Haifa is Israel's third largest city and handles much of the country's vital seaborne trade. On Monday, sirens sounded across the city for the first time after months of border-area conflict and the military's defence systems fired interceptors at Hezbollah rockets above the Haifa bay.

The cost of insuring a ship through the Red Sea has more than doubled since the start of September and some underwriters are pausing cover as the risk of attack from Yemen's Houthis on commercial vessels increases, industry sources said.The Iran-backed Houthis first launched aerial drone and missile strikes on the waterway in November. They say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians under assault in Israel's war on Gaza. In more than 70 attacks, the Houthis have sunk two vessels…

Canadian ferry operator BC Ferries announced it is moving forward with a program to build a series of new vessels for its busiest routes.The company said on Monday it has put out a request for proposals (RFP) to pre-qualified shipyards for the construction of the first five of seven new vessels in its New Major Vessels (NMV) project, with contracts expected to be awarded in Spring 2025, subject to approval from the Ferry Commissioner. The first ship is intended to start service in 2029…

Fifteen crew members have been rescued from an offshore supply vessel (OSV) that went up in flames off the coast of South Africa.The fire reportedly broke out and grew out of control in the messroom aboard the Marshall Islands registered vessel AM Pride on Thursday, in an ocean area approximately 48.5 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay in South Africa's Western Cape province, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) said.The Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC)…

U.S. liquefied natural gas export terminals on the Louisiana coast may have escaped the brunt of Hurricane Francine and put off a major test of their ability to withstand a direct storm hit to another day.Francine was on track on Wednesday to lash south-central Louisiana, east of Cameron Parish that is home to several of the newly operating projects, with 90 mile-per-hour (145 kph) winds. Three of the four largest U.S. LNG export facilities are in Louisiana."This hurricane seems to be avoiding the majority of the LNG facility corridor…

Patriot State, the second vessel in a series of new training ships for the U.S.' state maritime academies, was christened during a ceremony at Philly Shipyard on Monday ahead of scheduled delivery to Massachusetts Maritime Academy in the coming weeks. The vessel is the second of five being built by Philly Shipyard under the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s (MARAD) National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program, designed to provide a purpose-built…

QatarEnergy has inaugurated the Rex Tillerson vessel, marking the delivery of the first LNG vessel under its historic shipbuilding program.Rex Tillerson vessel was named after the former Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil as a tribute to his life-long accomplishments in the energy sector.The traditional naming ceremony was held at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in the Chinese city of Shanghai.“As the first ship in our new LNG fleet, the Rex Tillerson will undoubtedly play a significant…

Fuel oil exports bound for the U.S. Gulf Coast slumped to their lowest level since January 2019 last month, a sign of weakened refinery demand as margins have softened, analysts said.Feedstocks like high sulfur fuel oil and other heavy residues can be refined into higher value products such as gasoline and diesel using secondary units.But loadings of those products to the Gulf Coast, America's largest refining hub, fell by a third in August from the prior month to 260,000 barrels per day (bpd)…

The U.S. on Thursday imposed sanctions on two companies and two vessels linked to Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, Washington's latest step to add costs on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.The Arctic 2 project, 60% owned by Russia's Novatek had been due to become Russia's largest liquefied natural gas plant with eventual output of 19.8 million metric tons per year of LNG from three trains.Novatek may be forced to scale back the project following a a raft of U.S. sanctions including ones imposed in August.The U.S.