Taiwan Says China's Threat Remains, Though Military Drills Ease
![© schreiberVIS/AdobeStock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/schreibervisadobestock-134317.jpg)
China's threat of force is undiminished, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen said on Thursday, even though Beijing's largest ever military drills around the island seemed to be scaling down.Furious about a visit to Chinese-claimed Taiwan last week by U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, China launched ballistic missiles and deployed multiple aircraft and warships in recent days to simulate…
Johan Castberg FPSO Suffered Minor Damage in Fire, Equinor Says
![Johan Castberg arriving at Aker Solutions Stord yard in April 2022 - Credit - Jan Arne Wold & Roar Lindefjeld - Copyright - Equinor](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/johan-castberg-arriving-at-aker-134316.jpg)
Equinor's Johan Castberg floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel suffered only minor damage during a fire on Wednesday, and the project's timeline will not be affected, a company spokesperson said on Thursday.The vessel is under construction at a shipyard in western Norway. Workers were evacuated during the fire, and there were no reports of injuries. "With the exception of a small area…
Eidesvik Offshore to Manage DEME's Viking Neptun Construction Vessel
![Credit: Eidesvik Offshore](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/credit-eidesvik-offshore-134313.jpg)
Norwegian offshore vessel owner Eidesvik Offshore will manage the construction support vessel Viking Neptun it recently agreed to sell to DEME.The company has now signed a two-year ship management agreement with DEME under which Eidesvik will provide full technical management, crewing and operation of the vessel.Viking Neptun was built for Eidesvik in 2015.In January 2022, Eidesvik entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (“MoA”) with DEME to sell the vessel.
Shell Hires Maersk Supply Service to Fix FPSO Mooring Lines in Brazil
![Credit: Maersk Supply Service](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/credit-maersk-supply-service-134307.jpg)
Danish offshore vessel owner, Maersk Supply Service has won a contract with Shell in Brazil for the mooring line remediation of the FPSO Fluminense, located off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.The scope of the project includes remediation work on two of the Fluminense FPSO's mooring lines."With the onshore engineering already well underway, offshore operations are due to run for three weeks from late August 2022," Maersk Supply Service said.
California Sets Big Offshore Wind Targets
![Credit: Untrakdrover/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/untrakdroverwikimedia-commonscc-bysa-30-134306.jpg)
California on Wednesday set ambitious new targets for offshore wind development, saying turbines along its storied coastline would power some 25 million homes by 2050.In a unanimous vote, the five-member California Energy Commission (CEC) adopted a goal of 3,000 to 5,000 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind by 2030 and 25,000 MW by 2045, the agency said in a statement.California has among the most aggressive climate change goals in the country…
Fire Breaks Out Aboard Equinor's Castberg FPSO at Norway Yard
![The Johan Castberg FPSO arrives at Aker Solutions' yard in Stord earlier this year (Photo: Equinor)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/the-johan-castberg-fpso-arrives-134304.png)
A fire broke out on Wednesday aboard oil major Equinor's Johan Castberg floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which is under construction at a shipyard in Norway, public broadcaster NRK reported.Workers were evacuated and there were no reports of injuries, according to the report.The Arctic Johan Castberg oilfield is scheduled to come onstream in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Norwegian government said last year.Equinor was not immediately available for comment when contact
Diamond Sea Glaze Wins Order from Silverback Marine
![The new Silverback CTV (Image courtesy Elliott Bay Design Group)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/the-new-silverback-ctv-image-134303.jpg)
Diamond Sea Glaze said it has been chosen by Tacoma, Wash. shipbuilder Silverback Marine to provide windows and a wheelhouse door for its first-ever crew transfer vessel (CTV) for ship-to-shore (STS) operations. The order includes its D series windows, along with the model 250 weathertight door.“We chose Diamond Sea Glaze for two reasons: proven history of durability in tough conditions, and accurate engineering of DSG’s systems,” said Ian Gracey, CEO of Silverback Marine.
Cuba Tames Mega Port Fire
![© elephotos / Adobe Stock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/elephotos-adobe-stock-134301.jpeg)
Massive clouds of steam rose from Cuba's largest fuel depot in Matanzas on Wednesday as firefighters, helicopters and boats poured water and foam on the smoldering remains of the largest fire in the island's history.Black charcoal covered with white ash remained red hot after the flames died down. One firefighter was confirmed dead, and 14 were unaccounted for since blast on Saturday, according to authorities."We can now say that the fire is controlled," Lt.
Maritime Partners Agrees to Acquire MG Transport
![© dvande / Adobe Stock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/dvande-adobe-stock-134298.jpeg)
Maritime Partners, LLC, through its managed funds, has agreed to acquire M/G Transport Holdings LLC, from Auxo Investment Partners LLC and its affiliates. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and completion of the acquisition is expected in the third quarter of 2022 subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals.Founded in 1968, M/G is a provider of marine transportation services along the West Canal and Lower Mississippi River.
Silver Ships Delivers Survey Vessel to US Army Corps of Engineers
![(Photo: Silver Ships)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-silver-ships-134297.jpeg)
Alabama shipbuilder Silver Ships announced it has delivered a new marine surveying vessel for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Venice Sub Office in Venice, La. The 49-foot Tobin is the latest expansion in Silver Ships’ Endeavor series of workboats and is the largest marine surveying vessel of its series.Custom designed for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hydrographically map the mouth of the Mississippi River…
Electric Tug Sparky Chistened in Auckland
![(Photo: Ports of Auckland)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-ports-of-auckland-134296.jpg)
Sparky, a new all-electric ship handling tugboat, has been christened in Auckland, New Zealand.The RSD-E Tug 2513 was built at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam for owner Ports of Auckland. Equipped with 2,784 kWh of batteries, the 70 tonne bollard pull harbor tug can undertake two or more assignments before being recharged—which takes about two hours—entirely emissions-free.In 2016, Ports of Auckland adopted the goal of becoming a zero emissions port by 2040…
Drydocks World Inks Deal with Silverstream
![(Photo: Drydocks World)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-drydocks-world-134294.jpg)
Drydocks World-Dubai has signed an agreement with maritime technology company Silverstream Technologies to promote the use of air lubrication technology for the vessels that enter the shipyard each year.Drydocks World-Dubai, a subsidiary of DP World, performs ship repair, conversion, new builds, rigs and MRO projects.Air lubrication is an approved technology under the IMO’s Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) for newbuilds…
INPEX Files $970M Claim Against DSME for Ichthys Venturer FPSO Work
![Credit: INPEX](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/credit-inpex-134293.jpg)
Japanese oil and gas company INPEX has filed a $970 million claim against South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine & Engineering, seeking compensation for alleged delays and construction issues related to a 2012 FPSO order.DSME said in a stock exchange INPEX had filed a request for arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce.In a stock exchange announcement last Friday, DSME said the case was related to an FPSO order made by INPEX in 2012…
US Navy Recovers Lost Fighter Jet from the Bottom of the Mediterranean Sea
![(File photo: John Paul Kotara II / U.S. Navy)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/file-photo-john-paul-kotara-134292.jpg)
The U.S. Navy said it has retrieved a fighter jet that was lost from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea last month.The F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft, which blew off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) in "unexpected heavy weather" on July 8, was recovered by a team from Task Force (CTF) 68, Naval Sea Systems Command's Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), Harry S. Truman, Naval Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic, and U.S.
MOL Opts to Equip Second Bulk Carrier with Hard Sail
![(Image: MOL)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/image-mol-134291.jpg)
Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) on Wednesday said it intends to equip a second bulk carrier with the Wind Challenger hard sail system, which harnesses the power of wind to propel the vessel, improving efficiency and reducing fuel consumption and emissions.MOL Group company MOL Drybulk Ltd. will operate the vessel, which will transport wood pellets for sustainable wood bioenergy producer Enviva Inc.
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Names New Chief Executive
![Teo Eng Dih](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/teo-eng-dih-134290.jpg)
Singapore's Ministry of Transport announced that Teo Eng Dih will take over as chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), succeeding Quah Ley Hoon, who will step down on September 5, 2022.Teo Eng Dih, currently Deputy Secretary (Policy) of the Ministry of Defense (MINDEF), is responsible for MINDEF’s defense policy and diplomacy, strategic and public communications, and Total Defense.
US Works with Firms in Supply Chains to Ease Port Congestion
![© Matt Gush / Adobe Stock](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/matt-gush-adobe-stock-134289.jpeg)
The U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT) said on Wednesday a supply chain pilot data-sharing project aimed at easing bottlenecks at congested U.S. ports has begun exchanging data and doubled in size.USDOT announced the planned project in March with truckers, shippers, wholesalers, retailers and ports "to develop a digital tool that gives companies information on the condition of a node or region…
Stena Exploring Dual-fuel Diesel/methanol with MAN, Proman
![Pictured at the signing of the MoU, left to right: Alexander Knafl, MAN Energy Solutions; Peter Schild, Proman; Ron Gerlach, Stena; Hans Tistrand, Stena; and Bernd Siebert, MAN PrimeServ (Photo: MAN Energy Solutions)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/pictured-at-the-signing-of-134288.jpg)
Engines manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Stena Teknik – Stena’s inhouse R&D division – and Proman – the world’s second largest methanol producer – regarding their mutual cooperation on a project to retrofit MAN 48/60 engines to make them capable of dual-fuel, diesel and methanol operation.The move comes as ship owners and operators explore alternative fuels such as methanol to help reduce their environmental impacts.
NYK Concludes Long-Term Time-Charter for Seven New LNG Carriers
NYK said that the joint-venture companies (Comprising NYK, “K” Line, MISC Berhad, and China LNG Shipping (Holdings) Limited) that NYK is a part of have signed a…
LNG Traders Absorb Huge Losses After Supply Outages
Major energy traders are taking hundreds of millions of dollars in losses as they scramble to plug a liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply gap after several outages…