Gulf Coast News

In-Mar Systems and In-Mar Solutions, Louisiana-based designers and suppliers of critical marine equipment, have announced a commitment to expand their product lines to support the evolving needs of the U.S. Navy and the broader U.S. maritime industrial base.Core offerings include marine off-board fire fighting by Fire Fighting Systems (FFS), and heavy-duty window wiper and wash systems by Wynn Marine and B. Hepworth. This equipment plays a vital role in ship safety, damage control…

The Coast Guard commissioned its newest and sixth Arctic District Fast Response Cutter (FRC), Coast Guard Cutter Frederick Mann (WPC 1160), for official entry into its service fleet during a ceremony held in Kodiak, Alaska, Friday.The ceremony was presided over by Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Arctic District. Members of the Mann family were also in attendance, including the cutter’s sponsor, Mrs. Eugenia "Jeannie" Mann Hyder, niece of Frederick Mann. “Commissioning the Frederick Mann increases U.S. strength and ensures control of our maritime borders and approaches,” said Little.

Often debated and long-awaited, The White House released its long-anticipated America’s Maritime Action Plan (MAP), a 40+ page blueprint aimed at what it calls a new “Maritime Golden Age” for the United States.The document, developed under Executive Order 14269, lays out a four-pillar strategy to rebuild domestic shipbuilding capacity, expand the U.S.-flag fleet, reform maritime workforce development, and strengthen industrial resilience. For U.S. shipbuilders, vessel owners and maritime suppliers…

Maersk has taken delivery of Tangier Mærsk, the first vessel in a new series of six mid‑size vessels.The delivery took place at Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group’s yard in Jingjiang, China, where the vessel was named Tangier Mærsk.The six vessels in this new series have a capacity of 9,000 TEU each and are equipped with a dual fuel engine able to operate on methanol.On its maiden voyage, Tangier Mærsk will call Shanghai and enter deployment on Maersk’s TP15 service, which connects…

Growing electricity demand from AI and data centres, together with rising fuel use in Asia and European gas needs could turn an expected global liquefied natural gas supply glut into a shortage by 2030, Qatar Energy CEO Saad al-Kaabi said on Monday.LNG coming online between 2026 and 2029 has raised concerns of a supply glut that could depress prices, with projects like Golden Pass LNG on the U.S. Gulf Coast and Qatar's North Field Expansion expected to contribute sizeable volumes."We…

Oil producer Chevron is set to boost exports of Venezuelan crude to the U.S. to some 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) in March, from 100,000 bpd in December and some 230,000 bpd so far this month, two sources with knowledge of the plans said on Wednesday.The U.S. company, which is the main partner of Venezuela's state-run energy firm PDVSA, has chartered about a dozen tankers to increase shipments and drain inventories accumulated at its projects since December, when a U.S. blockade hit the OPEC country's exports…

CF Industries, Trafigura and TFG Marine have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to facilitate the adoption of low-carbon ammonia as a marine fuel.Building on the successful collaboration between CF Industries and Trafigura in the shipment of low-carbon ammonia, the agreement establishes a framework for the parties to work together on advancing low-carbon ammonia as a marine fuel, supporting the global shipping industry's emissions-reduction efforts.Under the MOU, CF Industries…

Gulf Island Fabrication has announced that the acquisition of the company by IES Holdings was approved at its special meeting of shareholders held on January 13.The strategic rationale for IES is:Strategically located Gulf Coast fabrication campus: Gulf Island’s Houma, Louisiana facility, which consists of a 450,000-square foot fabrication and operations facility on 160 acres, offers a strategic complement to IES’s footprintExpanded services capabilities: Provides an experienced craft workforce and specialty services with proven ability to support complex…

Oil prices rose about 2% on Thursday after two days of declines as investors assessed developments in Venezuela and on worries about supplies from Russia, Iraq and Iran.Brent futures rose $1.21, or 2%, to $61.17 per barrel at 11:17 a.m. EST (1617 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $1.02, or 1.8%, to $57.01.The U.S. seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, one sailing under Russia's flag, as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's…

Venezuelan and U.S. officials are discussing exporting Venezuelan crude to refiners in the United States, five government, industry and shipping sources told Reuters on Tuesday.Venezuela has millions of barrels of oil loaded on tankers and in storage tanks that it has been unable to ship due to a blockade on exports imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump since mid-December. The blockade was part of rising U.S. pressure on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro that culminated in U.S.

An oil tanker chartered by U.S. Chevron carrying some 300,000 barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude bound for the U.S. Gulf Coast departed on Monday from the OPEC country's waters, shipping data showed, after a four-day pause in the company's exports of Venezuelan oil.Chevron is the only company currently authorized by Washington to export Venezuelan crude amid an oil embargo that U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday remained in full force after the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.But amid U.S.

Tanker loading in Venezuela dwindled on Monday, with most ships moving oil cargoes only between domestic ports following U.S. action against two more ships and as state-run energy company PDVSA struggles to recover from a cyberattack, according to tracking data and sources.The U.S. Coast Guard this month seized a supertanker under sanctions carrying Venezuelan oil and tried to intercept two more Venezuela-related ships over the weekend, U.S. authorities said. One of them is an empty ship under U.S.

Scottish engineering and consultancy firm Wood has secured a ten-year contract with NextDecade to deliver maintenance solutions at Rio Grande LNG, a major natural gas liquefaction and export facility under development near Brownsville in Texas.Wood will provide comprehensive maintenance services to support operations at the approximately 1,000-acre site.NextDecade expects the liquefaction and export facility will deliver secure and affordable energy through the safe and efficient…

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Japan’s ENEOS, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) and SEACOR Holdings have launched a joint study to develop a commercial methanol marine fuel supply network along the U.S. Gulf Coast.The study aims to establish the first large-scale ship-to-ship methanol bunkering operations in the United States, as the global shipping industry looks for practical pathways to meet the International Maritime Organization’s target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.Methanol…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) completed and redelivered HOS Rocinante, a first-of-its-kind U.S.-flagged Service Operation Vessel (SOV) converted for Hornbeck Offshore Services.The vessel marks a milestone in the evolution of the U.S. offshore service fleet to be future-ready for both the offshore wind and petro-energy sector demands for broadly capable marine support vessels.Originally built by ESG as an offshore supply vessel, HOS Rocinante unerwent extensive conversion at ESG’s Allanton and Port St Joe Shipyards in Panama City…

Yara and Air Products have advanced negotiations to partner on low-emission ammonia projects.Yara has matured a project portfolio for potential investment in cost competitive US ammonia to diversify its energy position and increase competitiveness of its European nitrate production.Air Products is developing the world’s largest low-carbon energy complex in the state of Louisiana. The complex is designed to produce >750 million standard cubic feet per day of low-carbon hydrogen…

Saronic has announced a $300 million investment to expand its Franklin, Louisiana shipyard.Supported by close partnerships with Louisiana Economic Development, St. Mary Parish, and other state and local officials, Saronic is expanding its facility to meet surging demand for its autonomous ships.As part of the shipyard expansion, Saronic will construct three new slips, expand its warehouse, and develop a dedicated production line for large-vessel assembly — namely Marauder, the company’s 180-foot autonomous ship.

Liebherr Container Cranes has signed a contract to deliver two ship-to-shore (STS) cranes to Port Tampa Bay, marking Liebherr’s first STS installation on Florida’s Gulf Coast.The cranes will play a central role in the port’s Vision 2030 expansion and will deliver significant gains in berth productivity, vessel turnaround efficiency, and long-term operational reliability.The new cranes, manufactured at Liebherr’s facility in Killarney, Ireland, feature a 60-metre (197FT) outreach…

Facility will include 150,000 square feet of covered manufacturing space optimized for serial productionNew yard will support 200 new jobs and expands shipbuilding capacity Master Boat Builders announced plans to build a new $60 million, 150,000 sq ft manufacturing facility dedicated exclusively to government and defense shipbuilding programs. The new 20-acre site is located directly across Bayou Coden from the company’s existing yard.“This new facility is about building more capability here at home,” said Garrett Rice, President, Master Boat Builders.

Two cargo vessels were headed for grain port terminals near New Orleans on Monday to load with the first U.S. soybean shipments to China since May, according to a shipping schedule seen by Reuters.A third vessel was en route to a Texas Gulf Coast grain terminal to be loaded with China-bound U.S. sorghum in the coming days in what will be the first American shipment of the feed grain to China since mid-March, the shipping schedule showed.U.S. farmers and grain traders have been awaiting shipments to China to resume after Beijing shunned U.S.

Breaux’s Bay Craft delivered its latest aluminum pilot vessel for the Houston Pilots. The first of two, M/V San Jacinto, is the newest addition to the fleet of high-performance pilot boats,designed for  precision, built for strength, and finished with a striking red, white, and blue color scheme that reflects the Gulf Coast heritage of the Houston Pilots.Measuring 80 x 21 feet wide, the San Jacinto is built with a new-generation inverted deep-V bottom hull, exceeds the rigorous operational demands of one of the busiest pilotage services in the U.S.

American Cruise Lines has announced that the newest cruise ship in the country, American Pioneer, was christened in Key West, Florida on Monday, November 10. \American Pioneer is the 21st ship in the American Cruise Lines fleet. The inaugural cruise followed the company’s new 16-Day Grand Florida Coast & Keys itinerary, which explores both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida. American Pioneer was docked at Mallory Square for last week’s christening festivities. Key West is a regular 2-day stop on the new itinerary and offers 20 different shore excursions…

IES Holdings, Inc. and Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement, providing for the acquisition of Gulf Island, a leading steel fabricator and service provider to the industrial, energy and government sectors, by IES. Under the terms of the agreement, IES will pay $12.00 in cash per Gulf Island share, or an aggregate equity value of approximately $192 million.The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies and is currently expected to close in the quarter ending March 31…