Pyongyang Skirts UN Limits on Russian Oil Imports
North Korea has likely received more than 1 million barrels of oil from Russia over an eight-month period this year in breach of U.N. sanctions, according to an analysis of satellite imagery published on Friday by the British-based Open Source Centre and the BBC.North Korean oil tankers have made more than 40 visits to Russia's Far Eastern port of Vostochny since March, the report on the research group Open Source Centre's website said."Dozens of high-resolution satellite images…
Maersk to Retrofit Five Tankers with bound4blue’s Wind-Assisted eSAILS
Spanish wind propulsion systems supplier bound4blue has secured a major retrofit contract with Maersk Tankers, which includes the installation of 20 eSAIL wind assisted propulsion systems on five tankers.bound4blue’s type approved eSAIL suction sails are to be installed on Maersk's tankers in 2025 and 2026.Maersk identified the eSAIL as a solution of choice in partnership with green technology catalyst Njord, who assessed and evaluated a broad range wind-assisted propulsion systems…
India, Ship Disposals boost CMB.Tech Q3
Belgian oil tanker company CMB.Tech says it will focus on the fast growing market in India as it reported third quarter results above market expectations on Thursday, boosted by vessel disposals as it diversifies its fleet.After last year's Euronav-Compagnie Maritime Belge takeover, the group shifted strategy by selling 24 tankers to Frontline and acquiring CMB.Tech's fleet.
Methanol Central to Eco-Friendly VLCC Vessel Design
Idemitsu Tanker Co., Ltd., IINO Kaiun Kaisha, Ltd. (IINO Lines), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), and Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. announced that the consortium established in early 2024 for the joint research and development of an eco-friendly very large crude oil carrier (VLCC) has produced a design concept for Japan’s first Malacca Max type VLCC to use methanol as alternative fuel.To provide power while sailing, the vessel will be equipped with a shaft generator and the latest dual-fuel main engine that can use methanol and heavy oil as fuel.
Marlink to Equip Transpetro’s Tanker Fleet with Sealink NextGen Solution
Marlink, the managed services provider of business-critical ICT solutions, has secured a deal to supply its Sealink NextGen network solution for Brazil’s biggest crude and product tanker operator Transpetro.The hybrid solution includes Marlink’s global VSAT integrated to the high throughput, low latency Starlink solution together with MSS as back-up, to be installed on 26 Transpetro’s tankers.The installation will include Marlink’s XChange network management platform to enable software-defined application routing…
LNG Shipping Rates Tumble as New Vessels Enter Market
Liquefied natural gas shipping rates have hit multi-year lows and may extend losses going into 2025, analysts and shipping sources said, with new tankers being added at a faster rate than LNG production is rising and spot demand still tepid.New LNG tankers, built in anticipation of rising U.S. exports after a plunge in Russian gas supplies to Europe in 2022, are coming online earlier than liquefaction projects, which have been delayed amid inflation from strong wage growth and a shortage of skilled labour and equipment.With more ships expected to come…
INTERTANKO Wants More Information on Ports with Challenging Water Quality
INTERTANKO is opening its Ports with Challenging Water Quality Database to non-members in a bid to increase understanding of the issues that ballast water management systems are facing.Any shipowner can now contribute to the results by submitting their own reports.The database is designed to support vessels calling at ports that cause ballast water management systems (BWMS) to run sub-optimally due to challenging water quality conditions when taking on ballast.The database is…
Russian Oil Export Freight Costs Rising as Sanctions Bite
Freight rates for tankers exporting oil from Russian ports to Asia have risen this month ahead of winter and are set to climb further after recent Western sanctions hitting more tankers involved in the trade, according to industry data and sources.Russian oil is mostly sold to Asian buyers on a delivered basis, where the price includes transport costs, meaning higher freight rates would weigh on Moscow's revenue from energy sales.Freight rates from the Baltic ports of Primorsk or Ust-Luga to ports in western India have risen and may reach up to $5.5 million this month…
Fire Breaks Out on Malta-Flagged Tanker Offshore Singapore
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has reported a fire on a Malta-flagged tanker Med Atlantic in the East Johor Straits.The vessel is currently anchored and there is no disruption to vessel traffic in the area, MPA said, adding that all 22 crew had disembarked the vessel and were safe with no injuries.According to the alert MPA received, the fire started an engine room onboard the vessel. An MPA patrol craft, two Police Coast Guard craft, three Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) marine firefighting and rescue vessels…
NAT Fixes Tanker on Five-year Charter
Nordic American Tankers (NAT) announced it has secured a five-year time charter contract for one of its vessels.The NYSE-listed company did not disclose the names of the vessel and charterer, but said the contract was with a "major international energy company". The contract is expected to commence in November 2024.The charter rate is in the mid to high $30,000s, NAT said.
LNG Carriers Shift Away from Arctic Routes as Winter Nears
Ships carrying Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Asia are returning to the longer routes around Africa's Cape of Good Hope rather than those along the Arctic shore as the winter season begins, LSEG data showed on Thursday.Russia's new Arctic LNG 2 project also lacks enough ice-class gas carriers to continue navigation along the Northern Sea Route, although some such tankers still sail it.According to LSEG data, the conventional gas tanker LNG Megrez loaded at Yamal LNG plant on Oct. 2 and started its voyage around Africa to Asia with arrival set for Nov.
Robinson Heads Up Bunker Desk at Tankers International
VLCC pool Tankers International announced it has appointed Stephen Robinson to head up its bunker desk.Robinson will be UK-based and brings many years of experience to the business, having previously worked as managing director for both Bomin and Cockett Marine Oil.Matthew Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Tankers International, said, “Stephen Robinson brings with him a wealth of knowledge and strong relationships which he has developed over many years on both the trading and supply sides of the bunkering world.
US LNG Exports Dip in September
U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas fell slightly in September as plant maintenance trimmed output, while Europe remained the leading destination, data from financial firm LSEG showed.Gulf Coast plants escaped any major impact from hurricanes last month, helping the U.S. to retain its status as the world's largest LNG exporter.Exports of the superchilled gas fell to 7.26 million metric tons in September, just down from August, when the U.S. sold 7.48 MT, LSEG data showed.U.S.
Bahri inks Deal to Acquire Nine Tanker Vessels
Bahri, the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia signed a Murabaha Financing Agreement with Alinma Bank to secure financing to support its fleet modernization program.Under the terms of the facility agreement, Alinma Bank will extend a credit facility worth $756 million to partially finance the purchase of nine Very large Crude Carriers (VLCCs).
Two Vessels Damaged in Attacks Off Yemen
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…
Jet Fuel, up 11%, Powers Tanker Market
“During the first nine months of 2024, seaborne shipments of jet fuel increased 11% over 2023," said Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO. "Shipments were equivalent to 461 million barrels or 1.7 million barrels per day (mbpd). At the same time, airline passenger traffic measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) exceeded 2019 levels for the first time since COVID,”Airline cargo traffic recovered quickly after the COVID pandemic hit in 2020 and has since remained mostly within +/-10% of 2019 levels.
Global Orderbook Likely to Shrink
VesselsValue has released its Q4 2024 Market Outlook indicating a forecast period up to 2027 which suggests a mixed outlook across different vessel types.The company anticipates that orders for bulkers and tankers will gain momentum, while demand for containers and LNG/LPG vessels will decline. Despite the expected rise in bulker and tanker orders, the overall orderbook will likely shrink due to a surge in deliveries for container and gas vessels.Geopolitical tensions, such as the Houthi attacks in the Bab Al Mandeb Strait, are creating both risks and opportunities for shipping.
US Expands Sanctions to Iran's 'Ghost Fleet' of Oil Tankers
The United States expanded sanctions against Iran's petroleum and petrochemical sectors on Friday in response to an Iranian missile attack on Israel, the administration of President Joe Biden said.The U.S. move adds petroleum and petrochemicals to an executive order that targets key sectors of Iran's economy with the aim of denying the government funds to support its nuclear and missile programs."The new designations today also include measures against the 'Ghost Fleet' that carries Iran’s illicit oil to buyers around the world…
Oil Tanker Catches Fire Off Northern Germany
An oil tanker caught fire off the Baltic Sea coast of northern Germany early on Friday, and all seven crew members on board at the time were taken ashore, maritime rescue services said in a statement.Three vessels have been deployed to the burning tanker Annika in the Mecklenburg Bay to extinguish the blaze, with several firefighting teams also en route to the site via helicopters, according to the statement.The Germany-flagged, 73-metre-long tanker is carrying around 640 tonnes of oil, it added.
Tanker Vessels Flock to Guyana as Oil Exports Soar 58%
“Year-to-date, Guyana’s oil exports have jumped to 598 thousand barrels per day (kbpd), a 58% year-on-year increase, adding to the growth achieved in previous years. Over the past three years, the average annual growth rate has hit 76%,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.ExxonMobil first started producing from the Liza field in the Starbroek Block in late 2019. Since then, the operation in the Liza field has been expanded and production in the Payara field added.
Scorpio Tankers Sells LR2 Vessel for $73.5 Million
Scorpio Tankers on Wednesday announced it has entered into an agreement to sell its 2019-built LR2 product tanker STI Lily to an undisclosed buyer.The sale price is $73.5 million and the sale is expected to close within the fourth quarter of 2024, the NYSE-listed shipowner said.Scorpio Tankers currently owns or lease finances 102 product tankers, including 39 LR2 tankers, 49 MR tankers and 14 Handymax tankers. The company has entered into agreements to sell three of its vessels (one LR2 and two MRs), all of which are expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Liberia-flagged Tanker Struck off Yemen
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.
Case Study: Onboard CCS Would Result in 10% Fuel Penalty
A project assessing the technical feasibility of onboard carbon capture and storage (CCS) has concluded that the technology has the potential to reduce a tanker’s CO2 emissions by as much as 20% per year, with a fuel consumption penalty of just under 10%.The project, Realising Maritime Carbon Capture to Demonstrate the Ability to Lower Emissions (REMARCCABLE), was carried out by the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and Stena Bulk together with ABS…