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Thursday, September 26, 2024
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Two Vessels News

24 Sep 2024

Israeli Seaports Open for Business Despite Lebanon Conflict

© Arie / Adobe Stock

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.

19 Sep 2024

Red Sea Insurance Costs Skyrocket Amid Rising Houthi Shipping Threats

(Photo: European Union Naval Force - Operation Aspides)

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…

16 Sep 2024

BC Ferries to Build New Vessels in Two Phases

© edb3_16 / Adobe Stock

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…

13 Sep 2024

Crew Rescued from OSV That Caught Fire Off South Africa

AM Pride (Photo courtesy SAMSA)

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)…

12 Sep 2024

US LNG Exporters Expected to Escape Brunt of Hurricane Francine

© Wojciech Wrzesień / Adobe Stock

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…

10 Sep 2024

Second NSMV Patriot State Christened at Philly Shipyard

Patriot State (Photo: TOTE Services)

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…

10 Sep 2024

QatarEnergy Inaugurates LNG Vessel Rex Tillerson

(Credit: QatarEnergy)

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…

06 Sep 2024

US Gulf Coast-bound Fuel Oil Cargoes Hit Five-year Low

© scandamerican / Adobe Stock

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)…

05 Sep 2024

US Slaps Sanctions on Vessels Linked to Russia's Arctic LNG 2

© ezumer / Adobe Stock

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.

03 Sep 2024

Scorpio Sells Two Tankers

(Photo: Scorpio Tankers)

Shipowner Scorpio Tankers on Tuesday announced it has entered into agreements to sell two vessels and a new time charter-out agreement.The company said it recently entered into agreements to sell two 2014 built scrubber fitted MR product tankers, STI San Antonio and STI Texas City, for $42.5 million per vessel. These sales are expected to close within the fourth quarter of 2024.The New York-listed company also announced it has entered into a three-year time charter-out agreement for the 2018 built MR product tanker, STI Jardins, for $29,550 per day.

03 Sep 2024

Salvors Say It's Unsafe to Tow Tanker Sounion Hit by Houthis in the Red Sea

(Photo: EUNAVFOR ASPIDES)

Private companies involved in salvaging the Sounion tanker, which was attacked by Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea, are exploring other options after the towing operation was deemed unsafe, the European Union's naval mission said on Tuesday.The Sounion, which was struck on Aug. 21 and which the Houthis and maritime sources have said has been rigged with explosives, is laden with about one million barrels of crude oil and still on fire.The EU's naval force Aspides has said it will…

03 Sep 2024

Houthis Attack More Oil Tankers in the Red Sea, US Military Says

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Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked two crude oil tankers - the Saudi-flagged Amjad and the Panama-flagged Blue Lagoon I - in the Red Sea on Monday, the U.S. military said, calling the assaults "reckless acts of terrorism".The Houthis late on Monday claimed responsibility for targeting the Blue Lagoon with multiple missiles and drones but did not make any mention of the Saudi tanker.The U.S. Central Command said the Houthis attacked the two tankers with two ballistic missiles and a one-way attack uncrewed aerial system…

31 Aug 2024

Houthis Attack Same Container Ship Twice

© InfinitumProdux / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Houthi militants said on Saturday that they attacked a Liberia-flagged container vessel for a second time in the latest action against commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden.Yemeni military spokesperson Yahya Saree's televised statement did not specify when the latest attack on the MV Groton took place.The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said in an advisory note that two missiles exploded on Friday in close proximity to the vessel, 130 nautical miles east of Yemen's Aden. It said the crew was safe.

29 Aug 2024

Still No Oil Spill from Tanker Sounion Attacked by Houthis

(Photo: EUNAVFOR ASPIDES)

As salvage operations began on an abandoned Greek-flagged oil tanker with deck fires still burning from Houthi rebel attacks, the EU's Red Sea naval mission Aspides said on Thursday that no oil spill has been detected.Yemen's Houthi militants carried out multiple assaults, including planting bombs on the already disabled 900-foot (274.2-meter) Sounion that is laden with about 1 million barrels of oil. On Wednesday, the Iran-aligned militants said they would allow salvage crews to tow the ship - which has been on fire since Aug.

28 Aug 2024

Houthis Will Let Salvors Access Oil Tanker They Set Ablaze, But No Truce in Place

(Photo: EUNAVFOR ASPIDES)

Yemen's Houthi group has agreed to allow tugboats and rescue ships to reach a damaged crude oil tanker in the Red Sea, Iran's mission to the United Nations said on Wednesday, after the Iran-aligned militants attacked the Greek-flagged vessel last week.The Sounion tanker is carrying 150,000 tonnes, or 1 million barrels, of crude oil and poses an environmental hazard, shipping officials said. Any spill has the potential to be among the largest from a ship in recorded history."Several countries have reached out to ask Ansarullah (the Houthis)…

28 Aug 2024

Second NSMV Patriot State Completes Sea Trials

(Photo: TOTE Services)

The second vessel in a series of new training ships for the U.S.' state maritime academies has completed sea trials, build manager TOTE Services said.The National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) Patriot State, built by Philly Shipyard and scheduled for delivery to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy later this year, completed the trials with participation from the shipyard, vendors, construction management teams, captain, crews and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.“We’ve reached a historic milestone with the sea trials of the second NSMV…

28 Aug 2024

Red Sea Insurance Nearly Doubles After Latest Ship Attack

(Photo: EUNAVFOR ASPIDES)

The cost of insurance for ships sailing through the Red Sea has nearly doubled after Yemen's Houthis attacked a tanker that appears to be leaking oil, with environmental fears growing for trade route, industry sources said on Wednesday.Iran-aligned Houthi militants first launched aerial drone and missile strikes on the waterway in November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In over 70 attacks, they have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least three seafarers.In the latest escalation…

27 Aug 2024

WE Tech Solutions to Supply Hybrid Electric System for Sirius’ New Chemical Tankers

(Image: WE Tech Solutions)

WE Tech Solutions informs it has received an order from Sirius Shipping for a hybrid electric system for their new chemical tankers. For this order, WE Tech Solutions will provide the Solution Four for the tanker pair. This solution is based on a battery hybrid shaft generator solution. The solution makes it possible to run the main motor at variable speed, and the propulsion machinery can be operated at optimal duty points at all vessel speeds. The electrical network is also generated by the shaft generator. Therefore, there is no need to run auxiliary engines and generators when sailing.

22 Aug 2024

Stricken Oil Tanker Sounion Poses Environmental Risk After Red Sea Attack

EUNAVFOR ASPIDES rescued the crew of the Sounion after the tanker was attacked in the Red Sea (Photo: EUNAVFOR ASPIDES)

A Greek-flagged oil tanker carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude that was evacuated by its crew after being attacked in the Red Sea now poses an environmental hazard, the EU's Red Sea naval mission "Aspides" said on Thursday.Houthis, who control Yemen's most populous regions, said on Thursday that they attacked the Sounion oil tanker in the Red Sea, as the Iran-aligned group has been attacking ships in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.Sounion…

22 Aug 2024

Greek-flagged Tanker Vessel Crew Forced to Abandon Ship

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The crew of Greek-flagged oil tanker the Sounion that was attacked in the Red Sea abandoned the vessel and were taken to Djbouti by the EU's Red Sea naval mission "Aspides", an official in the mission told Reuters on Thursday.The tanker, with a listed capacity of 163,759 MT, was the third vessel operated by Athens-based Delta Tankers to be attacked in the Red Sea this month.The Iran-aligned Houthi militants have launched attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea region since November in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.Sounion…

15 Aug 2024

ExxonMobil Reports Near Miss During Crew Change Offshore Canada

© Janis / Adobe Stock

ExxonMobil Canada Properties (EMCP) reported a near miss event occurred on August 7, 2024, during a gangway crew change between the survey vessel Amazon Conqueror and offshore supply vessel (OSV) Victory G off Canada's East Coast.Operations were halted when it was indicated that the gangway was approaching operating condition limits for safely transporting personnel. Subsequently, the gangway detached from the landing platform on the Victory G and was left suspended between the two vessels.There were no injuries to personnel during this incident…

13 Aug 2024

Two Vessels Report Attacks in the Red Sea off Yemen

© Robert / Adobe Stock

Two crude oil tanker ships reported coming under attack in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday, although neither reported damage, maritime security agencies said.The attempted assaults on those vessels, identified as the Liberia-flagged Delta Atlantica and the Panama-flagged On Phoenix, bear the hallmarks of Iran-aligned Houthi militant attacks on international cargo shipping in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas.The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attacks.

12 Aug 2024

US Charges Three for Smuggling Iranian Weapons to Yemen's Houthis

On January 11, 2024, U.S. CENTCOM Navy forces conducted a night-time seizure of a dhow conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen as part of the Houthis’ ongoing campaign of attacks against international merchant shipping. (Photo: U.S. Central Command)

A U.S. federal court has charged three men, including two Iranian brothers and a Pakistani national, for an attempt to smuggle Iranian weapons that would be used by Houthi rebels for attacks on maritime shipping.According to the court documents, Shahab Mir’kazei and Yunus Mir’kazei work for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while Muhammad Pahlawan, is a Pakistani citizen who allegedly worked for the Mir’kazei brothers as the captain of a dhow used as a smuggling vessel.Pahlawan allegedly worked with Shahab to prepare the dhow for multiple smuggling voyages…