MarineLink News Search
Search term • Africa
Create an email alert for Africa
Singapore Port Congestion Shows Global Impact of Red Sea Attacks
Congestion at Singapore's container port is at its worst since the COVID-19 pandemic, a sign of how prolonged vessel re-routing to avoid Red Sea attacks has disrupted global ocean shipping - with bottlenecks also appearing in other Asian and European ports.Retailers, manufacturers and other industries that rely on massive box ships are again battling surging rates, port backups and shortages of empty containers…
Esgian Week 25 Report: Mixed Results in Exploration Drilling
Esgian provides an update on exploration drilling in its Week 25 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryDrilling Activity and DiscoveriesOslo-listed BlueNord announced on Monday the start-up of drilling operations on the Harald East Middle Jurassic well (HEMJ) in the Danish North Sea.Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) encountered non-commercial hydrocarbons at the Orange #1 exploration well on Mississippi Canyon Block 216 in the US GOM and the well has been plugged and abandoned.
Cruise Ship Rescues 68 Migrants, Five Dead
A luxury cruise ship has rescued dozens of migrants who were trying to reach the Spanish Canary Islands in a fishing boat that had stalled in rough seas killing five people, Spanish authorities and the cruise operator said on Thursday.The archipelago has become the main point of entry to Spain for illegal migrants from Africa in recent years, and the route is also the deadliest. Migration rights group Walking Borders said last week that nearly 5…
Africa’s Mining Industry Providing Opportunities for Bulk Shipping
Speaking at this year’s Drycon conference in Mumbai, Captain Pappu Sastry, CEO of Adhira Shipping and Logistics (ASL), said that Africa’s mining sector is entering a golden age where opportunities are open to investors, shipping lines and logistics companies.Africa is a continent of more than 1.4 billion people, with a mining sector that is growing rapidly and investment opportunities across the continent, said Sastry.
Shipping Industry Urges Red Sea Action as Houthis Sink Second Vessel
Urgent action must be taken in the Red Sea to stop attacks on merchant shipping by Yemen's Houthis, leading industry groups said on Wednesday, after the sinking of a second ship.Iran-aligned Houthi militants first launched drone and missile strikes on the important trade route in November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. In more than 70 attacks, they have also seized one vessel…
Trauma from Red Sea Attacks Adds to Seafarer Shortage
When a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi Islamists landed near his ship in the Red Sea, Costas Rassias vowed to stop sailing through the perilous waters."I froze," said the Greek 34-year-old second class marine engineer, describing the close call. "I weighed what was more important - my life, or a better income?"As attacks on merchant ships by the Iran-backed Houthis persist, traumatised seafarers are refusing to sail through the Red Sea…
Ivory Coast Expects Threefold Oil Output Increase by 2027
Ivory Coast expects a more than threefold increase to its oil output by 2027, boosted by recent oil and gas discoveries at the West African nation's Baleine and Calao offshore fields, President Alassane Ouattara said on Tuesday.The world's top cocoa-producing nation is hoping to become a major regional oil and gas producer and regional energy hub.Ouattara told a joint session of parliament that more than $15 billion is expected to be invested in the country's oil sector, adding that output would
Bulk Carrier Reportedly Sunk by Houthis in the Red Sea
Yemen's Houthi militants are believed to have sunk a second ship, the Tutor, in the Red Sea, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday.The Greek-owned Tutor coal carrier was struck by missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat on June 12 and had been taking on water, according to previous reports from UKMTO, the Houthis and other sources."Military authorities report maritime debris and oil sighted in the (Tutor's) last reported location…
US Says it Destroyed Houthi Patrol Boats, Drone
The U.S. military said on Thursday it destroyed two Houthi patrol boats, one uncrewed surface vessel and one drone over the Red Sea in its latest effort to degrade the capabilities of the Iran-backed group.The Houthis, who control the most populous areas of Yemen, targeted the Verbena in the Arabian Sea as well as the Seaguardian and Athina in the Red Sea, the Iran-aligned group's military spokesman…
Solstad Offshore’s Two CSVs Remain on Duty for Subsea7
Norwegian offshore vessel owner Solstad Offshore has secured contract extensions with Subsea7 for two of its subsea construction support vessels (CSVs) – Normand Subsea and Normand Energy.Subsea7 has exercised the 2025 optional charter period for the Normand Subsea.The contract is now firm until December 31, 2025, with no further options thereafter.Normand Subsea has been on contract to Subsea 7 since 2009. It is a 113-meter-long vessel, built in 2009, featuring VS 471 design.
Red Sea Ships Attacks Push 47% More Crude Oil, Fuels Around Africa
Global crude oil and oil products shipments taking the long route between Asia, the Middle East and the West is up 47% since attacks began on vessels using the shorter Red Sea route, the Energy Information Administration said on Tuesday.The longer route around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid attacks by Yemen's Houthis has pushed up shipping costs, as about 12% of world total shipping traffic historically…
Esgian Week 23 Report: Semisub Action in Norway, Australia
Esgian provides an update on semisub activities in Norway and Australia in its Week 23 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsTransocean has announced contract fixtures for three harsh environment (HE) semisubmersibles. Together, the fixtures represent approximately $161 million in firm contract backlog.Shelf Drilling has secured a 15-month award for the 357-ft jackup Shelf Drilling Tenacious…
UK Dismisses Statement by Houthis Saying They Attacked Destroyer
Britain's defence ministry said on Sunday a statement by Yemen's Houthis that they had fired ballistic missiles at a British destroyer in the Red Sea was false.The Houthis did not say whether the attack they said they had carried out on the HMS Diamond had caused any damage, but described it as "accurate"."These claims are untrue," a British Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said.The Houthis said they had also attacked two commercial vessels which they identified as the Norderney and Tavvis
Two Vessels Catch Fire After Missile Strikes off Yemen
Two ships caught on fire after being hit by projectiles off Yemen's Aden, two UK maritime agencies reported on Sunday.The British security firm Ambrey said on Sunday an Antigua- and Barbuda-flagged general cargo ship was struck by a missile 83 nautical miles southeast of Aden and caught fire. The fire was later contained.Earlier, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received…
Houthis Say They Targeted Two Cargo Ships in the Red Sea
Yemen's Houthis on Friday said they targeted two vessels in the Red Sea with drones and missiles, but there was no independent confirmation of the purported attacks.The group targeted the Elbella and AAL Genoa vessels with "a number of drones and ballistic and naval missiles", the Iran-aligned group's military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised speech.Saree did not specify the date on which the strikes were carried out.
Maersk Skips Sailings Due to Significant Port Congestion in Asia, Mediterranean
Maersk faces significant terminal congestion in Mediterranean and Asian ports, causing substantial delays in its vessel schedule, the Danish shipping group said in a statement on Monday.As a result of that congestion, the world's second-largest container shipping company, will skip two westbound sailings from China and South Korea that had been planned to depart in early July, it added.The notice from…
Ageing Fleet a Problem for the Crude Oil Tanker Market
The crude oil tanker market is grappling with an ageing fleet of vessels which need to be replaced, posing a challenge as shipyards are focused on building other types of ships, a top executive with commodity trader Trafigura said on Tuesday.The crude tanker market, including VLCC supertankers, has remained strong in recent months partly due to longer voyages made by some vessels sailing via southern Africa amid Red Sea attacks by the Houthis, which has tightened availability.In addition, up to
South African Appeals Court Throws Lifeline to Shell's Wild Coast Exploration
A South African appeals court on Monday suspended a previous ruling that halted offshore exploration by Shell along the unspoilt Wild Coast and allowed oil companies another chance at public consultation, court documents showed.The lack of public consultation was among key reasons why a lower court ruled against Shell and other oil companies Impact Africa and BG International.In a keenly watched decision…
Maersk Faces Significant Port Congestion in Asia, Mediterranean
Maersk faces significant terminal congestion in Mediterranean and Asian ports, causing substantial delays in its vessel schedule, the Danish shipping group said in a statement on Monday.As a result of that congestion, the world's second-largest container shipping company, will skip two westbound sailings from China and South Korea that had been planned to depart in early July, it added.The notice from…
Red Sea Diversions, Tariff Risks Send Ocean Shipping Soaring
Spiking ocean shipping rates, vessel backups at seaports and empty container shortages - issues that wreaked havoc on global trade during the COVID pandemic supply-chain crisis - are back as the industry enters its busy season."There is a cocktail of uncertainty and disruption across global ocean freight supply chains," said Peter Sand, chief analyst at pricing platform Xeneta."It is the speed and magnitude of this recent (rate) spike that has taken the market by surprise…
Maritime Piracy
Houthi Rockets Wreak Havoc on Middle East Container Shipping
Narco-Submarines: The Hidden Depths of Drug Trafficking
Drug Smuggling on Ships and Submarines: An Escalating Threat
Maersk revises profit forecast upwards due to robust demand and disruptions in the Red Sea.
Global Shipping Carriers Are Feeling the Impact of the War in Ukraine and the Middle East
Maritime Piracy in the Horn of Africa:
Houthis Declare All-Out War on Israeli Shipping, Vowing to Strike Beyond Red Sea
Injustice at Sea: Greek Court Drops Charges in Deadly Migrant Shipwreck
