The U.S. government has filed for court warrants to seize dozens more tankers linked to the Venezuelan oil trade, four sources familiar with the matter said, as Washington consolidates control of oil shipments in and out of the South American country.The U.S. military and Coast Guard have seized five vessels in recent weeks in international waters that were either carrying Venezuelan oil or have done so in the past. The seizures were part of Washington's campaign to force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro out of power that culminated in U.S. forces capturing him on January 3.
Three Greek-managed oil tankers were hit by unidentified drones in the Black Sea on Tuesday as they were on their way to load crude at a terminal on Russia's coast, sources told Reuters.The attacks come as Kazakhstan's oil production, most of which is exported via the terminal, cratered in early January.It was not immediately clear who was behind Tuesday's strikes. Ukraine did not immediately comment. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which operates the terminal where the tankers were due to take on board cargoes, declined to comment on the attack.
This week, the Blue Water team reached a milestone in their journey: surpassing 1000 hours of ocean-based testing of their proprietary propulsion system designed for autonomous surface vessels. Achieving this milestone surpasses the Navy’s original 720-hour land-based test requirement while also including the addition of fuel polishing, electric power generation, and a full sensor suite.Meeting the Navy's VisionAs the Navy expands its fleet of uncrewed ships to execute transoceanic missions, vessels will need to remain at sea unmanned for months at a time.
Limestone shipments on the Great Lakes totaled 26.6 million tons in 2025, a decrease of 5.9 percent compared to the previous year. 2025’s loadings were below the trade’s 5-year average by 6.7 percent.Shipments from U.S. quarries decreased 5 percent from 2024 to 21.7 million tons. Loadings from U.S. quarries were also 5 percent below their 5-year average.2025 shipments from Canadian quarries totaled 4.9 million tons, a 9.7 percent decrease compared to 2024 and 13.9 percent below the 5-year average.
Fluid Marine, a U.S. builder of mission-ready rigid inflatable boats for law enforcement, search and rescue, and commercial operators, announced today that Tony Van Meter has joined the company as Executive Vice President, effective January 12, 2026.Van Meter brings more than three decades of experience in the maritime industry, with a career that began in operational service with the United States Coast Guard, followed by service as a Marine Enforcement Officer, and later progressing into senior leadership roles within the marine manufacturing and professional sales sectors.
PhilaPort capped off a milestone year in 2025, posting record container throughput and outperforming national and regional trade trends to remain a leader among U.S. East Coast container ports.PhilaPort handled a record 889,268 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, representing a 6% year-over-year increase in container volume. This result exceeded overall U.S. trade growth projections of approximately 3%, underscoring Philadelphia’s continued strength in the container market. Since 2020, PhilaPort’s container volumes have increased by 39%, reflecting sustained, long-term growth.
C&C Marine and Repair has delivered the M/V Al Sloss to Canal Barge Company, completing the first vessel in a four-boat newbuild series currently under construction for the New Orleans-based operator.The 2,600-horsepower, 87’ x 34’ towboat was designed by C&C Marine and Repair’s in-house engineering team and constructed on an accelerated schedule, with delivery completed in approximately six months.Throughout construction, Canal Barge Company worked closely with C&C Marine’s project management team to incorporate minor adjustments and design modifications in real time.
The captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off Britain's east coast last year did "absolutely nothing" to prevent an avoidable and fatal collision, British prosecutors said on Tuesday as his trial over a crew member's death began.Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, was captain of the Portuguese-flagged Solong which was heading to Rotterdam in the Netherlands when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was anchored, on March 10 2025.
Echandia has been selected to supply the battery system for India’s first fully electric tug, to be deployed at Deendayal Port Authority (Kandla Port) as part of the Government of India’s Green Tug Transition Program. The vessel will be equipped with a 4.4 MWh Echandia battery system, enabling zero-emission operation at one of India’s most important port hubs.The battery system is designed for a 15-year lifetime, matching the full duration of the operational agreement between Ripley Group and the Deendayal Port Authority.
Satcom Global has announced the launch of Aura Citadel, an on-vessel IT management and security solution providing simplicity, protection and control across the maritime IT environment.Vessels with Aura Citadel on board benefit from the combination of a simplified on-vessel business network improving order and resiliency, robust cyber security features and fast comprehensive disaster recovery. The new IT solution from Satcom Global empowers IT administrators to control the on-board network and manage all users on that network.
OrbitMI, a provider of maritime SaaS and a voyage optimization platform used by shipowners and operators worldwide, announced its expansion in Japan to support its growing customer base and expanding partner ecosystem in the region. To lead its Japan presence, OrbitMI has appointed Kazuo Yamashita as Business Development Partner, Japan. Yamashita-san will oversee business development, partnerships, and market activation, serving as OrbitMI’s exclusive representative in the country.
Technology group Wärtsilä will supply the engine and propulsion equipment for a new 3,800-deadweight-tonne heavy lift vessel being built for Netherlands-based operator Hartman Seatrade.The vessel will be powered by a Wärtsilä 31 engine, selected to minimize fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The engine’s modular design is intended to reduce maintenance requirements and costs, while allowing operational flexibility for both slow and fast steaming.The ship will be constructed at Rock Shipbuilding, a newly established shipyard set up by the owner.