At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.Iran has imposed restrictions on ships using the strait, first in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of the country, and then in response to a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
Many claim to have ‘saltwater in their veins,’ but all you have to do is walk into the corner office of John McDonald, the new Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), to see that him saying “I was born into maritime” is not hyperbole. The first thing that greets you is a Dusan Kadlec nighttime painting of the Brooklyn Bridge
Global oil and gas prices jumped on Tuesday as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran halted energy exports from the Middle East, with Tehran attacking ships and energy facilities, closing navigation in the Gulf and forcing production stoppages from Qatar to Iraq.The benchmark Brent crude oil contract gained nearly 8% on Tuesday to above $83 per barrel, the highest since July 2024
The captain of an oil tanker intercepted by the French navy has been detained under investigations into whether it was operating under a false flag, the Marseille prosecutor’s office said on Sunday.The vessel named Grinch was seized in the Mediterranean on Thursday, then diverted to anchor off the French port city
Finnish engineering group Wärtsilä has agreed to divest its Gas Solutions business to German private equity investor Mutares SE & Co. KGaA, continuing its efforts to streamline operations and unlock value from its portfolio.Gas Solutions, which operates globally across the gas value chain, provides systems and lifecycle services for maritime gas handling, inert gas systems, gas-to-power solutions
The Arctic is no longer a remote expanse beyond the edges of global commerce — it is now a contested arena where strategic competition, energy development, and maritime innovation converge. As climate change accelerates sea ice retreat, previously impassable waters are opening to navigation for longer periods each year.
After developing the technique some five years ago, Aker Arctic has now completed the research required to get its new design methodology for icebreaker hulls accepted into the Finish-Swedish Ice Class Rules. The method has also been adopted to Polar Class rules of several Class Societies (LR, ABS, DNV).
While global energy markets are not yet pricing in worst-case scenarios for the Israel-Iran war, oil tanker rates are providing a good real-time gauge of the escalating risks.Geopolitical risk has spiked following Israel's surprise bombardment of the Islamic Republic last Friday and Iran's retaliatory ballistic missile strikes, leading to a rally in global energy prices
Fincantieri and TUI Cruises, a joint venture between TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises, have launched Mein Shiff Flow, a dual-fuel cruise ship newbuild.A sister ship to Mein Schiff Relax, delivered in February 2025, the new unit is scheduled to enter service in mid-2026.With approximately 160,000 gross tons
Australia conditionally approved on Wednesday a request by Woodside Energy to extend until 2070 the life of its North West Shelf gas plant, following a six-year review dogged by delays, appeals and backlash from green groups.The facility on the Burrup peninsula in Western Australia is the country's oldest and largest liquefied natural gas plant and a key supplier to Asian markets
One of the world’s most advanced offshore production assets, the Agogo floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, operated by Yinson Production for Azule Energy, made a scheduled technical stop at Walvis Bay in Namibia, while en route to a field offshore Angola.The brief stopover, which took place on May 8, 2025
Major container shipping companies are suspending at least six scheduled weekly routes between China and the United States as President Donald Trump's punishing tariffs on the world's top exporting country collapse trade, maritime consultants said.The ships on those routes have the combined capacity to deliver 25,682 40-foot containers stuffed with toys, tennis shoes, car parts and things U.S.