Surveys, Offshore Energy Inspections Leverage Autonomous Technology
Greater vehicle sophistication is pushing surveys and offshore energy inspections further towards autonomy.When the Norwegian Offshore Directorate set its new HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) to work in June, there was a moment’s reflection on the fact that deep sea areas have actually been mapped since the 1800s. In the early days, simple weights were used to measure water depth and give the first indications of subsea structures and seabed morphology.
ITLOS Ruling: A Landmark Defense of Freedom of Navigation
In the largest penalty the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) has ever levied, a Special Chamber ruled unanimously against Equatorial Guinea on May 27, 2026, ordering it to pay over €14 million in damages to the Republic of the Marshall Islands for the unlawful seizure of a commercial tanker and detention of its multinational crew. The ruling in the M/T Heroic Idun (No. 2) case represents a watershed moment for international maritime law…
Cadeler Orders More Offshore Wind Installation Vessels
Cadeler has signed firm contracts with COSCO Shipping Offshore shipyard in Qidong, China, for the construction of two new T-class offshore wind installation vessels, scheduled for delivery in 2030 and 2031.The new T-class series vessels have been engineered to be the largest and most capable vessels ever introduced to this market. They are designed to tackle increasingly complex projects with greater efficiency…
Sharks Fitted with Sensors to Help Hurricane Predictions
From the killer shark of "Jaws" to the tornado-tossed predators of the "Sharknado" movies, films long have portrayed sharks as objects of summer fear. But when a shark cuts through the waters off the U.S. East Coast, it now may be doing more than hunting. It may also be gathering data that helps scientists understand the potential intensity of a hurricane before it makes landfall.University of Delaware…
KCC Takes Delivery of Final CABU III Combination Carrier
Klaveness Combination Carriers (KCC) has taken delivery of MV Baltazar, its third and final contracted third-generation CABU vessel, from New Yangzi Shipyard in China.Equipped with the first wind-assisted propulsion system in KCC's fleet and a range of advanced energy efficiency technologies, MV Baltazar completes the CABU III newbuilding program and brings KCC's fleet to 19 combination carriers.Designed…
Maersk to Sell Training Subsidiary
A.P. Moller - Maersk has entered into an agreement to sell Maersk Training and its subsidiary Maersk H2S Safety Services to Open Gate Capital, an industrial, corporate carve-out specialist.For more than four decades, Maersk Training has provided specialized training, competence development and safety services to industries including energy, maritime, renewables and logistics, supporting customers in…
Crew Rescued After Vehicle Carrier Fire Off Costa Rica
The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 22 crew members from the Marshall Islands-flagged vehicle carrier Min Jiang Kou after the ship experienced a fire approximately 630 miles south of Costa Rica on Thursday.At 1:09 p.m., Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders received an Inmarsat distress alert indicating an engine room fire onboard. Watchstanders established contact with the ship’s manager…
Odesa Port Damaged in Lethal Attacks
Ukraine and Russia accused each other of lethal attacks on Sunday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Moscow was targeting global food security by striking Odesa's seaport.Three people were killed and 37 wounded in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, where a multi-storey apartment block was hit, while authorities in Russia's Belgorod said five were killed and 25 wounded by a Ukrainian drone attack.Zelenskiy said Odesa's seaport had been damaged by a strike.
BHP Port Unions Strike at Port Hedland
More workers joined a strike at BHP's Port Hedland operations in Western Australia on Sunday, a union spokesperson said, in the first major industrial action at the ‌iron-ore export hub in a quarter-century.On the second of the planned two days of stoppage, some 100 workers downed tools at the world's biggest export hub for iron ore at 5:30 a.m. (2130 GMT), taking the total involved to around 150,…
Black Sea Shipping Flows Despite Security Concerns
Ships are passing smoothly through the Turkish straits to the Black Sea despite heightened concerns about safety, two Turkish government officials told Reuters on Sunday.On Saturday, Bloomberg News reported that Ankara had restricted commercial ship traffic entering the Black Sea following attacks on vessels there, including Turkish-owned ships.Turkey has issued repeated warnings to Moscow and Kyiv over the attacks in the Black Sea…
Rhine Could be “Split in Two” by Low Water
Low water levels risk halting cargo traffic on a key stretch of the Rhine this week, effectively splitting the critical waterway into two separate zones, the federal association of German inland shipping (BDB) said on Monday.BDB managing director Jens Schwanen told the Rheinische Post newspaper water levels at Germany's Kaub gauging station, a major bottleneck for Rhine navigation, were forecast to…
Iran Ties Hormuz Reopening to US Concessions
Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions, including compensation and an end to sanctions and military threats, before the strategic waterway is reopened.A U.S. official told Reuters on Friday that Iran and Oman were close to a deal that could pave the way for restoring safe passage through the strait…
Saronic Selects Port of Gulfport for Marauder On-Water Testing
Saronic has expanded its operations to Gulfport, Mississippi, establishing an initial site for on-water testing of the company’s medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV), Marauder, at the Port of Gulfport.As production of Saronic’s Marauder platform continues to scale, the site will support testing and commissioning of the 180-foot autonomous ships as they move from production to final delivery.The Saronic facility at the Port of Gulfport spans more than 30…
Beier Integrated Systems Shares Changes in Executive Management
Beier Integrated Systems announced the following changes to its Executive Leadership Team. Karl Beier will transition from his current role as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to serve as Chairman of the Board. As Chairman, Karl will continue to provide strategic guidance and support to the organization. Kory Beier has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In this role…
TOTE Services Hosts Medium Landing Ship (LSM) Industry Day
TOTE Services, LLC, a leading U.S. maritime services company specializing in vessel construction management and ship management, hosted more than 30 commercial shipbuilders, equipment manufacturers, marine suppliers, and defense contractors from over a dozen states across the country for its Medium Landing Ship (LSM) Industry Day.The Industry Day serves as the foundational step in assembling a reliable…
Seven Chinese Vessels Permitted to Sail to Europe via Russian Arctic Route
Russia's state nuclear giant Rosatom, operator of the Northern Sea Route via the Arctic, said on Friday it had issued permits for seven Chinese transit vessels to sail to Europe via the NSR.Chinese container company Sea Legend Shipping plans to launch the first regular container service to Europe via the NSR, Alexei Likhachev, Rosatom's head, said."Unlike previous container shipments via the Northern Sea Route, which were largely experimental or one-off in nature, the 2026 programme provides for
ADNOC Operations Impacted by Vessel, Staff Attacks
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said on Friday it was being significantly impacted by what it described as unprovoked attacks on its people and assets, as it sought to continue meeting customer requirements in an "exceptionally challenging environment."ADNOC said in a statement that 15 of its vessels had been attacked by missiles and drones while transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the conflict…
Corn Belt Ports Co-Hosts National Waterways Conference Annual Meeting
This year's annual meeting for the National Waterways Conference will be held in Moline, Illinois, co-hosted by Corn Belt Ports. This marks the first non-coastal state to host since Memphis, Tennessee in 2019.Attendees will be able to connect with water and waterways leaders, federal partners, and industry stakeholders for three days of policy discussion, networking, and on-the-water learning along the Upper Mississippi River system.Moline sits in the heart of the Quad Cities…
SLB, Equinor to Upgrade Vessel Under Multi-Year Well Stimulation Deal
SLB and Equinor have signed a multi-year agreement for advanced reservoir stimulation services across the Norwegian Continental Shelf, including a major upgrade of the well stimulation vessel MV Island Captain.The agreement provides dedicated stimulation capacity to support the development of tight offshore reservoirs and help maximize recovery from future wells.As part of the contract, MV Island Captain…
Nichols Brothers to Build Bew San Francisco Bar Pilots Station Vessel
Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) has been awarded a contract by the San Francisco Bar Pilots Benevolent and Protective Association to build the organization's next-generation station vessel.Designed by Glosten, the vessel will measure approximately 110 feet in length and is being built to support the San Francisco Bar Pilots as they guide commercial vessels through the waters of San Francisco…
