09 JAN 2026 After multiple warnings throughout the year about the dramatic increase in piracy around Singapore, the monitoring operation ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre, in its year-end report, highlights that the surge peaked at mid-year with the arrest of some perpetrators. It cautions that the rate remains high, however, while …
Read More »SHADOW FLEET TANKER DIVERTS TO TURKEY AFTER REPORTING DRONE ATTACK
08 JAN 2026 A Chinese-owned and managed crude oil tanker is reporting that it was attacked by a suspected drone while sailing in the Black Sea. The tanker Elbus (159,000 dwt) was traveling only with ballast along the Turkish coast, reportedly bound for the Russian terminal at Novorossiysk. The vessel …
Read More »INDEFINITE U.S. CONTROL OF VENEZUELAN OIL COULD BENEFIT TANKERS, TRADERS
07 JAN 2026 Following the removal of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration plans to oversee the country’s oil exports, and will take delivery of 30-50 million barrels as a starting point. That initial consignment is just the start, though, and the oil export management arrangement will continue indefinitely, …
Read More »DRIVING FUTURE OF HYBRID MARINE PROPULSION: ZF’S EXPANDING VESSEL SOLUTIONS
06 JAN 2026 As the marine industry accelerates toward cleaner, smarter, and more efficient propulsion, hybrid systems continue gaining traction across a variety of markets. From inland towboats and offshore support vessels to ferries, crew transfer vessels (CTVs), and research platforms, operators are seeking propulsion solutions that reduce emissions and …
Read More »CHINESE CONTAINER SHIP GETS MOBILE LAUNCH TRACK FOR DRONE FIGHTERS
05 JAN 2026 China’s effort to adapt merchant ships into naval assets gained attention last month when a Chinese container feeder, the otherwise-unassuming Zhong Da 79, moored in downtown Shanghai with 60 missile launch tubes on deck. The quad-pack containerized launchers suggested a new ability to turn a normal boxship …
Read More »A RUSTING OIL TANKER AND A CAN OF PAINT HAVE JUST SPARKED THE MOST SURREAL MARITIME STANDOFF OF THE DECADE.
03 JAN 2026 For nearly two weeks, American forces have been shadowing the VLCC formerly known as Bella 1 across the Atlantic Ocean. The vessel’s crew, facing seizure by the US Coast Guard, pulled what might be history’s most audacious maritime escape maneuver: they grabbed some paint, slapped a Russian …
Read More »U.S. SHATTERS LNG EXPORT RECORD, BECOMES FIRST NATION TO TOP 100 MILLION TONS
02 JAN 2026 The U.S. in 2025 became the first country to export more than 100 million metric tons (mmt) of liquefied natural gas in a single year, powered by the startup of production from new plants, preliminary data from LSEG showed. The world’s largest LNG exporter sold 111 mmt of the fuel, …
Read More »HONG KONG COURT SENTENCES OIL TANKER CAPTAIN TO JAIL FOR POOR SEAMANSHIP
01 JAN 2026 A court in Hong Kong sentenced the master of a Chinese-registered oil tanker to 14 months in jail after he pleaded guilty to one count of endangering the safety of others at sea. The judge said the captain’s actions were “obviously too slow,” and it resulted in …
Read More »DESPITE U.S. “BLOCKADE,” FOREIGN-FLAGGED TANKERS ARRIVE IN VENEZUELA
31 DEC 2025 Foreign-flagged tankers continue to call in Venezuela despite a White House “quarantine” order and the new U.S. policy of seizing Venezuela-linked ships, according to TankerTrackers.com. The independent consultancy told Reuters that it was aware of at least two sanctioned vessels that have arrived in Venezuela in recent …
Read More »KIDNAPPED LPG CARRIER CREW RELEASED FROM CAPTIVITY IN WEST AFRICA
30 DEC 2025 The nine members of the crew aboard the LPG gas carrier CGAS Saturn have been released and are reported to be safe after their ordeal in West Africa. The owner of the vessel, Christiania Gas, announced on December 29 that the crew was released and being repatriated. …
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