22 JAN 2021 The largest single shipment of ethane to date departed the terminal in Texas bound for China. The gas, which is a derivative stripped from natural gas, is in strong demand, especially in Asia, where it is used as an alternative to butane and propane by the petrochemical …
Read More »SPACEX CONVERTS TWO ULTRADEEPWATER RIGS INTO ROCKET LAUNCH PADS
21 JAN 2021 Commercial space flight operator SpaceX has purchased two oil rigs from Valaris for conversion into seagoing rocket launch pads, according to multiple reports and court records. Orbital launch trajectories are heavily affected by location, and a sea-based launch site allows the operator to optimize the rocket’s payload …
Read More »DOZENS OF BULKERS REMAIN STRANDED OFF CHINA AS COAL STANDOFF DRAGS ON
20 JAN 2021 At this point in the COVID-19 pandemic, seafarers have become all too used to bureaucratic obstacles to crew change. But a different form of inertia has stranded more than 60 bulkers and their crews off the coast of China, where they await resolution to a diplomatic standoff …
Read More »SHIP REPAIR: A FINANCIAL BALANCING ACT
19 JAN 2021 Shipowners have limited options to access financing for ship repair, given the capital-intensive nature of vessel repairs also represents a financial risk for shipyards. Typically, a shipowner must fund the entire capital cost of vessel repairs from its own cash resources, although it may in exceptional cases …
Read More »LAST-MINUTE TERROR DESIGNATION ENDANGERS FOOD LIFELINE FOR YEMEN
18 JAN 2021 A U.S. State Department decision to blacklist Yemen’s Houthi rebel group may interfere with efforts to prevent a massive spill in the Red Sea – and lead to starvation on shore. On January 10, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group (also …
Read More »IRAN TEST-FIRES BALLISTIC MISSILES 100 MILES FROM CARRIER STRIKE GROUP
17 JAN 2021 On Saturday (16TH JAN’21), Iran conducted a test of its medium-range ballistic missiles over the Indian Ocean, landing at least one within 100 miles of the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group. At least one other missile landed within 20 miles of a merchant vessel, U.S. Navy officials told …
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