Russia has said that restrictions imposed by Norway had been blocking the supply of goods to Russian-populated settlements on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. On June 29th it threatened unspecified acts of retaliation unless the issue was resolved by Norway. Svalbard is part of Norway, but Russia has the right to exploit the archipelago’s natural…
US authorities make checks on oil tanker arrived from Russia
US authorities have prevented a tanker from unloading in New Orleans what they said Russian oil, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday June 28th. The vessel was later identified on one site as being the Daytona (IMO 9528043) US authorities confirmed to Reuters that they had stopped an oil tanker traveling from Russia to…
EC backs Norway’s offshore oil and gas industry
The European Commission has executed a rapid change in energy policy and is now expressing strong support for offshore oil and gas E&P off Norway. Although the EU is a major consumer of oil and gas it has over past years not encouraged further exploration and production. The EC in particular has emphasized the bloc’s…
Uninsured Black Sea gas platform launched off Romania
A new Black Sea offshore gas platform was officially launched off Romania on Tuesday June 29th, reportedly uninsured and uncovered for war risk, reports Reuters. The project by Black Sea Oil & Gas (BSOG), controlled by US private equity firm Carlyle Group LP CG.O, is Romania’s first offshore Black Sea development in three decades. BSOG…
UK Club sees “frenetic” time for ship owners in lead up to December’s MEPC 78
the months between now and MEPC 79 (scheduled for December 12th to 16th 2022) are expected to be nothing short of frenetic for ship owners, according to UK Club, which noted that the first deadline for vessels to submit their EEXI technical files for approval was January 1st 2023. At MEPC 77 in November 2021…
FMC launches initiatives to improve ocean supply chain
The US Federal Maritime Commission has announced three new initiatives that will aim to assist US shippers and improve performance in the ocean supply chain. The new initiatives were the result of the multi-year fact-finding investigation led by commissioner Rebecca Dye into issues in the international ocean supply chain stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. In…
Marine accident round-up : 30th June 2022
Car carrier Angara (IMO 9124043) caught fire on June 25th in the Japan Sea when it was about some 55 nm north of Toyama, Honshu, Japan. The ship, which was loaded with second-hand cars, left Fushiki during the afternoon of June 24th, bound for Vladivostok with an ETA of June 26th. All 25 Russian crew…
Crystal Cruises will resume operations in 2023 under new owners, UK Club takes over cover
Crystal Cruises and two of its ships have been bought by private equity operation Heritage Group, led by Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, and will operate through travel company A&K Travel Group. The P&I insurer is now UK Club (effective June 15th). Crystal Cruises had to be sold after the collapse of its parent Genting Hong Kong…
War in Ukraine has raised global shipping costs and stifled trade: UNCTAD
Container shipping and global value chains have been disrupted and many countries have had to look further afield for suppliers of oil, gas and grain, according to a new report from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), entitled “Maritime trade disrupted: The war in Ukraine and its effects on maritime trade logistics”. It…
Amadea appears in San Diego, flying American flag
Superyacht Amadea (IMO 1012531), linked to Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov and seized by US authorities in Fiji in a controversial legal move, has arrived in San Diego, flying the USA flag. The Amadea docked in San Diego on Monday morning, June 27th. It had spent a few days in Honolulu after the US hired a…