Vessel Hunter News
Maritime, in motion
Wagenborg leaves roro sector with sale of two ice-class ships
Royal Wagenborg is leaving the pure roro sector with the sale of two ice-class sister vessels and a long-term contract to Wallenius SOL.
BP puts North Sea business up for sale
BP has launched a process to sell its North Sea business, ending an association with the basin that has run for six decades.
GTT expects 550 more LNG carriers to be ordered by 2035
GTT expects around 550 LNG carriers to be ordered by 2035, on top of an orderbook already equal to almost two fifths of the trading fleet.
Oil barge breaks loose in Hong Kong typhoon shelter
An oil barge broke free during severe typhoon Noul, struck a breakwater and drifted in among moored craft at a Hong Kong typhoon shelter.
Dutch sheerlegs joins salvage of collapsed crane at Port of Tyne
The floating sheerlegs Matador 3 has arrived at the Port of Tyne to lift a collapsed quay crane off a container ship.
Rescuers pull 48 from sunken Vietnamese cargo ship
Chinese, Vietnamese and Philippine units have recovered 48 of the 62 people aboard a Vietnamese cargo ship that sank near Fiery Cross Reef.
US icebreaker Healy suffers engine casualty on sea trials
The United States Coast Guard icebreaker Healy was towed back to Seattle after a significant engineering casualty during post-refit sea trials.
TKMS drops Kiel yard bid, leaving Rheinmetall alone in race
TKMS has withdrawn from the bidding for German Naval Yards Kiel over price, leaving Rheinmetall as the only remaining bidder.
Belgium seeks alternatives as joint frigate programme slips
Belgium is seeking alternatives to its joint anti-submarine frigate programme with the Netherlands after cost growth and repeated delays.
Canada picks TKMS for up to twelve submarines
Canada has named TKMS preferred supplier for up to twelve Type 212CD submarines in its largest ever defence procurement.
UK court refuses bail to captain of detained shadow fleet tanker
A British court has refused bail to the master of the first shadow fleet tanker detained by the United Kingdom, with trial set for December.
EU adds more than 40 shadow fleet vessels to sanctions list
The European Union has added more than 40 shadow fleet vessels to its sanctions list, several of them regular visitors to Arctic waters.
India confirms attack on LPG tanker in Iranian waters
India has confirmed an attack on an LPG tanker carrying 28 Indian crew in Iranian waters, hours after a seafarer was killed in the Black Sea.
Tanker reported destroyed by mine in Strait of Hormuz
An oil tanker is reported to have exploded in the Strait of Hormuz after striking a naval mine outside the corridor designated by Iran.
Turkish cargo ship badly damaged as Black Sea attacks multiply
A Turkish-owned general cargo ship has been seriously damaged by drone fire in the Black Sea as attacks on merchant vessels multiply.
Iran rejects Omani plan to share management of Hormuz
Iran has rejected an Omani proposal to share management of the Strait of Hormuz and is demanding control of the entire inbound lane.
Washington sanctions Iranian insurance scheme for Hormuz transits
Washington has sanctioned two Iranian companies selling mandatory insurance to ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, along with eight tankers.
Houthis weigh toll system for Bab el-Mandeb transits
Yemen's Houthis are studying a scheme to charge commercial ships for passage through Bab el-Mandeb.
New Zealand awards first offshore exploration permit since lifting drilling ban
EnZed Energy secured a 12-year permit in the Taranaki Basin, the country's main oil and gas-producing region.
Shearwater Geoservices wins Australian carbon storage survey
The Norwegian seismic specialist's SW Bly will begin a 3D survey of the Bonaparte Basin's carbon storage potential in the third quarter.
Golden Energy Offshore secures new UK North Sea PSV contract
The Norwegian owner's 2015-built Energy Pace will operate on the UK Continental Shelf for what the company calls a first-class international charterer.
Borr Drilling completes $287 million rig deal with Paratus unit
The acquisition of five premium jack-up rigs was carried out through a joint venture with Borr's well construction partner in Mexico.
Nickel ore trade surges, reviving safety concerns
Seaborne volumes climbed more than 22% year on year in the second quarter, boosting demand for supramax and ultramax bulkers.
HD Hyundai launches first vessel from revived Subic yard
The 250-metre Orion Jade marks the start of full-scale shipbuilding operations at the Philippine facility after a steel-cutting ceremony last September.
COSCO advances $1.1 billion Tianjin shipbuilding base
The greenfield yard, featuring two VLCC-scale drydocks, will occupy nearly 146 hectares in the city's Lingang Economic Area.
Zodiac Maritime lines up eight boxships at China's Hengli yard
The order for 6,400 TEU containerships extends Eyal Ofer's newbuilding programme to more than $1.6 billion, with deliveries running into 2029.
Diana Shipping threatens to cut Genco takeover price
The Athens-based owner cites a $50 million drop in its US rival's fleet value since early June to justify a potentially lower offer.
Houthis strike fourth Saudi-linked tanker since declaring blockade
The group targeted the chemical and products tanker NCC Ghazal with ballistic missiles, keeping pressure on the Red Sea despite a partial traffic recovery.
US-Iran attacks resume, unsettling Hormuz shipping again
A missile exchange between Iranian and American forces ended a recent lull, with Jordan also intercepting projectiles over its territory.
Drone war pushes Russia to weaponise commercial shipping
Ukraine says its naval drones have struck more than 200 Russian-linked vessels in just over three weeks, prompting Moscow to arm grain carriers.
Rhine heads toward historic low as barge traffic keeps moving
A forecast gauge reading of just 24 centimetres at Kaub on 1 August underscores the severity of this summer's drought, though inland shipping has not ground to a halt.
German industry bodies take calm view of early Rhine low water
Asked whether the current drought points to a recurring climate-driven pattern, both organisations played down the need for alarm.
Pindustry takes majority stake in maritime simulator builder VSTEP
The Rotterdam-based simulation specialist gets a new majority shareholder as its founding family steps back from ownership.
Twente Board chair criticises Rijk's communication on Twentekanalen closure
Ank Bijleveld-Schouten says the full shutdown of the Twentekanalen was carried out without timely warning or a clear plan for shippers to fall back on.
TGS wins 100-day ocean bottom node contract in AMME region
Oslo-listed seismic specialist TGS has won a new ocean bottom node contract covering the Africa, Mediterranean and Middle East region.
Noble posts $37 million loss in second quarter on rig suspensions
Offshore driller Noble reported a $37 million net loss for the second quarter of 2026 after rig suspensions in Brazil and a Black Sea exit hit revenue.
L&T and Hitachi Energy secure framework deal for TenneT's 2GW wind programme
Larsen & Toubro and Hitachi Energy have secured a framework cooperation agreement covering a 2GW offshore wind transmission programme with TenneT.
Apollo invests $1.5 billion in Keppel-managed legacy rig fund
Apollo has agreed to invest $1.5 billion in a new Keppel-managed fund set up to hold up to ten legacy offshore drilling rigs.
Pan Ocean confirms new VLCC pair at Qingdao Beihai shipyard
South Korea's Pan Ocean has confirmed its latest pair of ammonia-ready VLCC newbuildings at CSSC-controlled Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding.
Aruna Shipping orders up to ten ultramax bulk carriers in China
Turkey's Aruna Shipping has signed for up to ten ultramax bulk carriers at a Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding operation in Zhoushan, China.
Diana Shipping lets Genco tender expire but keeps takeover bid alive
Diana Shipping has let its hostile tender offer for Genco Shipping expire, but its $27.34-per-share takeover proposal for the US dry bulk owner remains on the table.
Boskalis puts new trailing suction hopper dredger Seaway to work
Boskalis has put its newly delivered trailing suction hopper dredger Seaway into service on its first coastal protection assignment.
Saronic Technologies plans multibillion-dollar shipyard in Texas
Saronic Technologies is planning to invest billions of dollars in a new megayard in Texas, expanding into large-scale US naval shipbuilding.
Two injured after inland vessel collides with kayaks
Two people were injured after an inland shipping vessel collided with kayaks on a Dutch waterway, prompting an emergency response.
Stena Line reports growing share of UK car ferry crossings
Stena Line says its share of passenger car crossings between the UK and mainland Europe has grown as the ferry operator competes on some of the busiest short-sea routes.
Tebezo wins contract worth up to €17 million to dredge Overijssel waterways
Dutch dredging contractor Tebezo has secured a contract worth between thirteen and seventeen million euros to maintain waterways across Overijssel.
Crew member dies aboard Hapag-Lloyd vessel on the Westerschelde
A crew member has died aboard a Hapag-Lloyd vessel transiting the Westerschelde, prompting a response from waterway traffic authorities.
Barge operators question TNO findings on higher FAME biofuel blends
A new TNO report on higher FAME biofuel blends in inland shipping has reopened debate, with barge operators questioning whether the practical trial behind it is representative.
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