Vessel Hunter News
Maritime, in motion
Typhoon Shuts Zhoushan Bunker Anchorages as Asian Lead Times Stretch
Typhoon-driven disruption has halted bunkering at two outer anchorages in China's Zhoushan hub, while supply tightens in Singapore and South Korean lead times stretch.
Qatar LNG Exports Collapse 96 Percent to Just 18 Cargoes in Six Months
Qatar's LNG exports have fallen 96 percent over six months to 18 cargoes from 509 a year earlier, leaving an estimated $24bn shortfall in gas sales.
Damen Launches Fast Crew Supplier Tumar for Kazakh Emergency Ministry
Damen has launched the Fast Crew Supplier 2710 Tumar for Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations, three months after the contract was signed.
US Navy Waives Post-Shakedown Period for Submarine USS Massachusetts
The US Navy has completed shakedown trials on USS Massachusetts and waived the boat's post-shakedown availability, citing its material condition and combat readiness.
Eastern Pacific Expands Orca AI Rollout After 130,000-Mile Trial
Eastern Pacific Shipping will install Orca AI's navigation platform on dozens more vessels after a five-ship trial covering more than 130,000 nautical miles.
Navios Partners Posts 274 Million Dollar First-Half Net Income
Navios Maritime Partners reported net income of $274.3m for the first half of 2026 as its multi-segment fleet absorbed disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea.
Cocaine Found Hidden in Sea Chest Strainers of Ship Off Singapore
More than 28kg of cocaine was found concealed in the sea chest strainers of a foreign-registered vessel transiting Singapore's waters.
Report Flags Invasive Species Risk From Gulf of California LNG Traffic
A study finds proposed LNG export projects in Mexico's Gulf of California could raise the risk of invasive species arriving through ballast water discharge and hull biofouling.
K Line Move Makes Kobe Terminal Handler of 40 Percent of Port Trade
K Line will begin operations at Kobe International Container Terminal on 1 September, a move that will see the facility handle nearly 40 percent of the port's foreign trade boxes.
BW LNG Stretches the 174,000 CBM Workhorse to a 177,000 CBM Design
BW LNG has detailed a 177,000 cbm three-tank LNG carrier design that adds cargo capacity while keeping the dimensions and terminal compatibility of the 174,000 cbm class.
RSGT and CMA CGM Commit 434 Million Dollars to Jeddah Terminal
Red Sea Gateway Terminal and CMA CGM have signed an agreement to develop and operate a terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port in an investment worth about $434m.
Sri Lanka Opens Four Mannar Basin Blocks in 2026 Licensing Round
Sri Lanka has launched its 2026 offshore licensing round, offering four exploration blocks covering nearly 34,000 square kilometres in the Mannar basin.
Hijacked Tanker Showed Years of Tracking Gaps Before Pirate Seizure
A tanker now held by Somali pirates went dark for stretches of up to 102 days across 2024 and 2025, long before the hijacking, tracking data shows.
Arctic LNG 2 Fleet Grows to 18 Carriers as China Shipments Climb
Novatek and its partners now run a fleet of at least 18 gas carriers serving the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, with 31 shipments delivered to China this year.
Black Sea Attacks Drive Global Grain Shipments Down Eight Percent
Global grain shipments have fallen 8 percent year on year over five weeks, driven by a 26 percent collapse in Black Sea exports as attacks on ships and port infrastructure intensify.
Wind Propulsion Fleet Passes 100 Vessels Ahead of SMM Hamburg
More than 100 commercial vessels now operate wind propulsion systems, and the sector will stage its largest showcase yet at the SMM maritime fair in Hamburg.
Kongsberg to Equip Solstad and SBM Offshore Deepwater Newbuild
Kongsberg Maritime will supply integrated systems and deck machinery for a multi-purpose deepwater installation vessel ordered by Solstad Offshore and SBM Offshore.
Boskalis Joint Venture Completes 53 Million Pound Dover Reclamation
A Boskalis Westminster and McLaughlin & Harvey joint venture has finished the final reclamation stage at the Port of Dover, adding 10 hectares of port land.
Philippine Coast Guard Accepts Two Ex-US Patrol Boats Named for Spratly Islands
The Philippine Coast Guard has formally accepted two ex-US Coast Guard Marine Protector-class patrol boats, to be recommissioned under the names of two Philippine-occupied Spratly islands.
More Than 200 Chinese Vessels Mass Near Philippine-Held Shoal
More than 200 Chinese vessels have gathered around Mischief Reef in the South China Sea, raising concerns over pressure on the Philippine-controlled Second Thomas Shoal 25 miles away.
Ulsan Signs Arctic Route Agreement With Wagenborg and Korean Agency
Ulsan Port Authority has signed a tripartite agreement with Royal Wagenborg and the Korea Maritime Promotion Corporation to develop the port as a hub for Arctic route shipping.
Tanker Call at Ushuaia Draws Provincial Protest Over Falklands Law
The governor of Tierra del Fuego has condemned the arrival of the tanker VS Promise at Ushuaia as British, in a dispute over federal control of the port rather than the ship's registry.
Harland & Wolff Wins Margaritaville's Third Cruise Ship Conversion
Margaritaville at Sea has selected Harland & Wolff to convert the former Costa Fortuna, its largest ship, ahead of a January 2027 introduction and a new homeport in Galveston.
MARAD Takes Delivery of Fourth Training Ship TS Lone Star State
The US Maritime Administration has taken delivery of TS Lone Star State, the fourth National Security Multi-Mission Vessel, which will serve Texas A&M Maritime Academy.
Great Lakes Towing Completes Ten-Tug Fleet Renewal With Puerto Rico
The Great Lakes Towing Company has delivered Puerto Rico, the tenth and final harbour tug in a fleet renewal programme launched in 2016 and built to a Damen design in Cleveland.
Three-Year Lashing Bridge Trial Puts Polyurethane Ahead of Epoxy
A three-year coating trial aboard the container ship Maersk Hamburg found 0.3% corrosion on a polyurethane-coated lashing bridge against 15% on an epoxy system that received regular maintenance.
MacGregor Gangway Certified for Transfers Between Two Floating Vessels
MacGregor's Horizon gangway has received DNV certification for floating-to-floating personnel transfer, enabling motion-compensated walkways between two independently moving vessels.
MacGregor Develops Ship-to-Well Bow Transfer System for Liquid CO2
MacGregor has developed a liquid CO2 bow transfer system enabling direct ship-to-well and ship-to-rig transfer, removing the need for onshore buffer and conditioning facilities.
Van Oord Completes All 111 Monopiles at Poland's Baltica 2 Wind Farm
Van Oord has installed all 111 monopile foundations at the 1.5 GW Baltica 2 offshore wind farm in the Polish Baltic, using two installation vessels working in parallel.
Technip Energies Lands Detailed Engineering Role on ADNOC Offshore Job
Technip Energies has been selected by Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon to provide detailed engineering services for a major ADNOC Offshore project in the United Arab Emirates.
SLB Takes Reservoir Role on Norway's Havstjerne Carbon Storage Project
SLB has been selected as strategic reservoir partner for the concept and FEED phases of the Havstjerne carbon storage project in the Norwegian North Sea.
BP Hands Halliburton Integrated Contract for Bumerangue Appraisal
BP has awarded Halliburton an integrated drilling and evaluation contract for the first appraisal campaign at the Bumerangue deepwater discovery offshore Brazil.
Solstad Wins $62m Petrobras Contract for CSV Normand Valiant
Solstad has secured a two-year contract with Petrobras worth about $62m for the construction support vessel Normand Valiant, starting in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Deadly Fire Clouds the Launch of Russia's $10bn Amur Polymer Complex
A fire at Russia's Amur Gas Chemical Complex has killed seven workers and left nine missing, casting doubt over the launch of a polymer export stream bound largely for Asian markets.
US Military Strikes Alleged Drug Vessel in the Eastern Pacific
US Southern Command has struck an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific, killing two people, in an operation that has now claimed more than 200 lives since last September.
Spain Arrests Ten Smugglers Who Opened Fire on a Customs Patrol Boat
Spanish forces have arrested ten smugglers who opened fire on a customs patrol boat off Huelva, seizing six tonnes of hashish and a second vessel serving in support.
Tugboat Sual 1 Sinks Off Zambales After Beaching Attempt Fails
The tugboat Sual 1 has sunk off Botolan in Zambales after being intentionally grounded to prevent its loss, with all crew rescued and no injuries reported.
Bangladesh Fines Shipbreaking Yard $4,000 After Nine Gas Deaths
Bangladesh has fined Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries about $4,000 for operating without valid environmental clearance, days after nine workers died in a toxic gas accident.
Kongsberg Doubles Satellite Fleet Tracking Dark Vessels and AIS Spoofing
Kongsberg will add three satellites to its N3X maritime surveillance constellation in early 2027, doubling the fleet to six as it expands coverage for detecting dark vessels and AIS manipulation.
Swedish Club Lifts First-Half Underwriting Result to $3.6m
The Swedish Club reported a first-half underwriting result of $3.6m and a combined ratio of 96%, with free reserves standing at $282m at the end of June.
Diana Shipping Sells $32m of Genco Stock After Takeover Bid Collapses
Diana Shipping has sold 1.2m Genco Shipping & Trading shares for just over $32m following the collapse of its nine-month takeover campaign, cutting its stake to 11.62%.
China Merchants Moves to Take Control of Boxship Operator Antong
China Merchants Energy Shipping is moving to take control of domestic container carrier Antong Holdings, lifting its combined stake to 24.84% ahead of a shareholder vote on 28 August.
Brussels Clears CMA CGM and TotalEnergies LNG Bunkering Joint Venture
The European Commission has cleared a joint venture between CMA CGM and TotalEnergies for LNG bunkering in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp range, with a new supply vessel due in 2028.
CMA CGM Narrows $2,000 South America Surcharge to Contract Cargo
CMA CGM will keep a $2,000 peak season surcharge on dry containers from India's west coast, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to South America's east coast, but limit it to long-term contracts from September.
Hapag-Lloyd and ZIM Launch Weekly Asia to Brazil Service From September
Hapag-Lloyd and ZIM will launch AS3, a weekly Asia to South America East Coast service, on 13 September, connecting five Chinese ports with five Brazilian gateways.
Hapag-Lloyd Adds Central Europe Congestion Surcharge on Low Rhine Water
Hapag-Lloyd will apply a congestion surcharge of €50 per container or per teu on inland shipments routed through Antwerp or Rotterdam, citing low water levels on the Rhine.
Container Schedule Reliability Falls to 62.6% as Peak Season Bites
Global container schedule reliability fell from 64.5% in May to 62.6% in June, with nearly 40% of vessels missing published schedules and average delays of 5.3 days.
Maersk Approaches Its Fleet Limits as Utilisation Hits 96%
Maersk chief executive Vincent Clerc says demand resilience has pushed vessel utilisation to 96% and second-quarter ocean volumes up 4.1%, forcing a reassessment of fleet expansion.
Never miss a move
Maritime, in motion. In your inbox.
The vessel sales, incidents, and market moves worth knowing, sent as they happen.
How we make the news
Vessel Hunter News is written with AI, working from maritime news reporting and the primary documents behind it, to fixed editorial rules. Every article passes an automated quality check before it is published, and Vessel Hunter is responsible for what it says. How our news is made. We correct what we get wrong. Mail contact@vesselhunter.io and tell us what to look at.