Vessel Hunter News
Maritime, in motion
COSCO Rejects Claims That Its Ships Carry Hidden Intelligence Equipment
COSCO Shipping has issued a statement firmly opposing allegations that its vessels carry concealed platforms to intercept military communications near coastlines.
EU Forces Board a Sixth Tanker in the Mediterranean for Flag Verification
Italian forces boarded the crude tanker Sun from helicopters and launches on 30 August, the sixth flag verification by EUNAVFOR IRINI since its mandate was extended this year.
IMO Secretary General Rules Out Hardening Merchant Ships Against Missiles
Asked at SMM whether shipping ought to reinforce vessels against missile and drone attack, the IMO Secretary General answered no, and repeated the call for ships to stay out of the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan Rejects a $27 LNG Cargo and Faces Longer Rolling Blackouts
Pakistan turned down the single cargo offered in its latest emergency LNG tender at $26.969 per mmBtu, and has issued a fresh tender while blackouts in Karachi run up to 24 hours.
QatarEnergy Extends LNG Force Majeure Into November as Hormuz Stays Shut
QatarEnergy has told European and Asian buyers that cargo cancellations now run into early November, with one Italian utility alone losing 29 cargoes since April.
Iran Turns on Inbound Tankers and Lengthens Its Non-Compliant List to 57
Iranian forces have started striking and turning back tankers heading into the Persian Gulf, while the IRGC's list of non-compliant vessels has grown from 46 to 57 in a week.
US Strike on Larak Island Pre-empts a Rocket-Launched Sea Mine Barrage
CENTCOM fired on IRGC positions on Larak Island to destroy two Iranian rockets about to be launched, in what appears to have been an attempt to re-mine the Strait of Hormuz.
Two Filipino Seafarers Die Aboard the VLCC Sidr as the Hormuz Toll Reaches 18
Bahri's 300,759 dwt Sidr was hit by projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, killing two of the 16 Filipino crew and lifting the confirmed seafarer death toll to at least 18.
Maritime Briefing, 4 September 2026: Hormuz, Anchorages, Yard Capacity
Iranian tankers stacking up off Galle and Johore, a tug lost with six missing off Busan, and Panama paying $191.7m for full control of its oil pipeline corridor.
South Korea Takes Offshore Wind Site Selection Into State Hands With 25 GW Target
Seoul has approved a planned-siting regime that shifts offshore wind site selection from developers to the government, targeting 25 GW of preliminary development zones by 2031.
Singapore Warns Owners and Agents Over False Vessel Data Filed for Port Calls
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has warned that false or unverifiable information on identity, ownership, cargo or trading history could bring enforcement action.
Brussels Stops the Clock on the Saipem and Subsea7 Phase II Merger Review
The European Commission has suspended its in-depth investigation into the Saipem and Subsea7 merger while it waits for further information, pushing the timetable towards 2027.
Minerva Marine Sells Two 2006-Built Ice-Class Tankers to Chinese Buyers
The Greek owner is selling the ice class 1A aframax Minerva Nounou for more than $40m and the MR Minerva Xanthe for around $16m, both to Chinese buyers.
Chilean Operator Prepares a Punta Arenas to Falklands Cargo Service for November
Easter Island Naviera has agreed with the Falkland Islands Development Corporation to launch a direct cargo service from Punta Arenas, cutting the South American supply leg by half.
Yangzijiang Maritime Signs for Up to 12 More Newbuildings Across Two Chinese Yards
The Singapore-listed owner has extended an ordering run spanning dry bulk, product and chemical tankers with up to 12 more ships at Jingjiang Nanyang and Qidong Qianyao.
Diana Shipping Cuts Its Genco Holding Below 10% After Selling 275,000 More Shares
Diana Shipping has sold another 275,000 Genco shares for about $7.26m, taking its holding to roughly 9.5% and ending its status as a 10% beneficial owner.
Germany Rewrites Its Offshore Wind Law With Contracts for Difference and 35-Year Lives
Berlin has approved an amendment to the Wind Energy at Sea Act introducing two-sided contracts for difference and extending standard project operating life from 25 to 35 years.
Tug TNS Catcher Capsizes While Turning a Box Ship off Busan, Leaving Six Missing
One seafarer has died and six are missing after the tug TNS Catcher rolled over and sank while assisting the 5,576 teu MSC Ikaria VI off Busan.
US Customs Weighs Demanding Foreign Export Filings From Importers Before Cargo Sails
Customs and Border Protection has opened consultation on rules that could require importers to supply foreign export declarations and trace products further back through their supply chains.
The Architect of STX Returns to Shipbuilding Through a Stake in SK Oceanplant
Kang Duk-soo, who built and then lost the STX empire, is returning to shipbuilding through the consortium taking control of SK Oceanplant for about $298m.
Felixstowe and Charleston Join a Pink Corridor Study for Nuclear Powered Box Ships
A UK to US pink corridor project will study what would be required to run a nuclear-powered container ship between Felixstowe and Charleston, from safeguards to insurance.
Panama Pays $191.7m for Full Ownership of Its Cross-Country Oil Corridor
Panama has bought the remaining 41% of Petroterminal de Panama, taking full state ownership of a pipeline and terminal system that works as a second canal for hydrocarbons.
Iranian Tankers Ride at Anchor off Sri Lanka and Malaysia With Nowhere to Discharge
A US naval blockade of Iranian ports has left a fleet of empty tankers stranded at anchorages off Galle and east of Johore, most of them unladen and many under sanctions.
Norway Seizes the Professor Molchanov at Barentsburg on a Naftogaz Crimea Claim
A Russian research vessel turned expedition cruise ship has been seized in Svalbard on behalf of Naftogaz, which holds a $4.22bn award over assets lost in Crimea in 2014.
Georgia Moves to Let Ships With Ten or More Crew Sail a Month Without a Qualified Cook
A legislative package before the Georgian parliament would let the Maritime Transport Agency waive the qualified cook requirement in cases of exceptional necessity.
Tug Seized off the Canary Islands With 3,361 Kilograms of Cocaine in 139 Bales
Spanish forces intercepted the tug GT Victory in the Atlantic near the Canary Islands with more than 3,300 kilograms of cocaine on board, in one of the largest seizures recorded in the islands.
ABB Takes the Power and Propulsion Package for New Zealand's Cook Strait Ferries
Two 200-metre rail-enabled ferries being built at Guangzhou Shipyard International for 2029 delivery will use ABB power, propulsion and automation across the Cook Strait crossing.
US Attack Submarines Have Spent 41 Ship-Years Idle Waiting for Shipyard Capacity
A watchdog report puts a decade of US attack submarine maintenance delays at 41 ship-years and warns that boats waiting to be decommissioned could cost $3.1bn over the next five years.
Iran Seizes a Sugar-Laden Bulk Carrier Over an Oil and Sludge Discharge in Hormuz
Iranian authorities seized a bulk carrier after images showed oil being discharged into the Strait of Hormuz, adding a pollution case to a strait Tehran already polices for transit fees.
Turkish, Chinese and Vietnamese Yards Deliver a Wave of Tugs Into Latin America
SAAM Towage, Svitzer, Boluda and Wilson Sons have all taken delivery of new harbour and escort tugs for Central and South America and the Caribbean in recent months.
Ten Weeks Left on the China-US Port Fee Truce as the 9 November Deadline Nears
The suspension of US Section 301 port fees and China's matching special port dues expires on 9 November 2026, putting ownership and build country back at the centre of trans-Pacific deployment.
China, Russia and Kazakhstan Weigh an Ob-Irtysh River Route to the Russian Arctic
A revived Ob-Irtysh corridor would let Chinese goods reach Russian Arctic ports at the base of the Yamal Peninsula, but ice, drought and hydropower locks stand between the plan and the cargo.
Second Jan De Nul Dredger Arrives at Anaklia to Take the Port Down to 17.5 Metres
The dredger Al-Idrisi has entered Anaklia Deep Sea Port in Georgia, where two Jan De Nul vessels will now work together to deepen the seabed to 17.5 metres.
Peter Dohle Adds Two More 14,000 teu Ships at Hudong-Zhonghua, Taking the Series to Six
The Hamburg owner has extended its container ship newbuilding programme with two more 14,000 teu vessels at the CSSC yard, bringing its total order there to six ships.
NYK Takes Half of Avenir LNG to Build a Bunkering Venture With Stolt-Nielsen
Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha has completed the purchase of a 50% stake in Avenir LNG from Stolt-Nielsen Gas, creating a joint venture around one of the largest LNG bunker vessel fleets.
Hormuz Stalemate Keeps Brent Near $86 With a $100 Risk Case in the Forecasts
The EIA has lifted its third-quarter Brent forecast by $11 to about $85 a barrel, while Rabobank now sees $90 for both the third and fourth quarters of 2026.
Maritime Briefing, 3 September 2026: Hormuz, Strikes, Korean Yards
Two VLCCs struck minutes apart in Hormuz, Rotterdam stopping for eight hours, and Chinese yards taking 57.8% of the world's LNG carrier orders.
GMI Doubles Its Hydrogen Bulker Programme to Four Ships With an Indian Order
Green Maritime Infrastructure has ordered two more compressed-hydrogen bulkers at India's Chowgule Shipyard, joining two larger vessels already under construction in Turkey.
Sweden Signs for Four French-Built Frigates in a Lulea Class Configuration
Sweden has finalised the contract for four frigates based on the French FDI design, in a configuration the country says will triple its current air defence capability.
MARAD Cuts Its Title XI Application Fee by 80% in a First Overhaul Since 1978
The US Maritime Administration has cut the application fee for its federal vessel and shipyard financing programme to $1,000 and replaced the investigation fee with a commitment fee.
Mein Schiff 7 Takes 25 Cubic Metres of Methanol in a Cruise Sector First
TUI Cruises has completed a demonstration methanol bunkering aboard Mein Schiff 7, the first cruise ship built methanol-ready, using fuel from renewable feedstocks delivered by road tanker.
DP World Names Its First Methanol Dual-Fuel Box Ship, the 1,250 teu DP World London
DP World Shipping Solutions has named its first methanol dual-fuel container vessel, a 148-metre 1,250 teu feeder built in China and delivered in April 2026.
MOL Folds Six Ship Managers Into One Singapore Company Running 200-Plus Ships
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has completed the merger of six group ship management companies into MOL Global Ship Management, creating a single organisation overseeing more than 200 vessels.
Tsakos Releases More Than $100m by Selling Two 2006-Built Suezmaxes
Tsakos Energy Navigation is selling another two ageing suezmaxes, releasing more than $100m into cash reserves as younger tonnage arrives from a 26-vessel newbuilding programme.
Tidewater and Helix Close Offshore Deals a Day Apart as Consolidation Runs On
Tidewater completed its $500m purchase of Wilson Sons Ultratug on 31 August, and Helix Energy Solutions merged with Hornbeck Offshore Services and adopted the Hornbeck name from 1 September.
Weather Drove 84.6% of Urgent Maritime Safety Messages Sent During 2025
Inmarsat Maritime has combined three years of GMDSS distress data with an analysis of 106,975 safety broadcasts transmitted in 2025, with storms making up 75% of identified weather hazards.
Four in Five Crew Deaths Are Caused by Illness Rather Than Accidents
An analysis of nearly 3,000 crew claims found 81% of fatalities were illness-related and only 19% resulted from injury, with cardiovascular disease the single largest cause.
EU Recycling Yards Used 5% of Their Capacity While Owners Beached 345 Ships
Research covering 2019 to 2025 finds around 30 EU yards with 1.3m ldt of capacity used just five percent of it, while 66% of EU tonnage was beached in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Never miss a move
Maritime, in motion. In your inbox.
The vessel sales, incidents, and market moves worth knowing, sent as they happen.