HMS 'Diamond' shot down a missile fired at a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden by Iranian-backed Houthis on April 24, 2024. The warship used a Sea Viper missile system to shoot down the missile, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said: “I want to thank the brave crew of HMS Diamond for her vital role in saving innocent lives and protecting international shipping from illegal Houthi attacks.”
News
MSC ARIES
In the case regarding Indian crew members aboard the 'MSC Aries', seized by Iran, the Ministry of External Affairs said on April 25 that one of the 17 Indian crew members has safely returned to India and the others were safe. They will be released once their contractual obligations have been accomplished. The Ministry asked for consular access for the 16 seafarers, and the officers met them. Their health was good, and there was no problem of any kind on the ship. Concerning their return, there were some technicalities and contractual obligations. Once they are done, their return will be decided. This came as the Iranian envoy to India, Iraj Elahi, has said that the Indian crew members of the 'MSC Aries' wre not detained and that they were free to go.
Lisbon
The Alcantara container terminal in Lisbon announced this week plans to invest 122 million euros (137.4 million U.S. dollars) by 2038 to modernize and streamline the operational activity of its port infrastructure.
Basrah Offshore Oil Terminal
July 16: A fire at Iraq’s southern Basra offshore oil export terminal briefly halted crude loading operations on Tuesday but was put out and loading resumed, Iraqi oil officials said. The fire occurred in a residential section of the terminal accommodating workers and did not directly damage oil infrastructure, a port official and sources in the Basra Oil Company said. “Fire erupted at around 5 am (0200 GMT) and it was put out in two hours. We had to halt crude loading operations for three hours for safety issues,” said a port official who was speaking from the Basra port. Basra port has restored full operations with no stoppage at the oil exports jetties, said a statement from the state-run Basra Oil Company. Four workers suffered minor injuries, it added.
NEWNEW POLAR BEAR
The 'Newnew Polar Bear' remains the prime suspect in causing damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline between NATO members Finland and Estonia, Finnish investigators said on April 25, 2024. It has been over six months since substantial, human-made damage that caused a major drop in pressure was first detected in the Balticconnector pipeline in Finnish economic waters on Oct. 8. Finland and Estonia's gas system operators were forced to shut it down, disconnecting a crucial link between the Nordic and Baltic gas markets for several months. The pipeline, which runs across the Gulf of Finland between the Finnish town of Inkoo and the Estonian port of Paldiski, was reopened this week after multimillion-euro repair work. The National Bureau of Investigation, a branch of the Finnish police, said that it still believed that an anchor of the 'Newnew Polar Bear', which was en route to St. Petersburg, Russia, was dislodged and caused the damage detected in Balticconnector. The investigation has progressed, and there has been cooperation with the Chinese authorities probing the case. The Finnish investigators haven't said whether they believed the damage allegedly caused by the Chinese vessel was done intentionally or whether it was caused by incompetent seafaring. The Finnish maritime authorities said at the time of the incident they failed to establish radio contact with the captain of the 'Newnew Polar Bear' despite several attempts.
MSC DARWIN VI
Yemen's Houthi group on April 26, 2024, claimed responsibility for an attack on the 'MSC Darwin VI', en route from Aden, in the Gulf of Aden and the launch of missiles toward the Israeli city of Eilat with a number of naval missiles and drones. The group consistently describes MSC-operated ships as "Israeli" for uncertain reasons. The master of the attacked ship reported a loud bang heard and a splash and smoke seen coming from the sea. He reported the vessel and all crew are safe. Military authorities" were sent to the scene to provide support. The ship berthed at the Dorealeh Container Terminal in Djibouti at 4.20ß a.m.
Sydney
Australia’s biggest port operator DP World is telling dock workers that 200 jobs will be made redundant in Sydney and Melbourne as the company grapples with stalled union negotiations and growing commercial pressures. DP World Australia’s chief operating officer Andrew Adam told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald that the company had no choice but to shed 200 staff – 100 in Melbourne (on top of 50 stevedores who will leave the business this week) and 100 in Sydney. About 1800 stevedores work at the company. “It’s a decision not taken lightly, but we’ve lost volume and market share since last year,” Mr Adam said.
Manzanillo
The Mexican government is upgrading the Port of Manzanillo, one of the country’s main Pacific Ocean ports, with four new terminals. The terminals will include a specialized container facility with capacity to handle 1.75 million TEUs per year, another for agricultural bulk, one more for mineral bulk and one specialized for hydrocarbons.
ANGARA
China has provided a berth for the 'Angara', which is under US sanctions and transports weapons, in Zhoushan. The British Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) claimed that the Angara has been anchored in the port of Zhoushan in China's Zhejiang province since Feb 2024. According to the British think tank, since August last year, the vessel has transported thousands of containers to Russian ports, which allegedly contained weapons from North Korea. The presence of a Russian vessel under sanctions in a Chinese port was further evidence that China is helping Russia wage war, despite repeated warnings from the USA that such assistance is unacceptable. It is expected that China's support for Russian aggression will be the main topic of discussion during Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's visit to Beijing. The United States has warned allies of China's expanding support for Russia, including the provision of geospatial intelligence. Allegedly, China has provided Russia with satellite imagery, microelectronics, machine tools for manufacturing tank components, optics and rocket fuel, and expanded cooperation in the space sector. Report with photo: https://mind.ua/en/news/20272812-china-allows-russian-arms-ship-to-use-its-berth
COLOR HYBRID
On April 25, 2024, at 11:45 a.m. the 'Color Hybrid' had to turn around on the first sailing of the day between Sandefjord and Strømstad. Two passengers needed medical assistance. 20 minutes after the ferry set off on the day's first trip to Strømstad, the ship was back in Sandefjord. Two ambulances attended at the port, once the ship had docked. The incident led to some delays, but the company Color Line hoped that the afternoon departures could go as scheduled. Report with photo: https://www.sb.no/hybriden-matte-avbryte-seilas-returnerte-til-sandefjord/s/5-73-1828718
Tanger-Med
Nippon Express France, S.A.S. (hereinafter, “NEF”), a subsidiary of Nippon Express Co., Ltd., has opened a Tanger Med Logistics Center in the Moroccan port of Tanger Med, and this Center began operations on Wednesday, June 26, as NEF’s second location in Morocco.
Sohar
US-based McDermott International has received a contract to provide front-end engineering design (FEED) services for the Sohar LNG Bunkering Project in Oman. The project has an aim of establishing Oman as a regional LNG bunkering hub capable of supplying LNG as a fuel to marine vessels. Under the deal, awarded by Total Oman E&P Development B.V. in partnership with Oman Oil Company S.O.A.C., the scope of work during the FEED phase includes fully defining the onshore mid-scale LNG facilities and preparing a competitive tender for the engineering, procurement, supply, construction and commissioning phase.