The Houthis launched two new attacks on April 26, 2024, the 26th, marking the third consecutive day of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. They claimed to have attacked the 'Andromeda Star' and 'Maisha'. The UK Maritime Organization also confirmed that the incident occurred 14 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukha, Yemen near the northern part of the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The captain of the 'Andromeda Star' reported that two missile attacks caused minor damages to the vessel. Despite the attack, the vessel, en route from Primorsk to Vadimar, continued transmitting signals indicating it had no contact with Israel. The 'Cochi' of the Indian Navy assisted the ship, and all 30 crew members, including 22 Indians, were reported safe. The destroyer intercepted the tanker, and did an aerial assessment. A team from the Navy also boarded the tanker to undertake a residual risk assessment. They said the vessel was deemed safe and continued its voyage. The missile directed to the 'Maisha' exploded close to the vessel. The master of the vessel stated that the crew onboard felt the repercussions. The tanker was en route from Cochin to the Suez Canal. The case of the 'Andromeda Star' is of particular interest, as it belongs to the so-called shadow fleet hauling Russian oil around the world. The aframax was bought in Nov 2023 by the Seychelles company Algae Marine. After a collision with the Bulgarian cargo m/'Peace' in the Danish Strait, it turned out that the ship’s insurance documents were not valid and the vessel’s emergency generator was faulty, raising again concerns about the potential for an environmental catastrophe with a number of near-disasters reported among the ageing fleet of tankers of the shadow fleet
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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.
GALAXY LEADER
The European Parliament called on the EU to take immediate measures to free the hostages taken by Yemeni Houthis during the attack on the 'Galaxy Leader', including three Ukrainian citizens. The European Parliament has drawn up a resolution concerning the hostage of crew members by Iran-backed Houthi forces, adopted on April 25 during a meeting in Strasbourg. The document was voted in favor by 357 MEPs, against by 20, and 58 abstained. “The European Parliament… Calls on the EU and its Member States to strengthen and intensify efforts to secure the safe and immediate release of all hostages taken (on board) the Galaxy Leader, including two Bulgarian, one Romanian and three Ukrainian nationals, who have been held by the Houthis since November 19, 2023,” the resolution noted. In addition, the European Parliament called on the EU High Representative and Member States to step up diplomatic efforts in this context and to engage all relevant parties to ensure the safe return of the captured Europeans without further delay. The document notes that Iran keeps the Yemeni Houthis under direct control and provides them with substantial military support. International shipping severely affected The International Chamber of Shipping has called on the international community to act to secure the immediate release of all 25 crew members of the 'Galaxy Leader', who have been seized by military force and held hostage by the Houthis.
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.
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.