The Houthis claimed over the weekend to have widened their area of operations, having targeted three merchant ships as well as US frigates, including one attack in the Indian Ocean. Security consultants however have not confirmed the attacks. and there is a history of the Houthis overstating the success of their naval attacks in the six months that they have been conducting strikes on merchant shipping in support of seeking a truce between Israel and Hamas. The Houthis claimed to have launched missiles against the 'Hope Island', the 'MSC Gina' and the 'MSC Grace F'. The ships were in three separate locations, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, a significant ramp-up in terms of the geographic spread of attacks, if confirmed. Early indications suggested that none of these ships has been damaged.
News
ICON OF THE SEAS
Edmond Bradley Solomon III, a 66-year-old South Carolina resident, was missing on the 'Icon of the Seas' in the port of Cozumel on April 3, 2024. The former VA critical care nurse had disappeared minutes after getting off the ship. Solomon was recently diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. Solomon and his wife Mimi disembarked from the ship around 1:30 p.m. and stopped for a restroom break before leaving the terminal, where he disappeared. Solomon was reported missing just after 8 p.m., and a search and rescue operation was launched at 9 p.m. During the search, local police received a call from a taxi driver who claimed to have picked up a tourist matching Solomon’s description at around 2:30 p.m. and was asked to drop the American off at a road with beach access. Solomon had paid for the ride using his watch because he claimed he didn’t have any money. The search focused on the vicinity of Isla de la Pasión and all the beaches and businesses in the northern hotel zone were visited, without success. The couple had boarded the 'Icon of the Seas' on March 30 in Miami, Florida and made stops in Costa Maya, Mexico and Roatan, Honduras before docking in Cozumel around 8 a.m. Report with photo and video: https://nypost.com/2024/04/07/us-news/royal-caribbean-passenger-edmond-solomon-missing-in-mexico-vacation/
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.
MSC GINA
The Houthis claimed over the weekend to have widened their area of operations, having targeted three merchant ships as well as US frigates, including one attack in the Indian Ocean. Security consultants however have not confirmed the attacks. and there is a history of the Houthis overstating the success of their naval attacks in the six months that they have been conducting strikes on merchant shipping in support of seeking a truce between Israel and Hamas. The Houthis claimed to have launched missiles against the 'Hope Island', the 'MSC Gina' and the 'MSC Grace F'. The ships were in three separate locations, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, a significant ramp-up in terms of the geographic spread of attacks, if confirmed. Early indications suggested that none of these ships has been damaged.
MEGASTAR
On April 6, 2024, the 'Megastar' allided with a quay in Helsinki due to strong gusts of wind. The passengers hardly noticed the impact. The ship suffered minor damage. After an inspection, the ferry was allowed to set sail for Tallinn at 3 p.m. with a delay of 1,5 hours. .
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.
NUYINA
The 'Nuyina' remains at the center of controversy with the latest report highlighting that it has not carried out any scientific voyages since its launch in 2021. The icebreaker, which is operated by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), has experienced mechanical failures which have raised concerns. as the new Australian federal government report criticizes the fact that the ship has not carried out any scientific expeditions. The only form of scientific research, according to the AAD, arrived in February2024 with its first contribution to a decades-long multinational program studying the tiny marine plants and animals of the Southern Ocean. The 'Nuyina' conducted the survey while sailing to the Casey research station. Before that, the vessel had initially been withdrawn after arriving in Australia due to an electrical problem. During the launch in 2022, it experienced a shortage of spare parts which delayed the first missions until 2023. “The Australian Antarctic Division is struggling to leave enough time on the ship to deliver marine science", the report stated, adding that with Antarctic science being a major benefit the government sought from the investment in the icebreaker, it may be necessary to consider whether the single-ship model is going to achieve all that is required in the Australian Antarctic Programme. The 'Nuyina' is equipped with four permanent scientific laboratories and can accommodate 20 more in additional containers for specialized research projects that will evolve in the coming decades. She can accommodate 117 people and 32 crew for 92 days at sea.
DALI
The Unified Command began to remove containers from the 'Dali' at the Key Bridge on April 7 as part of the effort to gain access to the portion of the bridge that lies atop the ship. The transfer of containers from the the 'Dali' will continue in the coming days, as weather permits. In parallel, wreckage and debris removal continued at the site, including portions of Span 19 that were taken to Sparrows Point, Maryland. While marine traffic was still limited, one vessel has transited through in the last 24 hours, totalling 32 since the creation of the temporary alternate channels. Report with video: https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/post/update-11-multimedia-release-removal-of-containers-onboard-m-v-dali-commences-at-site-of-key-bridge
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.
Jiangyin
Norwegian shipping and tank terminal company Odfjell SE has finalized the sale of its stake in Odfjell Terminals Jiangyin (OTJ), China. The indirect 55% equity interest in OTJ has been sold by Odfjell Terminals Asia Holding to Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) for a price of about USD 46 million.