Oman Warns of Suspected Floating Mine in Hormuz, Reinforcing Shipping Industry Fears
Oman’s Maritime Security Centre issued a navigation warning after a floating object, suspected to be a naval mine, was sighted near the Inshore Traffic Zone in the Strait of Hormuz. The alert underscores persistent mine threats that industry groups have warned could linger even after hostilities subside. U.S. officials confirm ongoing mine‑countermeasure operations, while shipping organisations stress that verified clearance is essential before traffic normalises. The warning revives concerns that safety, not just openness, will dictate the waterway’s commercial recovery.
Three Offshore Platforms Resume Production At Iran’s South Pars Gas Field
Iran announced that three offshore platforms at the South Pars gas field have resumed production after a brief shutdown caused by Israeli attacks on on‑shore processing facilities. The platforms were undamaged and are now feeding gas to alternative processing plants...
Ukrainian Drones Strike Port, Oil Depot In Southern Russia
Ukrainian drones struck a tanker and refinery in the Black Sea port of Taganrog and ignited an oil depot in Armavir, Russia. Russian air defenses reported downing 127 drones, including about 50 in the Rostov region. Fires were extinguished, no...
U.S. Warns Ships Ignoring Orders in Hormuz May Be Treated as Threats
The U.S. Joint Maritime Information Center issued two new advisories warning commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz that non‑compliance with U.S. naval orders could be deemed an imminent threat and met with proportionate self‑defense measures. The notices reaffirm the...
Chinese COSCO Tanker Delivers Asphalt to Connecticut Under Jones Act Waiver
A Chinese‑flagged COSCO tanker, Jin Zhou Wan, sailed from New Orleans to New Haven delivering asphalt under the Trump administration’s 501(a) national‑security Jones Act waiver. The voyage, tracked by gCaptain, has become a flashpoint for the American Maritime Partnership, which argues the...
World’s Top Economic Bodies Warn Hormuz Disruptions Are Draining Oil Inventories at Record Pace
Four leading global institutions – the IEA, IMF, World Bank and WTO – issued a rare joint warning that ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are rapidly depleting oil inventories. Shipping through the chokepoint remains far below pre‑war levels,...
Quarter of Big Oil Tankers Trapped by Iran War Have Escaped
About a quarter of the non‑Iranian super‑tankers stranded in the Persian Gulf after the February 28 closure of the Strait of Hormuz have now slipped through. Bloomberg data shows 29 of the 109 vessels capable of carrying 700,000 barrels or more...
U.S. Targets Iran Shipping Network With New Sanctions
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced a new sanctions round targeting a global network of shipping firms, tanker operators and commercial intermediaries linked to Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical trades. Entities in Hong Kong, the UAE, India, Qatar, Singapore,...
U.S. Treasury Warns Oman Over Hormuz Toll System
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Oman that Washington will aggressively sanction any country or entity that helps implement an Iranian‑linked toll system in the Strait of Hormuz. The warning follows new sanctions on Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA)...
TotalEnergies Made Middle East Oil Mega-Trades After Noticing US Navy Buildup in Gulf in February, CEO Says
TotalEnergies bought large volumes of Middle‑East crude in March after its traders spotted a U.S. Navy buildup in the Persian Gulf. The French major became the sole buyer that month, snapping up roughly 35 million barrels (about 70 Oman and Murban...
Russia Sends Arctic LNG 2 Cargo East Along Northern Sea Route in Rare May Voyage
Russia’s ice‑class LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie began an unusually early eastbound transit of the Northern Sea Route on May 28, after loading cargo from the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project. The move reflects below‑average ice concentrations in the Kara Sea, which are extending...
Blue Water Marine Capital and Horizon Offshore Services Announce Strategic Cross-Purchase Agreement
Blue Water Marine Capital and Horizon Offshore Services have completed a 25% cross‑purchase stock transaction, forging a strategic partnership between the Maryland‑based maritime financier and the Houston‑based offshore services provider. The deal aligns Blue Water’s vessel‑financing expertise with Horizon’s offshore...
Scorpio Tankers Dumps Older LR2 Tankers in $286 Million Fleet Shakeup
Scorpio Tankers announced the sale of four older LR2 product tankers for a total of $285.8 million while signing a letter of intent to acquire two new MR scrubber‑fitted vessels at $46.25 million each, with delivery slated for 2030. The company also...
Fed Official Says Global Energy Demand May Need to Fall if Hormuz Stays Shut
Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan warned that a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could force the world to curtail oil and gas consumption. The strait, which carries about 20% of global oil and LNG shipments, has been throttled...
LNG Tanker Exits Hormuz For India For First Time Since War Began
A liquefied natural gas tanker, Al Hamra, has left the Strait of Hormuz carrying a cargo for western India, marking the first Indian‑bound LNG shipment from the Persian Gulf since the Iran‑U.S. conflict began. The vessel loaded at ADNOC’s Das Island...