krogragg

Category: Americas

  • Halliburton seals Petrobras deal

    Halliburton seals Petrobras deal Houston-headquartered energy service giant Halliburton has won a contract from Petrobras for integrated drilling across several offshore fields in Brazil. The contract scope covers development and exploration wells over three years and significantly expands Halliburton’s drilling services footprint in the pre-salt and post-salt areas, the New Yourk-listed company said. “This contract…

  • Fastest growing flag data brings shadow fleet into light

    Fastest growing flag data brings shadow fleet into light San Marino, Guyana, Sierra Leone, Comoro Islands, Guinea Bissau and most notably Guinea are the flag states that stand out for their extraordinary fleet growth in the latest data compiled in Clarksons Research’s World Fleet Monitor, statistics that highlight the whack-a-mole game authorities in the West…

  • Panama Canal, Paris Agreement and Gulf of Mexico: the three shipping takeaways from Trump’s first hours back

    Panama Canal, Paris Agreement and Gulf of Mexico: the three shipping takeaways from Trump’s first hours back Wresting back control of the Panama Canal, renaming the Gulf of Mexico and exiting from the Paris Agreement were three of the shipping takeaways in the first hours following the inauguration of Donald Trump yesterday as the 47th…

  • Shipping readies to navigate new Trump era

    Shipping readies to navigate new Trump era Today marks the end of the Joe Biden administration in the US, one of the most profitable four-year periods for shipping. With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the shipping industry has many questions about what the future of global trade holds, some of which…

  • Beijing dismisses US shipbuilding probe

    Beijing dismisses US shipbuilding probe China’s commerce ministry on Friday dismissed a US investigation targeting China’s shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors, describing it as marked by “unilateralism and protectionism”. The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office on Thursday said it has found China’s targeted dominance of the global shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors is “unreasonable” and…

  • Foresea seals $70m boost under Petrobras drillship deal

    Foresea seals $70m boost under Petrobras drillship deal Brazilian drilling contractor Foresea is adding $70m to its backlog under an existing drillship deal with Petrobras. The company established in June 2023 from the restructuring of Ocyan’s drilling unit fixed its floater Norbe VIII in September of the same year to the state-controlled oil giant for…

  • Prosafe pens $110m flotel extension with Petrobras

    Prosafe pens $110m flotel extension with Petrobras Offshore accommodation vessel specialist Prosafe has signed a contract extension with Brazilian oil giant Petrobras for one of its semisubs. The vessel in question is the 2015-built Safe Zephyrus which will be used for safety and maintenance support offshore Brazil. The original 650-day firm period was due to…

  • US east coast strike averted

    US east coast strike averted The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have reached a tentative agreement on all items for a new six-year master contract averting a potentially damaging strike on the US east and Gulf coasts next week. The two sides agreed to continue to operate under the current…

  • COSCO seeks to defuse Pentagon spat

    COSCO seeks to defuse Pentagon spat COSCO, the world’s largest shipping company, has sought to downplay news carried by Splash yesterday that it has been added to a list of companies the US Department of Defense views as having links to the People’s Liberation Army. While being on the Pentagon’s blacklist carries no specific penalties,…

  • COSCO targeted by the Pentagon over alleged ties to the People’s Liberation Army

    COSCO targeted by the Pentagon over alleged ties to the People’s Liberation Army COSCO, the world’s largest shipping company, is among a host of Chinese shipping-related names added to a list of companies the US Department of Defense views as having links to the People’s Liberation Army. While being on the Pentagon’s blacklist carries no…

  • Revisiting national security in the context of global commerce

    Revisiting national security in the context of global commerce In light of the US rejection of the Nippon Steel and US Steel deal, Wolfgang Lehmacher discusses the ongoing erosion of trade agreements. The erosion of trade agreements, particularly through the invocation of national security exceptions, poses significant challenges to the international economic landscape. The recent…

  • US east coast port talks set to resume

    US east coast port talks set to resume Talks are set to resume tomorrow between employers and dockworker unions across the US east and Gulf coasts in a last-ditch bid to avert a strike pencilled in for January 15.  Following a three-day strike last October, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) reached an agreement with the…

  • Crowley acquires mooring specialist Main Line

    Crowley acquires mooring specialist Main Line US shipping conglomerate Crowley has bolstered its harbour services through the acquisition of compatriot vessel mooring business Main Line. The Florida-based company said the move would provide its customers calling on the ports of Seattle and Tacoma “with a comprehensive solution for their vessel mooring and ship assist needs”.…

  • Transpetro in for four tanker newbuilds at local yards

    Transpetro in for four tanker newbuilds at local yards Brazil’s Transpetro has selected builders for four handysize product tankers as part of a fleet renewal and expansion program that foresees the construction of 25 vessels for the Petrobras subsidiary.  A deal worth $278m in total for 15,000 dwt – 18,000 dwt newbuilds is set to…

  • Equinor secures $3bn in financing for US offshore wind project

    Equinor secures $3bn in financing for US offshore wind project Norwegian energy giant Equinor has secured a $3bn financing package for its Empire Wind 1 project in the US. The company explained that the project was able to secure competitive terms due to strong interest from lenders. “The final group of lenders includes some of…

  • TotalEnergies, Vantage Drilling form drillship-owning entity

    TotalEnergies, Vantage Drilling form drillship-owning entity Offshore drilling contractor Vantage Drilling has created a joint venture entity with French energy major TotalEnergies, which will own the Tungsten Explorer drillship. The creation of the JV, named TEVA Ship Charter, aligns with the memorandum of understanding signed between the two companies in February 2024. Under the terms…

  • Noble bags $84m Suriname gig with Petronas

    Noble bags $84m Suriname gig with Petronas Offshore driller Noble Corp has won a deal for the high-specification semisubmersible rig Noble Developer to drill three wells offshore Suriname for Petronas. The contract is expected to begin around June 2025, with an estimated duration of 200 days. The firm contract value is approximately $84m including additional services…

  • One of Constellation’s stars nets $61m worth of work from Petrobras

    One of Constellation’s stars nets $61m worth of work from Petrobras Brazilian offshore driller Constellation Oil Services has bagged an extension of a contract for one of its semi-submersible drilling rigs with Petrobras. The contract extension was awarded to the Atlantic Star and is for an additional period of up to 301 days. The extension…

  • Windward to be acquired by US investor FTV Capital for $270m

    Windward to be acquired by US investor FTV Capital for $270m London-listed Israeli predictive maritime intelligence firm Windward is set to be acquired by US investment firm FTV Capital in a deal valued at £216m ($270m) million. Windward will be bought out by Octopus UK Bidco, a subsidiary of FTV Capital’s investment fund at 215p…

  • Seatrium wins contract for Gulf of Mexico production unit from BP

    Seatrium wins contract for Gulf of Mexico production unit from BP Singapore shipyard group Seatrium has signed a contract with energy supermajor BP for engineering, procurement, construction, and onshore commissioning work for the Kaskida floating production unit set to be deployed in the US Gulf of Mexico. The Kaskida project is a greenfield development located approximately…

  • Panama president hits back at Trump over canal takeover threat 

    Panama president hits back at Trump over canal takeover threat  Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino, has rejected US President-elect Donald Trump’s comments that his new administration could move to take back control of the Panama Canal after accusing the country of charging excessive rates on US ships. Speaking at his post-election rally in Arizona over…

  • Saipem back in business in Brazil

    Saipem back in business in Brazil A Brazilian court has informed Italian offshore engineering and construction giant Saipem that it can resume normal operations in Brazil. Saipem was suspended from signing new contracts with the Brazilian public administration for two years following a probe into alleged irregularities surrounding a deal signed with Petrobras in 2011.…

  • MSC boss Soren Toft takes the chair at World Shipping Council

    MSC boss Soren Toft takes the chair at World Shipping Council Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) chief executive Soren Toft has been elected as the new chairman of the liner lobby group, the World Shipping Council (WSC). Randy Chen, vice chairman of Taiwanese containerline Wan Hai, has been elected vice chair. Toft and Chen will serve…

  • EnTrust strikes deal on cash offer for Belships

    EnTrust strikes deal on cash offer for Belships US asset management firm EnTrust Global is set to launch a voluntary cash tender offer to take over Norwegian bulker owner Belships.  Blue Northern, a special purpose vehicle formed by funds managed by the Blue Ocean maritime investment team at EnTrust, will offer NOK20.50 per share in…

  • Giant 400,000 dwt VLOC sets new wind installation record

    Giant 400,000 dwt VLOC sets new wind installation record Anemoi Marine Technologies has completed the installation of five rotor sails onboard the 400,000 dwt VLOC Sohar Max making it the largest vessel to receive wind propulsion technology to date. Sohar Max is a first-generation Valemax, built in 2012 in China’s Rongsheng shipyard, and owned by…

  • Ineos buys CNOOC’s US assets

    Ineos buys CNOOC’s US assets Ineos Energy has acquired the Gulf of Mexico business held by the US subsidiary of Chinese company CNOOC International Limited. The deal increases Ineos’ production globally to over 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. These assets in the Gulf of Mexico are the third major investment by the company…

  • Kosmos Energy confirms takeover talks with Tullow Oil

    Kosmos Energy confirms takeover talks with Tullow Oil US oil and gas player Kosmos Energy has confirmed that it is in preliminary discussions to take over the UK-based independent exploration firm Tullow Oil. Both companies issued statements which confirmed the discussions after media reports speculated on the possibility of the deal happening. Kosmos said in…

  • Trump comes out in support of dockworkers in automation battle on US east coast

    Trump comes out in support of dockworkers in automation battle on US east coast President-elect Donald Trump has backed dockworkers in their automation battle with employers on the US east and Gulf coasts, citing his America first mantra. Unionised workers and employers have not been able to agree terms for a new labour deal, with…

  • DHT offloads oldest ship 

    DHT offloads oldest ship  New York-listed supertanker specialist DHT is selling its oldest ship for $43.4m. The Svein Moxnes Harfjeld-led VLCC owner said it had struck a deal with an undisclosed buyer for the 2006-built DHT Scandinavia. Delivery of the Hyundai-built unit is expected in January 2025. DHT said the ship is debt-free and expects…

  • Trump’s plans and what we can do to secure supply

    Trump’s plans and what we can do to secure supply Wolfgang Lehmacher delves into the expected changes, their potential impacts, and strategies businesses can adopt to navigate Trump 2.0. The political landscape is shifting with Donald Trump’s recent election, which could significantly change trade flows and disrupt global supply chains. The anticipated policies of the…

  • SLB lands contract for all Petrobras’ offshore fields in Brazil

    SLB lands contract for all Petrobras’ offshore fields in Brazil Houston-based oilfield service giant SLB has won a contract from Petrobras for integrated services across all the operator’s offshore fields in Brazil. Under the contract, estimated at about $800m, SLB will oversee the construction of more than 100 deepwater wells, utilising advanced drilling, cementing and…

  • Premier Alliance launch delayed as US demands more details

    Premier Alliance launch delayed as US demands more details The Premier Alliance, a new Asian liner grouping, had planned to start selling bookings later this week, something that will now likely have to be put on hold following intervention from the US. The Premier Alliance is made up of members of the soon-to-disappear THE Alliance,…

  • Seacor Marine orders PSVs in China as it clears out AHTS fleet

    Seacor Marine orders PSVs in China as it clears out AHTS fleet US offshore vessel owner and operator Seacor Marine has ordered two platform supply vessels at China’s Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027. The deal with the yard, which earlier this year also…

  • Maritime Partners celebrates closing new financing solution for shipping

    Maritime Partners celebrates closing new financing solution for shipping Louisiana-based Maritime Partners is celebrating the closing of a $750m, first-of-its-kind warehouse facility, which will be collateralised by three wholly owned business lines within one of its managed funds with a syndicate of lenders led by ATLAS SP Partners. The initial portfolio includes Jones Act tankers,…

  • Douglas Wheat steps down as chairman of International Seaways

    Douglas Wheat steps down as chairman of International Seaways Douglas Wheat has stepped down as chairman of New York-listed International Seaways. The industry veteran who has chaired Seaways’ since November 2016, will be replaced by Ian Blackley – the company’s board member and former top man at its predecessor Overseas Shipholding Group. “Wheat’s resignation was…

  • Meta taps into Norden’s biofuel offering 

    Meta taps into Norden’s biofuel offering  Danish shipping giant Norden has sealed a deal with Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta for the use of sustainable fuels in its maritime supply chains. The owner of Facebook, which has set a goal of reaching net-zero emissions across its value chain in 2030, has signed up for the so-called Book…

  • Why Trump’s return is neither good nor bad for shipping

    Why Trump’s return is neither good nor bad for shipping Donald Trump will soon be back in the Oval Office. Pierre Aury wonders whether we are entering a time loop. A 78-year-old man will soon be the 47th president of the US. He will be replacing an outgoing president who was also 78 when he…

  • Is Trump dead set on protectionism?

    Is Trump dead set on protectionism? Andrew Craig-Bennett muses on what the imminent swearing in of the 47th president of the United States means for international merchant shipping. The Old Man said, “I mean to hang on Till her canvas busts or her sticks are all gone…” Which the darned fool did, till at last…

  • TechnipFMC, Saipem score huge deals for work on TotalEnergies Suriname field

    TechnipFMC, Saipem score huge deals for work on TotalEnergies Suriname field French energy major TotalEnergies has awarded TechnipFMC and Saipem billions in contracts for its GranMorgu project in Block 58 offshore Suriname. TechnipFMC’s contracted scope for the project includes Subsea 2.0 tree systems, manifolds, connectors, and topside control equipment. The company will also supply umbilicals,…

  • McDermott awarded decommissioning contract offshore Australia

    McDermott awarded decommissioning contract offshore Australia Houston-based offshore contractor McDermott has secured decommissioning work for Santos offshore Western Australia. The contract worth between $50m and $250m covers engineering, procurement, removal and disposal of the Harriet Alpha platform and associated infrastructure. The Harriet Alpha platform is one of the largest facilities slated for decommissioning and will…

  • Winners and losers from Trump’s return

    Winners and losers from Trump’s return ‘Drill, baby, drill’ and ‘liquid gold’ were two of the phrases president-elect Donald Trump repeated during his victory rally in Florida yesterday and a common consensus is building among shipping experts that the Republican’s return to the White House will be positive for tankers, but less so for container…

  • The shipping consequences of Mr Trump

    The shipping consequences of Mr Trump Splash’s lead columnist has been forced out of silence by the results in America. I have on my wrist a wristwatch made in the year of my birth -1952. It was made in two stages – the movement was made in Le Locle, in Switzerland, by the firm of…

  • Pelagic Partners charters out tanker to International Seaways

    Cyprus-based owner and shipping fund manager Pelagic Partners has sealed a charter deal with US tanker player International Seaways for one of its LR1 vessels. The 2009-built Pelagic Turbot has been fixed long-term to the New York-listed owner and operator following its recent docking. The 73,400 dwt unit is the second ship International Seaways has…

  • Canada faces port strikes on east and west coasts

    Canada is facing the real threat of strikes on both its west and east coasts.  Employers at British Columbia’s ports say they have received 72-hour strike notice from the union representing about 700 foremen in an ongoing labour dispute.  The B.C. Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) said yesterday that if the International Longshore and Warehouse Union…