Maritime Law in Focus as Protecting Subsea Infrastructure Comes to the Fore
Centuries-old international maritime law has to be updated to outlaw damage to undersea infrastructure such as cables and pipelines, the Estonian justice minister told Reuters after cables connecting it to Finland were again damaged this week.Finnish authorities on Thursday seized a ship carrying Russian oil in the Baltic Sea on suspicion it caused the outage of an undersea power cable connecting Finland and Estonia a day earlier…
Medvedev Hurls Accusations at Norwegian Vessel; Photos Suggest Otherwise
A Norwegian shipping company rejected an accusation from Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, that it refused to rescue sailors from a sinking Russian cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea.Medvedev accused the Norwegian-flagged Oslo Carrier 3 of not coming to the aid of sailors on board the Ursa Major cargo ship, which carries out missions for the Russian Defence Ministry's military construction arm.
NATO Bolsters Baltic Sea Ops in Wake of Cable Sabotage
NATO will boost its presence in the Baltic Sea after the suspected sabotage this week of an undersea power cable and four internet lines, while alliance member Estonia launched a naval operation to guard a parallel electricity link. Finland on Thursday seized a ship carrying Russian oil on suspicion the vessel had caused an outage of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable linking it with Estonia and fibre optic lines…
SubChapter M Towboat Rules Six Years Later: "Scorecard is a Mixed Bag"
The more than half decade that has passed since the inception of the subchapter M towboat rule affords an up-close-and-personal look at how it is going. The scorecard is a mixed bag.More than six years ago, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) began inspecting towing vessels for compliance with the new towboat rules; specifically, 46 CFR Subchapter M. It has been a long road to compliance with many starts and stops, and much learning on both sides of the law.Has it been a success?
Shell Shuts Down Oil Processing Unit in Singapore Due to Suspected Leak
Shell has shut down one of its oil processing units at the Shell Energy and Chemical Parks at Pulau Bukom in Singapore, to facilitate investigation into a suspected leak in the system, Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and National Environment Agency (NEA) said.The oil processing unit is used to produce refined oil products such as diesel. Water drawn from the sea is used as part of the…
Towing Vessel Safety Today, By the Numbers
A famous racecar driver once deadpanned, “That which is in the rearview mirror is not my concern.” Here in the inland marine industry, we also like to keep our eyes on the forward horizon, but it is also instructive to look back every now then, especially with measurable metrics at our fingertips. Fortunately, the American Waterways Operators (AWO) and the U.S. Coast Guard collaborate annually to measure such important things.On August 5, 2024, AWO and the U.S.
Estonia Launches Navy to Protect Baltic Sea Power Link After Baltic Sea Outages
Estonia's armed forces have launched a naval operation to protect the Estlink 1 undersea power cable in the Baltic Sea in response to the damage this week of a parallel electricity line, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Friday.Finland on Thursday seized a ship carrying Russian oil on suspicion the vessel caused an outage of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable which, like Estlink 1, connects Finland and Estonia, and that it also damaged four internet lines.Baltic Sea nations are on high ale
First Russian Ice-Class LNG Carrier Hits Water
The first Russian-built ice-class liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier has entered sea trials, LSEG data showed on Friday, as part of Russia's efforts to raise global LNG market share despite U.S. sanctions.The tanker, named Alexey Kosygin after a Soviet statesman, was built at the Zvezda shipyard and is due to join the fleet of vessels for Russia's new Arctic LNG 2 plant, which has been delayed because of the U.S. sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.The U.S.
