Asia News

Express Global announces the opening of its new office in Singapore, marking a step forward in the continued expansion of the Cosulich Logistics brand across the Asia Pacific region.The new branch strengthens Express Global’s presence in one of the world’s most strategic logistics hubs, enhancing the company’s ability to support customers, partners and stakeholders across Southeast Asia. The Singapore office contributes to strengthening a more connected and integrated regional…

French engineering firm GTT has secured an order from the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding shipyard for the tank design of five new liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers on behalf of MISC, the ship-owner.GTT will design the cryogenic tanks of the vessels, which will each offer a total capacity of 174,000 m3.The tanks will be fitted with the NO96 Super+ membrane containment system developed by GTT.Delivery of the vessels is expected between 2029 and 2030.

South Korean shipper HMM said on Wednesday it had secured a vessel to tow a bulk carrier it operates to a port in Dubai after an explosion and fire damaged the ship, which had been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.U.S. President Donald Trump blamed the incident on an Iranian attack, while South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the cause of the fire would only be confirmed after the vessel was towed back to port and inspected.HMM said in a text message that the damaged vessel was expected to arrive in Dubai on Thursday night or Friday morning Seoul time.The Panama-flagged ship…

Norwegian offshore vessel owner and subsea services provider DOF Group said it has secured a contract for subsea commissioning support services in the Asia-Pacific region, with offshore operations planned in North Australian waters.The company said its vessel Skandi Inventor will be deployed for the campaign, which is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2027 and is expected to last between 120 and 180 days.The scope of work includes project management, engineering, procurement…

Brent crude futures retreated on Tuesday but held near $114 a barrel following fresh hostilities in the Middle East, while investors monitored developments in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.The U.S. and Iran launched new attacks in the Gulf on Monday as they wrestled for control over the Strait of Hormuz with duelling maritime blockades, shaking a fragile truce.Brent crude futures LCOc1 eased 93 cents, or 0.8%, to $113.51 per barrel at 0719 GMT after settling up 5.8% on Monday. U.S.

Panama-flagged tanker Idemitsu Maru, carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi oil, crossed the Strait of Hormuz, LSEG shipping data showed on Tuesday, becoming the first Japan-linked crude tanker to do so since the Iran war began.Before the U.S.-Iran conflict broke out on February 28 and disrupted Middle East crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, Japan relied on the region for 95% of its oil imports, much of it coming via the Strait of Hormuz.The move comes as Japan's recent diplomatic efforts to safeguard energy supplies were disrupted by the war.Earlier in April…

Mooring and anchoring specialist Mooreast Holdings has granted an option to sell its leasehold property in Singapore for $23.3 million, aiming to boost offshore wind activities at new location.The company said it expects net proceeds of about $15 million after settling outstanding loans and transaction costs related to the 51 Shipyard Road property, with funds to be redeployed toward its newly acquired facility at 60 Shipyard Crescent in Singapore.The property sale remains subject to conditions including approval from Jurong Town Corporation and Mooreast shareholders…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and its partners have secured approval in principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the basic design of an unmanned autonomous rocket recovery vessel.The project is being developed with Innovative Space Carrier and TSUNEISHI SOLUTIONS TOKYOBAY.The approval covers the overall offshore recovery system, including the recovery vessel, a support vessel and an onshore control system.MOL said the concept is designed to support offshore rocket…

Seatrium has completed the divestment of its fleet of 17 tugboats in Singapore, following an earlier announcement in February.The company said the transaction was completed on April 24, 2026.The divestment, along with other non-core asset sales, is expected to deliver more than $39.1 million (S$50 million) in annualized cost savings.The tugboats were sold in January 2026 for $81.5 million (S$104 million) through Seatrium Marine Services to KST Maritime and its affiliate Maju Maritime…

South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean said in its first-quarter earnings presentation on Monday that uncertainty is rising over demand for commercial vessels due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.The market for very large crude carriers (VLCCs) has been hit hard by the Iran war, the company said, as shipping rates have soared with some crude carriers stuck in the Strait of Hormuz.The demand for container vessels is forecast to decline as worries mount over inflation and the slow growth of the global economy amid the war, the company said.In the long term, demand for commercial vessels

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore has launched an Offshore Center of Excellence in Asia Pacific to support offshore energy projects.The center will combine regional teams in Singapore, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur with the company’s global technical network to support oil and gas and offshore renewable energy developments.The initiative comes as offshore projects increase in scale and complexity, requiring coordinated expertise across multiple disciplines and supply chains.Bureau Veritas said the center will provide a single hub for services including classification…

Iran said it had captured two container ships seeking to exit the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after firing on them and another vessel, in its first seizures since its war with the United States and Israel began in February.Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported the seizures and added its Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy had warned that any disruption to order and safety in the strait would be considered a "red line."The seizure of one of the ships, the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca…

Ocean services provider DeepOcean has secured a contract to support installation of inter-array cables at the TPC offshore wind farm phase 2 (TPC-II) off Taiwan.The scope includes installation of cables connecting turbines to offshore substations, as well as engineering and project management services.DeepOcean will work with Dong Fang Offshore and use the subsea vessel Orient Adventurer, which has been upgraded with new remotely operated vehicles, an under-deck carousel and a cable lay system.“We look forward to working together with Dong Fang Offshore on this significant project.

Malaysia-based offshore support vessel (OSV) provider Nam Cheong has sold two vessels for $36.7 million, including its first newbuild sale in more than a decade.The transactions include a newly built multi-purpose support vessel (MPSV) and a 120-tonne anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel, which was 16 years old and divested following the completion of its charter contract in the first quarter of 2026.Both vessels were delivered in the second quarter of 2026 to a vessel operator…

Oil prices jumped on Wednesday with Brent trading above $100 a barrel, erasing earlier losses following reports of gunfire attacks on at least three container ships in the Strait of Hormuz.Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up $1.59, or 1.6%, at $100.07 a barrel at 0842 GMT. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 rose $1.51, or 1.7%, to $91.18. Both benchmark contracts rose about 3% on Tuesday.At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime…

At least three container ships were hit by gunfire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, maritime security sources and the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.Iran has imposed restrictions on ships using the strait, first in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli bombardment of the country, and then in response to a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.A Liberia-flagged container ship sustained damage to its bridge after being hit by gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades northeast of Oman.The UKMTO said the master of the vessel reported being approached by an IRGC gunboat.

The conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel is creating the worst energy crisis ever faced by the world, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday."This is indeed the biggest crisis in history," Birol told France Inter radio in an interview broadcast on Tuesday."The crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia," he added.The war in the Middle East has choked up maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.It has also come on

Fraudulent messages promising safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been sent to some shipping companies whose vessels are stranded west of the waterway, Greek maritime risk management firm MARISKS has warned.The U.S. has maintained its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran has lifted and then re-imposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passed before war broke out in the Middle East.Amid ceasefire talks…

China-based offshore wind foundations manufacturer Dajin Heavy Industry has launched a 40,000 DWT deck carrier, KING TWO, at its Panjin shipbuilding facility.The vessel, launched on April 19, is the second large-scale deck carrier built at the facility, following KING ONE, which has already completed its maiden voyage.KING TWO measures 239.8 meters in length, 51 meters in breadth and 13 meters in depth, with a deck area of 12,000 square meters.The vessel is equipped with dual engines and dual propellers…

Dubai-based energy and commodities trading group BGN has signed a contract with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for the construction of four new dual-fuel Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs).The vessels, each with a capacity of 90,000 cbm, will be built in Korea and delivered by 2029, strengthening BGN’s position in the global LPG market and enhancing its integrated trading and logistics capabilities.Designed to operate on both conventional and lower-emissions fuels, the newbuilds are also capable of carrying ammonia…

The stop-start shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz underscores the profound uncertainty hanging over the world’s most critical oil and gas chokepoint. But one thing is already clear: even if the guns fall silent, flows through the narrow waterway will take months – and possibly years – to recover to pre-war levels.Iran said on Saturday that it was tightening control over the strait in response to a U.S. blockade on Iranian tankers, firing at several vessels and warning mariners that the strait was closed.

Oil prices jumped more than 6% in early Monday trading on fears that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran could collapse after the U.S. seized an Iranian cargo ship and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained largely halted.Brent crude futures LCOc1 advanced $5.51, or 6.1%, to $95.89 a barrel by 0752 GMT and U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 was up $5.46, or 6.5%, at $89.31.Both contracts tumbled by 9% on Friday, their largest daily declines since April 18, after…

European countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and France have mine clearance capacity which could help secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin told French TV station TF1 on Friday."There are capabilities to provide fully supported escort services – that is to say, in no way offensive, of course – for ships to ensure safe passage through the strait; that is what will be debated today in Paris," she added.France and Britain are set to chair on Friday a meeting of around 40 countries aimed at signalling to the United States that some of its clo