Tanker News

The Russian captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off the east coast of Britain in March last year was found guilty in a London court on Monday of causing the death of a crew member through gross negligence.Vladimir Motin, 59, was captain of the Solong when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was anchored and carrying just over 220,000 barrels of high-grade aviation fuel.The March 10 crash started a blaze on both ships and caused the death of Solong crew member Mark Pernia…

Tanker shipping company Stena Bulk announced it has acquired an additional shareholding in Golden Stena Baycrest Tankers (GSB) from Bay Crest, becoming the majority shareholder in the joint venture. Following the transaction, GSB will remain jointly owned by the same three shareholders—Stena Bulk, Golden Agri, and Bay Crest. With its increased ownership, Stena Bulk is well positioned to take a more active role in driving the strategic development of GSB, while maintaining the…

The Marshall Islands Flag State Administration and Bureau Veritas have formally approved SOLAS equivalency proposals submitted by Union Maritime and BAR Technologies for two MR2 tankers under construction at Wuhu Shipyard, China. The vessels will be equipped with BAR Technologies' WindWings advanced wind propulsion systems designed to reduce fuel use and emissions.The approvals cover detailed equivalency proposals addressing bridge visibility, navigation-light placement and radar line-of-sight, critical compliance factors affected by the installation of wing sails.

The captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off Britain's east coast last year tried to change course to avoid the fatal collision, his lawyer told a London court trial over a crew member's death on Wednesday.Russian national Vladimir Motin, captain of the Solong that hit the anchored Stena Immaculate tanker in March 2025, tried to take his vessel off autopilot shortly before the crash but was unsuccessful, his lawyer said.Motin, 59, is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with the gross negligence manslaughter of Solong crew member Mark Pernia…

The captain of a container ship that crashed into a U.S. tanker off Britain's east coast last year did "absolutely nothing" to prevent an avoidable and fatal collision, British prosecutors said on Tuesday as his trial over a crew member's death began.Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, was captain of the Portuguese-flagged Solong which was heading to Rotterdam in the Netherlands when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker, which was anchored, on March 10 2025.The Solong was mainly carrying alcohol and some dangerous goods…

Tanker loading in Venezuela dwindled on Monday, with most ships moving oil cargoes only between domestic ports following U.S. action against two more ships and as state-run energy company PDVSA struggles to recover from a cyberattack, according to tracking data and sources.The U.S. Coast Guard this month seized a supertanker under sanctions carrying Venezuelan oil and tried to intercept two more Venezuela-related ships over the weekend, U.S. authorities said. One of them is an empty ship under U.S.

A sanctioned tanker carrying some 300,000 barrels of naphtha from Russia entered Venezuelan waters late on Thursday, while three others also under sanctions either stopped navigation or began redirecting course in the Atlantic Ocean, ship tracking data showed, a sign of last-minute decisions by ship owners amid U.S. President Donald Trump's "blockade" of all oil tankers under sanctions bound for the OPEC country.Trump on Tuesday ordered a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers to and from the South American country…

Venezuela's state-run company PDVSA is dealing with stuck oil cargoes, rising price discounts and demands from customers to change terms of spot contracts following the U.S. seizure of a ship carrying the OPEC country's crude, traders and sources said.As Washington's pressure on President Nicolas Maduro grows, the U.S. Coast Guard last week intercepted the vessel Skipper near Venezuela's coast, its first seizure of an oil tanker or cargo from the South American country. The U.S. also imposed sanctions against six ships and their linked companies.By the time the U.S.

Leading tanker shipping company Stena Bulk has announced that it has officially reflagged its Suezmax tanker Stena Surprise under the Swedish flag, marking a milestone for Swedish shipping. A ceremony was held on board the vessel in Nynäshamn, Sweden. Andreas Carlson, Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, attended to witness the hoisting of the Swedish flag.Built in 2012, Stena Surprise is the latest Suezmax tanker to join the Swedish Shipping Register, following Stena Sunrise and Stena Suede in flying the Swedish colours.

The United States on Thursday issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.The action came as the U.S. executes a large-scale military buildup in the southern Caribbean and as U.S. President Donald Trump campaigns for Maduro's ouster. On Wednesday, Trump said the U.S. had seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela.The U.S.

The U.S. is preparing to intercept more ships transporting Venezuelan oil following the seizure of a tanker this week, as it increases pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, six sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.The seizure was the first interdiction of an oil cargo or tanker from Venezuela, which has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019. It came as the U.S. executes a large-scale military buildup in the southern Caribbean and as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for Maduro's ouster.The latest U.S.

Manufacturer Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) has signed a deal with global maritime transportation group Fratelli Cosulich to support its methanol-ready fleet expansion.APC has signed a contract with the Italian headquartered group to supply its industry-leading MarineLINE cargo tank coating to two new IMO Class II chemical tankers, to prepare them for methanol bunkering in Singapore.The MarineLINE cargo tank coating will ensure superior chemical resistance, faster tank turnaround and extended service life.The 7…

A Turkish-owned oil tanker that was damaged near Senegal's coast last week was hit by four external explosions but there were no injuries or pollution, its manager said on Monday.The vessel, Mersin, was at anchor near Dakar when the four explosions occurred at 2345 GMT on November 27, resulting in seawater entering the engine room, Istanbul-based Besiktas Shipping said in a written statement.The cause of the explosions was not clear."The situation was immediately brought under control, and we confirm that all crew members are safe; there are no injuries, no loss of life, and no pollution," the

A Singapore-registered passenger ferry and a Marshall Islands-registered tanker collided off Singapore’s Southern Islands, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said, adding that all passengers and crew were safe.The ferry, Horizon 9, was en route to HarbourFront Centre when it collided with the tanker La Digue at around 5 pm local time, the MPA said.A patrol craft was deployed to escort and guide the ferry back to port, where all 165 passengers and seven crew disembarked…

Concordia Damen has announced the delivery of a CDS Tanker 135. Last week, the vessel successfully passed its trials, after having been outfitted at Concordia Damen’s shipyard in Werkendam by its long-time outfitter CCM3, and many trusted suppliers and partners. MTS Gambler is 135 meters long and 11.45 meters wide and is designed for the transport of mineral oils. It boasts a cargo capacity of 4,180 m³. Due to its proven and optimized design, the vessel sails with minimal resistance and features a favorable speed-power curve.

Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) has signed its first deal with Oman’s national shipping company.The contract will see APC’s MarineLINE coating system applied to two chemical tankers being constructed for Asyad Shipping Company.It is APC’s first deal with majority state-owned Asyad Shipping Company, which currently operates a fleet of more than 90 vessels, with a number of newbuilds in the pipeline.MarineLINE’s superior chemical resistance properties, ease and speed of cleaning…

Pirates have boarded a Malta-flagged products tanker off Somalia, maritime security sources said on Thursday, while the vessel's manager said the ship's 24 crew members were safe.Attacks on vessels by armed assailants in recent days have raised concerns for shipping lanes in a region across which critical energy and goods are transported to global markets.The Hellas Aphrodite, which was carrying gasoline, was en route from India to South Africa when a "security incident" took place on Thursday morning…

Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) has launched a Focused Inspection Campaign (FIC) under its SIRE 2.0 tanker inspection program aimed at reinforcing maritime security readiness across the global tanker fleet.The initiative comes in response to increasing geopolitical tensions, regional conflicts, and evolving security regulations that directly impact crew welfare, safety, and operational continuity. The campaign, commenced on October 1, 2025, will run for a minimum of six months…

Sea, the intelligent marketplace for fixing freight, and Pole Star Global, the maritime compliance authority behind PurpleTRAC, have together transformed how charterers, compliance teams, and legal administrators manage regulatory risk.Now fully integrated, Sea’s Recap Manager, a solution for recap and contract management, and PurpleTRAC’s sanctions screening and vessel monitoring solution are powering a smarter, faster, and more secure approach to fixing freight in the tanker market. With 100% screening certainty, every vessel that is entered in Recap Manager is automatically vetted.

An operation was underway on Monday to salvage the liquefied petroleum gas tanker MV Falcon, which remains on fire and adrift in the Gulf of Aden following an October 18 explosion on board, maritime security sources said.The Cameroon-flagged vessel was fully laden when the explosion occurred at 0700 GMT as it was sailing off Yemen, forcing most of its 26 crew members to abandon the vessel.The cause of the blast is unclear, but early indications suggest it was an accident related to its cargo…

Repsol has strengthened their bunkering operations in Peru with the deployment of the Bunker Tanker Thomas B (20,000 DWT). In addition to the Bunker Tanker Adrian (16,000 DWT) already operating in the Port of Callao, Repsol has more than doubled its total operational capacity in Peru.With these two high-capacity tankers in service, Repsol now offers 24/7 bunker delivery, and the product portfolio diversification is further strengthened:HSFO 3.5%s (High Sulfur Fuel Oil)VLSFO 0.5%s (Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil)LSMGO 0.1%s (Low Sulfur Marine Gas Oil)Bio-Bunker (B24 up to B100)Looking ahead…

Carbon Ridge, a developer of onboard carbon capture and storage solutions for the maritime industry, has achieved a shipping industry first with the successful deployment of a centrifugal onboard carbon capture system (OCCS) aboard an LR2 product tanker owned by Scorpio Tankers Inc.Conducted in partnership with Scorpio Tankers Inc., a leader in the seaborne transportation of refined petroleum products, the pilot aboard the vessel signals a milestone in the development and scaling…

Several Greek-managed tankers transporting Russian oil to Asia are increasingly avoiding the Red Sea, opting instead for the longer route around Africa, due to escalating security threats from Houthi attacks, three oil traders and LSEG shipping data show.The rerouting follows a deadly drone and speedboat assault earlier this month on a Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier off Yemen, which killed four seafarers. The Iran-backed Houthi group also sank another vessel in July…