1. Indonesia’s Buana Lautan saves ageing steam LNG carrier from scrap
Indonesia’s Buana Lautan Line has bought the 138,000 cu m LNG carrier Seapeak Jupiter, a 2002-built steam-turbine vessel, for about $14.9M. The ship has been renamed Gas Polaris, making it a rare example of an older steam LNG carrier being kept in service instead of going straight to recycling.
https://splash247.com/indonesias-buana-lautan-saves-ageing-steam-lng-carrier-from-scrap/
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2. 22-year-old aframax sets $33m record
A new price benchmark has been set in the ageing aframax tanker market. The 115,444-dwt Asia Ascend, built in 2004 by Samsung, is reported sold to an undisclosed Chinese buyer for $33M, which Splash says is a record level for vintage tonnage in this segment.
https://splash247.com/22-year-old-aframax-sets-33m-record/
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3. Crews trapped between duty and danger
Steven Jones of the Seafarers Happiness Index says the current Hormuz crisis is creating conditions that echo some of the hardest realities seafarers faced during covid. He writes that, although a few vessels have tried to push through quickly, many others remain stalled because safe passage depends less on declarations and more on trust and predictability.
https://splash247.com/crews-trapped-between-duty-and-danger/
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4. Saudi Arabia Says East-West Pipeline Restored To Full Capacity
Saudi Arabia says it has restored the East-West pipeline to its full pumping capacity of 7 million barrels per day, reactivating a crucial export route via the Red Sea. A strike last week, just hours after a ceasefire in the Iran war, had damaged one of the line’s 11 pumping stations and temporarily cut throughput by about 700,000 barrels per day.
https://gcaptain.com/saudi-arabia-says-east-west-pipeline-restored-to-full-capacity/
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5. Australia Acts To Secure Urea Amid Supply Risk From Iran War
Australia has set up a government working group with the fertilizer industry to protect urea supplies threatened by disruption linked to the Iran war. About 60% of the country’s urea, a key nitrogen fertilizer for crop production, normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains constrained despite the April 8 US-Iran ceasefire.
https://gcaptain.com/australia-acts-to-secure-urea-amid-supply-risk-from-iran-war/
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6. US Military To Block Ships From Iranian Ports After Talks Yield No Agreement
President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US Navy would begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz after marathon talks with Iran failed to produce an agreement to end the war. US Central Command then said American forces would start enforcing a blockade on all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports at 10 a.m. ET on Monday.
https://gcaptain.com/us-military-to-block-ships-from-iranian-ports-after-talks-yield-no-agreement/
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7. J M Baxi, M Dinshaw set to run cargo berths at Mumbai Port’s Indira Dock on O&M basis
In a landmark O&M monetisation deal, Mumbai Port Authority is moving ahead with a model associated with chairman M Angamuthu’s earlier work at Visakhapatnam. The privatisation of the berths at Indira Dock is intended to reverse the decline in cargo volumes handled over the last three years at the port’s biggest dock for deep-draft vessels.
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8. Qatar resumes full maritime traffic, all vessels allowed from Sunday
Qatar officially restored full maritime traffic for all vessels from Sunday, signalling a return to normal sea operations after several days of precautionary restrictions tied to regional tensions. The transport ministry said navigation across the country’s territorial waters has now been fully reopened following continuous security assessments and coordination with the relevant authorities.
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9. Trump claims immediate US blockade of Strait of Hormuz in social media post
Riviera reports that Donald Trump again used his social media platform to announce new US military action. The report says his post followed talks with Iran in Islamabad that he described as going well overall, but still left unresolved points serious enough for him to say the US Navy would begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz.
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10. Western Australia to lead Oz’s charge to electric ferries
The first of Western Australia’s all-electric ferries is expected to enter service on the Swan River in 2027. The report also notes that the state currently has three privately owned ferry operators, setting the backdrop for a broader shift toward electrified passenger transport.