SHELF DRILLING

The US Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) has arrested the captain of the 8,814-TEU container ship MSC Jubilee IX for suspicion of operating the vessel while intoxicated following a boarding at Terminal 5 in Seattle, August 20.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound were notified by a Puget Sound Pilot aboard the MSC Jubilee IX, who reported the vessel’s captain was exhibiting signs of intoxication. The pilot and first mate operated the vessel during the transit from an anchorage near Everett, Wash., to Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle without incident.

The Trump administration on Friday ordered Denmark's Orsted to stop far-advanced construction on an offshore wind project near Rhode Island, in a move that threatens to exacerbate the company's financial troubles.With construction now frozen at 80% completion, Orsted has no immediate path to revenue generation, heightening pressure on the company as it seeks to shore up finances through a $9.4 billion emergency rights issue.The stop-work order, issued by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), is the administration's latest effort to hinder U.S.

There are early signs that some Asian countries are stepping up their imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) as part of trade deals with President Donald Trump.Asia's imports of the super-chilled fuel are on track to hit an eight-month high of 2.01 million metric tons in August, according to data compiled by commodity analysts Kpler.But of far more importance is the Kpler estimate that Asia's LNG imports from the United States will surge to 3.61 million tons in October, which would be the second-highest on record behind the 3.75 million from February 2021.

The United States has ordered an amphibious squadron to the southern Caribbean as part of President Donald Trump's effort to address threats from Latin American drug cartels, two sources briefed on the deployment said on Wednesday.The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the USS San Antonio, USS Iowa Jima and USS Fort Lauderdale could arrive off the coast of Venezuela as early as Sunday. The ships are carrying 4,500 service members, including 2,200 Marines, the sources said.The sources declined to detail the specific mission of the squadron. But they have said that recent deployments are aimed at addressing threats to U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard has set up the initial operating capability of a Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program Executive Office.The office is a key component of the Service's Force Design 2028 (FD 2028) plan, and the Coast Guard claims it is poised to be the most transformational enhancement to capability since the inception of aviation.  The office is dedicated to the rapid operationalization of the Unmanned Systems Strategic Plan.Robotics and autonomous systems are anticipated to revolutionize Coast Guard operations, leading to significant impacts to securing the border, facilitating commerce, and responding to contingencies.