Shiphotos

The Greek-registered oil tanker MV Sounion, which was hit by Houthi militants in the Red Sea last month, has been successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spill, the EU's naval mission in the Red Sea Aspides said on Monday.(Reuters - Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

The operation has started to tow a Greek-registered oil tanker stranded in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi militants last month, a shipping source told Reuters on Saturday.Towing the 900-foot (274.2-metre) MV Sounion to safety is the first step in a risky operation to salvage the vessel that caught fire after it was repeatedly attacked on Aug. 21.The second step is the transfer of its cargo of about 1 million barrels of crude oil. Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region, will offer its assistance with that project, sources have said.Any oil spill could be one of the largest from a ship, risking catastrophic environmental damage in an area that is particularly dangerous to enter.

The U.S. Navy on Friday announced it has placed a $6.75 billion order with San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO for up to eight John Lewis Class (TAO-205) Fleet Replenishment Oilers. The ships are scheduled for delivery through January 2035.The Navy, which has been looking for ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency across its shipbuilding and repair programs, said it expects the "block buy" approach will unlock savings of $491 million compared to the total anticipated costs of carrying out the build program through annual contracts.

U.S. Gulf of Mexico energy firms on Friday were lumbering back from hurricane disruptions as offshore oil and gas producers ramped up operations after halving the key energy region's output, ports reopened, and onshore terminals accepted oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers.Hurricane Francine shut in up to 42% of the region's offshore oil and 53% of its natural gas production. The storm missed Texas and came ashore in Louisiana late on Tuesday, causing flooding and power problems that affected onshore terminals and ports that withstood 100 mph (161 kph) winds.

Fifteen crew members have been rescued from an offshore supply vessel (OSV) that went up in flames off the coast of South Africa.The fire reportedly broke out and grew out of control in the messroom aboard the Marshall Islands registered vessel AM Pride on Thursday, in an ocean area approximately 48.5 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay in South Africa's Western Cape province, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) said.The Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at the SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch and Response in Cape Town received a call from the Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (PetroSA), advising that the MV AM Pride had fire onboard