LOCH PORTAIN

At the 163rd ABS Annual Members Meeting, the classification society says it has never been stronger, with substantial growth and leading safety performance reported. Key numbers in 2004 included the fleet growing to 300 million gross tons, giving it pole position in global class in global new order share with 22 percent.At the Members Meeting it was also announed that  ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki will step down as Chairman and CEO and retire at the end of 2025, after 14 years at the helm of ABS.

The superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and six others, will be lifted out of the water next month after its mast is dismantled, people close to the matter said on Tuesday.The recovery of the British-flagged Bayesian, lying on its right side at a depth of around 50 metres (164 feet), could help explain why it went down during a sudden storm off the port of Porticello, near Palermo - an event that has baffled naval experts.The salvage operation will be managed by a joint venture of Dutch companies HEBO Maritiemservice and Smit Salvage, the Italian officials, who declined to be named as they are not authorised to speak on the matter, said.

On April 17, the Trump administration shielded domestic exporters and vessel owners servicing the Great Lakes, the Caribbean and U.S. territories from port fees to be levied on China-built vessels.The Federal Register notice posted by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) was watered down from a February proposal for fees on China-built ship of up to $1.5 million per port call.Ocean shipping transports about 80% of global trade - from food and furniture to cement and coal. Industry executives feared virtually every cargo carrier could face steep, stacking fees that would make U.S. export prices unattractive and foist annual import costs of $30 billion on American consumers.

The seventh generation Atlantic Zonda drillship, managed by Ventura Offshore Midco, has started operations for Petrobras under a three-year drilling contract.The Atlantic Zonda is managed by Ventura Offshore through marketing and operating agreements with the rig owner, Eldorado Drilling, and the company will earn its management fees and reimbursable revenues from these agreements.Following the delivery of the Atlantic Zonda from Samsung shipyards, contract preparations were carried out in Singapore, where the rig was upgraded with the most advanced technological drilling package available.

US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to begin a public engagement process to develop a new schedule for offshore oil and gas lease sales on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.“Launching the process to develop the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Program marks a decisive step toward securing American Energy Dominance,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “Through a transparent and inclusive public engagement process, we are reinforcing our commitment to responsible offshore energy development—driving job creation, bolstering economic growth and strengthening American energy independence.