GULF FLEET NO.102

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.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday unveiled a comprehensive schedule to hold more than 30 offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska's Cook Inlet over the next 15 years.The plan fulfills a directive in Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed last month, and is aligned with his administration's energy dominance agenda to boost domestic fossil fuel production.The schedule marks a significant departure from former President Joe Biden, whose administration had planned for a historically small number of drilling rights auctions as part of its efforts to address climate change.

The US Coast Guard and local partners are responding to an explosion aboard the 751-foot Liberia-flagged bulk carrier W-Sapphire in Baltimore Harbor.Responders from Coast Guard Sector Maryland - National Capital Region were dispatched to the area to assist. No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the explosion is under investigation.The vessel remains afloat and is being assisted by tug boats.The Coast Guard has established a 2,000-yard safety zone around the incident location, spanning from the Key Bridge to Brewerton Angle Channel LB “14”.Reports state the fire has been extinguished and plans for the vessel are being formulated.At approximately 6:30 p.m.

Saipem reports it has successfully completed its designated scope of work for the development of the Yellowtail field, operated by ExxonMobil Guyana Ltd., locatedin approximately 1,800m of water within the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.Awarded the contract in 2022, Saipem undertook the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (EPCI) of the Subsea Umbilical, Riser, andFlowline (SURF) system for the Yellowtail field. The FDS2 J-lay vessel, one of Saipem’s flagship assets, executed the installation of the rigid flowline and steel lazy wave risers in an early 2024 campaign.

On August 15, the Panama Canal marked 111 years of operations, renewing its commitment to a sustainable future through a water strategy focused on public well-being and an operational vision that enhances the country’s logistical competitiveness.Since the waterway’s inauguration in 1914, with the historic transit of the steamship Ancón, which, for the first time, connected the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the canal has been a driver of Panama’s economic and social development while also a transformer of global maritime trade.“In 25 years under Panamanian administration, the canal has doubled its capacity, expanded its locks, and strengthened its security.