Maritime Vessels Directory

A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 63 nautical miles west of Saudi Arabia's port city of Yanbu, leading to a fire on the vessel's main deck, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Monday.The UKMTO said all crew were safe and accounted for with no reported environmental impact.Yanbu is Saudi Arabia's main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded, and has become the main route out for Saudi oil skirting the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blockaded by Iran.Shipping from Yanbu has itself faced disruption since Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea last month.

Decrepit Port Infrastructure has Vessels Stacked Off Venezuela

3 days ago

Venezuela's dilapidated oil port terminals are imposing a de facto export cap on the country's resurgent crude production, with tankers having to wait up to 30 days to load because of ageing infrastructure, power outages and quality issues, according to shipping data, sources and documents.The delays are putting roadblocks on a U.S. plan to quickly boost Venezuela's oil exports following a flagship pact with global trading houses. The fight for infrastructure looks likely to intensify as many partners of state energy firm PDVSA get ready to market their share of output independently under new contract terms.

Viking Orders Two Cruise Vessels for 2032 Delivery

3 days ago

Fincantieri and Viking have signed contracts for two new cruise ships, extending a long-running shipbuilding relationship that now encompasses 28 vessels.The ships result from Viking exercising options announced in April 2025 and will be constructed at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard in Italy, with both vessels scheduled for delivery in 2032. Fincantieri classified the value of the agreement, which remains subject to financing and other conditions, as “large.”Designed for the small cruise ship segment, each newbuild will measure approximately 54,300 gross tons and accommodate 998 passengers in 499 cabins.

South Korean Container Ship Will Test Arctic Route

4 days ago

A container ship will depart from South Korea bound for Europe via the Arctic on Saturday, testing whether a route opened by melting sea ice can be commercially viable, but risking friction with Western allies, as the voyage requires Russian cooperation.If successful, the trip would be South Korea's first such commercial voyage to Europe via the Arctic, placing it with China and Russia among the few countries whose shipping firms have tested or run cargo services along the route.Sailing north from the port of Busan, the PanStar Acro will make stops at Felixstowe in Britain, Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Poland's Gdansk before returning in a journey expected to take 40 to 45 days

Perfect Storm: High Bunker Prices Meet Declining Fuel Quality

15 minutes ago

Marine fuel buyers entered 2026 facing a perfect storm, suffering some of the highest bunker prices ever experienced, paired with a sharp and concerning decline in fuel quality. Across the traditional marine fossil fuel supply chain, VPS has seen a marked rise in fuel quality issues, with the Middle East conflict playing a major role in driving both price volatility and quality deterioration. For ship owners/operators, the message is clear, today’s fuel market is not only more expensive, it is also becoming more complex and unpredictable, with a higher degree of operational risk. This deterioration is already showing itself in the test data VPS have produced.

Maritime Reporter and Engineering News (August 2026)