ARA fuel oil stocks decline by 14% in April
ARA fuel oil stocks decline by 14% in April
in
Port News
27/04/2026
The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have dropped by 14% in April so far, according to Insights Global data.
Changes in monthly average ARA stocks from March to April (so far):
Fuel oil stocks down 710,000 bbls to 4.44 million bbls
Gasoil stocks down 1.37 million bbls to 14.76 million bbls
The ARA hub has imported 276,000 b/d of fuel oil in April thus far, rising from March’s 207,000 b/d, according to data from cargo tracker Vortexa.
Most cargoes arrived from Denmark (16%), Mexico (12%) and Venezuela (11%).
The region has exported 172,000 b/d of fuel oil so far this month, down from 184,000 b/d in March.
Majority of the fuel oil cargoes have been shipped to the U.S. (27%) and Russia (24%), while South Africa has also taken some cargoes (14%).
The region’s independent gasoil inventories – which include diesel and heating oil – have decreased by 8% this month, compared to March. The ARA hub has imported 172,000 b
Congratulations on results day for first cohort of seafarers taking digital assessments
Congratulations on results day for first cohort of seafarers taking digital assessments
in
International Shipping News
27/04/2026
The first seafarers to take new digital assessments that are being rolled out by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have been congratulated as they opened their results this week.
Around 170 candidates were tested in April 2026 through the secure web-based platform which is replacing traditional written exams with flexible, digital assessments.
The groundbreaking assessments, which apply to Officer of the Watch (Unlimited) and Chief Mate (Unlimited) Certificates of Competency, mark a significant milestone in the modernisation of UK seafarer certification.
Shajan Lukose, MCA Head of Nautical Examiners, said: “On behalf of everyone at the MCA, I’d like to congratulate the candidates who have broken new ground by completing their Certificate of Competency assessments on the digital assessment platform.
“The system is not only simpler and more accessible f
IMO Chief Warns ‘No Safe Transit’ in Hormuz, Rejects Tolls at U.N. Security Council
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez opens the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 84th Session at IMO Headquarters in London, April 27, 2026. Photo courtesy IMO
IMO Chief Warns ‘No Safe Transit’ in Hormuz, Rejects Tolls at U.N. Security Council
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
April 27, 2026
The head of the
International Maritime Organization
used a rare appearance before the United Nations Security Councilon Monday to deliver some of his strongest statements yet that the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz remains fundamentally unresolved, rejecting transit tolls as unlawful, calling for mine clearance, and warning that commercial confidence cannot return while safe navigation remains in doubt.
The remarks by IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez came after several days of increasingly blunt statements from the U.N.
Trump Expands Offshore Wind Buyout Strategy With New Deals Steering Capital Into LNG and Oil
A wind turbine Dominion Energy’s two turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project. Photo: Dominion Energy
Trump Expands Offshore Wind Buyout Strategy With New Deals Steering Capital Into LNG and Oil
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 0
April 27, 2026
The Trump administration has expanded its newfound strategy of unwinding offshore wind development through negotiated buyouts, announcing two new agreements that will see two projects give up federal offshore leases and redirect nearly $885 million into liquefied natural gas and conventional energy projects.
The agreements with Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind, announced Monday by the U.S. Department of the Interior, follow a precedent-setting
$928 million deal struck last month
with TotalEnergies and suggest what began as a one-off settlement is hardening into a broader policy tool as the administration reshapes U.S.
Product Tanker Market Adapting to The New Market Realities
Product Tanker Market Adapting to The New Market Realities
in
Hellenic Shipping News
27/04/2026
T
he product tanker market has been adapting to the new market reality that has been shaping after the war in Iran. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Gibson said that “the conflict in Iran concludes its eighth week and tanker markets are adapting to the new reality. In the East, clean exports are so far this month averaging the lowest levels in over a decade, in large part due to nearly inexistent exports from the Middle East Gulf (MEG), but also due to a lack of feedstock, especially for Asian refiners, alongside protectionist policies barring exports from some countries.
US-Iran Peace Hopes Fade As Trump Scraps Talks
The MSC Francesca ship is seen during seizure by the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, in this image obtained by Reuters on April 24, 2026. Meysam Mirzadeh/Tasnim/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
US-Iran Peace Hopes Fade As Trump Scraps Talks
Reuters
Total Views: 0
April 26, 2026
By Saad Sayeed, Ariba Shahid and Steve Holland
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) – Hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran faded on Sunday, as efforts to revive talks stalled and both Tehran and Washington showed little sign of softening their positions.
While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi continued to shuttle between mediating countries over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump scrapped a visit to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
U.S.
EU assumes primary funding burden as conflict in Ukraine intensifies
EU assumes primary funding burden as conflict in Ukraine intensifies
in
World Economy News
26/04/2026
The conflict against Russia has shifted firmly onto Europe’s shoulders, as the European Union this week finalized a landmark €90 billion ($105 billion) loan package to sustain Kyiv’s operations through the end of next year.
The move marks a critical evolution in the war’s financing, occurring as the Trump administration narrows its focus toward the Middle East and retreats from its traditional role as Ukraine’s primary backer.
Europe’s funding package provides a vital lifeline, but officials in Brussels warn that the reality of the war’s financial demands may far outpace their current commitments.
Infrastructure constraints and geopolitical friction
The decision, cleared following the recent electoral defeat of Hungarian leadership, represents a rare display of resolve within the bloc. However, Ukraine continues to face a widening fiscal cliff, with diplomats estimating an additional €
U.S. military strikes vessel in Eastern Pacific as controversy over tactics grows
military strikes vessel in Eastern Pacific as controversy over tactics grows
in
International Shipping News
26/04/2026
The U.S. Southern Command confirmed on Friday that its forces conducted a strike on a vessel in the Eastern Pacific, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. Washington described the targets as “male narco-terrorists” engaged in illicit trafficking operations along established maritime routes.
The incident marks the latest in a series of deadly strikes carried out under the Trump administration’s campaign to disrupt narcotics smuggling, with the U.S.
Public Auction Announcement Of Vessel In The Electronic Sale Portal
Public Auction Announcement Of Vessel In The Electronic Sale Portal
in
International Shipping News
26/04/2026
The type, nature, location, value and significant characteristics of the vessel decided to be sold are as follows:
Vessel named DON CANDIDO, IMO No. Vessel Particulars:
The vessel subject to sale is wholly owned by the debtor.
• Technical Particulars of the Vessel “M/F DON CANDIDO”:
– Vessel Name: DON CANDIDO
– IMO Number: 7901734
– MMSI: 341017000
– Flag: EQUATORIAL GUINEA
– Call Sign : 9LU2015
– Type of Vessel: RO-RO Passenger Vessel
– Year of Build: 1980
– Length Overall : 99.52 m
– Breadth : 17.63 m
– Depth : 10.50 m
– Gross Tonnage : 5,287 Tons
– DWT : 1,188 Tons
– Main Engine : 2 units, Deutz BRAND / RBV 12 M 350 MODEL / 4,400 BHP / 430 RPM
– Registered Owner: VITEOCA GESL
– Ship Manager: SAVMAR SOLUTIONS INC
– Class : BUREAU VERITAS (IACS)
• Factors Affecting the Value of the Vessel:
– The above-mentioned characteristics of the vessel.
– The quality and condition of t
Trump’s Hormuz Blockade Has Deepened A Historic Shipping Crisis
Drone view of oil tanker HELGA berthed at one of Iraq’s southern offshore oil terminals near Basra as it prepares to load crude oil, becoming the second vessel to arrive since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty
Trump’s Hormuz Blockade Has Deepened A Historic Shipping Crisis
Bloomberg
Total Views: 0
April 26, 2026
By Weilun Soon
Apr 26, 2026 (Bloomberg) –In early April — after a month of disruption around one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints — US President Donald Trump wrote that with “a little ?more time, we can easily OPEN THE ?HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A ?FORTUNE.”
Three weeks on, transiting through the Strait of Hormuz has instead become virtually impossible for the first time in history. Trump has imposed a US blockade of
Iran-linked ships
, Tehran is using its “mosquito fleet” of gunboats to
close down the waterway
in response — and shipowners say a return to normal shipments is months away, at best.
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