Golden Pass Ships First LNG Cargo, Launching Major New U.S. Export Supply
An LNG carrier departs the Golden Pass LNG terminal in Sabine Pass, Texas, escorted by tugboats in a ceremonial water salute as the project ships its inaugural export cargo. Photo courtesy Golden Pass LNG
Golden Pass Ships First LNG Cargo, Launching Major New U.S. Export Supply
Mike Schuler
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April 23, 2026
The departure of the first export cargo from the Golden Pass LNG terminal marks the formal entry of one of America’s largest new liquefied natural gas projects into global trade, adding substantial new supply capacity as buyers navigate geopolitical risk and shifting gas flows.
Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, announced Wednesday the safe loading and departure of its inaugural cargo from Sabine Pass, Texas, a milestone marking the long-delayed project’s transition from commissioning into commercial trade.
“The safe and successful departure of our first LNG export cargo is a defining moment for Golden Pass, our workforce, the community
Satellite images reveal oil spills from Iran war, experts warn of environmental disaster
Satellite images reveal oil spills from Iran war, experts warn of environmental disaster
in
International Shipping News
23/04/2026
Satellite images show multiple oil spills in the region following US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s oil facilities and vessels, CNN reports, citing data of European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 mission.
The spills, some spanning kilometers near Iran’s Qeshm and Lavan Islands, threaten marine life, coral reefs and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
Experts warn of a potential ecological catastrophe.
Wim Zwijnenburg of Dutch peace organization PAX told CNN that spills are reaching protected areas like Shidvar Island in the Persian Gulf, home to turtles and seabirds, calling the hit on Lavan a “major environmental emergency.”
Zwijnenburg warned that these spills could affect thousands of people, especially those living along Iran’s coast, contaminating the fish they rely on.
Greenpeace Germany spokesperson Nina Noelle noted that cleaning the oil is extremely diff
The 1 million TEU question: Do Gulf overland ports have the capacity?
The 1 million TEU question: Do Gulf overland ports have the capacity?
in
International Shipping News
23/04/2026
Our analysis of approximately 35,000 vessel calls reveals that alternative ports with overland connections can absorb, at best, 62% of displaced Persian Gulf cargo. At their current average throughput, they cover just 48%. This structural deficit creates an unavoidable supply chain crisis that demands predictive intelligence rather than reactive tracking.
Key takeaways at a glance
• 128 container ships are currently trapped inside the Persian Gulf, representing over 470,000 TEU of capacity
• 1.16 million TEU per week was the pre-crisis average capacity calling Gulf ports, total vessel capacity serves as a proxy for gauging the scale of displaced trade
• 489,000 TEU per week is the combined average throughput of all alternative overland-connected ports
• 38% minimum capacity gap exists even if alternative ports operate at their all-time historical peak
• Single-point-of-failur
Hormuz Traffic Grinds to a Halt After Iran Seizes First Vessels
Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
Hormuz Traffic Grinds to a Halt After Iran Seizes First Vessels
Bloomberg
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April 23, 2026
By Weilun Soon
Apr 23, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ground to a halt on Thursday after Iran fired on commercial ships and said it had
seized
at least two vessels — a first in nearly eight weeks of war.
Only one ship, bulk carrier
LB Energy
, was seen moving through the waterway early Thursday, with none seen entering. Products tanker Ocean Jewel is currently idling at the entrance to the corridor, having aborted a transit not long after Iranian forces began firing at three ships.
Two of those attacked vessels, the
MSC Francesca
and the
Epaminondas
, were subsequently boarded by Iranian forces, marking a new stage in Tehran’s efforts to exert control over traff
‘We Need to Get This Done’: Lawmakers, Labor and Industry Renew Push for SHIPS for America Act
John Garamendi speaks outside the U.S. Capitol during a press conference with lawmakers, labor leaders and maritime industry representatives urging passage of the SHIPS for America Act, legislation aimed at revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding and the maritime industrial base.
‘We Need to Get This Done’: Lawmakers, Labor and Industry Renew Push for SHIPS for America Act
Mike Schuler
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April 23, 2026
Backers of the SHIPS for America Act mounted a renewed push Wednesday to move sweeping maritime legislation through Congress, with lawmakers, labor leaders and shipbuilding executives portraying the bill as the centerpiece of a growing bipartisan effort to rebuild America’s commercial maritime capacity and industrial base.
At a Capitol Hill press conference following a joint House hearing on revitalizing shipbuilding and the maritime industrial base, Reps. John Garamendi and Trent Kelly urged Congress to capitalize on what they described as rare political momentum behind maritime pol
Ship operators face rising compliance
Ship operators face rising compliance
in
International Shipping News
23/04/2026
SmartSea has warned that maritime operators are coming under growing pressure as EU ETS, NIS2 and evolving IMO requirements force shipowners and managers to treat compliance as an operational discipline rather than a reporting exercise. What was once handled across separate technical, compliance and commercial functions is now directly affecting voyage economics, fuel strategy, emissions reporting, cyber resilience and day-to-day fleet performance.
As regulatory obligations multiply and scrutiny intensifies, operators relying on fragmented systems and disconnected operational data face higher costs, slower decision-making and greater risk of non-compliance.
Kris Vedat, CEO of SmartSea, said:
“Shipping can no longer afford to treat compliance as something that sits outside operations. When regulation, fuel costs, emissions exposure and vessel performance are all moving at once, operators need clear visibilit
U.S. Boards Sanctioned ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Indian Ocean as Enforcement Push Expands
forces board the sanctioned stateless tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean during a maritime interdiction operation on April 23, 2026. The vessel, formerly known as Phonix, has been linked to Iran’s shadow oil trade. Boards Sanctioned ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Indian Ocean as Enforcement Push Expands
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 1
April 23, 2026
The U.S.
BIMCO Warns Hormuz Reopening Hinges on Mine Clearance as Trump Orders Sweep Surge
Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, April 11, as two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers conducted operations. Central Command Photo
BIMCO Warns Hormuz Reopening Hinges on Mine Clearance as Trump Orders Sweep Surge
Mike Schuler
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April 23, 2026
Fresh warnings from the world’s largest shipping association are underscoring how far the Strait of Hormuz remains from normal, even as new comments from President Donald Trump pointed to a potentially intensified U.S.
Iran fires on 3 ships in the Strait of Hormuz, complicating efforts to resume US-Iran talks
Iran fires on 3 ships in the Strait of Hormuz, complicating efforts to resume US-Iran talks
in
International Shipping News
22/04/2026
Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, intensifying its assault on shipping in the waterway crucial to global energy supplies and complicating already faltering efforts to bring the United States and Iran together for talks to end the war.
The attacks were carried out by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, according to Iranian media, which reported that the force seized two of the ships and was bringing them to Iran.
That amounted to an escalation by Iran’s leaders, who appear poised to drive a harder bargain with American negotiators after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran that had been due to expire Wednesday.
Despite the extension, Trump also seemed to dig in, saying the U.S. would continue to blockade Iranian ports.
That set the stage for continued disruption to traffic i
Ship Seizures Mark New Phase in Iran’s De Facto Control of Hormuz
A view of Iranian-flagged cargo ship M/V Touska as the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer USS Spruance conducts its interception in a location given as the north Arabian Sea, in this screen capture from a video released April 19, 2026. CENTCOM/Handout via REUTERS
Ship Seizures Mark New Phase in Iran’s De Facto Control of Hormuz
Mike Schuler
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April 22, 2026
Iran’s
reported seizure of two merchant ships
in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday may mark a significant shift in the crisis gripping one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints, signaling a move from implied control over commercial traffic toward overt enforcement.
The escalation came less than a day after President Donald Trump
extended a conditional ceasefire
with Iran while maintaining a U.S.