Slt-Empire

The 'Encore', en route from the Khor Fakkan Anchorage to Suez, suffered engine trouble while transiting the Suez Canal with a northbound convoy on Aug 24, 2021. The vessel was moored at an anchorage in the Great Bitter Lakes as of Aug 25.

The United Stateshave imposed sanctions against six more tankers trying to break the embargo on oil transportation to and from Venezuela that the country has imposed, four with connections to Ukraine, one with Russia and one Venezuelan. Three of the ships - the 'Balita', 'Domani' and 'Freedom' - are operated by Fides Ship Management in Ukraine. A fourth, the 'Legacy', was operated by Fides Ship Management for a period in 2020 before being taken over by Panthea Marine and is now operated by the Russian company Berylicious. The other two were the 'Maxim Gorki', which is under the management of Transocean Shipping in Moscow, but owned by Venezuelan Govt INEA, and the 'Sierra' operated by Rustanker.

On Feb 5 the "Barents Sea" has been released. The tanker departed the port of Limbe in Cameroon with all 26 crew members safe and unharmed. The vessel was seized on Feb 3 by Cameroonian private militiamen armed with AK-47 sub-machine guns at the Sonara Refinery in Limbe. The Eastern Pacific Shipping alleged that Mr. Jules François Famawa, owner of local charterer DSC Marine, had “used illegitimate means to seize the vessel for the purpose of holding its owners to ransom in clear violation of Cameroonian and international law. The Eastern Pacific Shipping thanked the crew for their unwavering strength, resilience and professionalism throughout the dreadful encounter. The firm also thanked the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the Republic of Singapore Navy, the various embassies representing the ship’s crew – which included Indian, Chinese and Turkish nationals – and the Cameroonian authorities. They hoped that future disagreements can be resolved without resorting to hostile means.