Abandoned bulk carrier drifts toward Bulgaria. The German-owned, Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Emil, struck by a drone near Odesa in August, is drifting without crew through the Black Sea toward Bulgaria. Bulgarian Air Force and Navy crews located it October 4 about 40 nautical miles east of Cape Shabla; the 175,463-deadweight-ton vessel has been drifting south through Romania’s exclusive economic zone since the August 5 strike that forced its crew to abandon ship. The Bulgarian Navy has warned ships in the area and says it is tracking the vessel. (Marine Insight, via Bulgarian Navy and Defence Ministry)
World Gold Council presses miners to name refiners. Gold miners should publish an annual list linking each operating mine to its refining partners and their countries, under new World Gold Council disclosure guidance adopted this week, aimed at distinguishing legitimate gold flows from illicit trade. The framework follows a 2023 pledge by 33 council members producing about 1,300 tonnes of gold a year; it excludes gold shipped as concentrate or low-grade sweepings and carries no penalties for non-disclosure. The push follows New York Times investigations into Latin American gold in North American supply chains and the Trafigura-Venezuelan doré storage dispute. (Mining.com)
World’s first ammonia-powered dry bulk carrier finishes sea trials. The Mineral Europa, the first ammonia-fueled dry bulk carrier, has completed sea trials and is set for its maiden voyage to Australia. Built at Qingdao Beihai Shipyard and owned by Belgian shipowner CMB.TECH, the dual-fuel vessel runs on ammonia or conventional marine fuels. CMB.TECH plans 21 ammonia-powered vessels by 2029, including 18 dry bulk carriers, one container ship and two chemical tankers, with nearly all due within nine months. (Marine Insight)
CMA CGM and DSV target biofuel CO2 cuts. CMA CGM and DSV plan to cut 12,000 tonnes of CO2 over two years through biofuel shipping, a container-sector decarbonization partnership. (Marine Insight, single-sourced)
Japan’s first LNG bunkering vessel hits 200 operations. The KAGUYA, Japan’s first LNG bunkering vessel, has passed 200 ship-to-ship supply operations in under six years, a marker of the slow build-out of LNG refueling infrastructure. (Marine Insight, single-sourced)
Lithium Triangle’s resources face extraction hurdles. A review of 43 salt flats across Argentina, Bolivia and Chile finds the region holds 64 million tonnes of identified lithium resources, 43 percent of the global total, but differences in brine chemistry, impurities and freshwater availability complicate conversion into supply. The review, published in Andean Geology by geologist Jose Cabello, flags direct lithium extraction as a potential unlock, with Argentina and Chile producing an estimated 79,000 tonnes in 2025, about 27 percent of global mine output. (Mining.com)