Lloyd’s List: Analysts diverge on shipping risk in Middle East Gulf but warn of volatility
Lloyd's List's senior maritime reporter Tomer Raanan, recently queried MENA analyst Kais Makhlouf and other security experts to gather insights on the current risk faced by shipping in the Middle East Gulf.
The US has reportedly frozen $6 billion of Iranian oil money, which was part of a prisoner exchange deal with Iran. This decision is seen as a significant development with potential consequences.
Lloyd’s List: Guards still needed in some areas, experts warn
Lloyd’s List finance editor David Osler recently interviewed Risk Intelligence CEO Hans Tino Hansen along with the perspectives of other experts in the field on piracy and maritime crimes.
Despite the decade-long drop in piracy, experts recommend maritime companies to use armed forces in certain areas. In 2022, Lloyd's List Intelligence casualty data reported 91 piracy and maritime incidents, primarily occurring in Southeast Asia and Africa's west coast.
South-east Asia’s dark fleet and the consequences for legitimate traders
Thomas Timlen, an analyst at Risk Intelligence, recently had a briefing republished on Safety4sea, in which he discussed the well-known implications of unauthorised ship-to-ship transfers on the marine environment and the threats to innocent vessels.
Unauthorised ship-to-ship transfers of liquid cargo in an attempt to evade sanctions threaten the marine environment and can affect legitimate shipping companies.
Adapting to the post-pandemic world
Risk Intelligence analyst Thomas Timlen, recently contributed to the publication Global Posts Report 2023 with an article that discussed opportunities and challenges in the Asian port sector along with the perspectives of other experts in the field.
Looking at the potential development of Asian ports requires a broad geographic perspective that spans a vast area from Turkey in the west to Indonesia in the southeast, with Russia rounding out the region in the north. Asia, the world's largest continent, has a diverse geopolitical, commercial, and environmental features that supports growth and opportunities in certain areas but poses particular challenges in others.
Security expert: Kidnapping cases involving pirates from West Africa will typically take 30 days
Journalist Didde Venzel of the Jyllands-Posten recently interviewed Hans Tino Hansen, the CEO of Risk Intelligence, about the piracy attack on the Danish ship “Monjasa Reformer” in West Africa.
In a press release issued on Friday, Danish shipping company Monjasa announced that pirates have abandoned the Danish ship "Monjasa Reformer" following a week-long siege. According to the French Navy, the pirates have seized only six of the foreign crew members, while the remaining ten have been released.
South-east Asia: an ongoing fuel smuggling challenge
Risk Intelligence analyst Thomas Timlen wrote an article for Bunkerspot magazine highlighting the significance of smuggling, interconnected to other criminal activities in South-east Asia.
This article takes a look at the activity of smuggling and how it has remained constant in South-east Asia, despite the fact that the degree of other illegal acts has altered. Over the years, South-east Asia's waters have seen a significant amount of illegal smuggling activity. Drugs, fuel, and guns, as well as refugees and migrants who have been kidnapped and transported against their will are just some of the illegal cargoes that are constantly being moved throughout the region by criminal organisations and human traffickers.
Maritime piracy: what recent developments of a well-established threat?
Risk Intelligence analyst Louis Borer recently wrote an article for Diploweb in which he discussed the importance of maritime piracy in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Guinea, and South-east Asia, along with the impact on trade and the shipping industry.
Piracy is a real threat to sailors, the shipping sector, and the coastal states that surround piratogenic zones. It is usually linked to local mafia groups, illicit trafficking, or even terrorism; tied to many challenges and crises that shift depending on the economic and geopolitical circumstances.
Who sabotaged the Nord Stream pipeline? Russia and the West blame each other
The Nordics correspondent Jeroen Visser from de Volkskrant interviewed Risk Intelligence’s CEO Hans Tino Hansen on the Nordic Stream pipeline attack and Russia's demand for an independent probe into the incident.
Six months after the Nord Stream pipeline explosion, Russia is demanding an impartial UN investigation. The clarification for this is the release of an article by an American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh who blames the United States government rather than Moscow for the incident. It is believed that the US allegedly sabotaged the Nord Stream pipeline due to Russia's growing influence in Western Europe.
Lloyd's List: 'Yemen risk assessment: Direct threat to shipping remains low but collateral damage hazards remain'
Bridget Diakun had an interview with Risk Intelligence's MENA analyst Kais Makhlouf where he talked about the conflict in Yemen and its potential impact on shipping.
During the recent interview, MENA analyst had the chance to share his thoughts on the current situation and other relevant aspects relevant to the subject. While reflecting on the negotiations between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebel group, Makhlouf said: "As long as the Houthis believe that current negotiations can lead to a beneficial outcome, we believe they will refrain from striking shipping".
Second Line of Defense: ‘The way ahead for Northern European Defense’
Second Line of Defense had an interview with CEO of Risk Intelligence Hans Tino Hansen on the challenges and opportunities for restructuring Northern European defense associated with the addition of Finland and Sweden to NATO.
The article starts with Risk Intelligence’s CEO describing the Northern European defense area as one large continuous region. Therefore, he explains how it extends from North America across the North Atlantic and the Artic alongside the Nordic countries, further down into the Baltic. More, he elaborates on the “three clusters of dense problems” within the region: the first one covers the North Atlantic area, and the challenges around it related to the gap between Greenland, Iceland, and the United Kingdom;
The Wall Street Journal: ‘Fearing Sabotage, Europe Patrols Pipelines With Mine Hunters and Unmanned Subs‘
The Wall Street Journal interviewed Risk Intelligence CEO Hans Tino Hansen on the threats and security risk for critical energy infrastructure, alongside the lack of attention to those since the end of the Cold War.
Risk Intelligence’s CEO Hans Tino Hansen was asked for his opinion on the threats and security risk for critical energy infrastructure. He said that “Europe’s armed forces don’t have the resources needed to fully protect the energy infrastructure“. Moreover, he added “If you operated in the North Sea or in the Baltic after the Cold War, you gave security risk assessments very little consideration.”
The Maritime Executive: ‘Cyber Pirates‘
The Maritime Executive interviewed Risk Intelligence Europe and Russia Analyst Kristian Bischoff on cyber piracy, ransomware and the importance of having the staff instructed on how to behave in the online environment.
Our analyst, Kristian Bischoff, highlighted the power of the cyber world: “Cyber is one of the most effective weapons in the gray zone before a war. It's unattributable, and you don't know from where it comes. You can do many shaping operations, espionage, and plant malware“. Further, he added that "Cyber piracy, where a vessel is held for ransom, does exist," while mentioning that "If you really want to perform destructive activities, interested parties still maintain classic methods such as kinetic weapons.
TAPA Vigilant Magazine: ‘Winter of Discontent’
Steve Bacot, LandRisk Manager at Risk Intelligence, was invited by TAPA's Vigilant Magazine to discuss the emerging energy crisis and its potential implications on supply chain resilience in the coming months.
Given the escalating energy crisis triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, where increasing prices contributed to excruciatingly high inflation, the consequences will be felt for years to come. The article discusses how the energy crisis may affect cargo crime. It also considers how it could influence the supply chain as a whole and gives recommendations for mitigating the effects.
Mer et Marine: ‘Gulf of Guinea: Why is piracy at its lowest?‘
Mer et Marine’s Gael Cogné interviewed Risk Intelligence Senior analyst Dr. Dirk Siebels about the piracy situation in the Gulf of Guinea area, where piracy incidents are suddenly at the lowest level for many months. Siebels shared an overview of the situation in the region outlining current risks and potential gains in the regional and international efforts to combat piracy.
For several months, the waters of the Gulf of Guinea have been strangely calm, writes journalist Gael Cogné before diving deeper into the current situation in the Gulf of Guinea in this feature. The article opens with a number of incidents in the area comparing 2021 with the year 2020, following with information about foreign vessels, local action, theft of crude and risk and gains.
Le Monde: ‘World shipping suffers the consequences of the war in Ukraine‘
Following Risk Intelligence’s briefing on Russia’s war in Ukraine, journalist Julien Bouissou interviewed Risk Intelligence’s PortRisk Manager, Ian Wilkinson, who shared perspectives on the long-term impact on maritime operations of the current conflict.
Considering the maritime implications of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, journalist Julien Bouissou dived deeper into the consequences suffered by the shipping industry in this feature from ‘Le Monde‘. The article opens with a look at the ships and crews that have found themselves in the proximity of the conflict, and the direct risks concerning them.
Ports et corridors: ‘Ukraine: political tensions and effects on port traffic‘
While looking at the five potential scenarios highlighted by Risk Intelligence that might be considered by Russia, Cheif editor of Ports et corridors, Hervé Deiss, emphasized Risk Intelligence’s analysis of the collateral damages faced by port facilities in Ukraine, where both the maritime navigation and land infrastructure can be impacted and even attacked.
In the article, Deiss highlights how Russian naval manoeuvres have already compromised access to Ukrainian Black Sea ports, and reports how Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure has advised the maritime sector to seek alternative routes to bypass the Russian blockade. A proposal proven to be successful and therefore confirming that the maritime trade is not yet impacted by the current crisis. Even so, an increase in freight rates for ships in the Black Sea has been noted.
Interview with Hans Tino Hansen: a nordic perspective on the 2022 Ukraine crisis:
During the recent discussion with Robbin Laird, CEO of Risk Intelligence, Hans Tino Hansen had a chance to share his thought on the current situation and other important topics associated with it.
Answering question How does the current Ukraine crisis fit into the evolving history of European direct defense?, Hans Tino Hansen says: “With the preoccupation with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the West has in a certain sense had its head in the sand and developed a geopolitical blindness with regard to European geopolitics. Putin has not. And he has been working his approach to determine who in the West is willing to do what in meeting his ongoing demands.
Jyllandsposten: Danish frigate Esbern Snare heads to the Gulf of Guinea to fight pirates
As the Danish frigate ‘Esbern Snare’ was sent off towards the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) west of Africa on a mission to fight maritime pirates, Danish newspaper Jyllandsposten interviewed West Africa specialist Dr. Dirk Siebels on the possible impact of the frigate’s mission.
Last Sunday, the Danish Navy deployed its frigate Esbern Snare on a solo mission to the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa to deter piracy. Around 30-40 Danish operated ships sail through the West African waters every day, and a little over a year ago Danish tanker "Hafnia Phoenix" suddenly found itself surrounded by pirates, approximately 150 km off the coast of Ghana.
USNI News: ‘US Navy deployed USS Hershel ‘Woody’ Williams near major African drug trafficking routes’
The US Naval Institute’s news organ, USNI News, brought an article this week on the deployment of its only U.S. Africa Command’s vessel’s journey through major African drug trafficking chokepoints. Head of Intelligence Analysis Guy Wilson-Roberts was interviewed on the threat.
Following a stop in Maputo, Mozambique, the U.S. Africa Command's vessel USS Hershel “Woody” Williams moved through the Mozambique Channel late last month for the second time this year.
Bunkerspot: ‘Threat assessment: How the global threat of piracy is evolving’
Bunkerspot Magazine this month brings an in-depth article by Risk Intelligence’s Africa specialist Dr. Dirk Siebels and Head of Intelligence Dr. Guy Wilson-Roberts on the global threat of piracy and how it is evolving.
Risk Intelligence has been monitoring and assessing the decline in the Somali piracy threat in the Indian Ocean for several years. But in other parts of the world, such as the Gulf of Guinea and South-east Asia, piracy is still a major threat. South-east Asia accounts for around 40% of reports in 2021 so far according the the International Maritime Bureau, IMB, write Dr. Dirk Siebels and Dr. Guy Wilson-Roberts in the article, Risk Intelligence’s leading specialists on the topic.