Captain John Konrad is the founder and CEO of gCaptain, one of the world’s most-read maritime news websites, and a member of the Pentagon Press Corps. He holds a USCG Master Unlimited license and earned an MBA from Marist College. John studied naval architecture at the U.S. Naval Academy before graduating from SUNY Maritime College with a degree in Marine Transportation. He is also a Y Combinator Startup School alumnus. His decade at sea included service aboard Military Sealift Command-operated ships, crude-oil supertankers running to Valdez, and dynamically positioned drillships supporting deepwater projects. In industry leadership roles, he participated in major offshore exploration and drilling campaigns, including the KG-D6 discovery with Reliance Industries and world record-setting deepwater work with Chevron. On April 20, 2010, John had finished overseeing the $750 million Deep Ocean Ascension newbuild project for BP when the Deepwater Horizon exploded. His seven years at Transocean and personal ties to members of the Horizon crew drove him to investigate the disaster, resulting in Fire on the Horizon (HarperCollins, 2011). In 2025, he co-authored Returning from Ebb Tide: Renewing the United States Commercial Maritime Enterprise for Marine Corps University Press. John has contributed to publications including Forbes, CIMSEC, Lloyd’s List, and the U.S. Coast Guard Compass, and has appeared on outlets including NPR and the BBC. He has also consulted for major newsrooms and public institutions on maritime reporting and offshore industry topics. His reporting draws on primary documents, official maritime records, and on-the-record sources cultivated over two decades in the industry. He is an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute and a member of the Council of American Master Mariners and the Navy League of the United States. His work has been recognized with the U.S. Navy Combined Maritime Forces Naval Support Award and SUNY Maritime’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award.
As part of the new Shipping Reform Act the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced it’s reorganizing its enforcement structure and plans to hire more
by John Konrad (gCaptain) The first ship loaded with Ukrainian grain has departed the port of Odesa today as part of a deal to ease the global food crisis
by John Konrad (gCaptain) The Hawaiian islands’ coal shipments are ending. The bulker carrying the state’s final coal shipment will leave this week
The IMO’s World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden is calling all Seafarers who are currently working on any commercial ship, or have worked on such
by John Konrad (gCaptain) China’s National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) says it successfully tapped into an offshore shale oil exploration well. This is the
By Carolyn Cohn (Reuters) Lloyd’s of London insurer Ascot and broker Marsh on Friday launched marine cargo and war insurance for
Scorpio Tankers (NYSE: $STNG) reported the biggest quarterly profit in its history on Thursday, and said that tonne-miles will go “through the
Turkey will open a new joint shipping coordination center in Istanbul tomorrow to oversee Ukrainian grain exports. This comes only four days after a Russian
Last week, the UN Panel of Experts on Libya learned that the ship MV Victory RoRo was transporting vehicles in breach of the UN arms embargo. In response,
This year has been tough for the world’s biggest yachts. Earlier this month, Rotterdam said it wouldn’t take apart a bridge to let Jeff Bezos sail
by John Konrad (gCaptain) A new report found that more than 75% of ships will not meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new Environmental
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Long-term rates for shipping containers to New Zealand and Australia have soared in the past few years, and are now at record highs.
by John Konrad (gCaptain) The Port of Los Angeles is the victim of approximately 40 million cyber attacks per month, mostly from Europe and Russia including
China has threatened to take “strong measures” if Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan and US security experts
Data from Vortexa, a platform in the energy industry, shows that Iran, Russia, and Venezuela are all vying to sell oil to Asia. According to the analysis,
by John Konrad (gCaptain) A dwindling oil tanker fleet could deepen the global energy crisis over the next three years as energy companies try to increase
by John Konrad (gCaptain) Every year, the US Navy sails warships into the Black Sea as part of Sea Breeze 2022 an annual joint military exercise with Romania
Updated with Peruvian Navy ship name and details. by John Konrad (gCaptain) US Navy crews are responding to “reports of an engine room fire and potential
by John Konrad (gCaptain) On Wednesday, the European Commission released guidance aimed at reducing tensions with Moscow over cargo shipments between the port
by John Konrad (gCaptain) This weekend the United States Navy removed the second in command of the Hospital Ship, USNS Mercy, while federal agents investigate
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