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Update: Brightoil plans ‘disposal’ of entire international oil trading and bunkering business

Company edges closer to resumption of trading on Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and plans primarily focus on upstream business for future.

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Brightoil exit

Hong Kong-listed Brightoil Petroleum (Holdings) Limited (Brightoil) on Wednesday (4 February) shared several details of its resumption progress for trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE).

The company recently released information, including the disclosure of its forensic investigation and the publication of its financial results, to meet HKSE’s resumption conditions.

Resumption plan

The latest update noted Brightoil planning the disposal of its oil trading and bunkering arm as part of its resumption plan; this was a much wider development when compared to an earlier announcement specifically stating disposal of Brightoil Petroleum (S’pore) Pte. Ltd.

“To resume trading in its Shares, the Company submitted the resumption plan to the Stock Exchange on 31 January 2020, including but not limited to, the disposal of the international oil trading and bunkering business (Target Business),” it stated.

“The Company has signed the sale and purchase agreement regarding the disposal of the Target Business and the relevant draft announcement has been submitted to the Stock Exchange for review.”

Loan from Chinese investment firm

Brightoil, meanwhile, noted it has entered into an agreement with the subsidiary of China Huarong Overseas Investment Holding Co., Ltd. for approximately USD 413 million in loan financing, refinancing and working capital support on 1 November 2019.

The loan includes financing of approximately USD 362 million to various Brightoil subsidiaries for a period of five to twelve years for acquiring the company’s debts and restructuring the company’s existing debt.

Additionally, the lender may provide respective additional loans of up to USD 15 million and USD 35.5 million to Brightoil for capital expenditure of its Xinjiang Dina project and general working capital under the premise of the company meeting certain conditions.

Sale of “Brightoil Gem”

The Brightoil Gem has since been sold by the Haikou Maritime Court of PRC for RMB 403.3 million. The first tranche of the net proceeds from sale of the VLCC has been received and applied to settling the debts of the company and its subsidiaries.

Winding-up petitions in Singapore and Hong Kong

Brightoil subsidiary, Brightoil Petroleum (S’pore) Pte. Ltd., has successfully extended its claims moratoria at the Singapore High Court until 3 April 2020 and “made good progress in reaching legally binding settlements with major trade creditors,” it said. The next hearing date has not yet been fixed but is expected to take place in early April of 2020.

Over in Hong Kong, Brightoil noted it has made progress by entering into settlement agreements with other key creditors, while obtaining commitment letters from several creditors showing support for its debt restructuring efforts. The company has made instalment payments pursuant to the settlement agreements that have already been concluded.

Intended sale of Zhoushan oil storage and terminal facilities

On 7 January 2020, Brightoil signed a non-binding “Zhoushan Project Cooperation Framework Agreement” with a potential buyer of its Zhoushan Oil Storage and Terminal Facilities; the company will work towards achieving signing of a binding agreement within three months.

Upstream business

The Caofeidian Oilfield of Brightoil achieved 11.62 million barrels of crude oil production, completing 114% of the annual plan, between January to December 2019.

The construction & installation of the ‘Overall Development Adjustment Plan’ for the Caofeidian project has been finished. Actual construction costs incurred were approximately RMB 2,423 million, which is approximately RMB 500 million below the approved budget of RMB 2,923 million.

As of 31 December 2019, the daily natural gas production of the Dina 1 and Tuzi gas field was 3.03 million cubic meters in aggregate. The preparatory work for the Tuzi gas field booster station and Dina 1-4 new well has begun, and the booster station is expected to be completed in October 2020 to achieve higher production targets.

“The management expects that the upstream business will be the primary focus of the Company’s development in the future,” it states.

Related: Singapore bunker supplier Brightoil Petroleum (S’pore) Pte. Ltd. to be disposed by parent company
RelatedBrightoil publishes unaudited financial results for FY 2017, 2018, 2019

Earlier developments of Brightoil (since late 2017 to date) can be found in the search results here

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 5 February, 2019

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Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

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RESIZED Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July). 

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions. 

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Founder OK Lim gets jail term slashed to 13.5 years

 

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

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RESIZED Drew Beamer

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

  • That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

  • that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
  • that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
  • that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd. 

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Related: Singapore: Director declares Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping’s inability to continue business
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping in court over DBS Bank bunker tanker loan
Related: Singapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Neptune” arrested
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping, Coastal Logistics tankers enter S&P market

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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