Incident

ENGINE: Algoa Bay closure spurs surge in bunker calls at nearby ports

Bunker demand has increased in Mozambique’s Nacala and Maputo ports as bunkering remains completely shut off in Algoa Bay, a source says.

Published

1 year ago

October 2, 2023

Admin

Algoa Bay MarineTraffic / Bernd Bölscher

Ships sailing by Algoa Bay are forced to seek bunkers elsewhere as bunker operations remain suspended.

With Algoa Bay temporarily inaccessible for bunkering, ships being diverted to alternative ports in its vicinity to bunker.

Bunker demand has increased in Mozambique’s Nacala and Maputo ports as bunkering remains completely shut off in Algoa Bay, a source says. Ships are also seeking bunkers at other South African ports such as Durban and Cape Town.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability has remained steady so far in Durban, but availability could tighten there going forward because of the Algoa Bay crisis, a source says.

Some bunker buyers are still booking stems for deliveries in Algoa Bay in late October. They anticipate that bunkering could resume by that time, a port agent tells ENGINE. As of now, both onshore and offshore bunkering remain suspended, the port agent adds.

The reputational damage from the South African authority crackdowns could be immense. Even if the current issue is resolved and bunker operations resume, there may be lingering perceptions of Algoa Bay as a problematic location for bunkering, another source argues.

"Once bitten, twice shy," it says.

Algoa Bay bunkering has faced hightened scrutiny after the South African Revenue Service (SARS) detained bunker barges over import duty disputes earlier this month.

By Nithin Chandran

Manifold Times previously reported South African Revenue Service (SARS) issuing a media statement concerning the detention of five vessels involved in the fuel bunkering supply chain.

Source: ENGINE
Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Bernd Bölscher
Published: 2 October, 2023

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Vessel Arrest

Singapore: Liberia-flagged tanker “Fair Star” placed under Sheriff’s arrest

Vessel was arrested at 9.05pm and is currently held at Eastern Petroleum Anchorage A; arresting solicitor listed was law firm Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP.

Published

5 hours ago

October 9, 2024

Admin

An Liberia-flagged oil tanker, Fair Star, was arrested in Singapore waters on Saturday (5 October).

The vessel was added to the list of vessels under Sheriff’s arrest in Singapore’s court system.

According to the list, the vessel was arrested at 9.05pm and the arresting solicitor listed was law firm Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP. The ship is currently held at Eastern Petroleum Anchorage A.

No details regarding the reason behind the arrest were provided in the list.

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Flare
Published: 9 October, 2024

Legal

Reed Smith: Legal ramifications of Baltimore Bridge collision

Lawsuit raises legal and factual issues, including as to the owners’ and managers’ knowledge of the condition of Singapore-registered vessel “Dali” vessel, says lawyers Han Deng and Alice Colarossi.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 27, 2024

Admin

MPA: Singapore-registered ship in Baltimore bridge crash passed previous foreign port state inspections

Law firm Reed Smith on Thursday (26 September) shared comments of its transportation lawyers Han Deng and Alice Colarossi on the Baltimore bridge collision incident involving Singapore-registered vessel “Dali” in March:

Several claims have been filed against the owners and managers of the cargo ship in the aftermath of the incident, including (among others), on September 18, 2024, a USD 100 million claim by the U.S. Department of Justice, which alleged that the collapse was caused by the “outrageous, grossly negligent, willful, wanton, and reckless” conduct of the owners and operators, who they allege sent out an unseaworthy and poorly maintained vessel with a history of equipment failures to navigate a critical waterway.

The government opposes the petition that was filed by the owners and managers of the vessel to limit their liability to approximately USD 44 million under the U.S. Limitation of Liability Act—a U.S. statute dating back to 1851 that allows ship owners to limit their total liability to the value of the vessel and pending freight after major incidents (while the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims does not apply in the United States).

The lawsuit raises a number of legal and factual issues, including as to the owners’ and managers’ knowledge of the condition of the vessel, and the circumstances and causes of the incident.

At the Port of Baltimore, ships are typically required to have a harbor pilot on board when navigating through the harbor and approaching or leaving the port. This is a common rule in many U.S. ports to ensure safe passage through waterways, such as crowded harbors or narrow canals.

It requires tugs to assist ships in and out the port but does not mandatorily require extended escorts into the port’s channel or further into the bay. Tug escorts are only required in Baltimore for specific cargo types like oil or liquid natural gas, and for docking and undocking operations of larger ships with limited maneuverability.

Harbor pilots or the ship’s operator can request extra tug services if and when they have safety concerns. Two harbor pilots were temporarily in charge of navigating the DALI on her exit from the Port of Baltimore.

Two tugboats also initially guided the ship out of the dock and then left the ship when she was safely inside the channel 20 minutes before the collapse. Minutes before hitting one of the bridge supports, the pilot called for tug assist, but it was too late.

The incident raises questions about safety measures for large ships passing under bridges, including whether additional tugboat escorts could prevent such accidents. Some have advocated for new regulations requiring tug escorts, changing protocols for tug escorts or standardizing escort rules across ports.

The rules currently vary depending on the port and state, and there are currently no harmonized tug escort requirements at the U.S. federal level, except in certain safety zones and for certain tankers. This could change. Note that there are no confirmed new regulations requiring towboat escorts for ships leaving the Port of Baltimore as a result of the collapse.

Implementing such new regulations could introduce complications, such as delays and additional costs. Further insights may emerge from ongoing investigations, including a report from the National Transportation Safety Board, which could address the feasibility and potential benefits of towboat escorts in preventing similar incidents.

Photo credit: Baltimore County Fire Department
Published: 27 September, 2024

Incident

FBI boards Singapore-flagged ship “Maersk Saltoro” in Baltimore

“Maersk Saltoro” is managed by the same company as Singapore-registered container vessel “Dali” that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 24, 2024

Admin

US federal agents on Saturday (21 September) boarded a Singapore-flagged container ship managed by the same company as Singapore-registered container vessel Dali that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, according to several media outlets.

Citing a statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US Attorney’s Office in Maryland, they confirmed several law enforcement agencies including FBI agents boarded Maersk Saltoro in the Port of Baltimore.

Both Maersk Saltoro and Dali are managed by Singapore-based Synergy Marine Group.

Baltimore bridge crash: Safety investigation to include contaminated bunker fuel as possible cause

Singapore-registered container vessel Dali after it crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and Coast Guard Investigative Services are present aboard the Maersk Saltoro conducting court authorised law enforcement activity,” said FBI and the US Attorney’s Office.

Both did not provide further information. The development came just days after the Justice Department filed a civil claim in the US District Court for the District of Maryland against Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine, the Singaporean corporations that owned and operated the container ship that destroyed the bridge.

The suit seeks to recover over USD 100 million in costs the United States incurred in responding to the fatal disaster and for clearing the entangled wreck and bridge debris from the navigable channel so the port could reopen.

In a press call, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Chetan Patil of the Civil Division said: “This accident happened because of the careless and grossly negligent decisions made by Grace Ocean and Synergy, who recklessly chose to send an unseaworthy vessel to navigate a critical waterway and ignored the risks to American lives and the nation’s infrastructure.”

The Straits Times reported that Synergy Marine Group has confirmed that US authorities have left the Maersk Saltoro to resume cargo operations on 22 September.