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New York: Amelia Maritime, unable to locate Integr8 Fuels assets, dismisses alleged wrongful arrest lawsuit

Integr8 in November 2021 arrested “M/V Auzonia” in Rotterdam to recover an unpaid bunker claim; local court ruled arrest was wrongful and Integr8 was found liable to reimburse shipowner Amelia for legal fees.

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Amelia Maritime Group (Amelia) on Friday (28 July) dropped its lawsuit against Integr8 Fuels (Integr8), the bunker trading and brokerage arm of Navig8, in the US Federal Court for the Southern District of New York for the alleged wrongful arrest of bulk carrier M/V Auzonia in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

On 20 April 2023, Amelia filed a complaint against Integr8 seeking damages of USD 862,735 following the alleged wrongful arrest of its vessel in the UAE, according to court documents sighted by Manifold Times.

The U.S. court on 27 April issued a Writ of Maritime Attachment and Garnishment against Integr8 which was sent to the New York office of Navig8 on 8 May.

On 1 June, Amelia received a letter from Navig8 which stated that “at the time of service of the documents, and through the present, none of the Garnishees held or hold any tangible or intangible property belonging to or being held for the Defendant.”

Amelia’s Writ of Maritime Attachment and Garnishment against Integr8 expired on 26 June leading to it requesting an extension of the court order from the U.S. court.

U.S. District Judge Jessica G.L. Clarke replied ordering Amelia to file a letter by 31 July showing good cause for a 60-day extension of the previous court order and to show cause as to why the court may exercise personal jurisdiction over Integr8 notwithstanding Amelia Maritime’s ability to locate any of Integr8’s funds in the district. 

Ultimately, Amelia sent a notice of voluntary dismissal of the case on 28 July. 

Background

The chain of events started on 20 August 2018 when Harmony Innovation shipping Ltd (Harmony), the then charterers of the vessel, which was named M/V Golden Destiny, entered a contract with Integr8 for the bunker supply of approximately 430 metric tonnes (mt) of bunkers (marine fuel oil) for a total of US 209,410.

In accordance with the contract between Harmony and Integr8, bunkers were provided to M/V Golden Destiny in Thailand on 20 August 2018. At the time of the bunker delivery, the owner of M/V Golden Destiny was Golden Star Marine. On 24 August 2018, Integr8 sent an invoice to Harmony for the bunkers. Harmony allegedly failed to pay for the bunkers. 

On 26 February 2020, 18 months after the bunkers were supplied, Amelia purchased M/V Golden Destiny from Golden Star Marine and was renamed to M/V Auzonia

On 14 September 2020, nearly two years after the delivery of the bunkers to Harmony, Integr8 emailed Overseas Marine Enterprises Inc, the current operators of the vessel, alleging Harmony never paid for the bunkers supplied to the vessel and demanded payment for the bunkers from Amelia.

On 30 November 2020, Integr8 sent a second email to Overseas Marine demanding payment from Amelia for the sum of USD 209,410, plus interest in the amount of USD 143,823.93.

On November 28, 2021, Integr8 arrested the vessel in Rotterdam to recover its claim regarding the unpaid bunkers.

The Court in Rotterdam ruled the arrest was wrongful and Integr8 was found liable to reimburse Amelia for its legal fees incurred in defending the arrest.

On November 19, 2022, Integr8 then arrested the vessel in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while it was undergoing repairs. Thereafter, Amelia asserted a wrongful arrest claim against Integr8 and is challenging the merits of the arrest in the UAE.

On November 25, 2022, Integr8 demanded arbitration in New York against Amelia claiming, despite the Rotterdam ruling, that Amelia was responsible for the payment of bunkers. However, it withdrew its demand for arbitration against Amelia on 9 December 2022. 

As a result of Integr8’s wrongful arrest of Amelia’s vessel in the UAE, Amelia claimed it has incurred damages in the amount of USD 862,735, which is the amount of the claims for which Amelia was seeking in its lawsuit against Integr8. 

 

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Eduard Legkii
Published: 7 August, 2023

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Biofuel

Chimbusco and SPG complete first biofuel bunkering operation in Northern China

Chimbusco’s “DA YUAN YOU 8” tanker refuelled the “HMM VANCOUVER” with 1,300 metric tonnes of B24 biofuel at Qingdao Port.

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Chimbusco and SPG achieves first biofuel bunkering operation in Northern China

China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co Ltd (Chimbusco) and Shandong Port Group (SPG) recently said they successfully completed the first B24 biofuel bunkering operation in Northern China on 14 June.

Chimbusco’s “DA YUAN YOU 8 ” tanker refuelled the “HMM VANCOUVER” with 1,300 metric tonnes (mt) of B24 biofuel at Qingdao Port.

Chimbusco said the successful bunkering operation not only marks a milestone in the bonded biofuel bunkering business for international voyage vessels in northern China but also represents a critical milestone in the green and low-carbon transformation of the shipping industry around the Bohai Sea and throughout northern China. 

B24 biofuel is a blend of 24% waste cooking oil and 76% high-sulphur fuel oil. Authoritatively certified, the company said this fuel can significantly reduce carbon emissions from vessel operations by up to 20%, providing shipowners with an efficient and convenient low-carbon solution to comply with increasingly stringent International Maritime Organization (IMO) emission reduction regulations. 

Since the beginning of this year, Chimbusco said it has achieved top records of bunkering volumes in the green fuel sector. From the first successful operation at Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in eastern China to subsequent bunkering operations in Shenzhen, Xiamen, and other major ports across the country, the company has further consolidated its regular supply capabilities. 

During this in-depth cooperation with SPG’s Qingdao Port, Chimbusco’s “Green Energy Label” made its debut at the operation site. 

“This further confirms that Chimbusco is deploying green fuel bunkering services to help Chinese ports accelerate the construction of a maritime green energy supply network,” the company said. 

 

Photo credit: Shandong Port Group
Published: 20 June, 2025

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Ammonia

Korea to develop global standards for discharge of toxic effluent from ammonia-fuelled ships

KR and major Korean shipyards such as HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai Samho and Samsung Heavy Industries will be part of the group.

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Korea to develop global standards for discharge of toxic effluent from ammonia-fuelled ships

Classification society Korean Register (KR) said it has launched a joint working group to establish international standards for the safe discharge of toxic ammonia effluent generated from ammonia-fuelled ships.

Major Korean shipyards such as HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, HD Hyundai Samho, Samsung Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, and the Korea Testing & Research Institute (KTR) will be part of the group. 

KR said ammonia is attracting attention as an eco-friendly alternative fuel that does not emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, but due to its strong toxicity and concerns about marine pollution, it is essential to establish separate safety standards. 

In particular, ammonia effluent generated from wet treatment systems currently has no clear treatment standards, which causes considerable technical and operational uncertainty in ship design and operation.

Accordingly, the group aims to establish international standards related to the storage, treatment, and discharge of ammonia wastewater generated from ships and to officially propose this to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) through the Korean government.

The launch of this consultative body is a follow-up measure to a proposal by KR and the Korean government to the IMO in 2024 for the need to establish safety standards for ammonia effluent, which was officially approved at the 83rd IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in April 2025. The group plans to propose a draft standard to the IMO in 2026 and lead international discussions.

Kim Tae-seong, Head of the KTR headquarters, said: “We will provide reliable scientific data to establish ammonia wastewater management guidelines and treatment standards. We will actively cooperate to secure the international competitiveness of the domestic shipbuilding and shipping industries.”
Kim Kyung-bok, Vice President of KR, said: “This consultative body is a symbolic case of our shipbuilding and shipping industries joining forces to lead the establishment of international safety standards based on our country’s advanced technologies.”

“KR will continue to support the development of alternative fuel safety standards and international standardisation efforts together with our government.”

 

Photo credit: Korean Register
Published: 20 June, 2025

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Legal

Florida bunker supplier indicted over alleged USD 5 mil SEA Card fuel purchase fraud

Owner of Independent Marine Oil Services, allegedly submitted fake invoices to US Navy ships and other vessels through the SEA Card Program, which allows US vessels to purchase fuel from suppliers at ports.

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RESIZED Pepi Stojanovski from Unsplash

The US Department of Justice recently said a federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment recently charging a Florida business owner with multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and forgery for his alleged role in orchestrating a scheme to defraud the US Department of Defense and other federal agencies. 

He allegedly did so by submitting altered and fake invoices to US Navy ships and other vessels through the SEA Card Program, which allows US vessels to purchase critical fuel from suppliers at ports around the world.

According to court documents filed in the Southern District of Florida, between August 2022 and January 2024, Jasen Butler, 37, of Jupiter, Florida, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, submitted dozens of falsified documents to multiple U.S. warships — including the USS Patriot — demanding and receiving over USD 5 million dollars in payments for phony expenses that Butler had not incurred. 

These ships were attempting to purchase fuel in international ports such as Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Croatia, among others. Butler also concealed his identity from government officials by using a false name and feigning employment by a fictitious fuel division of a different company. As alleged in the indictment, Butler used the millions in fraud proceeds to personally enrich himself and purchase multiple properties, including in Florida and Colorado. 

“This indictment sends a clear, public message: the Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force under President Trump will not rest until all who defraud the brave men and women of the U.S. military and the American taxpayers receive swift justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail A. Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.

“Our office is steadfast in its commitment to prosecute individuals that seek to unjustly profit at the expense of the U.S. military,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Such fraud undermines military readiness and jeopardizes the dedicated service members who selflessly defend our country.”

“Mr. Butler’s alleged involvement in unlawfully submitting fraudulent invoices related to U.S. naval ships receiving fuel during port visits is an affront to the warfighter and taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS remains committed to thoroughly investigating those who commit fraud impacting the Department of Navy.”

“Those who exploit the Department of Defense for personal gain — by inflating costs, falsifying bids, or manipulating the contracting process — will be relentlessly pursued and held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. 

“DCIS and our law enforcement partners remain unwavering in our mission to protect taxpayer dollars and preserve the integrity of DoD contracts that directly support our nation’s warfighters.”

If convicted, Butler faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, up to 10 years for each count of forgery, and up to 10 years for each count of money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

 

Photo credit: Pepi Stojanovski from Unsplash
Published: 20 June, 2025

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