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NewOcean delays release of FY 2021 results, ‘catastrophic credit freeze’ amongst reasons

Difficulties faced by the company include departure of staff, relocation of its headquarters to China, severely affected staff recruitment process due to Covid-19 restrictions.

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NewOcean

Hong Kong-listed NewOcean Energy Holdings Limited on Wednesday (29 June) said it was unable to publish the audited annual results of the Group for the year ended 31 December 2021. 

Manifold Times previously reported the Company receiving a letter from the Stock Exchange setting out the resumption guidance for the resumption of trading in the Company’s shares including announcing all material information for the Company’s shareholders and investors to appraise the Company‘s position.

Some of the issues the Group outlined in the delay included relocation of its headquarters to Mainland China and the departure of a considerable number of staff

UPDATE ON BUSINESS OPERATION AND PUBLICATION OF 2021 AUDITED ANNUAL RESULTS

Due to the catastrophic credit freeze by the banks in year 2020, the Group was under tight cashflow. From year 2021 onward, the Group has gradually downsized its operating size and focused on generating lease income through leasing out the Group’s terminal facilities in Zhuhai and other fixed assets. 

Following the relocation of the headquarters function of the Group’s regional offices in Mainland China and the departure of a considerable number of Hong Kong management and account staff who were unable to accept the relocation of their place of work, the Group experienced difficulties in preparing preliminary annual results announcement of the Group for the year ended 31 December 2021. 

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the first half year of 2022, there were serious entrance restrictions imposed by the government in Hong Kong, and other regions in Mainland China, Hong Kong staff are not easy moving over to work in the headquarter in Mainland China. Moreover, the staff recruitment process have been severely affected as well. As at the dated of this announcement due to the outbreak of the Covid-19, the Group is unable to function properly and effectively. As a result of the current situation of the Group, the unaudited consolidated management account of the Group for the year ended 31 December 2021 remains unavailable. 

Accordingly, the Company was unable to publish: 

(i)the audited annual results of the Group on or before the end of March 2022 as required under Rule 13.49(1) of the Listing Rules; and 

(ii) the unaudited management account as required under Rule 13.49(3) of the Listing Rules. 

Upon the relaxation of the prevention measures and travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, the Group will continue to recruit additional professionals to further strengthen the financial reporting team of the Group and target to announce its unaudited and audited financial results for the year ended 31 December 2021 as soon as practicable.

UPDATED ON BERMUDA WINDING UP PETITION AND HONG KONG WINDING UP PETITION

As disclosed in the Announcements, the Bermuda Winding Up Petition and Hong Kong Winding Up Petition have been adjourned to 8 July 2022 and 27 July 2022 respectively.

RESUMPTION GUIDANCE

The Company is working closely with its legal advisers and taking appropriate steps to fulfil the Resumption Guidance. The Company remains committed to using its best endeavours to fulfil the Resumption Guidance as soon as practicable and will update the shareholders and potential investors of the Company as and when appropriate should there be any material development on the Resumption Guidance.

CONTINUED SUSPENSION OF TRADING

Trading in the shares of the Company will continue to be suspended pending fulfilment of the Resumption Guidance.

Trading in the Company’s Shares may be suspended if any winding up order is made by the court with provisional liquidators appointed to the Company. Shareholders and potential investors should exercise caution when dealing in the Shares of the Company.

Manifold Times earlier reported NewOcean Energy Holdings Limited saying it experienced difficulties in preparing preliminary annual results of the Group for the year ended 31 December 2021.

Related: NewOcean delays release of FY 2021 results, postpones AGM to Sep 2022
Related: NewOcean: Winding up petition proceedings in court adjourned to 27 July
Related: Hong Kong Stock Exchange issues trading resumption guidance to NewOcean Energy
Related: NewOcean appoints law firm to oppose petition at 15 June hearing
Related: NewOcean warns of trading halt of company shares on HKSE from 1 April onwards
Related: NewOcean delays release of FY 2021 results, postpones AGM to Sep 2022
Related: NewOcean Energy auditor tender resignation over disagreement of FY 2021 audit fee
Related: NewOcean company secretary and authorised representative resigns on HQ relocation
Related: NewOcean Energy loses second Executive Director on HQ relocation to China
Related: NewOcean Energy HQ relocates to mainland China, Executive Director resigns
Related: NewOcean Energy officially begins ‘soft touch’ debt restructuring process
Related: NewOcean Energy reshuffles lineup of Independent Non-executive Directors
Related: NewOcean Energy defends against HSBC winding up petition, secures time for debt restructuring
Related: NewOcean: Winding up petition proceedings at Bermuda court to continue on 14 December
Related: NewOcean Energy Holdings forecasts 87% decrease net loss on year for 1H2021
Related: NewOcean posts USD 479 million FY 2020 loss; possible downsize of oil business
Related: NewOcean Energy delays release of 2020 financial results; to be published by end June
Related: NewOcean appoints Crowe as new auditors; replaces Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
Related: NewOcean creditor scheme meeting dates at courts now ‘unrealistic’; delayed till further notice
Related: NewOcean auditors resign due to significant outstanding documents & information
Related: NewOcean revises creditor scheme meeting dates at Hong Kong, Bermuda Courts due to ‘substantial’ amendments
Related: NewOcean records USD 304.3 million loss, portion of SG bunkering business to remain
Related: NewOcean Energy issues USD 304.8 million net loss warning ahead of FY 2020 results
Related: NewOcean proposal to adjourn court scheme meeting approved by creditors
Related: NewOcean creditors meeting application granted by Supreme Court of Bermuda
Related: NewOcean planning creditors meeting, foundation of debt restructuring plan laid out
Related: NewOcean records USD 174 million 1H 2020 loss; Singapore bunkering business remains
Related: NewOcean Energy publishes profit warning to shareholders ahead of 1H 2020 results
Related: NewOcean Energy records 66% bunker sales jump to 4.5 million mt in FY 2019

 

Photo credit: NewOcean Energy Holdings Limited
Published: 30 June, 2022

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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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