Business

Noble Group pushes restructuring effort, disagrees with ACRA

Firm would be ‘forced to enter into a full liquidation process’ if approach does not work, it warns.

Published

8 years ago

December 12, 2018

Admin

Singapore-listed commodities trading firm Noble Group on Tuesday (11 December) said in intends to carry on its restructuring plan by appointing an officer from the Bermuda court to oversee the process.

“Having consulted with its advisers and key stakeholders, including the Ad Hoc Group, the company intends to apply to the Bermudan court for a hearing on 14 December 2018 for the appointment of a court-appointed officer to the company in order to implement the Restructuring in accordance with the terms of the Schemes as already disclosed,” it states.

“The board wishes to highlight that the court-appointed officer will be appointed to the company only and not to any of the company’s subsidiaries, which will continue to trade in the ordinary course.

“The day-to-day operations of the Group will therefore be unaffected: the Group’s trade finance facilities will continue to be available to it and payments to customers and suppliers will be made as usual.”

It points out the course of action to be the only means available for it to implement the restructuring in the interests of all stakeholders.

“In the event that the company is unable for any reason to complete the restructuring in accordance with this approach, the company would be forced to enter into a full liquidation process.”

Noble, meanwhile, point out its disagreement to the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) queries in relation to financial statements of Noble Resources International Pte. Ltd. (NRIPL) for the years ended 31 December 2012 to 31 December 2016.

Noble’s response to the ACRA Letter, in summary, are as follows:

ACRA has challenged the Group derivative treatment for variable marketing contracts.

The Group’s position is that there is both a strong technical basis for fair value accounting and this methodology aligns with the Group’s business model and risk management approach.

ACRA has challenged the Group’s derivative treatment of non-spot physical contracts on the basis that they fail the net settlement criteria.

The Group’s offtake agreements clearly qualify as derivatives, not only in respect of net settlement but also in accordance with other elements of the applicable accounting standard.

ACRA has challenged the initial recognition, on the basis that only the value of identical contracts can be recognised.

The basis applied by the Group to the recognition of gains and losses is well founded and albeit inherently complex it is fully compliant with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

ACRA has challenged the treatment of overhead costs and an assessment that they should be included in the fair value of derivatives.

All costs required by the accounting standards are included in the Group’s valuation models. It would be completely out of line with industry practice and IFRS to include overheads such as rent and salaries.

ACRA has expressed a view that the split between current and non-current assets is incorrect.

The classification is based on aligning the presentation with our risk management approach. Disclosure is augmented with maturity buckets for all fair value assets and liabilities.

“NRIPL disagrees with the positions taken by ACRA and intends to submit to ACRA a comprehensive response to the assessments and questions in the ACRA Letter. The company will make further announcements as necessary,” it states.

Published: 12 December, 2018

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.

Published

13 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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.

Published

13 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

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.

Published

13 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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