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‘Reasonable prospects’ to keep Ocean Tankers as a going concern, states Director

‘OTPL has a strong group of employees who have the requisite expertise and experience in ship chartering and management, which has commercial value and should be kept intact.’

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Update:  London-based multinational professional services firm Ernst & Young (EY) has reportedly been appointed as Interim Judicial Managers of Ocean Tankers during a hearing at the High Court of Singapore on Tuesday (12 May). There was no reply from the Director of Ocean Tankers to a request for comment from Manifold Times when contacted about the following article:

The Director of Singapore-based energy transportation firm Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd (OTPL), a separate entity from Hin Leong Trading (HLT), on Monday (11 May) submitted an additional affidavit at the High Court of Singapore.

The additional document was to supplement an earlier version filed on 6 May.

The latest affidavit, widely circulated within Singapore’s bunkering sector, was obtained by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times.

In it, Lim Chee Meng, also known as Evan Lim, provided reasons why he believed OTPL should be placed in judicial management even though its level of business may not return to similar levels before COVID-19.

“Additionally, it may not be easy to completely shake off the market perception of the linkage to the financial woes of HLT,” he stated, explaining the situation first.

“As a result of this relative decline of business, there is therefore a risk that in the next few weeks or months (subject to the timeous collection of the various freight accounts receivables) OTPL may not be able to fully meet all its operational costs and expenses to operate at the same levels as before.”

Lim further stated OTPL has been taking steps to pursue collection of its account receivables and making other plans, such as the sales of OTPL-owned non-core vessels, for debt repayment.

“I wish to highlight however that these steps take time, and that despite these best efforts, OTPL may still encounter cash flow constraints moving forward,” he said.

Lim, meanwhile, highlighted most vessels bareboat chartered to OTPL are owned by ship-ownig special purpose companies owned by Xihe Holdings Pte Ltd or Xihe Capital Pte Ltd (collectively, the Xihe Group) – where his sister Lim Huey Ching and himself are Directors.

He stated OTPL owing approximately USD 106 million for trade payables and USD 208 million in company loans to the Xihe Group.

He explained the relevant Xihe special purpose company will be entitled to terminate bareboat charters and seek re-delivery of the vessel in the event OTPL is unable to make payment; and there have already been some instances of non-payment by OTPL.

“Despite the real prospect of such termination, I remain of the view that OTPL ought be placed in judicial management, as there are reasonable prospects to keep OTPL as a going concern,” he said.

“This is because OTPL has a strong group of employees who have the requisite expertise and experience in ship chartering and management, which has commercial value and should be kept intact.

“Even if the bareboat charterparty agreements with OTPL are terminated, OTPL remains able to sell its charter, technical, commercial and crewing expertise to the new bareboat charterer for a profit, to ensure a seamless transfer of the vessel to the new bareboat charterer.”

An earlier collection of articles preceding the current development are as follows:

Related: Singapore: Ocean Tankers, a separate entity of Hin Leong, seeking judicial management
RelatedSingapore High Court concedes interim judicial management to Hin Leong Trading
Related: Report: Hin Leong Trading appoints PwC as interim judicial manager
RelatedSingapore’s Police Force commence investigations into Hin Leong Trading
RelatedSembcorp Cogen aborts gasoil supply and storage contract with Hin Leong Trading
RelatedWinson Group and ZenRock Commodities reassure fiscal stability despite Hin Leong fiasco
RelatedReport: Sinopec expresses interest in Hin Leong Trading stake of Universal Terminal
RelatedReport: Hin Leong Trading founder gave instructions to hide USD 800 million losses
Related: Singapore: Ocean Bunkering Services to discontinue marine fuel deliveries
RelatedHin Leong in debt restructuring exercise; Ocean Tankers a separate entity, says CEO
RelatedReport: Hin Leong Trading finances under scrutiny, amid credit pull from two banks

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 13 May, 2020

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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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