The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Tribunal) on 6 July issued an order to have Switzerland post a US $14 million bond to Nigeria for the release of bunker tanker M/T San Padre Pio, its cargo, the Master and three officers from Nigerian waters.
The Swiss-flagged 7,616 dwt bunker tanker M/T San Padre Pio was arrested by the Nigerian navy on 23 January 2018 and has been detained at Port Harcourt in Nigeria.
A panel of lawyers representing Switzerland argued “bunkering activities carried out by the M/T San Padre Pio in the exclusive economic zone of Nigeria are part of the freedom of navigation” and “that it has exclusive jurisdiction as the flag State over the vessel with respect to such bunkering activities”.
Nigeria’s argument was “it has sovereign rights and obligations […] to exercise its enforcement jurisdiction over the bunkering activities in question in its exclusive economic zone”.
The Tribunal “considers it appropriate under the circumstances of the present case to prescribe provisional measures requiring Nigeria to release the M/T San Padre Pio, its cargo and the Master and the three officers upon the posting of a bond or other financial security by Switzerland and that the vessel with its cargo and the Master and the three officers be allowed to leave the territory and maritime areas under the jurisdiction of Nigeria”
The Tribunal “determines that the bond or other financial security should be in the amount of US$ 14,000,000”.
The full judgment of the case heard by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea may be viewed here.
Photo credit: International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
Published: 18 July, 2019
Nitta Kisen Kaisha engineers on board the Atlantic Oasis failed to document discharge from fuel purifiers.
Ocean Princess used fuel above 0.1% sulphur limit on 26 occasions between January 3 2017 to July 10 2018.
Security restrictions in place at certain Russian ports due to upcoming FIFA 2018 World Cup.
This is Winson’s second dispute with a bank for the same amount (SGD 30.4 million) over diesel trades that it made with the financially troubled HLT.
Charterers should be aware of potential compliance issues in various contracts, Senior Associate at HFW shares with Manifold Times.
3,912 dwt MT Courageous with 16 crew onboard found illegally anchored in Cambodian waters by Coast Guard.
The top three positive movers in the 2020 bunker supplier list are Hong Lam Fuels Pte Ltd (+13); Chevron Singapore Pte Ltd (+12); and SK Energy International (+8), according to MPA list.
‘We will operate in the Singapore bunkering market from the Tokyo, with support from local staff at Sumitomo Corporation Singapore,’ source tells Manifold Times.
Changes include abolishing advance declaration of bunkers as dangerous cargo, reducing pilotage fees on vessels receiving bunkers, and a ‘whitelist’ system for bunker tankers.
Claim relates to deliveries of MGO to the vessels Pacific Diligence, Pacific Valkyrie, Pacific Defiance, Crest Alpha 1, and Pacific Warlock between March 2020 to April 2020.
3,490 mt of LSFO from Itochu Enex was lifted at Universal Terminal; the same bunker stem was bought by Global Marine Logistics and delivered by bunker tanker Juma to receiving vessel Kirana Nawa.
Representatives of Veritas Petroleum Services, Maersk, INTERTANKO, ElbOil Singapore, and SDE International provide insight from their respective fields of expertise on what lies ahead.
