World Fuel Services Arrests Vessel Over Unpaid Bunkers

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday April 18, 2013

World Fuel Services Corporation (WFS) [NYSE:INT] successfully arrested a vessel in Norfolk, Virginia earlier this month over an unpaid bunker bill amounting to $713,355.31, court documents filed in the Eastern District of Virginia have shown.

In the court documents, WFS said that on or around October 29, 2012 it supplied just over 1,099 metric tonnes (mt) of fuel oil and 20 mt of marine gas oil to the 93,663 deadweight tonne (dwt) bulk carrier Hebei Shijiazhuang in the U.A.E. port of Khor Fakkan.

The 2011 built vessel is owned by Hebei Price Shipping Company Limited (HPSCO) and managed by Hebei Ocean Shipping Company Limited (HOSCO), both of which are based in mainland China, and it is believed the vessel had been under charter to Tramp Maritime Enterprises Ltd. (Tramp Maritime) at the time.

WFS said despite "repeated demands," Tramp Maritime, HOSCO, and Hebei Shijiazhuang had refused to pay.

The application to arrest the vessel was made, and granted, on April 4, 2013 with WFS saying it was owed $809,420.50 from the original sale of bunkers once interest and administration fees had been taken into account, plus additional interest and costs.

HPSCO agreed on April 10, 2013 to pay $850,000 to settle the matter, and the vessel was released.

It was not clear from the court documents why payment was refused, and WFS declined to comment when contacted by Ship & Bunker.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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