OSG in Second Try to Avoid Tanker Arrest Over Unpaid Bunkers

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday December 24, 2014

Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG) Friday sought to try again to find a U.S. legal route to prevent one of its ships from being arrested following competing claims over an unpaid $2 million bunker bill, Tradewinds reports.

OSG filed papers with the New York District Judge Valerie Caproni in a second attempt to give effect to an lawsuit.

If successful, the lawsuit would see OSG deposit funds in a court account and leave the judge to rule on which claim is valid.

OSG’s 319,000 deadweight-tonne Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), Overseas Mulan, received a delivery of bunkers from Chemoil off Fujairah but it is also facing competing claims from the now-bankrupt OW Bunker USA and ING Bank.

“OSG cannot ascertain whether the disputed funds should be paid to OWB-USA, Chemoil, Chemoil DMCC or GPS Chemoil, or any other party, such as ING, that may assert another competing interest or maritime lien, in order to extinguish all maritime liens and to prevent attempts to arrest the vessel,” said law firm Burke & Parsons in court papers.

OSG had filed an interpleader lawsuit with Conneticut’s bankruptcy court, hoping it could block arrest of the vessel, but the judge ruled against OSG.

It is said OSG had hoped to have gained protection for the vessel by the time it returned to Fujairah, but it is believed to arrived back at the United Arab Emirates port Monday.

OSG recently joined other tanker operators to create the Clean Products Tankers Alliance.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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