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Hong Kong bunkering market opens up with latest revision of government Covid-19 measures

No quarantine required if vessels have not called at Brazil, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa during the 21 days prior to arrival at Hong Kong port, according to Marine Department notice.

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Note: The following article regarding Hong Kong’s bunkering sector was first published by Manifold Times on 15 June at 3.30pm (Singapore time). 

The Marine Department of Hong Kong (MARDEP) on Tuesday (15 June) issued a notice to the local shipping industry stating Covid-19 restrictions for shipping services (i.e. bunkering, reprovisioning of necessities and switching of shipping documents) have been revised with immediate effect.

The MARDEP notice, obtained by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times, referred to a letter from the Communicable Disease Branch of Hong Kong’s Centre for Health Protection.

The letter stated ships visiting Hong Kong purely for shipping services are now allowed under certain exemption conditions if they have not called at ports of extremely high risk places specified in ‘Group A1’ under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Regulation of Cross-boundary Conveyances and Travellers) Regulation (Cap. 599H) during the 21 days prior to arrival.

Under the Hong Kong government, countries designated under ‘Group A1’ as places with extremely high-risk of Covid-19 are:

  • Brazil
  • India
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • The Philippines
  • South Africa

According to MARDEP, vessels which have not called the ports of extremely high risk places specified in ‘Group A1’ should follow the set of health precautionary protocols (below) if there is an operational need to transfer documents between the supply barges:

(a) Only documents directly relevant to shipping or ship service operation should be transferred through a carrying basket or disposable plastic bags to / from the goods vessels concerned.

(b) Workers onboard the local supply barge and the visiting goods vessel should disinfect the carrying basket, pen and folders containing the documents every time after the basket is transferred to either the supply barge or the visiting vessel. Adequate number of towels or wipes which are wet enough by soaking in 1 in 49 diluted household bleach or 70-80% alcohol (only for surfaces which cannot tolerate bleach) should be used for disinfection. Spraying disinfectants are not recommended as this practice could be harmful and would not reduce the risk of viral transmission. A plastic bag, if used, should be disposed of immediately after it is transferred to either the supply barge or the visiting vessel.

(c) Workers handling the carrying basket or disposable plastic bags (as mentioned in (b) above) should put on appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including surgical mask, eye protection (goggles or face shield), gown and gloves. Gloves should be changed if soiled or damaged, and taken off at the end of procedure, followed by proper hand hygiene.

Other conditions such as submission of applications, precautionary measures, regular Covid-19 testing, Covid-19 vaccination, amongst others, continue to be applied for local shipping services companies.

Related: Hong Kong: Bunkering industry rallies for financial relief and relaxed Covid-19 measures
RelatedHong Kong: Bunkering operations affected amidst tightening of COVID-19 measures

 

Photo credit: Florian Wehde on Unsplash
Published: 15 June, 2021

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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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