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Singapore bunker supplier Brightoil Petroleum (S’pore) Pte. Ltd. to be disposed by parent company

‘It is most appropriate and in the Shareholders’ interest to delineate the Group from BOPS through disposal of the Company’s interest in BOPS,’ says Board of Brightoil.

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Singapore bunker supplier Brightoil Petroleum (S’pore) Pte. Ltd. (BOPS), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Brightoil Petroleum (Holdings) Limited (Brightoil/Company), will be disposed at a future date, says the Board at Brightoil.

“The business operation of the BOPS was ceased,” it stated on Friday (31 January) in an update on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

“In view of the above issues and with a view to resume trading which would bring best return to Shareholders, the Board considers that it is most appropriate and in the Shareholders’ interest to delineate the Group from BOPS through disposal of the Company’s interest in BOPS.

“After the proposed Disposal of BOPS, the Remaining Group would comprise mainly the upstream oil and gas production business, the business model of which is different from the oil/gas trading business of BOPS.”

The update described key findings of a forensic review conducted by RSM Corporate Advisory (Hong Kong) Limited (RSM) regarding certain oil trading transactions of BOPS.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (HK) (PwC), the former auditor of Brightoil, earlier expressed  concerns in relation to certain transitions made between BOPS and several specific customers where seven were new customers to BOPS.

PwC had made the following observations:

  1. nine of the Subject Customers might be related owing to common registered and/or correspondence addresses;
  2. the corresponding purchases of the sales transactions with the Subject Customers were made from five Subject Suppliers, including three of the Subject Customers, Shenzhen Brightoil Group Co Ltd. (SZBO), owned and controlled by Dr. Sit, the ultimate controlling shareholder of Brightoil, and another entity;
  3. there were multiple transactions of potentially the same cargos of oil; and
  4. there were substantial amount of accounts receivables due from the Subject Customers outstanding as at 30 June 2017 whereas other substantial sums of accounts receivable were netted off against accounts payables due to SZBO via tri-parties agreements.

In its review, RSM noted SZBO being involved in various back-to-back transactions providing discounts ranging from 3% to 10% in BOPS’s purchase transactions, which directly translated to the profit of BOPS.

While BOPS’s profit retained would be financially beneficial to the Group, the discount given by SZBO did not appear to be at arm’s length.

In addition, other than SZBO, RSM noted certain customers were also involved in back-to-back transactions, including, the “structured deals” which the relevant parties gained nil or relatively insignificant profit from them.

“This leads to the next matter as to whether the trades in the structured deals were dealt or negotiated simultaneously, perhaps pre-arranged or pre-matched,” stated the update.

“If this was not pre-arranged, the counterparties would have the liberty to find the next buyer down the chain, and hence the transactions might not have resulted in circular transactions.

“If the trades were indeed dealt simultaneously as if planned or pre-arranged, RSM found certain indication during the forensic review which might suggest that the Group or the SZBO Group had managed (or at least had knowledge) to get the counterparties to enter into the trades.

“Since the Group have ceased or substantially reduced many of its trading business since 2018 and most management of BOPS have resigned.

“The current management has no knowledge but suggested that this would not be possible and based on the information currently available, RSM is unable to ascertain or form a conclusive opinion at this stage.”

The full disclosure of RSM, remedial actions to be taken by the Board of Brightoil, and more, can be found in the following link here.

Related: Brightoil publishes unaudited financial results for FY 2017, 2018, 2019
RelatedPricewaterhouseCoopers resigns as auditors of Brightoil Petroleum
Related: HKSE probes ‘management integrity’ of Brightoil Petroleum Holdings
RelatedBrightoil faces $161 million claim from China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering
RelatedOfficial: Dr Sit Kwong Lam leaves Brightoil Petroleum Holdings
RelatedPetrolimex Singapore wins USD 30 million bankruptcy order against ex-Brightoil Chairman
RelatedHong Kong: Dr Sit Kwong Lam returns to Brightoil as Strategic Adviser

Earlier developments of Brightoil (since late 2017 to date) can be found in the search results here

 

Photo credit: Brightoil
Published: 4 February, 2019

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Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator of Da Xin Tankers, Nan Chiau Maritime issues notices of dividend

Da Xin Tankers’s second interim dividend and Nan Chiau Maritime’s third interim dividend are payable from 17 September, according to Government Gazette notices.

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Notices of dividend for Da Xin Tankers Pte Ltd and Nan Chiau Maritime Pte Ltd, which are currently in creditors’ voluntary liquidation, were published on the Government Gazette on Thursday (17 September). 

The following are the details of the notice for Da Xin Tankers:

Name of Company : Da Xin Tankers (Pte) Ltd (In Creditor’s Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 198400895W
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Amount per centum (US$) : 5.00 cents to a dollar of admitted unsecured claims
First and Final or otherwise : Second Interim Dividend
When payable : 17 September 2026
Where payable : Entitlements will be made either by way of telegraphic transfer or by cheque, to be collected from the Company’s registered address as above

The following are the details of the notice for Nan Chiau Maritime:

Name of Company : Nan Chiau Maritime (Pte.) Ltd. (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No.: 200814296Z
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Amount per centum (US$) : 7.00 cents to a dollar of admitted unsecured claims
First and Final or otherwise : Third Interim Dividend
When payable : 17 September 2026
Where payable : Entitlements will be made either by way of telegraphic transfer or by cheque, to be collected from the Company’s registered address as above.

 

Photo credit: Benjamin Child
Published: 18 September, 2026

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Alternative Fuels

GCMD, BCG: Engine choices today to shape shipping’s fuel pathways through 2050

New fuels could reach around 60% of fleet energy consumption under a sufficiently strong carbon price signal, modelled at USD 700/tCO2e by 2050.

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GCMD, BCG: Engine choices today to shape shipping’s fuel pathways through 2050

With vessels operating for 25 to 30 years and only around 4% of the fleet renewed annually, newbuild decisions made over the coming decade will establish much of the engine capacity available in 2050, Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation said on Thursday (17 September). 

Yet having the capacity to consume a new fuel does not guarantee its uptake. Dual-fuel engines allow shipowners to switch between conventional fuels and the selected new fuel as economics and regulations evolve; continued fuel competitiveness is therefore critical to what vessels ultimately consume.

These are among the findings of Navigating the maritime fuel transition: How fuel economics, regulations, and fleet decisions shape the future bunkering landscape, based on a model jointly developed by the GCMD and Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The model illustrates this dynamic in its base scenario. With the Tier-2 penalty under the IMO Net-Zero Framework held at USD 380/tCO2e through 2050, methanol dual-fuel engines account for around 10% of fleet engine capacity in 2050, but methanol represents just 2% of fleet energy consumption. With conventional fuels remaining more economical under this regulatory regime, methanol dual-fuel vessels continue to operate on fuels cheaper than methanol (Figure 1).

A global carbon price of USD 700/tCO2e materially changes the transition

The base scenario demonstrates how fuel economics can limit uptake even when vessels have the capacity to use new fuels. This picture changes if the IMO Tier-2 penalty rises to USD 700/tCO2e by 2050, at which point new fuels, including dropins, reach approximately 61% of fleet energy consumption (Figure 1).

By contrast, EU regulations alone will not drive a marked global shift, as they cover only around 20% of international shipping’s energy demand.

Overall cost of using e-methanol and e-ammonia is near parity

While a stronger global carbon price can accelerate the shift towards new fuels, the model does not point to a clear cost winner between e-methanol and e-ammonia.

E-ammonia’s production cost advantage is largely offset by higher logistics costs arising from its toxicity, including specialised crew training, larger exclusion zones, and more complex bunkering. As a result, the overall cost (Figure 2) of using e-ammonia and e-methanol is near parity through to 2050.

Fig 2 Constituents of levelised cost of fuel use

Professor Lynn Loo, CEO of GCMD, said: “Many vessels ordered over the coming decade will still be operating in 2050. Shipowners are therefore making long-lived engine choices before the relative economics of future fuels are clear. 

“Our modelling puts into perspective just how difficult closing the cost gap between new and conventional fuels will be. The carbon price required to close this gap is substantial. And achieving it will be particularly challenging in today’s geopolitical environment. Understanding the signposts that could change these economics will be critical to the decisions the industry makes today.”

Anand Veeraraghavan, Managing Director & Senior Partner at BCG, said: “The maritime fuel transition is being shaped as much by policy and cost uncertainty as by technology readiness. 

“Rather than offer a single prediction, our approach with GCMD maps how sensitive each fuel pathway’s competitive position is to a handful of critical variables — policy scenarios, key cost drivers, and potential restrictions. Our hope is that this gives shipowners, fuel suppliers, port operators, and infrastructure investors a practical tool to stress-test their own fuel strategies as conditions change.”

 

Photo credit: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
Published: 18 September, 2026

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Newbuilding

Yang Ming names 15,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel “YM Weight”

Yang Ming held a naming ceremony at the HD HHI shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, for “YM Weight”, the fourth vessel in its series of five 15,500 TEU-class LNG dual-fuel container vessels built by HD HHI.

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Yang Ming names 15,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel “YM Weight”

Taiwanese shipping firm Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (Yang Ming) on Thursday (17 September) held a naming ceremony at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, for YM Weight, the fourth vessel in its series of five 15,500 TEU-class LNG dual-fuel container vessels built by HD HHI. 

Mrs. Chiu-Lien Lin, the spouse of Administrative Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Mr. Kuo-Shian Lin, was invited as the Godmother to officially name the vessel and perform the ceremonial cord-cutting, wishing the ship smooth sailing and full loading on all future voyages. 

This series of vessels built by HD HHI has a length overall (LOA) of 364.97 meters, a breadth of 51 meters, and a capacity of approximately 15,600 TEU. 

The vessels are equipped with high-pressure dual-fuel main engines that run on both LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil, along with integrated navigational information, equipment monitoring, broadband maritime satellite systems, and multiple energy-saving systems to enhance operational efficiency and navigational safety. 

YM Weight, the fourth vessel in the series, is jointly classed by CR and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), bringing international classification expertise and capabilities to safeguard the safety and technical compliance of next-generation LNG dual-fuel vessels. 

Furthermore, following proactive underwater noise measurements, the vessel has achieved two industry firsts by receiving the Underwater Noise (UWN) notation from ABS and the Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) notation from CR. The dual recognitions underscore Yang Ming’s commitment to mitigate operational impact on marine life and sustainable development. 

In addition to expanding its next-generation fleet and strengthening its core shipping business, Yang Ming has continued to strengthen professional training for seafarers operating alternative-fuel vessels. 

Yang Ming’s senior Captain Ming-Yeong Pan will serve as the delivery captain of ‘YM Weight’. Captain Pan is the first seafarer in Taiwan to receive the Advanced Training Certificate under the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code), Certificate No. 0001, issued by the Maritime and Port Bureau, MOTC. 

To date, 148 Yang Ming officers have completed advanced IGF Code training and will progressively undertake onboard training aboard LNG-fueled vessels and practical alternative-fuel bunkering training. 

 

Photo credit: Yang Ming Marine Transport
Published: 18 September, 2026

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