Legal

TKK Singapore vessel grounded due to alleged ‘improper marine fuel’

Bomin Bunker Oil Corporation and TKK Shipping taken to court by WFS subsidiary Trans-Tec.

Published

8 years ago

August 14, 2018

Admin

The Thorco Lineage, a general cargo ship owned by Singapore-based TKK Shipping, was grounded on 24 June due to ‘improper marine fuel’ supplied by Bomin Bunker Oil Corporation that caused engine failure, claims World Fuel Services (WFS) marine fuel brokerage subsidiary Trans-Tec.

Trans-Tec took both TKK Shipping and Bomin Bunker Oil Corporation (Bomin) to court on 7 August, 2018 over a dispute between the parties as to the applicable contractual terms and provisions for a marine fuel sale and damage claims arising out of the vessel grounding.

U.S. court documents acquired by Manifold Times found the Thorco Lineage lifting 680 metric tonnes (mt) of bunker fuel at the Port of Cristobal, Panama on 7 June.

“No complaints about the quality of the supplied fuel were made while the fuel was being stemmed onto the vessel or after delivery was complete,” says Trans-Tec.

On June 24 2018, the Thorco Lineage ran aground on a low lying atoll in French Polynesia after suffering an engine failure allegedly within 24 hours of switching over to the fuel supplied by Bomin, though a ~~brokerage~~ trade agreement with Trans-Tec.

The same day saw the charterers of the Thorco Lineage, through TKK, notifying Trans-Tec of the vessel grounding and engine failure, asserting a claim allegedly due to improper marine fuel supplied by Trans-Tec in Cristobal, Panama that was of poor quality and/or of the wrong fuel specifications agreed to by the parties.

Trans-Tec in turn notified Bomin of the vessel grounding and TKK’s claim; in response, Bomin advised Trans-Tec that the claim was over the 14-day time bar pursuant to a provision in Bomin’s General Conditions of Sale and Delivery contract.

Trans-Tec, in regards to the ground, also sent a surveyor to the Thorco Lineage to investigate the loss and alleged damages.

However, TKK “failed to cooperate with Trans-Tec by, including but not limited to, restricting Trans-Tec’s surveyor’s access to the Thorco Lineage, its crew, its records and samples of the fuel on board.”

In summary, Trans-Tec’s complaint against TKK and Bomin are as follows:

Count I – Breach of contract – Failure to corporate (TKK)
Count II – Breach of contract (Bomin)
Count III – Negligence (Bomin)
Count IV – Common Law Indemnity (Bomin)
Count V – The marine fuel sale to Trans-Tec and any loss, damages or claims arising out of the sales or vessel grounding are governed by the Bomin confirmation and not Bomin’s general conditions (Bomin)
Count VI – Any loss, damages, or claims arising out of the sale or vessel grounding are not time barred (Bomin and TKK)
Count VII – The marine fuel sale to TKK and any loss, damages, or claims arising out of the sale or vessel grounding are governed by the TKK confirmation, the framework agreement, and the World Fuel Services Marine Group of Companies General Terms and Conditions (TKK and Bomin)

Photo credit: Marine Nationale
Published: 14 August, 2018

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.

Published

17 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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.

Published

17 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator of Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd issues notice of dividend

Third interim dividend to admitted unsecured claims of Nan Shan Maritime is payable from 15 July, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

6 days ago

July 16, 2026

Admin

A notice of dividend for Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd, which is currently in creditors’ voluntary liquidation, was published on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (15 July).

The following are the details of the notice:

Name of Company : Nan Shan Maritime (Pte.) Ltd.(In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 201701967H
Address of Registered Office : 10 Anson Road, #10-10, International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Amount per centum : 5.00 Per Centum of all admitted unsecured, claims
First and Final or Otherwise : Third Interim
When Payable : 15 July 2026
Where Payable : Entitlements will be made by way of cheque.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 16 July, 2026