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Xihe replaces Directors, forms new management team to chart fresh course for Group

Xihe said it has recently hired a qualified management team to drive the business; Lim Oon Kuin and his children are no longer part of the management team.
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Ocean QUEEN

Singapore-based tanker shipowner the Xihe Group of Companies (Xihe) on Thursday (30 July) said a new management team has been put in place to chart a fresh course for the group.

This comes following Xihe’s previous announcement that its creditors have adjourned court proceedings in favour of working together with the group towards a consensual restructuring.

Xihe said it has recently hired a highly qualified management team with close to 100 years of collective shore and sea-based experience to drive its corporate finance, marketing, chartering, sale of vessels and fleet management. 

The key personnel on the new management team include: 

  • Interim CEO Kenny Lim
  • Commercial Director Desmond Chong
  • Sales & Purchase Director Michael Tan
  • Vice President (Fleet Management) Capt. Zhang Yujie

The group clarified that Lim Oon Kuin and his children are no longer part of the management team and a new board of directors – consisting of a majority of non-executive independent directors – is also being finalised as part of the consensual restructuring with Xihe’s Lenders.

The new team has made significant strides in managing Xihe’s businesses in a short span of two months, despite disruptions brought about by Ocean Tankers Pte Ltd (OTPL) – its main bareboat charterer – being placed under interim judicial management (IJM) in May 2020, it said.

With the assistance and guidance of its legal and financial advisors, Xihe added that its team is taking steps towards achieving consensual restructuring and revamping of the Xihe Group of companies. 

The first of these steps is to terminate all bareboat charter contracts which Xihe had entered into with OTPL and Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd (HLT) and actively working with the interim judicial managers of OPTL and HLT to seek redelivery of those vessels. 

There is a market for chartering out these vessels and Xihe is actively pursuing opportunities to re-deploy them, noted Xihe.

Secondly, Xihe adds it is seeking to conduct an orderly divestment and rightsizing of its fleet to achieve optimum returns to all stakeholders. 

It has concluded the sale of several of its vessels and is in discussions with a number of potential buyers on a programme of sales, it said.

Thirdly, as part of Xihe’s revamped business model, the group added that it has identified strategic partners to form alliances with. It has engaged, and will be engaging professional, internationally renowned technical and commercial managers to manage and market its vessels for charter, to ensure that the highest standards of safety, quality and efficiency are attained. 

“Just this week, Xihe successfully took redelivery of its 108,953 DWT oil tanker Ocean Queen (IMO 9368223) from HLT (bareboat charterer) and OTPL (ship manager),” said Xihe Holdings in an official release.

“The vessel is now under the technical management of a newly appointed world-class ship manager.

“Xihe is confident of getting its business back on track and with full commitment to bring about the best outcome for all its stakeholders, partners and clients.”

Related: Xihe creditors adjourn court proceedings in favour of consensual restructuring
Related: OCBC files for Xihe Holdings to be placed under judicial management


Photo credit: Xihe Group
Published: 3 August, 2020

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Legal

Shell Singapore charged over Pulau Bukom oil leaks, reporting delays

Shell faces four charges under Singapore’s Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act over two 2024 oil discharge incidents at its Pulau Bukom facility.
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September 25, 2026

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2 MPA craft (left) supporting Shell craft in the clean up operations of the oil sheens taken on 28 Dec 9am

Shell Singapore has been charged over two incidents in 2024 involving oily mixtures discharged into Singapore waters from its facilities at Pulau Bukom, according to media reports on Tuesday (22 September). 

The company faces four charges under the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act, including allegations that it failed to report the discharges to the port master immediately. 

The first incident occurred on 20 October 2024, when approximately 40 metric tonnes (mt) of oily mixture was discharged through a hole in a pipeline at the Shell Singapore Energy and Chemicals Park at about 8am.

Shell is accused of reporting the incident to the port master at about 12.55pm, several hours after the discharge occurred. 

The second incident took place between 26 and 28 December 2024. An estimated 485kg to 956kg of oil mixture was discharged into Singapore waters from the same facility.

Shell is accused of failing to report the incident immediately, with notification to the port master made at about 11.50am on 26 December 2024, according to the charges.

Singapore’s pollution-prevention regulations require occupiers of such facilities to report oil or oily-mixture discharges into Singapore waters “without delay and to the fullest extent possible”.

Shell’s representative requested an eight-week adjournment at the 22 September hearing, citing the need to obtain internal instructions, appoint counsel and locate historical records. The company said the business associated with the incidents had been divested in 2025.

The case was adjourned to October. Shell is also facing prosecution by Singapore’s National Environment Agency over the same incidents.

Related: Shell reports up to 40 mt of slop leaked from pipeline into Singapore waters
Related: Singapore: No new oil sightings after recent pipeline leak and bunkering incidents
Related: Singapore: Clean-up of oil from Shell pipeline leak to be completed in days
Related: Singapore: Oil leak at Pulau Bukom stopped; cleanup of oil sheens completed

 

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 25 September, 2026

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Incident

MPA probes Singapore Strait collision involving fishing vessel, bulk carrier

MPA says there were no reported injuries among the crew of either vessel in the incident involving China-registered fishing vessel “Lu Qing Yuan Yu” and Panama-registered bulk carrier “First Margaux” .

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September 25, 2026

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Panama-registered bulk carrier “First Margaux”

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Tuesday (22 September) said it is investigating the incident involving the China-registered fishing vessel Lu Qing Yuan Yu and the Panama-registered bulk carrier First Margaux in the Singapore Strait on 17 September.

MPA said there were no reported injuries among the crew of either vessel or pollution arising from the incident and navigational traffic was not affected.

Videos circulating on social media showed the bulk carrier colliding with the fishing vessel.  

“The fishing vessel took on water during the incident but remained afloat and stable, with the crew taking measures to manage the situation onboard,” MPA said. 

The vessel was subsequently towed to Raffles Reserved Anchorage for assessment. 

Essential crew remained onboard to support the tow, while the Singapore Civil Defence Force supported the transfer of other crew to shore. 

MPA added it also issued navigational safety broadcasts to keep other vessels clear of the tow and escorted the vessel into port with a MPA craft.

 

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Arnold Pohen
Published: 25 September, 2026

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Mass Flowmeter

TFG Marine deploys first MFM-equipped bunker barge in Jamaica

Bunker barge “Kingston Trader” is currently on its way to Jamaica following the successful installation of a Coriolis mass flow meter (MFM) system, certified to ISO 22192.
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September 25, 2026

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TFG Marine deploys first MFM-equipped bunker barge in Jamaica

Global marine fuel supply and procurement firm TFG Marine on Thursday (24 September) said its bunker barge Kingston Trader is currently on its way to Jamaica following the successful installation of a Coriolis mass flow meter (MFM) system, certified to ISO 22192.

The company said the latest installation brings the proportion of TFG Marine’s fleet equipped with MFMs to approximately 88%, marking another step in the continued rollout of this technology across its global bunkering operations.

“The barge will operate in Jamaica through our local partnership with Scott Petroleum, becoming the first bunkering vessel in the region equipped with this technology and bringing greater accuracy, transparency and assurance to fuel measurement for customers across the Caribbean,” TFG Marine said in a social media post. 

“Together with Scott Petroleum, we look forward to working collaboratively with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, the The Port Authority of Jamaica, Petrojam Limited and other stakeholders to share our experience of MFM technology, explore its wider benefits and support the continued development of bunkering standards across the region.” 

Manifold Times previously reported TFG Marine continuing to expand MFM technology across its US Gulf Coast bunker fleet with Buffalo B414 and Buffalo B304 being fitted with the equipment. 

Last year, TFG Marine announced it reached a key milestone in its global digitalisation programme with the installation of an ISO 22192-compliant MFM on the Buffalo 404, a barge on time charter from American bunker barge company Buffalo Marine Service Inc.

The installation was part of TFG Marine’s wider strategy to equip close to 90% of its global bunkering fleet with MFMs by 2026 as a commitment towards improving data integrity, streamlining operations and strengthening trust in marine fuel transactions.

Related: TFG Marine advances global MFM rollout with two US Gulf bunker barges
Related: TFG Marine installs first ISO-certified mass flow meter on US Gulf bunkering barge

 

Photo credit: TFG Marine
Published: 25 September, 2026

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