Collision claims filed with the High Court of Singapore have led to the arrest of two ships in the city-state’s port.
The 78,500-cbm LPG carrier Echo Star (built 2000) owned by Cepheus Ltd, a Liberian-registered one-ship entity, has been seized at the request of Blue Fleet Group.
Court records indicate that the claim was filed in connection with damage caused to the Blue Fleet-owned, 48,200-dwt bulker Royal Arsenal (built 1999).
The collision would appear to have taken place some time ago, as the IHS Ships register indicates that the Royal Arsenal was scrapped in May after being declared a total loss.
This suggests that the incident happened while the Echo Star was trading as Gas Infinity for sanctioned Chinese shipowner Kunlun Shipping.
The ship is no stranger to the officials as the Sheriff of Singapore’s office. It spent a brief spell under arrest in the port in late July after mortgagee bank Nord L/B demanded instant repayment of all outstanding loans.
The bank said it no longer wanted to be involved with Kunlun due to its alleged sanctions-busting activities involving Iranian oil and gas.
The ship changed owners and name in August, immediately after it was released from arrest.
Also languishing under arrest is the Novellas Union-owned, 46,200-dwt product/chemical tanker Port Stanley (built 2003), which was seized at the beginning of this month by SK Shipping.
The South Korean shipowner is seeking restitution for collision damage caused to the 314,000-dwt tanker C Spirit (built 2013).
The Port Stanley is one of five identical tankers that Novellas was reported to have sold in an enbloc deal at the end of October.
Novellas is a German KG (limited partnership) product tanker venture set up by Britain’s Union Maritime and private equity investor Apollo Global Management.
