Harvey Gulf International Marine is suing five companies after one of its ships was ripped open and knocked from its moorings as a hurricane tore through the US Gulf Coast.

The offshore vessel owner filed a lawsuit in the federal court in New Orleans alleging that the 2,462-dwt platform supply vessel Harvey Seas (built 2009) was struck by a derrick barge when Hurricane Zeta hit Louisiana last October.

The barge — the Thor — is said to be owned by Shore Offshore, on charter to Modern American Railroad Services and docked at a Martin Energy Services facility at Port Fourchon.

It was under assistance from the Crosby Tugs-owned 15,000-bhp Crosby Endeavor (built 1976) and a second tug chartered to Crosby from Dawn Services.

"At some point during Hurricane Zeta, the mooring lines that secured the [Thor] to the bollards at the Martin Energy dock snapped and/or the bollards to which the mooring lines were secured failed and/or the assist tugs failed to keep her in place," Harvey Gulf alleged in the lawsuit.

"The [Thor] was set adrift and the crew was unable to control the vessel."

All five companies are named as defendants.

Harvey Gulf said the Thor tore a gash in the side of the Harvey Seas, at the time under charter to Anadarko Petroleum, causing flooding and knocking it from its mooring.

It drifted down the bayou before eventually being beached on mudflats on property owned by the Greater Lafourche Port Commission.

The lawsuit said the ship remains grounded on a mudflat and damages will not be able to be determined until Harvey Gulf can recover it.

Shore Offshore, Crosby Tugs and Martin Energy did not respond to requests for comment. Contact information for Modern American Railroad Services was not immediately available. An email seeking comment from Dawn Services was returned as undeliverable.

The US-flagged Harvey Seas is classed by ABS and has protection and indemnity insurance from Steamship Mutual.