Kirby is looking to recover damages and cap its liability after a collision with a K Line-controlled LPG carrier caused an oil spill and shuttered the Houston Ship Channel for three days last month.
A subsidiary of the Houston-based Jones Act tank barge owner filed suit against the 82,400-cbm Genesis River (built 2018), manager K Line Energy Ship Management its registered owner FPG Shipholding Panama and this week in Galveston federal court.
The lawsuit said the 10 May collision was caused when the Genesis River changed directions twice, the first time crossing into the channel's inbound lane where the Kirby-owned Voyager and two barges were travelling.
The captain allegedly told the Voyager to move, as the two ships were on a collision course. Once the Voyager moved, the Genesis River changed course again, hit a barge carrying reformate, an oil-refining byproduct used to make gasoline.
Kirby said at the time that 9,000 barrels of reformate had spilled. The second barge capsized.
The two were carrying a total of two million gallons of the petroleum product.
According to the lawsuit, Kirby suffered additional damages when contributing to the clean-up. The company is also looking to either block or cap crash-related claims.
The channel reopened partially 13 May and completely 15 May.
Kirby said 3,600 feet of boom had been put in place to contain the spill in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
