Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers (KNOT) notified Brazilian authorities of a minor accident in 2017 during a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer that has been revealed in a Reuters report.
The news agency said it had reviewed an internal KNOT document showing it reported the incident, but not specifying to whom.
Brazil’s oil regulator and navy both said they were never informed of the 2017 collision of two vessels.
KNOT estimated one of the ships involved suffered $1m in damages.
John Einar Dalsvag, a Knutsen vice president, said in an email there was no need for any official report to authorities because there was no environmental impact and damages were “minor.”
The collision occurred during a transfer of oil conducted by UK-based STS provider Fendercare Marine, the Knutsen record showed.
Fendercare referred questions on the incident to Shell, which produced the crude transferred.
A Shell spokesman said there was a “minor collision,” adding it complies with all laws where it operates.
Reuters said Brazil has more than doubled the number of STS operations this year, but the report claimed monitoring was lax.
The Brazilian navy said it had logged 59 transfers through to 30 October, although the report said Shell and a Repsol Sinopec joint venture had already completed 65 alone in that period.
A navy spokesman was unable to immediately account for its lower figure.
