Dubai trading and shipping company OceanExl has sacked its head of trading after being banned from bunker dealing and fuel supply in the United Arab Emirates.
The country’s Federal Maritime Administration (FMA) barred subsidiary OceanExl FZC after it supplied 700 tonnes of high-sulphur fuel oil from the chartered-in 6,200-dwt bunker tanker DSG (built 2010) to a ship without a scrubber at Khor Fakkan port anchorage, a circular said.
An investigation also alleged OceanExl had no navigation licence and had falsified the bunker delivery note “to reflect that the supplied fuel was VLSFO [very-low sulphur fuel oil]”.
However, a cargo delivery note seen by TradeWinds shows HSFO as being delivered.
The refuelling took place on 28 August.
OceanExl founder and partner Parham Zamani told TradeWinds: “The exponential growth of the company has come at the expense of our internal policies.
“We are cleaning up internally and enhancing our procedures and compliance, so we prevent this from happening again.”
He added: “This kind of activity and way of work has no place in OceanExl.”
OceanExl said in a statement: “In light of the findings, OceanEXL Group of Companies has implemented significant enhancements to its compliance programme and is maintaining ongoing communication with authorities to ensure adherence to the guidelines and laws set forth by the UAE maritime administration."
“As part of this restructuring, OceanEXL has made leadership changes, including the dismissal of its former head of trading,” it added.
All trading operations will now be overseen by Zamani as head of trading. OceanExl said it is not naming the member of staff dismissed, for legal reasons.
Vessel barred
The bunker tanker DSG has also been banned. The FMA circular named the owner as DSG Shipping.
Clarksons lists the manager as Trishulin Middle East Ship Management, Dubai, which could not be contacted
The FMA said it has a zero-tolerance policy regarding the manipulation of bunkering operations in terms of the quality and quantity of fuel, tampering with fuel samples, falsifying delivery notes or providing inaccurate information.
OceanExl said in its statement the penalties were imposed due to the absence of a navigation licence on the supplying vessel, the provision of incorrect products and the dissemination of misleading information.
The investigation has been concluded and no further inquiries are pending against OceanEXL FZC or any other OceanEXL entities.
The ban only applies to OceanExl FZC.
“OceanEXL is committed to transparency and is actively cooperating with UAE Maritime Authorities throughout this process,” the company added.
Jesper Uhre Espensen, co-founder, partner and head of shipping at OceanEXL, said: “The board and management of OceanEXL Group of Companies are unequivocal in their stance — adherence to our values, policies and legal obligations is non-negotiable.
“We are making substantial investments in enhancing our ethics and compliance programme. We are dedicated to further strengthening this programme and embedding ethics and compliance into every aspect of our operations globally,” he added.
OceanExl was set up in 2021 as a broker and started its bunker operations in 2023.
Zamani and Espensen continued to focus on the core shipbroking business, which centres on the tanker sector.
The pair met in 2019 at Maersk Broker.
They worked for the Copenhagen-based company for around two years before leaving to start OceanExl in Dubai.
Espensen focuses on chemical carriers and tankers, mainly undertaking sale and purchase, as well as some period chartering. Zamani handles S&P.
