Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) is to remove its crews from two crude tankers linked to Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA after a stand-off over pay.
The amount owed by PDVSA’s shipping subsidiary PDV Marina to BSM globally is at least $15m, sources told Reuters.
BSM said crews will be removed from the suezmax Rio Arauca (built 2011) and aframax Parnaso (built 1993), which are both currently anchored in Lisbon, Portugal.
The 158,800-dwt Rio Arauca, which is owned by Horizon Tankers of Greece, was on long-term charter to PDV Marina before its bunkers were arrested for unpaid invoices.
Bunker fuel broker Amoil secured a maritime lien on the vessel in August 2018, claiming an unpaid debt by PDV Marina, BSM said in a statement on Thursday.
Lisbon's Port Authority (APL) told Reuters that Rio Arauca had entered the port in May 2017 laden with a crude cargo for the local oil firm Galp Energia. It has been idle since then.
Later, Portuguese shipping agent Navex terminated its relationship with PDV Marina, after which the tanker was subject to "successive arrest orders", APL told Reuters.
BSM has been serving as the vessel’s third-party manager in the interim and has rotated crews onboard the vessel “to ensure the vessel’s safety and security” while idle.
“Rio Arauca is securely at anchor. Legal responsibility for the vessel will now sit with the arresting parties,” BSM said.
BSM has also been managing the 99,400-dwt Parnaso, but confirmed on Thursday it will remove its remaining crew from the vessel later this week “due to lack of funds from the owners PDV Marina”.
BSM’s management contract was with the Venezuelan company’s subsidiary Venfleet Limited.
The tanker is currently in dry dock at Lisnave’s Setubal facilities.
Lisbon's maritime court ruled to take possession of the Parnaso last August, according to Reuters.
The port authority filed a petition against PDV Marina in April 2018 for over EUR 200,000 ($226,713) in accumulated port fees, Reuters reports.
APL told the newswire it was owed a total of EUR 1.7m by PDV Marina as of the end of 2018.
As TradeWinds reported previously, tanker owners with vessels on charter to PDVSA have been exercising cargo liens in an effort to recoup unpaid hire from the Venezuelan oil company.
In January, however, PDVSA seized at least one aframax and two MR tankers for a couple of weeks during December and January to force the discharge of cargoes in Venezuela, which has been hit by rampant fuel shortages.
