Venezuelan oil company PDVSA has declared a "maritime emergency" after a German shipmanager decided to remove crews from some of its tanker fleet.
Reuters cited a PDVSA document and other sources as saying Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) has returned 10 ships to the company because of unpaid fees.
It has previously been reported that crews were being removed from the 158,000-dwt suezmax Rio Arauca (built 2011) and the 99,000-dwt aframax Parnaso (built 1993).
PDVSA’s shipping division PDV Marina is short of about 160 staff, including masters, to be able to take back the 10 tankers, according to a notification by PDV Marina’s security department that was seen by Reuters.
BSM has officially notified PDV Marina of its “unilateral decision to deliver the fleet operated by the company due to lack of payment and cash flow for paying pending salaries and staff onboard,” putting PDVSA in a “critical situation to receive the tanker fleet,” the document said.
PDVSA did not comment. BSM has been contacted for confirmation.
Big money owed
BSM is reported to operate 13 tankers owned by PDVSA and two VLCCs jointly owned by PDVSA and China’s PetroChina.
The document said BSM is owed at least $15m.
Both Rio Arauca and Parnaso are anchored in Lisbon, Portugal.
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 last month.
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.
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.
