Two bunker suppliers have seized a United Bulk Carriers International (UBCI)-chartered ship over unpaid bunker claims.
Peninsula Petroleum and Dan-Bukering's Monaco office have both sued in the US federal court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, seeking and receiving the seizure of the 81,842-dwt Oratorio (built 2014) to try and recover their outstanding bills.
Peninsula says it is owed $60,395 and Dan-Bunkering $114,444 from the Genoa-based company, which began bankruptcy proceedings in Italy last month.
The Oratorio's registered owner is Cygnus Line and managed by K-Line Ro-Ro Bulk Shipmanagement.
Dan-Bunkering's complaint names UBCI as the ship's charterer, which was confirmed by the company's chairman and majority shareholder Gian Savasta.
"Unfortunately, as you know, our company is under a special judicial procedure (in Italian concordato) which does not allow us to make any payments," he said in an email to TradeWinds.
He said the Oratorio "has been a good performer" during its charter.
According to the lawsuits, Peninsula provided the bunker fuel in September in Las Palmas, Spain and Dan-Bunkering at an undisclosed port in June.
Automatic identification system data shows the Oratorio at anchor on the Mississippi River in New Orleans.
When the company commenced the pre-bankruptcy process known as concordato in October, Savasta told TradeWinds that UBCI would be dissolved.
The company said the dissolution was due to the poor panamax market and the collapse in bunker prices, but a failed deal with a sub-charterer could also have impacted the business.
UBCI had as many as 18 bulkers under charter earlier this year.
