A US chemical company is looking to arrest a pair of ships after a collision on the Mississippi River caused more than $50m of damage to its facility west of New Orleans.

In its lawsuit in New Orleans federal court, Louisiana-based Cornerstone Chemical said the 12,900-dwt multipurpose ship Nomadic Milde (built 2011) collided with the 33,700-dwt bulker Atlantic Venus (built 2012) on 8 May in an incident that eventually destroyed part of the company's dock.