French shipping company CMA CGM has filed a lawsuit against GCC Supply & Trading, an oil & natural gas company based in Houston, in a Texas court, seeking over US$5 million in damages over an alleged case of contaminated bunker fuel dating back to 2023.
The Marseille-based ocean carrier claims that 13 of its vessels suffered damage after taking on Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) in Houston during the first half of 2023.
CMA CGM said in its filing: “Shortly after the fuel was supplied, the vessels encountered significant operational issues, including but not limited to fuel pump seizures, ICU leakages, loss of engine power and propulsion in some cases leading to blackouts.”
In the summer of 2023, fuel testing firm VPS reported a bunker contamination case at the Port of Houston, the largest bunkering hub in the Americas. The company detected high levels of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and related isomers in VLSFO fuel deliveries from a single supplier over several months.
“Fourteen vessels in total, have now received this contaminated fuel and suffered some form of damage to their auxiliary engines and fuel delivery systems. Twelve of the vessels received their fuel in Houston, whilst a further two vessels received their fuel in Singapore, with the fuel delivered by four suppliers,” stated VPS at the time.
