London Arbitration 21/07

ASBATANKVOY -- BILL OF LADING -- NOR TENDERED OUTSIDE PORT LIMITS -- "QUICK DEPARTURE" PROCEDURE -- PIRACY -- Owner Award Charterers presented two complaints against the Owner in this arbitration. The first was regarding a "quick departure procedure" in which a verbal agreement was made between Charterer's and Owner's agents, for the Vessel to sail the loadport without a copy of the bill of lading onboard. The second was regarding the Vessel's location when she tendered NOR at the Nigerian discharge port. The award details why the Panel rejected any agreements made by agents, and how the threat of piracy off the shore of Nigeria affected the Panel's ruling on what constituted a valid NOR.