The “Star Quest” and Others – High Ct (Steven Chong J) [2016] SGHC 100 – 20 May 2016

Carriage of goods by sea – Bunkers shipped onboard vessels as cargoes for onward delivery – Shipowners issuing bills of lading – Bunker supplier remaining unpaid – Shipowners delivering bunker cargoes without production of bills of lading – Bunker supplier bringing proceedings against shipowners – Whether bills of lading operated as contractual document – Whether bunker supplier entitled to summary judgment

The appellant, Phillips 66 International Trading Pte Ltd, as a physical supplier of bunkers, sold several parcels of bunkers to OW Bunker Far East (Singapore) Pte Ltd and Dynamic Oil Trading (Singapore) Pte Ltd (the buyers). The buyers were subsidiaries of OW Bunker A/S.