A broken oil pipeline constitutes 'equipment'

摘要

A London court has ruled that a leaking oil supply pipeline constituted a "breakdown of equipment" so the charterer need pay only half demurrage for a delayed discharge. Also, the appeal judges found that Vitol, charterer of the 86,417dwt tanker Afrapearl, was not liable for additional expenses for shifting berths at Dakar port, Senegal. In May 2001, Portolana chartered its Afrapearl to Vitol to carry oil from US to African ports. On arrival at Dakar in July, the master tendered notice of readiness to discharge a cargo of 35,250 tonnes of oil in three parts.