Perusahaan Perseroan (Persero) PT Pertamina v Trevaskis Ltd (The Star Centurion and The Antea) – [2022] HKCA 1089 (Vice President Hon Kwan, Justice of Appeal Barma and Justice of Appeal Lam) – 22 July 2022

Shipping – Collision – Limitation of liability – Whether Hong Kong law removed wreck removal claims from limitation regime – Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims 1976 – Merchant Shipping (Limitation of Shipowners Liability) Ordinance, Cap 434

On 13 January 2019 the claimant’s vessel Antea collided with the defendant’s vessel Star Centurion at anchor in Indonesian waters off Horsburgh Light House, South China Sea. As a result of the collision, Star Centurion sank. The defendant commenced in personam proceedings against the claimant. Shortly afterwards, salvors were engaged to remove pollutants from the wreck, and on 24 January 2019 the Indonesian authorities issued a wreck removal order requiring the defendant to raise, remove, and render harmless the wreck. In May 2019 other salvors were engaged to carry out that work.