Texas Judge Bins Kurdish Crude Seizure Order

United Kalavrvta (formerly SCF BYRRANGA)
Judge Miller said that federal laws governing property stolen at sea do not grant him the authority to decide the dispute between the KRG and the Iraqi Oil Ministry, both laying claim to the cargo.
According to the ruling, Iraqi Oil Ministry had lost control over the crude during the Kurdish governments unauthorised pumping from Iraqs northern oilfields.
“Kurdistan’s unauthorized export of oil over land -– and later overseas –- may violate Iraqi law, but it does not violate U.S. maritime law,” Miller said.
Miller scrapped a seizure order issued by a Houston magistrate judge on July 28, who agreed to store the disputed cargo onshore at Iraqs expense as the case reached the nations Supreme Court.
Another tanker carrying 300,000 barrels of Kurdish crude oil, the Minerva Joy, was forced to change its destination to Limassol, Cyprus, returning from the United States without delivering its disputed cargo to a New Jersey refiner.
The tanker started sailing eastwards from off the coast of Paulsboro, New Jersey, after refiner Axeon Specialty Products said it would not buy or accept delivery of any cargoes of disputed Kurdish crude oil for its Paulsboro refinery, Reuters reports.