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Commitments and Contingencies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies  
Commitments and Contingencies

8.              Commitments and Contingencies

 

Legal Matters

 

Lac-Mégantic, Quebec

 

We, on behalf of DPTS Marketing LLC (“DPM”), a crude oil marketing joint venture in which we own a 50% membership interest, purchased crude oil from various producers in the Bakken region of North Dakota.  Dakota Petroleum Transport Solutions, LLC (“DPTS”), a crude oil transloading joint venture in which we also own a 50% membership interest, arranged for the transloading of the crude oil for DPM into tank cars at the joint venture’s facility in New Town, North Dakota.  We leased the tank cars used in the transloading from a number of third party lessors and subleased these tank cars to DPM. We, on behalf of DPM, contracted with Canadian Pacific Railway (“CPR”) for the transportation of the tank cars and the crude oil from New Town, North Dakota to a customer in New Brunswick, Canada.  CPR subcontracted a portion of that route to Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway (“MMA”).  On July 6, 2013, the freight train operated by MMA with 72 tank cars carrying approximately 50,000 barrels of the crude oil derailed in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec.  The derailment resulted in significant loss of life, damage to the environment from spilled crude oil and extensive property damage.

 

In July and August 2013, we, certain of our subsidiaries, DPM and DPTS, along with a number of third parties, including MMA and certain of its affiliates, as well as several manufacturers and lessors of tank cars, were named as defendants in twenty complaints filed in Illinois.  The complaints generally allege wrongful death and negligence in the failure to provide for the proper and safe transportation of crude oil and seek economic and compensatory damages, as well as costs.  In addition, in July and August 2013, we and certain of our subsidiaries, along with a number of other third parties, including CPR, MMA and certain of its affiliates, as well as several manufacturers and lessors of tank cars, were named as defendants in a motion filed in Quebec Superior Court to authorize the bringing of a class-action lawsuit seeking economic, compensatory and punitive damages, as well as costs.  The motion generally alleges wrongful death and negligence in the failure to provide for the proper and safe transportation of crude oil.

 

Furthermore, in July 2013, an order was issued by the government of Quebec against MMA and us, which was modified in August 2013 to add CPR as a party, requiring MMA, CPR and us to recover the spilled crude oil caused by the incident and to otherwise fully remediate the impact of the incident on the environment.  We have filed a contestation of the order and the modified order before the Tribunal administratif du Québec, an administrative body responsible for hearing such proceedings, challenging the legality and validity of the orders on various grounds.

 

In addition to these proceedings, we have received demands for indemnification from certain tank car lessors pursuant to our lease agreements with such parties.  We are currently assessing the merits of these demands as well as of the underlying claims for which such indemnification is sought.  Additional claims, lawsuits, proceedings, investigations and orders may be filed, commenced or issued with respect to the incident, which may involve civil claims for damages or governmental investigative, regulatory or enforcement actions against us.

 

While we and our joint ventures, DPM and DPTS, maintain insurance to mitigate the costs of environmental releases as well as other results of unexpected events, including loss of life, property damage and defense costs, there can be no guarantee that our insurance will be adequate to cover all liabilities that may be incurred as a result of this incident.

 

We are separately evaluating potential claims that we, DPM or DPTS may assert against third parties to recover costs and other liabilities that may be incurred as a result of this incident.  We can provide no guarantee that any such claims, if brought by us, will be successful or, if successful, that the responsible parties will have the financial resources to address any such claims.

 

We are currently unable to determine the probability of loss, or reasonably estimate a range of potential losses related to the above proceedings.  Accordingly, we have not made any provision for these potential losses in our consolidated financial statements.

 

As of September 30, 2013, we have recorded liabilities of $14.2 million in accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets based on estimated losses related to the value of the tank cars involved in the incident, as well as legal costs incurred in connection with the incident, which we believe are probable and for which a reasonable estimate can be made.  We believe that a substantial portion of this liability is covered by insurance and have recognized a receivable of $13.4 million, recorded in other current assets, in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

 

Cathay Pacific Litigation

 

Since April 2012, one of our subsidiaries, World Fuel Services (Singapore) Pte Ltd. (“WFSS”) has been involved in litigation with Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (“Cathay”) arising out of the emergency landing of a Cathay aircraft in Hong Kong in 2010, which Cathay alleges was caused by contaminated fuel supplied by WFSS. Cathay claims damages relating to the incident of approximately $34.0 million.  As of September 30, 2013, we have recorded a current liability for the estimated loss with an offsetting receivable from insurance in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, which amounts were not significant.

 

Other Matters

 

We are a party to various claims, complaints and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business including, but not limited to, environmental claims, commercial and governmental contract claims, such as property damage, demurrage, billing and fuel quality claims, as well as bankruptcy preference claims. We have established loss provisions for these ordinary course claims as well as other matters in which losses are probable and can be reasonably estimated. As of September 30, 2013, we had recorded certain reserves which were not significant. For those matters where a reserve has not been established and for which we believe a loss is reasonably possible, as well as for matters where a reserve has been recorded but for which an exposure to loss in excess of the amount accrued is reasonably possible, we believe that such losses will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements. However, any adverse resolution of one or more such claims, complaints or proceedings during a particular period could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or cash flow for that period.

 

Our estimates regarding potential losses and materiality are based on our judgment and assessment of the claims utilizing currently available information. Although we will continue to reassess our reserves and estimates based on future developments, our objective assessment of the legal merits of such claims may not always be predictive of the outcome and actual results may vary from our current estimates.

 

Other Contingencies

 

On June 7, 2013, STX Pan OceanCo. Ltd (“STX Pan Ocean”), one of our customers in our marine segment, filed for bankruptcy protection in Korea which was subsequently recognized in the United States on July 12, 2013.  On August 22, 2013, we agreed with STX Pan Ocean and its parent company, STX Corporation (“STX Corp”) to allow the assignment of all of the outstanding receivables owing from STX Corp to STX Pan Ocean.  Concurrently, we entered into a settlement agreement with STX Pan Ocean whereby it agreed to repay the outstanding balance of $20.8 million through a lump sum payment of $3.2 million, with the remaining balance to be paid over the next year.