Minerva Bunkering has intensified its legal pursuit of the Norvic group over an unpaid bunker bill, opening new enforcement fronts in both Canada and the United States, according to court records.

The marine fuel supplier initially sued Norvic Maritime Holdings and related companies in March over a $230,040.26 debt arising from the supply of 498.528 metric tonnes of VLSFO to the M/V Alexandris at Singapore, the world's largest bunkering port by volume. VLSFO, or very low sulfur fuel oil, became the dominant compliant marine fuel grade following the IMO 2020 rule capping sulfur content at 0.5%.

Ship & Bunker understands that the English High Court has since entered a default judgment against Norvic Maritime Holdings Inc. under the parent company's guarantee of Norvic Shipping Asia's obligations. The judgment debt was reported to total at least $288,133.58, including interest and costs, as of June 25.

Minerva has now applied to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Toronto to have the English judgment recognized and enforced in Canada—the jurisdiction where Norvic Maritime Holdings is incorporated. Cross-border enforcement of court judgments typically requires separate recognition proceedings in each jurisdiction where a debtor holds assets. Court records show the application was filed on August 7 and that Norvic is currently unrepresented.

In a separate complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on August 9, Minerva is seeking to hold Norvic founder, chairman, and group CEO Ashfaque J. Rahman and his wife, Mahween Rahman, personally liable for the debt. Such claims generally require demonstrating that corporate entities were not genuinely independent, a legal theory sometimes referred to as piercing the corporate veil.

The complaint alleges that the Rahmans treated Norvic's nominally separate companies as extensions of a family business rather than genuinely independent firms. It further contends that the group continued to trade and incur new maritime debts through late 2025 and early 2026 while unable to pay its creditors.

Central to Minerva's claim is the sale of Norvic's dry bulk platform to United Overseas Trading in February. That transaction included three operating entities, three modern bulk carriers, and rights to six Japanese newbuildings. Minerva alleges the deal transferred the enterprise's value while leaving the debtor and guarantor entities out of the arrangement, rendering them "inadequately capitalized and unable to pay creditors."

The complaint also highlights a growing queue of creditors pursuing Norvic. These include a winding-up petition against Norvic Shipping Asia filed by MUR Shipping in Singapore, a Bombay High Court order requiring the company to disclose its assets and post security, and admiralty actions initiated in New Jersey. The multiplicity of proceedings across Asia, North America, and now Europe underscores the complexity of pursuing claims against shipping groups whose assets and corporate entities are often spread across multiple jurisdictions.

The allegations against the Rahmans have not been tested in court, and no response had been filed at the time of writing.

Source: Ship & Bunker