Insurance Dispute Lawyer Blog
In the depths of the Gulf of Mexico, a seemingly minor incident set off a chain of legal events that reverberated through the maritime industry. An underwater sonar device, or towfish, collided with the mooring line of a Shell Offshore drilling rig, causing significant damage. The resulting legal battle involved Shell, the company operating the sonar device (Tesla Offshore), and the vessel’s owner (International Offshore Services). This blog post explores the key issues of the case, the court’s rulings, and the implications for maritime operations.
The Incident:
Tesla Offshore was conducting an archaeological survey of the ocean floor using a towfish pulled by a vessel chartered from International Offshore Services. Despite having prior information about the location of Shell’s drilling rig, Tesla failed to share this with the vessel’s crew. The towfish struck one of the rig’s mooring lines, causing damage and disrupting Shell’s operations.