Chemical Tanker Captain Imprisoned After New Orleans Oil Spill 

NEW ORLEANS, LA (gCaptain) In a high-profile case involving environmental crimes at sea, two corporations—Privé Overseas Marine and Privé Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret—received their sentences last week in federal court in New Orleans. The companies, which operated the Panama-registered chemical tanker P/S Dream, now face a $2 million criminal penalty and four years of probation. This sentencing follows their guilty plea in May to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS).

Central to this case is Captain Abdurrahman Korkmaz, who received an eight-month prison sentence this month for illegally discharging oil-contaminated waste and impeding a U.S. Coast Guard investigation. The incident unfolded in January 2023 as the P/S Dream made its way to New Orleans.

The Crime Unfolds

It’s a nightmare scenario for environmentalists. According to the US Department of Justice, Senior corporate managers were fully aware that Captain Korkmaz had instructed the crew to discharge oil-contaminated waste from a residual tank into the ocean. Over a three-day period, the crew, under Korkmaz’s orders, rigged a portable pump to dump the waste overboard, all while scrubbing down the tank with soap.

The real kicker? They falsified the ship’s oil record book to hide the crime. Fortunately, not everyone aboard the P/S Dream was on board with this reckless plan. A courageous crew member came forward, providing the U.S. Coast Guard with damning video evidence of the discharge and the resulting oil sheen staining the ocean.

When the vessel finally arrived in New Orleans, a second whistleblower also stepped up, handing over a recording of an officer brazenly discussing the illegal operation. This left no room for doubt.

The Fallout

In an attempt to cover their tracks, the P/S Dream’s logs were presented to the Coast Guard as clean. They had omitted the fact that oil-contaminated waste had been dumped into the ocean in clear violation of MARPOL Annex I, the international treaty aimed at preventing such pollution. But the whistleblower’s evidence painted a much darker picture.

The sentencing of Prive Overseas Marine and Prive Shipping includes a notable provision: $500,000 of the $2 million penalty will fund maritime environmental projects in the Eastern District of Louisiana. These projects will be managed by the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, a small silver lining in an otherwise murky tale.

Captain Korkmaz, a Turkish national, may have been the man in charge on the P/S Dream, but the companies behind him—Prive Overseas Marine (based in Dubai) and Prive Shipping (headquartered in Turkey)—are now facing the consequences of their flagrant disregard for maritime law. As part of their probation, both companies must adhere to strict environmental compliance measures, including audits and inspections, for the next four years.

As part of this plea agreement, the P/S Dream saga highlights how international regulations like MARPOL, while stringent, are only as strong as the oversight and enforcement behind them and the willingness of crew to notify authorities. Without accountability, the ocean becomes a dumping ground for corporate shortcuts.

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