As Fuel Pressures Mount, Pilots Ready AMUR RIVER But Accuse NFE of Abandoning Negotiations
Maritime pilots say they’ll bring the LNG carrier into San Juan Harbor under NFEnergia’s proposed framework, but argue the company abruptly ended good-faith talks, escalating a standoff that has already strained the island’s energy system
The dispute over the AMUR RIVER’s entry into San Juan Harbor intensified Thursday after Puerto Rico’s maritime pilots told the federal court they are prepared to bring the LNG carrier in under NFEnergia LLC’s proposed operational framework, but argue that NFE abruptly abandoned negotiations that were still active, prolonging a dispute that has already delayed fuel deliveries and strained the island’s energy system.
The filing marks the latest twist in a week‑long standoff that has repeatedly swung between apparent resolution and renewed conflict. On September 30, both sides told U.S. District Judge Silvia Carreño‑Coll they had reached agreement on the core conditions needed to move the vessel into NFE’s Puerto Nuevo terminal. The court, citing Puerto Rico’s urgent LNG needs, pressed the parties to finalize the stipulation during a recess.
But the fragile consensus quickly collapsed. NFE later accused the pilots of adding new terms, including technical encroachment measurements and additional operational restrictions, that went beyond what was discussed in open court. The pilots countered that their edits were clarifications based on data NFE itself provided and insisted that the stipulation must preserve the pilot’s professional judgment and the existing four‑tug escort requirement.
With the AMUR RIVER still offshore and Puerto Rico’s utilities warning of tight fuel inventories, the court’s decision carries immediate implications for the island’s energy stability.
By early morning on October 1, NFE declared an impasse and asked the court to lift the interim measures blocking the vessel’s entry, offering to pay for standby tugs without prejudice to any party’s legal position. The company warned that the AMUR RIVER faces “limited windows” for safe entry and that further delay threatens LNG deliveries needed to maintain electrical generation.
Pilots restore some terms
The pilots’ new filing, however, paints a different picture of how negotiations ended. According to plaintiffs, NFE circulated its second draft at 6:55 p.m. on September 30 and demanded a response by 9:30 p.m., stressing the urgency of the matter. The pilots sent their redline at 8:39 p.m., well before the deadline, but say NFE never replied. Instead, at 1:39 a.m., NFE filed its motion declaring an impasse and minutes later informed the pilots by email.
“Consistent with the good‑faith negotiation the parties undertook at the hearing, NFE should have responded to Plaintiffs’ proposed edits rather than declare an impasse,” the pilots wrote, arguing that the breakdown forced both sides into “negotiating the terms through filings, when they should be concluding them directly with each other.”
Despite the renewed friction, the pilots said they accept the structure of NFE’s proposed order and are ready to bring the AMUR RIVER in under it. Their version restores several terms they say both sides had already agreed to: the 10‑knot wind limit, daylight maneuvers, preservation of the pilot on duty’s judgment, identification of the standby tugs as part of the four‑tug escort complement, continuation of the arrangement for as long as the vessel calls at NFE’s terminal, and joint notice to the Coast Guard.
They also propose a six‑hour window after entry of the order for the Coast Guard to object, citing the Captain of the Port’s statutory authority. And they add a parallel “without prejudice” clause stating that nothing in the order means the pilots are responsible for standby tug costs or any losses arising from the vessel’s delay — mirroring NFE’s own request for liability protection.
The pilots further included the factual basis for their encroachment concerns, noting that NFE invited them to do so and that the court directed them to provide that information. Their version states the encroachment issue as the pilots’ view and includes NFE’s statement that it does not concede encroachment. The dispute now sits squarely before Judge Carreño‑Coll, who must decide whether to adopt one of the competing proposed orders or send the parties back to the negotiating table.
With the AMUR RIVER still offshore and Puerto Rico’s utilities warning of tight fuel inventories, the court’s decision carries immediate implications for the island’s energy stability.
