LEIVA, RODRIGUEZ & ABOGADOS
NEWSLETTER
Former founding partner Francisco Villarroel was honored
November 29, 2011.- Our former law firm founding partner Francisco Villarroel was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Caribbean Maritime University for his valuable contribution to the maritime law development in Venezuela.
Our founding partner Maria Jose Rodriguez was honored
June 23, 2010.- Our founding partner Maria Jose Rodriguez was honored by the Bar Association for her fifty years of activity and her contribution to the development of the law in Venezuela with Miguel Jose Sanz medal in their first class.
Aban Offshore's Aban Pearl semi-submersible drilling rig sank into the Caribbean
May 13, 2010.- The semisub was operating for Venezuela's state-run producer PDVSA at the Mariscal Sucre complex development under a five-year contract which came into effect last year.
According to PDVSA's website, the Aban Pearl was operating in water depths of 160 metres at the time of the accident.
Meanwhile, Ramirez, who is also the head of PDVSA, said the sinking of the rig poses no risk to the environment.
It later emerged the semisub was working at the Dragon field. It is believed it was drilling the Dragon-6 well at the time of the incident.
Ramirez told Venezuelan media that the well the rig had been drilling had been stabilized and there was no risk of leaks.
It is understood the Aban Pearl was previously named named Bulford Dolphin and owned by Norway's Fred Olsen. Fred Olsen sold the unit in 2007, when it was 20 years old.
The Aker H-3 design rig was built in 1977 by Far East Levingston at the Levingston Singapore shipyard.
Decision on the NISSOS AMORGOS CASE
March 4, 2010.- After 13 years, the Criminal Court No. 8 of Maracaibo decided in favour of the claimant for damages suffered by the Republic of Venezuela due to the oil spill in the case of the motor tanker Nissos Amorgos.
Nissos Amorgos struck bottom while being piloted down the Maracaibo Channel just before midnight on 28 February 1997, and leaked approximate 23000 tonnes of oil.
As a result of the decision, the Court ordered to the Master Konstadinos Nikolaos Spiropulos, the companies Nissos Amorgos and Naftiki Eteria, and the P & I Club Assuranceforeningen Gard to pay 29 million bolivars to the Republic of Venezuela (US$ 6, 7 million), 57 thousand bolivars (US$ 13 thousand) to the Venezuelan Navy and to the Institute for the Conservation of the Maracaibo Lake.
President Chavéz appointed a new President for Bolivariana de Puertos, S. A. (Bolipuertos)
President Hugo Chávez Frías appointed Elsa Iliana Gutiérrez Graffe as a new President of Bolivariana de Puertos (Bolipuertos), and her designation was published at the Official Gazette Nº 39.351, dated January 21th, 2009.
Bolivariana de Puertos (Bolipuertos) is the governmental company in charge of managing port operations in La Guaira, El Guamache, Puerto Cabello and Maracaibo.New Exchange Rate
On January 10, 2010, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced a currency value adjustment and the introduction of a two-tiered official exchange rate . The official exchange rate of 2.15 bolivars to the dollar, in effect since 2005, was replaced with a dual-rate regime. Importers of essential items such as food, medicine and heavy machinery will be able to buy dollars at a rate of 2.60 bolivars to the greenback. But a higher rate of 4.30 bolivars to the dollar will apply to most of the economy, including the automobile, chemicals, rubber and plastics, appliances, textile, electronics, tobacco, beverages and telecommunications sectors.