The second of four new double-hull tankers being built for BP Oil Shipping Company, USA was christened Dec. 4 at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) yard in San Diego.The Alaskan Explorer will be operated by SIU-contracted Alaska Tanker Company (ATC).
SIU Vice President Contracts Augie Tellez and SIU Vice President West Coast Nick Marrone represented the union at the ceremony.
“The construction of the Alaska-class tankers is significant on many levels,” noted Tellez. “It means new shipboard job opportunities for SIU members. It strengthens the U.S.-flag fleet. It also helps maintain a pool of well-trained, loyal, reliable U.S. citizen mariners who are available to sail on military support ships for our national defense.”
Seafarers already are sailing aboard the first ship in this class, the Alaskan Frontier. That vessel was delivered last August. By early last month, the Alaskan Frontier had completed five voyages between Alaska and the West Coast, delivering 5.5 million barrels of Alaska North Slope crude to West Coast ports.
“The Alaskan Frontier is performing extremely well in its early months of service and is meeting our every expectation for reliability, safety and efficiency,” said BP Shipping, Ltd. Chief Executive Bob Malone. “We look forward to the addition of the Alaskan Explorer and her sister ships to continue our mission of safe, environmentally friendly transportation of cargoes.”
The keel laying for the third ship took place in July. Construction on the steel blocks that will become the fourth ship in the class began in October. The remaining three ships are scheduled to be delivered between now and the end of 2006.
Both BP and NASSCO describe the new double-hull vessels as the most environmentally friendly tankers ever built. “These ships use seawater instead of oil to cool and lubricate their propeller shafts, thus eliminating accidental oil leaks,” the companies noted in a news release following the Alaskan Explorer ceremony. “Their cargo piping, normally installed on the deck, is inside the cargo tanks, to reduce the risk of small spills. The ships have twin diesel-electric propulsion systems in separate engine rooms, powering two propellers and twin rudders. Diesel-electric propulsion was chosen because it significantly increases reliability and reduces air emissions and maintenance downtime.”
Each of the ships is 941 feet long and 164 feet wide, with a capacity of 1.3 million barrels. The hulls are designed to last 50 years, the deck structures 35 years.
Maureen Hayward, spouse of Tony Hayward, Group Chief Executive of Exploration and Production for BP, was the Alaskan Explorer’s sponsor, officially naming the vessel and striking a ceremonial bottle of champagne across the ship’s hull. Sharon Marshall, spouse of Steve Marshall, President of BP Exploration (Alaska), was the tanker’s Matron of Honor. BP’s Malone was the keynote speaker.
In 2004, the SIU-crewed ATC fleet reached another safety milestone: six million man hours without a lost time injury. The company also earned accolades in the form of a “Legacy Award” issued by the Pacific States/ British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force. The award is given for oil spill prevention, preparedness and response.
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