BP takes delivery of Alaskan Legend

BP Shipping Ltd. took delivery in August of a fourth double-hulled Alaska-class oil tanker, the Alaskan Legend, from General Dynamics Nassco in San Diego.

Construction of the Alaskan Legend began in October 2004. As with the first three Alaska-class ships, Nassco said, the Alaskan Legend is double-hulled, diesel-electric powered, equipped with 20 separate cargo tanks and has all of its cargo transfer piping inside the hull rather than on its decks to reduce the chance of accidental spills.

The ship is capable of carrying up to 1.3 million barrels of crude oil and will operate between Alaska and western U.S. ports.

BP contracted for three tankers in September 2000; a contract for the fourth tanker was added a year later. The first three Alaska-class ships are already in service: the Alaskan Frontier, Alaskan Explorer and Alaskan Navigator.

The Alaska-class tankers are 941 feet long, have a beam of 164 feet and a design draft of 61.5 feet, with total carrying capacity of 190,000 metric tons at design draft.

—Petroleum News