ConocoPhillips’ newest state-of-the-art, Endeavour class double-hulled tanker, the Polar Enterprise, sailed into the Port of Valdez Feb. 4 where it loaded its first cargo of Alaska North Slope crude oil.
Polar Enterprise is the fifth Endeavour class tanker in Polar Tankers’ U.S. flag fleet.
The tankers were designed specifically to transport crude oil from Valdez to the West Coast of the United States and Hawaii. The vessel’s sister ships, Polar Endeavour, Polar Resolution, Polar Discovery and Polar Adventure, were commissioned in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 respectively. Later this year Polar Tankers’ entire Alaska fleet will consist of double-hulled ships.
ConocoPhillips said the Endeavour class tankers were built to meet and/or exceed existing environmental regulations and have set new standards for innovation and environmental protection. The tankers have double hulls, two independent engine rooms, twin propellers and twin rudders. Cargo, fuel and lubricating oils are isolated from the ship’s outer hull by ballast tanks or void spaces.
The tankers were constructed at Northrop Grumman Litton Avondale Industries in New Orleans, La.
The Polar Enterprise is operated by Polar Tankers, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ConocoPhillips. Polar Tankers operates a fleet of six vessels ranging in size from 141,000 to 188,000 DWT. The entire fleet is employed in the Alaska crude trade.
—Petroleum News
