New ship in the sea

Petroleum News Alaska Staff

Polar Tankers Inc. unveiled its third Endeavour Class double-hulled tanker, the Polar Discovery, at an April 13 christening ceremony at the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Avondale shipyard in New Orleans.

Phillips Petroleum Co., parent of Polar Tankers, is building five Endeavour Class tankers. Cost of the Polar Discovery is $168 million.

Phillips said the Endeavour Class tankers, also known as the Millennium Class, are the first crude-oil carriers being built for the Alaska trade in compliance with the federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990. The first tanker, the Polar Endeavour, arrived in Valdez, Alaska, on its maiden voyage in July 2001.

The Polar Discovery will join the Polar Tankers fleet in 2003.

The Polar Resolution will enter the Alaska trade this summer.

The Polar Adventure will be delivered in late 2004 and the fifth ship, the Polar Enterprise, in 2005.

Kevin Meyers, executive vice president of Alaska production and operations for Phillips Petroleum Co. and president of Phillips Alaska, said: “These five Endeavour Class tankers demonstrate Phillips’ commitment to protect the environment while providing reliable energy for America. Alaska is one of Phillips’ legacy assets, and we plan to maintain daily production there at 375,000 to 400,000 barrels-of-oil-equivalent for the foreseeable future.”