|
BP’s first double-hull tanker goes into service Alaskan Frontier docks in Valdez on Sept. 2; ConocoPhillips’ fourth tanker will be painted in Maine, 100 workers involved Petroleum News
BP’s Alaskan Frontier, the first of four double-hulled tankers being built to ship BP’s North Slope Alaska crude oil, arrived in Valdez Sept. 2. BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. President Steve Marshall said in a statement that the new tankers “add greater spill protection” and will “also play a significant role in reducing costs, making Alaskan investments more attractive and transforming Alaska’s huge remaining potential into new production.”
BP said its total investment for the four tankers will be $1 billion; remaining tankers are scheduled to be delivered between now and the end of 2006, replacing the existing fleet. The company said the new tankers “will be more fuel efficient than existing tankers, capable of loading and discharging faster and less costly to maintain.” 1.3 million barrels The Alaskan Frontier’s double hull is designed for a 35-year life, and the deck structure for a 50-year life, “a robust configuration that will perform at peak efficiency for decades in the rigors of the Gulf of Alaska’s waters,” the company said. The tanker’s diesel-electric propulsion system has redundant engines, shafts and screws, increasing reliability and reducing air emissions and maintenance downtime. The tankers also have twin rudders, BP said, each with its own steering motor with “the capability to control the ship in the event of a casualty to one system.”
The double-hull ships are 941-feet long and 164-feet wide with a capacity of 1.3 million barrels of oil.
BP said the design of the tankers allows maximum flexibility for oil deliveries from Alaska to West Coast ports, including BP refineries in Los Angeles, Calif., and Cherry Point, Wash.
Alaska Tanker Co. of Beaverton, Ore., founded in 1999, and 25 percent owned by BP, manages a fleet of eight U.S. flag tankers for BP. The ships operate mainly in the Alaska to U.S. West Coast trade. Fourth ConocoPhillips tanker, the Polar Adventure, bound for Maine ConocoPhillips already has three new double-hulled tankers operating in the Alaska trade, and the Associated Press reported that ConocoPhillips’ newest tanker, the Polar Adventure, will have finishing work done in Portland, Maine. Some 100 Cianbro Corp. workers in Portland, Maine will spend at least two weeks in September applying epoxy paint to the vessel’s engine and pump rooms.
The Polar Adventure left the Bahamas in early September to avoid a run-in with Hurricane Frances, and once work in Maine is completed, the tanker will set out on its maiden voyage to Alaska.
ConocoPhillips took delivery of its third double-hulled tanker, Polar Discovery, in September 2003. The Polar Adventure is scheduled for delivery this year and the Polar Enterprise in 2005.
BP’s and ConocoPhillips’ new tankers meet requirements of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 which requires double hull tankers.
|
