Crowley christens third LNG-ready tanker
Crowley Maritime Corp. christened its newest LNG-ready oil tanker earlier this month in New Orleans.
The 330,000-barrel tanker Louisiana, along with sister ships Texas and Ohio, are the first tankers to earn ABS LNG-Ready Level 1 approval. This rating allows Crowley to convert the vessels to run on liquefied natural gas in the future, the company said.
“This is a great day of celebration for Crowley, Marathon, Philly Shipyard and all the people who had a role in bringing this great ship to life,” Tom Crowley, company chairman and CEO, said during the May 5 ceremony, according to a news release.
“We also celebrate the men and women seafarers who will be counted on to operate her safely and reliably for our customer, Marathon. There is nothing more important,” he said.
Like its sister ships, Louisiana is 600 feet long and built using a Hyundai Mipo Dockyards design. The ship has numerous fuel-efficiency features and can handle multiple cargoes, including crude oil, chemicals and refined petroleum products.
Philly Shipyard built Louisiana as well as Texas and Ohio. The fourth vessel in the class is under construction at the Philadelphia yard with delivery scheduled for later this year.
NASSCO launches one ECO-class tanker, delivers another
General Dynamics NASSCO launched one ECO-class ship in early May and delivered another of the LNG-conversion-ready ships to different customer in late April.
The San Diego shipyard delivered Independence, the first of three Jones Act ECO-class ships for SEA-Vista LLC, on April 28. The 610-foot tanker has a 330,000-bbl capacity.
On May 7, the yard christened the 610-foot Garden State, the third of five Jones Act-compliant ECO-class tankers for American Petroleum Tankers. Garden State and the other vessels in the ECO class were the first to receive a PMA+ notation for ergonomic design of the ship’s interior spaces.
The ECO-class vessels were designed by DSEC, a subsidiary of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering of Busan, South Korea.
Eastern Shipbuilding launches Oceanus
Eastern Shipbuilding of Panama City, Fla., launched the escort tug Oceanus on April 26, and the vessel is on track for delivery in July.
G&H Towing subsidiary Suderman & Young Towing Co. will operate the tug, which is based on the Robert Allan Ltd. Z-Tech 2400 Class design. Oceanus is the third of four vessels Eastern is building for Suderman & Young. The yard also is building four of the Z-Tech 2400 tugs for Bay-Houston Towing, another G&H subsidiary.
The 80-foot tugs feature twin Caterpillar Tier 3 engines producing 2,575-hp each, Schottel z-drives, John Deere generators and Markey winches.
Eastern Shipyard launched the vessel from its Nelson Street facility. The Rev. Roy Marien of St. John’s Catholic Church in Panama City blessed the vessel and Eastern accounting assistant Carol McMillin christened it.
JT Marine building Tier 4 tractor tug
Activity might finally be picking up in the Tier 4 tugboat market.
Jensen Maritime announced Vessel Chartering LLC has ordered a 110-by-40-foot tractor tug using one of its designs. JT Marine of Vancouver, Wash., is building the boat, and delivery is scheduled for mid-2017.
The vessel, which currently is not named, will have a pair of 3,385-hp Caterpillar 3516 Tier 4 engines and winches by Rapp USA and Markey Machinery. The interior will feature a spacious mess and lounge to accommodate up to 10 people.
There have been relatively few Tier 4 tugboat projects announced publicly. McAllister Towing is building two Tier 4 tractor tugs expected next year, and Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding is working on a Tier 4 ATB tugboat.
Harvey Gulf International Marine’s multipurpose field support vessel Harvey Stone is expected to be the first Tier 4 vessel to operate in the U.S. Eastern Shipbuilding is expected to deliver the 9,400-hp tug powered by twin GE engines this spring.
Diversified building harbor tugs for Harley Marine
Diversified Marine of Portland, Ore., is building two harbor tugboats for Harley Marine Services, the Seattle operator announced recently.
Rich Padden and Dr. Hank Kaplan are in the same class as Harley’s existing tugs Michelle Sloan and Lela Franco. The new 5,200-hp tugs will work on the West Coast.
Rich Padden and Dr. Hank Kaplan will be 80 by 36 feet and capable of 70 short tons of bollard pull. Propulsion will come from twin Caterpillar 3516 Tier 3 engines while auxiliary power will be provided by Caterpillar C7.1 Tier 3 generators.
“It gives me great pleasure to name these two tugs after our longtime board member Rich Padden and the esteemed Dr. Hank Kaplan of Swedish Cancer Institute,” said Harley Franco, chairman and CEO of Harley Marine Services, in a statement.
Other specs include Markey winches, Shibata fendering and extensive soundproofing of the bulkheads and decks. The engine room also can be monitored remotely from the wheelhouse and from shore using a closed-circuit TV system.
Harley Marine did not say when the vessels would be delivered.
Vigor lays keel for fourth Olympic-class ferry
Vigor has laid the keel on Suquamish, a 144-car Olympic-class ferry that will join the Washington State Ferries fleet in 2018.
Vigor is contracted for four of the ferries, which will replace some of ferry system’s oldest vessels. The second ferry in the class, Samish, entered service last year, and the third, Chimacum, is about three-quarters finished and set for delivery early next year.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Suquamish Tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman were among those who participated in a keel-laying ceremony for Suquamish on May 10.
“The simultaneous construction of two vessels is exciting,” Matt Von Ruden, director of vessels for Washington State Ferries, said in a statement. “We hope to continue investing in long-term ferry build programs to keep up with our increasing ridership and replace our aging fleet.”
The ferry service has not yet assigned Suquamish to a route. The Olympic-class vessels are replacing ferries in the state fleet between 40 and 60 years old.
Shell’s third LNG-powered OSV goes to work
Harvey Gulf International Marine has taken delivery of another LNG-fueled offshore support vessel set to work for Shell in the Gulf of Mexico.
The 302-foot Harvey Liberty, built by Gulf Coast Shipyard, can run on liquefied natural gas using Wartsila dual-fuel engines. The ship also can go 15 days at work without requiring additional fuel, according to a news release.
Harvey Liberty joins sister vessels Harvey Energy and Harvey Power at work in the Gulf of Mexico in support of Shell’s offshore oil exploration.
“This is an important milestone for Shell and Harvey Gulf,” Tahir Faruqui, Shell’s general manager for LNG North America, said in a statement. “The Harvey Liberty highlights our efforts to grow LNG as a fuel in the transport sector, and is a welcome addition to our portfolio.”
Harvey Liberty will take fuel from Harvey Gulf’s LNG bunkering facility in Port Fourchon, La. From there, the vessel will transport supplies, equipment and other needs to Shell’s platforms.
