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New Defense Features For Merchant Vessels Planned By MA & Navy Robert J. Blackwell, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Mari- time Affairs, has disclosed that the Maritime Administration and the Navy plan jointly to develop new criteria for defense features to be built into new merchant vessels at Government expense. In recent years, defense features have played little or no role in new ship con- struction. The broadening of the construction subsidy program, since 1970, to include all types of vessels, not just breakbulk and containerships, has raised new problems in this area. Mr. Blackwell, speaking before a recent meeting of the Navy League of the United States, re- lated the enlarging areas of coop- eration he sees between the MA and the Navy. One of these was the impending formation of a "joint MA-Navy ship design team which will be charged with developing criteria for the national defense features to be included in future merchant ships built with construc- tion subsidy," he said. Richard T. Soper Rejoins Sea-Land Richard T. Soper has rejoined Sea-Land Service, Inc., as vice president-marine operations, ac- cording to Paul F. Richardson, Sea-Land president. 'Mr. Soper has been president of Columbus Line, Inc., for the past four years. He had been with Sea- Land from 1962 through 1964, serving in his 'last two years as as- sistant director-marine operations. North Sea Sun, And TransOcean Oil (U.K.) Lease New Platform North Sea Sun Oil Co., and Trans Ocean Oil (U.K.) have signed a con- tract to lease a new semisubmersible drilling platform now being built. North Sea Sun and TransOcean signed up the platform for two years with a further one-year option. Each company receives one year of drilling time over the life of the primary two- year period. North Sea Sun and TransOcean are not associated with each other in any North Sea conces- sions. The giant platform, being built by Penrod Drilling Co. of Dallas, Texas, will be used to drill Sun and Trans- Ocean's separate prospects in the North Sea. The platform, being constructed at Brownsville, Texas, will be towed to the North Sea and is scheduled to be on location there in September 1973. The drilling platform will be 136 feet high, 295 feet long, and 216 feet wide. Equipped with a cantilevered mast, two 110-ton cranes, engines and generators, it is designed to drill to depths in excess of 30,000 feet. The platform will have a drilling draft of 70 feet and can operate in 35-foot waves. Studies show that the platform can maintain its mooring in severe sea conditions, including winds of 138 miles per hour and 85-foot waves. The platform will consist of two parallel hulls with cylindrical sides joined by two parallel and four di- agonal cross members. Its upper watertight hull will be supported by six tapered stability columns. It will have eight 30,000-pound anchors and can be moored in waters 1,000 feet deep. Four thruster engines of 2,000 horsepower each will assist mooring. When being towed, the lower hull arrangement provides for the two lower cylindrical cross members and the four diagonal cross members to be out of the water. A speed of seven knots per hour will be attainable in calm waters. Quarters for 92 people will be pro- vided, including provisions for segre- gated facilities if required. Air-con- ditioning and heating installations will be suitable for extremes of both hot and cold climates. The helicopter deck will handle a wheeled Sikorsky S-61, and meets all requirements of governmental regu- latory agencies. North Sea Sun Oil Co. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sun Oil Co., St. Davids, Pa. North Sea Sun repre- sents its sister company, British Sun Oil Co., Ltd. and an associate, North Sea Exploration and Research Co., Ltd., in drilling and production ac- tivities. An offer you can't refuse. Jack Harrison. Bill Dealing. Bill Kwitchoff. Three nice guys. Until something doesn't go the way they want it to. Then they turn into the toughest SOB's south of the 45th parallel. They're our ship superintendents, and they've gotten very used to getting jobs done the right way. And they've gotten very good at getting it done that way. Even if it means being available to your port engineer at 3 A.M., if necessary. Next time you need a major conver- sion—or just a voyage repair—come see us. Now that you've had a look at the guys doing the pushing, you know this is not an invitation you should turn down. Savannah Machine and Shipyard Co. P.O. Box787, Savannah, Ga. 31402,Tele. (912) 233-6621 5 World Trade Center, Room 6237, N.Y., N.Y. 10048, Tele. (212) 432-0350 Moy 1, 1973 41
