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V Desian Aaents Desig Agent Friede 5 Goldman CENTRAL GULF STEAMSHIP CORPORATION USAArHUlL 265 ASI.-HULL 1952 US.M.A. DESIGN C9-S-8ld KEEL LAID JULY 18.1973 AVONDALE SHIPYARDS INC. Avondale Begins Construction On First Ol Three LASH Ships For Central Gulf Under Contract Totaling $82.5 Million Taking part in keel-laying ceremonies are (from left) Edwin Hartzman, Avondale presi- dent; Jerome L. Goldman, LASH designer and president of the naval architectural firm of Friede & Goldman, Inc.; Erik F. Johnsen, president of Central Gulf Lines, Inc., and Frank X. McHerney, Central Region Director of the U.S. Maritime Administration. natural gas which is now being flared in conjunction with oil pro- duction. This contemplates the transport of iron ore concentrate from Brazil to be delivered in slur- ry form for pelietizing and direct reduction based on the use of sur- plus gas. The metalized pellets will be converted to steel in electric furnaces and a continuous casting facility, with all of the power to be generated from surplus gas. Marcona considers that this plant would not only be highly competi- tive in terms of production costs but would also be the first steel mill in the world to actually reduce overall atmospheric pollution. The initial plant capacity has been set at one million tons per year, primarily consisting of fin- ished products for the Arabian Gulf market. This would include spiral weld pipe to meet the expanding requirements for petroleum pipe- line construction in the area, with additional products in the form of bar and plate. Further expansion is contemplated as required to meet the accelerated demand for semi- finished steel products, primarily in European and Japanese markets. A joint venture company will be established to conduct the final de- tailed engineering program over the next nine months. This com- pany will be 50 percent owned by Petromin, with the balance to be held by The Marcona Group, which will include Gilmore Steel Corpo- ration and possibly other European and Japanese steel mill interests. Marcona, an integrated -mining, shipping and resource development firm, with headquarters located in San Francisco, is primarily owned by Cyprus Mines Corporation and Utah International Inc. Dover/Norris Keel-laying ceremonies in New Orleans, La., on July 18 marked the beginning of an $82.5-million contract for three U.S.-flag LASH vessels for Central Gulf Lines, Inc., the New Orleans-headquartered shipowner and operator that pio- neered LIASH operations, begin- ning with the world's first LASH vessel in 1969. The keel-laying for the 893-tfoot- long 'S/S Green Valley, first of the three new ships, took place at Av- ondale Shipyards, contractor for the new Central Gulf ships. The Green Valley is scheduled for de- livery in August of 1974, with the other two vessels to follow at 75- day intervals. Erik F. Johnsen, Central Gulf president, said a group of more than 400 LASH barges to serve the three ocean carriers are being built by Union Tank Car Company at its East Chicago, Ind., plant. Cen- tral Gulf and Union Tank Car Company are affiliates of Trans Union Corporation. He said Central Gulf plans to operate the Green Valley and its sister ships—to be named Green Harbour and Green Island—be- tween United States Gulf and East Coast ports and the Middle East, Indian sub-continent, Southeast Asia and the Far East. All are designed to carry 89 LASH barges. Central Gulf ordered the new ships under the Merchant Marine Act of 1970. The United States Government will contribute a por- tion of the construction cost, but the company will not receive any operating funds from the Govern- ment, Mr. Johnsen said. Principal Characteristics of the three new Central Gulf LASH ships are identical and include an overall length of 893 feet, beam of 100 feet, molded depth of 60 feet at the side, design draft of 38 feet, shaft horsepower of 32,000, speed of 22 knots, and a deadweight of 40,400 tons at 38 feet. Central Gulf pioneered LASH operations in 1969 with the world's first LASH ship, the Acadia Forest, followed in 1970 by a sister ship, the Atlantic Forest. The company operates the two LA'SH vessels under long-term charter in an ex- press fortnightly service between New Orleans and other U.S. Gulf ports, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. Central Gulf maintains head- quarters in New Orleans, with principal offices in New York, Houston, and Memphis, and a net- work of agency affiliates in major United States and overseas trading centers. The Central Gulf LASH vessels were designed by Friede & Gold- man, Inc., naval architects and ma- rine engineers of New Orleans. Saudi Arabian/Marcona Steel Project Advanced Marcona Corporation, San Fran- cisco, Calif., and Petromin, the Saudi Arabian Government Devel- opment Corporation, have agreed to proceed with the final stage of a joint feasibility study aimed at construction and operation of a major steel mill in Saudi Arabia. At a recent meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Marcona president C.W. Robinson and senior vice president K.E. Merklin, and W.E. Jameson, executive vice president of Gilmore Steel Corp., presented the first stage project report to the directors of Petromin, which Shaykh Ahmed Vaki Yamani, Min- ister of Petroleum and Mineral Re- sources, serves as chairman. The report established the eco- nomic feasibility of locating a ma- jor steel mill on the Arabian Gulf Coast of Saudi Arabia, utilizing Homer Hill The Norris Division of Dover Corporation, Tulsa, Okla., has an- nounced a reorganization of re- sponsibilities within its Pumps and Gerjeral Products Group. Homer Hill, former sales mana- ger of the southern region for Nor- ris, has been promoted to general sales manager. His replacement has not been named. U.J. Breece will continue as sales manager for the northern region. Mr. Hill has been with Norris Division for 25 years. A native of Tulsa, he began his career with Norris in warehouse operations. He was division manager for the Oklahoma and Kansas area for 10 years before heading the southern region. D.P. Hagaman, vice president, has been assigned the responsibil- ity for sales administration, includ- ing internal and export sales and special assignments. He has been with the firm for 36 years. Norris, a division of Dover Cor- poration, is a manufacturer and marketer of sucker rods, butterfly and control valves, pumps and fit- tings 'for oil, gas, marine, and in- dustrial application. TANKER DAIKO MARU DELIVERED BY HITACHI: On July 14, the Daiko Maru, a 181,775-dwt tanker built at Hitachi Zosen's Innoshima Shipyard, was delivered to her owner, The Sanko Steamship Co., Ltd. The Daiko Maru, the first example of an 180- type tanker that Hitachi has developed as a standard economical vessel, is equipped with an inert gas system. To protect from corrosion, the inside of cargo oil tanks are coated with tar epoxy paint, and cargo oil pipes in tanks are made of cast steel that is anticorrosive. The engine room is fully automated, making unmanned operation possible for a period of more than 24 hours. The approximate measurements and prin- cipal particulars of the vessel are: length (between perpendiculars), 991 feet; breadth (molded), 145 feet, and depth (molded), 80 feet. The new tanker is powered by a Hitachi B&W 12K84EF-type diesel engine with a maximum output of 30,900 hp, pro- ducing a trial speed of 17.06 knots. The maiden voyage will be to the Persian Gulf. Division Announces Changes U.J. Breece D.P. Hagaman 38 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
