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FMC Receives $35-Million Contract To Build Two Tankers —Bringing Total To Six The first of six tankers being built at FMC Corporation's Marine and Rail Equipment Division, Portland, Ore. They will be chartered to Standard Oil Company of California and operated by Chevron Shipping Company. FMC Corporation's Marine and Rail Equip- ment Division, Portland, Ore., has signed a contract to build two additional 35,000-dead- weight-ton gas-turbine-powered oil tankers, bringing the total contract to six vessels, the first of which is nearing two-thirds completion. The ships will be chartered to Chevron Ship- ping Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Oil Company of California. Now totaling over $102 million, the project has brought the first shipbuilding to the Portland area since World War II. According to C. Bruce Ward, president of the FMC Division, construction of the six tankers will provide an uninterrupted produc- tion schedule, providing steady employment in- to 1977. The FMC Division, formerly Gunderson, Inc., has incorporated new design concepts de- veloped by the Chevron Shipping Company and FMC Corporation. The hull design and gas turbine electric power units combine to produce a safe, economical, environmentally sound tanker. Utilizing modern construction methods, PMC fabricates steel modules weighing up to 200 tons each and sets them in place with a giant crane. To facilitate construction, modu- lar living quarters, complete with carpets and bedspreads, will be installed in the steel deck- house. The pilothouse will be equipped with the most sophisticated navigational equipment available today. The hull on each tanker is 650 feet in length, with a molded breadth of 96 feet and a molded depth at the side of 50 feet. The operational draft is 34 feet. Ship cargo will be divided' into a tank layout in accordance with latest requirements of IMCO, the International Mari- time Agency of the United Nations. FMIC developed both hull and propulsion system details in consultation with Chevron Shipping Company, Nickum & Spaulding As- sociates, Inc.—the naval architects, and Gen- eral Electric—the propulsion system manufac- turers. The innovative design concepts, which are embodied in these vessels, are creating considerable interest in maritime circles around the world. To handle expanded shipbuilding work, FMC acquired an additional 23 acres adjacent to its existing facility in Northwest Portland, according to Mr. Ward, and also invested in a $l-million 200-ton capacity whirley crane and new types of Welding equipment, including a computer-operated burning machine for cut- ting metal plates. "We see the increased world demand for more efficient water transportation providing a fine opportunity for continued growth in Oregon," Mr. Ward stated, "and our recent expansion and future plans are an expression of our intention to participate in this market." Iraq Awards $117 Million Contract To Brown & Root Iraq has awarded a $117-million contract for construction of crude oil exporting facilities in the Persian Gulf to Brown & Root, Tnc., Houston, Texas-subsidiary of the Halliburton Company. The project is for offshore terminals, with loading facilities for four tankers fed by 41- inch-diameter pipelines capable of pumping a million barrels of crude oil a day from the sou'thern Iraq oil fields at Rumeila and Basra. The awarding of the contract to a United States concern is noteworthy -because Iraq, an Arab socialist country, has not had diplomatic relations with the United States since the Middle East war of 1967, and officials fre- quently refer to the use of Arab oil as a politi- cal weapon against countries that support Is- rael. But Iraq is embarked on a major expansion program to increase oil production from the present less than 2 million barrels a day to close to 5 million barrels a day in five years. The new offshore facility, to be built near Foa, at the northern end of the Persian Gulf, is part of this program. Oil Dispersant Company Opens East Coast Office BCO/+ East, specializing in non-toxic oil dispersant and cleaning agents for marine use, recently announced the opening of offices in New York. Joseph Cerrato, president, stated BGO/+ was developed as an oil spill dispersant and has been tested in accordance with procedures out- lined in California State Water Resources Control Board Publications No. 43. Mr. Cerrato also announced that the com- pany had received approval from the Commis- sion of Environmental Control, State of Massa- chusetts. Mr. Cerrato stated that ECO/+ will effec- tively clean grease and oil from bilges, is non- flammaJble and may be used in a variety of ap- plications, including vessel engine rooms and as a tank cleaning agent. Further information may be obtained by contacting ECO/+ East, 139 East 35th Street, Suite 8F, New York, N.Y. 10016. JACKUP BARGE CONVERSION: Curacao Drydock Com- pany recently completed an interesting conversion of the Jackup Barge Gem 1 1 1. A 21-foot section was inserted into the existing pontoon and two additional caisson wells for jackup legs were added. To accommodate a new American Hoist revolving crane, a crane tub was installed carried on two crane rails running the full length of the pontoon with hydraulic sliding mechanism to position the crane in longitudinal direction. Picture above shows the crane tub being lowered to the rails with the lengthened barge refloated in the drydock. Zapata To Acquire Three Rigs From Texas Gas Transmission Zapata Corporation and Texas Gas Trans- mission Corporation announced that they have reached an agreement in principle for Zapata to acquire Crestwave Offshore Services, Inc. Crestwave, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tex- as Gas, owns and operates a fleet of three off- shore drilling rigs. The companies said that under terms of the agreement, Zapata Off-iShore Company, a Za- pata subsidiary, will acquire all of the out- standing capital stock of Crestwave for a total consideration of approximately $20 million. The acquisition is expected to be completed this month, subject to the satisfaction of cer- tain conditions. FROM HILLMAN TO NATIONAL: Hillman Barge & Construction Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., recently delivered a second chemical barge (shown above) to National Mar- ine Service, Inc. of St. Louis, Mo. These barges are built as "Type 1" hulls in line with the U.S. Coast Guard Sub- chapter. "O", classed by the American Bureau of Ship- ping, and are modified from Hillman's standard 10,000- barrel 195-foot by 35-foot by 12-foot design. Features include an all stainless steel cargo piping system, stain- less steel heat coils, and Amercoat #75 tank lining. 14 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
