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Bethlehem Begins Construction On 265,000-Dwt Tanker —Largest Vessel Built In The United States Representatives of firms concerned in the building of the largest vessel under construction in a United States shipyard gather just before the first keel section is laid at Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point shipyard. Left to right: Charles Hanley, J.J. Henry Co., Inc.; Charles Zeien, executive vice president, J.J. Henry Co.; William C. Brigham, assistant vice president, shipbuilding, Bethlehem Steel Corporation; H. Struve Hensel, president, General Maritime Corporation; Hollingshead deLuce, manager, ship development and sales, Bethlehem Steel; John H. Chafee, chairman, General Mari- time Corporation; Charles J. Kittredge, senior vice president, First National Bank of Boston; Mrs. Donald L. Miller; William H. Collins, general manager of the yard; Mrs. Collins; Capt. Warren G. Leback, Interstate Oil Transport Co., and Mr. Miller, executive vice president, First National Bankvof Boston. Construction of the largest ship ever built in the United States started on January 23 as Bethlehem Steel's Sparrows Point Shipyard laid the first keel plate for a 265,000-dwt super- tanker. The vessel, the first of five under contract at the yard, is scheduled for delivery to Boston- VLCC Tankers, Inc., II, in 1975. All five ships are being constructed under the U.S. Maritime Administration's tanker construction subsidy program arising out of the 1970 Merchant Ma- rine Act. Boston-VLOC Tankers, Inc., II, IV and VI, subsidiaries of First National Boston Corpora- tion, have contracted for the first three of the huge vessels and, upon completion of their construction, they will be placed on long-term charter. First National Boston Corporation is a registered multi-bank holding company whose principal subsidiary is the First National Bank of Boston. This class of ships, the 10th standard design offered by Bethlehem since World War II, will be 1,100 feet overall, with a breadth of 178 feet, and a summer' freeboard draft of 67 feet 1 inch. Principal Characteristics and Capacities Length overall l,100'-0" Length between perpendiculars 1,060'-0'' Breadth 178'-0 Depth 86'-0 Draft, summer freeboard, keel 67'-1" Deadweight, summer freeboard draft 265,000 tons Shaft horsepower, maximum continuous 35,000 Speed on trial at maximum continuous SHP at summer freeboard draft 15 VA knots Fuel capacity 12,450 tons Fuel consumption at 90% max. 165 tons/day continuous SHP (excluding cargo services) 1,100 bbls/day Cruising radius (based on max. cont. SHP). 20,000 miles Cargo Cubic Capacity—1 00% 2,035,000 bbls Estimated Tonnage (U.S.)—Gross 125,000 —Net 110,00 The keel was laid in the yard's new 1,200- foot graving dock, in which a 120,000-dwt tanker is already under construction. The huge new tanker, capable of carrying 2,035,000 (barrels of oil, is designed to exceed the largest safety and antipollution require- ments. The arrangement of the vessel has been spe- cifically designed to meet the 1973 international Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, concerning cargo tank size and maximum outflow. This results in 21 tanks (two of which are for clean ballast), as com- pared with the smaller number of tanks in the usual VLCC of today. The vessel will be fitted with an inert gas system, which maintains a nonexplosive at- mosphere within the cargo tanks at all times. A modern improved load-on-top (LOT) sys- tem for handling tank cleaning slops, including fixed tank cleaning in all center cargo tanks, is also provided. The single-screw vessel will have a single deck with forecastle, a cylindrical bow and a transom stern. The hull will be about 80 per- cent mild steel and 20 percent higher strength steel. The aft superstructure incorporates all living and messing spaces, appropriate utility spaces and the navigation and control spaces. The lay- out of accommodations is based on a comple- ment of 28. All staterooms are single occupancy with semiprivate toilets and showers for the crew, private toilets and showers for officers. All living spaces are air-conditioned. Lifeboats have been located for embarkation from a platform one deck height above the upper deck. Deck machinery will include 12 mooring winches of a unique type that have been de- veloped to Bethlehem's specifications for tanker service. When the hydraulic system is in operation, they are automatic pull-in/pay- out type with selective dual ratings of line pull of 30.000 pounds or 60,000 pounds. When the hydraulic system is not in operation, they will automatically pay out at a prescribed predeter- mined maximum line pull. Propulsion is provided by a cross compound, single flow steam turbine, driving the propeller shaft through a double reduction gear. An astern element is incorporated in the low pres- sure turbine casing. The maximum continuous ahead rating is 35,000 shaft horsepower at 85 rpm. Cargo is handled by means of four large 20,000-gpm turbine-driven horizontal single- stage centrifugal pumps with added self- priming features. Steam requirement for the cargo pumps is virtually the same as for pro- pelling the ship at maximum power. Each pump normally handles its own group of tanks but may be cross-connected to other groups. A steam reciprocating pump is provided for strip- ping purposes, together with a deck stripping main. Nominal pump-out time is about 18 hours. A clean ballast pump of 10,000-gpm capacity is provided to handle the No. 4 wing tanks and the after deep tanks through a segregated system. The J.J. Henry Co., Inc. was designated by the owners to act in their behalf in dealing with Bethlehem in all matters concerning design, approvals, changes and inspections. Arthur Levy Boat Service Announces New Appointments For Thomas And LeBlanc Ogden U. Thomas Jr. Charles E. LeBlanc Arthur Levy Boat Service, the Petrolane subsidiary based in Morgan City, La., has an- nounced the appointment of Ogden U. Thomas Jr. as vice president, and the appointment of Charles E. LeBlanc as manager of North Sea operations. Mr. Thomas will have administrative respon- sibility for contracts connected with workboat service and for conducting contract negoti- ations. Currently, Levy has 62 vessels in its "Seahorse" fleet, providing support services for petroleum drilling activities in the Gulf of Mexico and 14 foreign countries. A graduate of Nicholls State University with a bachelor's degree in business management, he joined Levy in 1969 as controller and held that position until 1972, when he became ad- ministrative coordinator. In May 1973, he was named general manager of operations in Brazil. A member of the American Petroleum Insti- tute, he assumed his present duties in October as an executive in Levy's top echelon. Mr. LeBlanc will be based in Aberdeen, Scotland, and supervise workboat activities connected with offshore petroleum exploration taking place in the North Sea. Currently, two ice-class combination tug/supply boats are un- der contract to Texaco North Sea, U.K. Com- pany, for activities near the Shetland Islands. Two other Levy vessels will be assigned to the North Sea at a future date. Mr. LeBlanc brings extensive workboat ex- perience to the job. He recently joined Levy after serving nearly five years as area manager of Zapata Marine Service Ltd., in South Ameri- ca and Europe. Previous to that, he worked three years for Caspary-Wendell, Inc., rising to the position of vice president. He received training in accounting and busi- ness management at Del Mar Junior College and Texas A & I University. Arthur Levy Boat Service is part of Petro- lane's Petroleum Industry Services Division, which also includes Eastman-Whipstock, a ma- jor directional drilling company with opera- tions worldwide ; P.T. Indonesia Air Transport, a helicopter and air taxi service for petroleum, mining and logging companies in Southeast Asia; and Fishing Tools, a remedial well and downhole recovery service based in Louisiana. 12 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News
