NASSCO delivers Jones Act tanker to BP

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, has delivered the Alaskan Explorer, the second of four Alaska-class double-hull oil tankers being built for BP Oil Shipping Company, USA.

“We had very successful sea trials with the Alaskan Explorer,” said Richard Vortmann, NASSCO president. “We are now focused on timely completion of the third and fourth ships in the class, which are already under construction in the shipyard.” The newbuilding will join her sister ship, the Alaskan Frontier, which was delivered in August 2004. The third ship will be delivered in late 2005 and the fourth ship in 2006.

These state-of-the-art ships are very environmentally friendly and their double hull construction has been designed for a life of 35 years while their deck structure has a life of 50 years. The diesel-electric propulsion system, with redundant engines, shafts and screws, significantly increases reliability and reduces air emissions and maintenance downtime. The ships use seawater instead of oil to cool and lubricate their propeller shafts, eliminating the possibility of accidental oil leaks. Their cargo piping, normally installed on the deck, is run inside the cargo tanks, to reduce the risk of small spills.

The ships are 287 metres long, with a beam of 50 metres and a capacity of 1.3 million barrels of oil.