The Observer, July 2005

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SeaRiver buying used double-hulls for Valdez trade

The shipping arm of ExxonMobil plans to buy and overhaul two older double-hull tankers to help meet federal requirements for taking single-hull tankers out of service.

The double-hull requirement appears in the federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990, enacted in response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989.

SeaRiver Maritime announced its plans in late June during a meeting with staff and board members of the citizens’ council.

The vessels involved are the Kenai and Tonsina, both nearly 30 years old. They are now hauling BP’s oil under charter to Alaska Tanker Company. SeaRiver said the purchase is an interim step in a plan to upgrade its Valdez fleet. That plan could include building new double-hull tankers, according to SeaRiver.

SeaRiver’s overhaul plans for the Kenai and Tonsina include equipping the bridges with the latest technology, analyzing the ships’ steel for signs of fatigue, and installing additional safety systems.

Under the Oil Pollution Act, single-hull vessels must be removed from service in U.S. waters not later than 2015, though the Valdez fleet is expected to be all double-hulls seven or eight years ahead of that deadline.

Double-hull tankers can sail indefinitely, even older vessels like the Kenai and Tonsina that were built before 1989.