Aker Philadelphia Shipyard Delivers Fifth Vessel to American Shipping Company

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard delivered its fifth product tanker today to American Shipping Company. The tanker is the fifth in a series of twelve that will be delivered to American Shipping Company and in turn, chartered to OSG America. In the coming days the vessel will take to the sea for use in transporting petroleum products for BP, and is the third vessel in the series to be utilized by BP. On Thursday, September 18, a traditional naming ceremony was held at the yard and attended by representatives from Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, American Shipping Company, OSG America and BP. The vessel’s sponsor, Mrs. Jane Baldry, broke a champagne bottle against the wing of the bridge to formally christen the ship and give her the name Overseas Texas City.
President and CEO of Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Jim Miller, stated, “Aker Philadelphia is proud to deliver this remarkable ship in conjunction with the yard’s ten year anniversary. Ten years ago, there was no shipbuilding taking place here in Philadelphia. Today, we deliver our ninth vessel and deliver it as promised. These actions are a true testament to the hard work and dedication of our skilled shipyard employees.”
Rob Kurz, President and CEO of American Shipping Company, remarked, “American Shipping Company is honored to add another high quality vessel to our fleet. In my ten months as CEO, we have expanded our fleet from two vessels to five and expanded and strengthened our management team as well. We will continue this growth to create value for our shareholders.”
The Overseas Texas City is the first vessel built at the yard to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest Tier II requirements. The vessel was modified to incorporate three improved diesel powered electrical generating sets to run the vessel’s electrical system, which will result in lower levels of pollutants while in operation. Three other vessels are currently under construction at the yard, all of which will include these modifications.
Aker Philadelphia Shipyard is a leading U.S. commercial shipyard constructing vessels for operation in the Jones Act market. It possesses a state-of-the-art shipbuilding facility and has earned a reputation as the preferred provider of oceangoing merchant vessels with a track record of delivering quality ships. Aker Philadelphia Shipyard is a member of the Norwegian-based Aker family of global companies, leaders in global growth markets including energy technologies, energy resources, maritime technologies, seafood and marine biotechnology.
American Shipping Company (AMSC) owns and leases world-class quality vessels for operation between ports in the United States. When the current series of twelve tankers is completed in 2011, AMSC will own the most modern product tanker fleet in the United States; and it will be the first company in the United States to own shuttle tankers for use in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.