Page 47: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 15, 1980)

Underwater Maintenance

Gets Order To Equip

All Conoco Tankers

Conoco has placed an order with the Underwater Mainte- nance Company of Chandlers

Ford, Hampshire, England, to equip their entire tanker fleet with Neutrally Buoyant Hull Ap- erture Blanks. On several occa- sions in the past, Conoco has pur- chased these to enable emergency repairs to sea valves to be carried out afloat.

In the past, sea inlets were sealed by divers using improvised blanks made from sheets of ply- wood and rubber. However, as sea chests became larger and draughts deeper, this became more difficult and more danger- ous. To solve the problem, Un- derwater Maintenance Company originally produced these blanks to meet Classification Society re- quirements for inwater surveys.

They are constructed to a design approved by Lloyd's Register of

Shipping.

The company has already sup- plied blanks for more than 70 vessels, and they are now in- cluded in the specification of many new ships when they are built.

For more information on Un- derwater Maintenance Company's

Neutrally Buoyant Hull Aperture

Blanks,

Write 33 on Reader Service Card

W.D. Wheeler Associates

Appointed U.S. Agents

For Astilleros Del Golfo

Astilleros Del Golfo, S.A. (ADG), Tampico, Mexico, has named Wesley D. Wheeler Asso- ciates, Ltd. of New York City as agents. The Wheeler firm of in- ternational maritime consultants will act as ADG's exclusive rep- resentative for the United States and other areas not presently covered by agents.

Located on a 25-acre site in

Madero/Tampico in Mexico, ADG operates one of the most modern abrasive blasting and coating plants in that country, with em- phasis placed on total perform- ance.

The highly automated blasting facilities are based on a closed system supplied by C.A.B. of

Houston; some special compo- nents were designed and built by

ADG's own fabricators. Two grit silos have a capacity of 1,000 tons each.

While repairs are not the main reason for the existence of the

Tampico yard, the usual struc- tural and piping renewals can be performed simultaneously with blasting and coating. Although drydocking is not now available at the facility, a graving dock is planned for construction in 1981.

For further information on

Astilleros Del Golfo,

Write 34 on Reader Service Card

Philip Bannan Named A

Division Manager At

Western Gear Corp.

Philip B. Bannan was promoted to the position of division man- ager for the Heavy Machinery

Division of Western Gear Corpo- ration. The move was announced by Ade K. Eitner, group vice president of Western Gear.

Mr. Bannan takes his new post with a thorough knowledge of the workings of the Heavy Machin- ery Division and Western Gear

Corporation. He has served the

Division in the capacity of manu- facturing manager and, more re- cently, as assistant division man- ager. Previously, Mr. Bannan was on a special assignment in which he was involved in establishing a computerized production control system at the Heavy Machinery

Division.

Prior responsibilities for the corporation include various man- agement positions for Western

Gear's Cochran Western Corpora- tion Subsidiary. His corporate ex- perience also takes in a tour of duty in Western Gear's Washing- ton, D.C., office as regional field marketing manager.

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Write 423 on Reader Service Card

December 15, 1980 51