Page 5: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (July 15, 1974)

$15 Million To Convert

Albany To Drill Ship

Ups Avondale Backlog

To About $500 Million

For six years now Ogden Ma- rine has enjoyed steady service from what, at first glance, ap- pears to be a rather commonplace 500-foot-long general cargo ship.

Many vessels similar in appear- ance sail the oceans with a great variety of cargoes and materials.

Not likely to be confused with some of the giant 400,000-ton vessels around today, the S/S

Albany nonetheless boasts a his- tory of some distinction and, more importantly, looks ahead to a strategic and valuable future.

Recently arrived at Ogden's

Avondale Shipyards, the Albany will undergo a 12-month $15-mil- lion metamorphosis and emerge in 1975 as the Mission Viking, a fully renovated, ready to go, deepwater drilling ship, which will contribute its services to

America's search for new energy sources.

Ogden Transportation, through synergistic use of its resources, was able to find an excellent solu- tion to the pressing needs of New

Orleans-based Martin Industries for a deepwater drilling ship.

Ogden Marine's C-4 Albany was scheduled for phasing-out of Og- den Marine's fleet of over one- million deadweight tons. The larg- er, more efficient bulk carriers joining the Ogden fleet are better suited to today's ocean transport needs. In turn, Ogden's Avondale

Shipyards was ready to under- take the conversion work.

All three parties were pleased with the arrangements. Ogden

Marine continued its efforts to upgrade and modernize its fleet of ships, which will have grown to a capacity in excess of two- million deadweight tons by 1977.

Ogden's Avondale Shipyards picked up a $15-million contract, pushing its current order back- log to around $500 million, and

Martin Industries will receive a valuable deepwater drilling capa- bility on a much earlier delivery basis than would be possible with the construction of a new vessel.

Avondale will be giving the

Albany a major face lift—for the conversion plan is extensive and thorough. All hatch covers will be removed and the ship will re- ceive an all-new flush deck. To facilitate drilling, a moon-type well will be cut in the center of the ship. Two 100-ton cranes will be installed, and the chain lockers will be revamped to carry eight 3,500-foot-long chains, creating an eight-point mooring system that will allow drilling at depths of up to 600 feet.

In addition, all living quarters will be revamped and modern communications systems, power equipment, and specialty items necessary for the ship's new life style will be added. Special diving hatches and underwater camera systems will be installed to create a modern and efficient vessel. The energy needs of the '70s will have served as the catalyst to a fasci- nating bit of marine metamor- phosis.

Historically, the Albany has en- joyed a multidimensional, seafar- ing existence, originally having been built by the United States

Government as a troop transport during World War II. War ended shortly after the Albany entered service, and it was rescued from post World War II oblivion by the onset of the Korean War.

However, a few short years later ^iimijppp^ the Albany found itself laid-up idle in the Navy Reserve fleet, seeing very little service for a decade. Then in 1968, Ogden Ma- rine acquired the Albany from the Navy. The purchase was con- ditional on it being converted to a general cargo ship, and that it be made available exclusively to the Navy. In 1973, concurrent with the end of the United States involvement in Vietnam, the Navy released the ship for general cargo purposes, and its exciting new career will soon begin.

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July 15, 1974 7