Page 27: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 15, 1977)

Avondale Launches 165,000-DWT Tanker

For Standard Oil (Ohio) Alaskan Service

The tanker Keystone Canyon sits in Avondale's $26-million floating drydock prior to launching on September 10. Due to heavy rain and squalls, the ship was chris- tened but not launched at the morning ceremonies. Later in the day after winds died down, Avondale floated the immense vessel into the Mississippi River.

Avondale Shipyards, Incorpo- rated, New Orleans, La., a subsid- iary of Ogden Corporation, re- cently launched the second of a series of four segregated ballast tankers for The Standard Oil

Company (Ohio). The new ships will sail under charter to SPC

Shipping, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of SOHIO.

This tanker is the Keystone

Canyon, 165,000 deadweight tons, and named after a geographic area in Alaska of spectacular scenic grandeur. Her length over- all is 906 feet, beam 173 feet, depth 75 feet. The operating draft of the Keystone Canyon carrying

Alaskan oil is 55 feet, and her cargo capacity including 11 tanks is approximately 1,200,000 bar- rels. With steam propulsion and a maximum continuous rated horse- power of 26,700 shp, the ship's service speed 80 percent MCR will be 14.1 knots full load, and 16 knots ballast.

Among the most interesting features of the Keystone Canyon are her special environmental pro- tection and safety features, which include segregated ballast tanks, inert gas system, fixed tank- cleaning equipment, collision avoidance radar and Loran and

Omega navigation systems.

While somewhat smaller than some of the tankers used to trans- port oil between continents, the

Keystone Canyon is the largest thus far to be specially built for

Alaskan service. Along with her sisterships, she will also rank as being among the safest and most modern. The first SOHIO tanker, the Atigun Pass, was launched at Avondale on June 4, 1977, and two more will quickly follow.

Launching ceremonies began with the National Anthem, with soloist Keith Harmeyer, followed by a moving invocation by the associate pastor of the Saint

Charles Avenue Presbyterian

Church, Dr. Walter A. Bennett.

Edwin Hartzman, president of

Avondale Shipyards, Incorporated, then took the podium to deliver a welcoming address and to intro- duce the distinguished guests on the launching platform.

The principal speaker for the occasion was Frank E. Mosier, senior vice president-marketing and refining, Standard Oil Com- pany of Ohio. Shortly after his address, the charming sponsor of the vessel, Mrs. Paul D. Phillips, wife of Paul D. Phillips, senior vice president-finance and admin- istration, The Standard Oil Com- pany (Ohio), was escorted to the podium by Mr. Hartzman to say a few words before the moment of launch.

Mrs. Phillips then raised a sil- ver hatchet to sever the cord that sent the champagne bottle wing- ing down to the bow of the ship to smash against her side. One of the most interesting sights for launching guests was to see how

Avondale Shipyards employed its giant $26-million floating drydock to launch the Keystone Canyon.

The ship was moved into the dry- dock from the building ways near- by about two weeks prior to the launching.

The Keystone Canyon will stand out as being among the safest and most seaworthy ships in the world. A long list of modern navi- gational equipment to be installed includes computerized collision- avoidance instruments, weather map facsimile reproduction equip- ment to help avoid storms, echo- sounders to measure water depth, a Loran navigation system to de- termine the ship's position within yards by monitoring special radio signals, and an Omega navigation system to electronically fix a ship's position within two miles anywhere in the world. Inert gas systems on the new tanker will guard against danger of fire or explosion from vapors which can form in empty or partially empty oil cargo tanks.

The Keystone Canyon will be equipped with a waterless cargo tank washing system. The device uses an oil spray in the inerted tanks instead of seawater to clean oil residue from the sides of car- go tanks as they are emptied.

This eliminates another potential source of water pollution.

Two main boilers instead of one will assure the tanker of maneu- verability in the event of a break- down.

Outfitting of the Keystone Can- yon at Avondale will take several months, but when she enters service for her owners she will carry North Slope crude oil from Alaska to ports in the lower 48 states or for transshipment through the Panama Canal.

Avondale Shipyards, Incorpo- rated is a subsidiary of Ogden

Corporation, which operates in the major market areas of metals, transportation, and food.

At launching of the Keystone Canyon are, from left: Edwin Hartzman, president of

Avondale Shipyards, Inc.; the sponsor, Mrs. Paul D. Phillips; and Frank E. Mosier, senior vice president, marketing and refining, The Standard Oil Company (Ohio), who delivered the principal address. The Keystone Canyon will carry Alaskan crude oil to the lower 48 states, or for transshipment through the Panama Canal. " / TtfOUGHT YbU S/f/P TV£Y J(JAABO- /Z€D THE CAPTA/NS SHIP?"

October 15, 1977 29