Months after fears arose briefly for Aker Shipyard’s future amid need for a state bailout, Aker yesterday signed a letter of intent with SeaRiver Maritime, an Exxon Mobil-owned company, for construction of two crude oil tankers.
The deal is reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars and more than 1,000 local jobs.
“These new vessels will provide jobs for American shipyard workers and help support energy needs along the U.S. West Coast for decades to come,” SeaRiver President Will Jenkins said in a statement yesterday.
These tankers will be used to carry oil from Alaska to the West Coast and are outfitted with energy efficient systems and produce lower air emissions that required by law, according to a company release posted on MarineLog.com. Construction will begin next year.
The 820-foot vessels, each with a capacity of 730,000 barrels, will be delivered in 2014. They will replace two existing double-hull tankers. The new vessels will be used to carry Alaskan crude from Prince William Sound, Alaska, to U.S. West Coast destinations.
