Crowley takes delivery of ATB dedicated to Alaska fuels services

The tug-barge will be used to transport multiple clean petroleum products for the Alaska market.

Crowley will operate the 483-foot ATB for Alaska-based Petro Star Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) under a long-term charter. The agreement extends Crowley’s longstanding partnership with ASRC and Petro Star, which dates back four decades to ASRC’s earliest days.

Crowley Shipping’s petroleum services group, the largest operator of independent US petroleum transportation vessels, will operate the ATB on behalf of Crowley Fuels. The ATB is the first in Crowley’s fleet to be dedicated to the Alaska market.

“We are pleased to take delivery of this high-performance ATB, Aveogan-Oliver Leavitt, and look forward to getting her up to Alaska to begin serving our partners at Petro Star,” said Rocky Smith, senior vice president and general manager, Crowley Fuels.

The ATB was constructed at the Bollinger Marine Fabricators facility in Amelia, La., with on-site construction management by Crowley Shipping, which designs, manages the construction of and operates diverse vessel types, including tank vessels.

Jensen Maritime, Crowley Shipping’s Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering subsidiary, designed the ATB to meet Ice Class and Polar Code requirements, which includes increased structural framing and shell plating and extended zero discharge endurance. The double-hulled design also features a barge form factor to achieve high-cargo capacity on minimal draft.

“The new vessel’s advanced design and environmental protection features mark a new era for fuel transportation services in Alaska,” said Rick Meidel, vice president and general manager, Crowley Fuels Alaska. “She will give many years of safe and reliable service for our valued customer Petro Star.”

The tug has Azimuthing drives to enhance maneuverability, and an Intercon C-series coupling system with a first-of-its-kind lightering helmet. The tug is fitted with two GE 8L250 main engines that meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Tier 4 emissions standards. The generators on the tug and barge meet EPA Tier 3 and IMO Tier II emissions standards.

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