OREANDA-NEWS. August 17, 2016. Crowley Maritime Corp . today christened the innovative MT West Virginia, its fourth new, Jones Act product tanker for the U.S. coastwise trade, in Philadelphia at Philly  Shipyard, Inc. (PSI), the sole operating subsidiary of Philly Shipyard ASA.

The West Virginia is LNG ready, meaning it can later be converted for propulsion by liquefied natural gas (LNG), a feature that continues industry-leading innovations and service by Crowley’s petroleum services group. West Virginia joins its sister ships, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas, which were received by Crowley in 2015 and 2016 as the first-ever tankers to receive the American Bureau of Shipping’s (ABS) LNG-Ready Level 1 approval.

Anne Swearingen, wife of Mr. John Swearingen, senior vice president, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, performed the time-honored tradition of christening the vessel by breaking a ceremonial bottle of champagne across the West Virginia’s hull at Philly Shipyard. Marathon Petroleum will utilize the tanker under a long-term charter.  

“Today represents a banner day for our company, Marathon Petroleum and Philly Shipyard as we welcome the West Virginia to our tanker fleet,” said Tom Crowley, chairman and CEO of Crowley Maritime. “The christening of this vessel, along with its sister ships, represents the best of the U.S. maritime industry – from the men and women who built her to the men and women who will operate her with great safety, integrity and high performance.”

The new tankers are based on a proven Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD) design that incorporates numerous fuel efficiency features, flexible cargo capability and the latest regulatory requirements. At 600 feet long, West Virginia is 50,000 dead-weight-tons (dwt) and capable of carrying 330,000 barrels of product. The tanker is capable of carrying crude oil or refined petroleum products, as well as various chemical cargoes.

Crowley’s marine solutions group  provided vessel construction management services for the product tankers. The company has an on-site office and personnel at the Philadelphia shipyard to ensure strong working relationships with shipyard staff and a seamless construction and delivery program.

About Crowley Maritime

Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 124-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company. The company provides project solutions, energy and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of six operating lines of business: Puerto Rico/Caribbean Liner Services, Latin America Liner Services, Logistics Services, Petroleum Services, Marine Services and Technical Services. Offered within these operating lines of business are: liner container shipping, logistics, contract towing and transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response through its 50 percent ownership in Ardent Global; vessel management; vessel construction and naval architecture through its Jensen Maritime subsidiary; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found at  www.crowley.com .