USCG
OSG's OVERSEAS HOUSTON Towed to Tampa After Engine Failure
The “Overseas Houston,” only delivered earlier this month from the builder to the Overseas Shipholding Group (OSG), has suffered an unspecified engine failure while on its way to Houston from Philadelphia. The vessel has been towed into Tampa, Florida. The vessel is the first of a series of product tankers being constructed by Aker Philadelphia Shipyard for OSG. The engine failure occurred on Sunday morning, in Florida waters.
The vessel was not carrying cargo, nor were there any injuries reported. The 46,000 DWT product carrier will reportedly undergo some modifications in Tampa. The Coast Guard is investigating and OSG is said to be working closely with them on the matter. This afternoon, US Coast Guard spokespersons in Tampa, Florida told MarEx that the vessel had been towed into port under the escort of two tug boats. It is currently berthed at the mouth of the Hillsborough River at East Bay, Alafia. A Coast Guard PAO also said that the vessel’s loss of power occurred about 153 miles southwest of Tampa.
The incident marks an inauspicious start to a relationship between Aker and OSG which promises to be long, and involve many other vessels of the same class. According to a February 7th OSG press release, the energy transportation services giant announced that it had signed “an agreement in principle pursuant to which Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, a subsidiary of Aker American Shipping ASA, will construct up to six additional Veteran Class MT-46 Jones Act Product Tankers (three fixed plus three options). Once transferred to another Aker subsidiary, American Shipping Corporation, OSG will bareboat charter the vessels for initial terms of 10 to 15 years.”
OSG also announced that one more of the enrolled 46,000 DWT tankers had been chartered to BP. According to Aker, at least three other product tankers in the series are currently under production at their Philadelphia yard with the second due to be delivered this summer. The first vessel of this class, the Overseas Houston, was scheduled to be delivered to Shell and begin trading during the week of February 26, 2007. That schedule is now very much in doubt. Calls to Aker’s Philadelphia offices and OSG in New York were not returned in time for this issue of the MarEx e-newsletter.
Topic: Overseas Houston - broke down! (Read 5336 times)