BP Tankers Back in Service Following Anchor Malfunction

BP says it has put a fleet of double-hull tankers back in service after two ships lost their anchors last month in the Gulf of Alaska. The Alaskan Navigator and the Alaskan Frontier have each been outfitted with two new anchors. A spokesman said an investigation found the metal in the China-made anchors might not have been properly tempered to strengthen the metal. Beaudo says the fleet's operator, Alaska Tanker Co. of Beaverton, Ore., flew replacement anchors from the Netherlands to Seattle. The fleet's four ships were held for repairs. A San Diego shipyard built the 941-foot tankers for about 250 million dollars each, with the first of them going into service in the summer of 2004. A Coast Guard statement says Alaska Tanker Co., the Coast Guard and the Washington state Department of Ecology continue to investigate. Source: AP