Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the first of six new 185,000-barrel Articulated Tug-Barge (ATB) tank vessels that the company will take delivery of over the next two and half years. The vessels christened were the 9,280 HP-tug Pacific Reliance and barge 650-1. At ceremonies held at the Mobile Convention Center on South Water Street, Constance Crowley Peabody, aunt of Tom Crowley Jr., company chairman, president and CEO, christened the Pacific Reliance, while Janet Bishop from ConocoPhillips, christened barge 650-1. Crowley's Petroleum Services group will charter the VT Halter Marine-built ATB from Crowley's vessel construction and naval architecture subsidiary, Vessel Management Services, and operate it for ConocoPhillips under a three-year agreement.
