Rob Kurz News

General Dynamics NASSCO Christens Fourth ECO Class ECO Product Carrier for American Petroleum Tankers. On Saturday, September 17, General Dynamics NASSCO hosted a christening ceremony for the fourth ECO Class tanker for American Petroleum Tankers (APT) under construction at the company's shipyard in San Diego. U.S. Representative Juan Vargas spoke at the ceremony, and the ship’s sponsor, Mrs. Melissa DeVeau, christened the ship with the traditional break of a champagne bottle alongside the ship.

U.S. shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO launched and christened Garden State, another ECO Class tanker due to join the Jones Act fleet. Launched and christened on Saturday, May 7, the new ship, will join the ranks as one of the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly product tankers in the world, the builder said. Garden State is the third of a five-tanker contract between NASSCO and American Petroleum Tankers, which calls for the design and construction of five 50,000 deadweight ton, LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity.

General Dynamics NASSCO signaled the start of construction of a third "ECO" tanker to be built for American Petroleum Tankers at a steel cutting ceremony at NASSCO's San Diego-based shipyard. As part of a five-tanker contract, the new ECO tankers solidify a mutual commitment between General Dynamics NASSCO and American Petroleum Tankers to design, build and operate innovative and increased energy efficient and fuel-saving products. Each of the five 50,000 deadweight ton product carriers to be constructed by NASSCO will be LNG-conversion ready and will carry 330,000 barrels of cargo. With a specialized ECO design, the tankers are more energy efficient and incorporate environmental protection features, including a Ballast Water Treatment System. "This is an exciting time in the U.S.

General Dynamics NASSCO and City of San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer today signaled the start of construction of five American Petroleum Tankers at a steel cutting ceremony for the first tanker, the APT-1, at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. Joined by General Dynamics NASSCO executive leadership and Mayor Faulconer were representatives from Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P., and Rob Kurz, vice president of Kinder Morgan Terminals and president of KMP subsidiary American Petroleum Tankers. “Today’s start of construction ceremony signifies our ongoing relationship with American Petroleum Tankers. NASSCO is pleased to continue our commitment…

General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (GD), has entered into a contract with an affiliate of American Petroleum Tankers (APT), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (KMP), for the design and construction of an additional 50,000 deadweight ton LNG-conversion-ready product carrier with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity. Construction is scheduled to begin the fourth quarter of 2015, with delivery scheduled for the second quarter of 2017. This new tanker, supported by a long-term charter, will be constructed at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, meeting the Jones Act requirement that ships carrying cargo between U.S. ports be built in U.S. shipyards.

American Shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, announced that it has entered into a contract with an affiliate of American Petroleum Tankers (APT), a company majority owned by funds managed by Blackstone on behalf of its investors, for the design and construction of four 50,000 deadweight ton LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity. The contract includes options to build four additional ships. Construction of the first tanker is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2014…

American Petroleum Tankers (APT) affiliate intends to order the new ships from NASSCO Shipyared, San Diego. An affiliate of American Petroleum Tankers Parent LLC (“APT”), a company majority owned by funds managed by Blackstone on behalf of its investors, announce its commitment to build two new state-of-the-art tanker vessels at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) shipyard in San Diego. The commitment to build is contingent upon approval of a $340 million Title XI loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (“MarAd”) that would be used to refinance APT’s existing five tankers. Should construction of the vessels proceed, they will be the first new product tankers to be ordered in the U.S. in two years.

This double hulled, environmentally friendly tanker, which will be fitted with additional equipment to increase maneuverability, can receive oil from Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels and transport it from deepwater areas without pipeline access to refineries on the Gulf Coast. Aker American Shipping President, Rob Kurz stated, "This is a very significant milestone for Aker American Shipping. Shuttle tankers represent an exciting new market and we are looking forward to opportunities to own more of these vessels. With the increasing demand for oil, and considerable resources in the Gulf of Mexico, this tanker will be an important part of the United States‘ energy infrastructure.