Stena Atlantica to be Named in Dubai

The ice-classed oil tanker, Stena Atlantica, will be named in Dubai. The vessel has been built in compliance with Swedish/Finnish Ice Class notation 1 A, meaning that it can be safely maneuvered in difficult ice conditions. The naming ceremony will take place at the Dubai Dry Docks in the presence of a large number of guests from all over the world. The vessel’s Godmother will be Outi Löw, the wife of Michael G:son Löw, President and CEO of Sweden’s largest oil company, Preem Petroleum. Stena Atlantica is known as a Stena Ice-Aframax. It is 250 metres in length, 44 metres across its beam and has a capacity of 115 000 dwt. It was built at the Samsung Heavy Industries Shipyard in S. Korea and she sailed from there for Dubai on 14th November.

Having berthed at the Dubai Dry Docks, the Stena Atlantica was upgraded significantly, making it suitable for navigating ice-covered seas. The main ingredient in this upgrade was ‘icebreaker paint’, applied to the hull below the water line. Stena Atlantica has also been decked out with Stena Bulk’s own polar bear design on its sides. From Dubai, the Stena Atlantica will sail for Sikka, India where it will load gas oil, then sail through the Suez Canal and on to Rotterdam for discharging. From there, she will regulary carry crude oil from Russian oil port Primorsk, deep in the Gulf of Finland, to the European continent and the USA. Russian oil exports from Primorsk have risen from 12 million tons in 2001 to 65 million tons in 2006. During 2007, this figure is expected to increase to 70 million tons.