Foreign-flagged tanker to move ANS crude

According to press reports BP has chartered a foreign-flagged vessel, the Bahamas-flagged Tianlong Spirit, to move Alaska North Slope crude oil.

Press reports indicated the ship would load crude out of Valdez Sept. 25.

Routine shipping of ANS crude oil is to the West Coast on tankers owned by the major North Slope producers.

BP spokeswoman Dawn Patience told Petroleum News July 25 that she couldn’t talk about vessel locations, but said BP had received needed state and U.S. Coast Guard approvals needed for the vessel to move ANS crude from Valdez.

“This vessel meets all state and federal requirements to carry cargo in Prince William Sound,” Patience said in an email. She said the vessel is also registered under the PWS Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan.

“Our first priority is to safely operate the tanker in compliance with the strict shipping rules and regulations,” Patience said.

Bloomberg reported that the Tianlong Spirit would be the first foreign-flagged tanker to carry ANS crude out of Valdez in more than 30 years and said that when Congress ended restrictions on most American crude exports, it also ended the ban on foreign-flagged tankers shipping crude from Alaska.

- KRISTEN NELSON