Hyundai Delivers 300,000-dwt VLCC To Vela Intl.

On January 31 Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HHI) of Korea delivered the 300,000- dwt VLCC Mirfak Star to Vela International Marine Ltd., the shipping arm of Saudi ARAMCO. The vessel is the first in a series of six 300,000- dwt class VLCCs awarded to HHI in 1992 by Vela, the international tanker subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Oil Co. Last December HHI, in its Ulsan shipyard, held simultaneous naming ceremonies for Vela's first and second VLCCs.

Abdallah S. Jum'ah, executive vice president of International Operations for Saudi AEAMCO, said in a speech that both VLCCs were of excellent quality.

The Mirfak Star features a host of advanced technological features, including a state-of-theart navigation and automation system. Also, extra thick steel was used to ensure longer life and for the prevention of oil spillage due to hull structure failure. The vessel measures 1,096 feet (332 m) long and 191 feet (58 m) wide. Her 15 cargo tanks are capable of transporting 2.16 million barrels of crude oil.

The second VLCC, the Hamal Star, is due for delivery this month, and the four other ships are all scheduled for delivery by the end of October 1994.

HHI has established a good record in the design and construction of super tankers. Since 1973, Hyundai Shipyard has delivered more than 30 VLCCs, totalling 8.5 million dwt. Presently, HHI has 10 VLCCs on its order backlog, including five from Vela International Marine, Ltd. The shipyard has completed more than 560 vessels of various types, including 125,000-cu.- m. LNG carriers.

, For more information on the shipbuilding capabilities of HHI,