Newport News signs letter Of Intent For live DooNe Engle Tankers

Subject to MarAd Title XI approval, deal with Van Ommeren Shipping includes options for five tankers also. Newport News Shipbuilding, a unit of Tenneco, announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Van Ommeren Shipping (USA) Inc., to build five 46,000 ton Double Eagle product tankers, with options for up to five more. This marks the company's third sale of the Double Eagle since the design was introduced a year ago. The sale is pending approval of Van Ommeren's application for U.S. government Title XI loan guarantees, administered by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd). Double Eagle tankers are approximately 600 ft. (183 m) and 105 ft. (32.2 m) wide, with a dwt of 46,500 tons.

Van Ommeren provides shipping, transportation and tank storage service on a global basis, and owns 26 ships, including eight U.S. flag vessels. "Our company's main strategic objective is to be at the forefront in tanker storage and shipping. These new ships will be a part of the systematic modernization of our fleet and help us maintain our strict quality and safety standards," saidNick van Reesema, president of Van Ommeren Shipping.

According to Ed Waryas, director of commercial marketing at Newport News, "This new order for the Double Eagles' design meets the needs of a wide range of commercial customers and will be a recognized class of vessels... Building this ship in a series will allow us to hold our costs down and increase our chances for winning new customers for this and other commercial ships." Newport News Shipbuilding, located in Virginia, has built more than 750 ships, including a wide range of commercial and military vessels. For more information on NNS Circle 30 on Reader Service Card