The tanker is a specialized cargo type vessel that can be adapted for both sea and river routes. Water transport is intended for the transportation of bulk cargo. The largest of its kind are ocean-going supertankers, which are used not only to transport oil, but also to store it.
One of the largest supertankers
The largest tanker in the world was launched in 1976. Royal Dutch Shell acted as its creator, and the ship itself was called Batillus. About 70 thousand tons of metal and about 130 million dollars were spent on the construction of a water vehicle. In 1973, the world oil crisis took place, as a result of which the cost of raw materials increased significantly. This led to a significant reduction in cargo turnover. The company that created the tanker had the intention to stop the construction of the vessel, but the contract, signed two years before the start of construction, did not allow this. Breaking the agreemententailed significant costs. To date, the ship's only competitor is the largest ship in the world, the tanker Knock Nevis.
Specifications of the Batillus vessel
Immediately after the completion of the construction, the ship performed only its minimum standard: it carried out only 5 voyages during the year. Since 1982, water transport has been idle for more time than it was used for its intended purpose. In 1982, the ship's owner decided to sell it for scrap at a price of $8 million. The structure of the tanker included about 40 tanks of an independent type, the total capacity of which is 677.3 thousand cubic meters. Thanks to the division into compartments incorporated into the design, the ship could be used to transport several types of hydrocarbons simultaneously. The project reduced the risk of accidents and the likelihood of ocean pollution. Oil was loaded into the largest tanker in the world by four pumps with a capacity of approximately 24,000 cubic meters per hour. The total length of the ship was 414 meters, and the deadweight (that is, the total carrying capacity) corresponded to 550 thousand tons. The maximum speed did not exceed 16 knots, and the duration of the voyage without refueling and resupply was 42 days. Four power plants consumed 330 tons of fuel per day to service the floating structure.
Generation change
After Batillus with two five-blade engines and 4 steam turbines with a capacity of 64,8 thousand horsepower has been used as storage since 2004 and was scrapped in 2010, replaced by Knock Nevis. During the history of its existence, Batillus changed a huge number of owners, changed its name many times and was cut into scrap metal with the name Mont under the flag of Sierra Leone. The second largest tanker in the world is the Knock Nevis, which, like its predecessor, was completed in 1976. The ship acquired its huge size three years later, after reconstruction. As a result of modernization, the deadweight of the tanker approached 565,000 tons. Its length has increased to 460 meters. The crew of the ship - 40 people. The turbines of the tanker's engines are capable of reaching speeds of up to 13 knots thanks to a total power of 50,000 horsepower.
Seawise Giant, or the story of the ship Knock Nevis
The largest oil tanker in the world, built in the 20th century, is called the Seawise Giant. The design of the vessel began before the era of double-deck tankers. At the moment, there are no analogues of the vessel. According to experts, only floating cities with houses, offices and full-fledged infrastructure, whose projects are just beginning to be considered by experts, will be able to compete with it. The construction of the vessel began in 1976. Initially, its deadweight was to correspond to 480,000 tons, but after the bankruptcy of the first owner, the magnate Tung decided to increase its carrying capacity to 564,763 tons. The vessel was launched in 1981, and its mainthe purpose was to transport oil from fields in the Gulf of Mexico. Later, the ship transported oil from Iran. During one of the flights was flooded in the Persian Gulf.
Magical Rebirth
The world's largest oil tanker, the Seawise Giant, was raised from the ocean floor near Kharg Island in 1988 by Keppel Shipyard. The new owner of the tanker was Norman International, which spent 3.7 thousand tons of steel on the restoration of the vessel. The already restored ship changed its owner again and began to bear the name Jahre Viking. In March 2004, ownership rights to it were transferred to First Olsen Tankers, which, due to the age of the design, converted it into FSO - a floating complex that was used only for loading and storing hydrocarbon raw materials in the Dubai shipyard area. After the last reconstruction, the tanker acquired the name Knock Nevis, under which it is known as the largest tanker in the world. After the last renaming, the vessel in the role of FSO was towed to the waters of Qatar to the Al Hashin field.
Knock Nevis tanker dimensions
The largest tanker in the world was called Knock Nevis. He became a kind of product of the scientific and technological revolution. As part of the design, a longitudinal hull framing system was used, and all superstructures were located at the stern. It was during the assembly of tankers that electric welding was first used. During different periods of its existence, the tanker wasknown as Jahre Viking and Happy Giant, Seawise Giant and Knock Nevis. Its length is 458.45 meters. For a full turn, the ship needed free space of 2 kilometers and the help of tugs. The transverse size of water transport is 68.8 meters, which corresponds to the width of a football field. The upper deck of the ship could easily accommodate 5.5 football fields. The tanker was withdrawn from the fleet on January 1, 2010, since then it has not only had no worthy competitor, but simply no analogue.
The world's largest LNG tanker
The largest LNG tanker is considered to be a vessel called Mozah, which was commissioned to its customer in 2008. During the construction, Samsung shipyards for Qatar Gas Transport Company were used. For three decades, LNG tankers have held no more than 140,000 cubic meters of liquefied gas. The giant Mozah broke all records with a capacity of 266,000 cubic meters. This volume is enough to provide heat and electricity to the entire territory of England during the day. The ship's deadweight is 125,600 tons. Its length is 345, and its width is 50 meters. Draft - 12 meters. The distance from the keel to the klotik corresponds to the height of a 20-story skyscraper. The design of the tanker provided for its own gas liquefaction plant, which minimized harmful fumes and almost completely eliminated the risk of an accident, ensuring 100% safety of the cargo. In the future, it is planned to design and launch a total of 14 ships of thisseries.
The largest tankers in history
The largest tanker in the world is Chinese. As the generations changed, the ships that have already been decommissioned have changed, the country of origin has remained the same.
There are only 6 ULCC class structures that managed to exceed the mark of 500,000 dwt:
- Battilus with DWT 553, 662. Existing from 1976-1985.
- Bellamya of 553, 662 DWT, sailed the oceans from 1976 to 1986.
- Pierre Guillaumat, built in 1977 and decommissioned in 1983.
- Esso Atlantic of 516,000 dwt and lasting from 1977 to 2002.
- Esso Pacific (516,000 tons). The period of operation - from 1977 to 2002.
- Prairial (554, 974 tons). Designed in 1979, retired in 2003.
