Exxon Valdez

The Exxon Valdez at Prince William Sound in 1989, hours after running aground
History
NameExxon Valdez
Owner
Port of registry
Ordered1 August 1984
Builder
Laid down24 July 1985
Launched14 October 1986
Completed1986
Maiden voyage1986
In service11 December 1986 – 20 March 2012
Out of service21 March 2012 (sold for scrap)
Renamed
  • Exxon Valdez (1986–1990)
  • Exxon Mediterranean (1990–1993)
  • SeaRiver Mediterranean (later S/R Mediterranean) (1993–2005)
  • Mediterranean (2005–2008)
  • Dong Fang Ocean (2008–2011)
  • Oriental Nicety (2011–2012)
  • Oriental N (2012)
Refit30 June 1989
Identification
FateScrapped at Alang, India in 2012.
General characteristics
Class and typeVLCC oil tanker
TypeABS: A1, ore carrier, AMS, ACCU, GRAB 25
Tonnage214,861 DWT[1]
Displacement240,291 long tons[1]
Length987 ft (301 m) overall[1]
Beam166 ft (51 m)[1]
Draft64.5 ft (19.7 m)[1]
Depth88 ft (27 m)[1]
Installed power31,650 bhp (23,600 kW) at 79 rpm
PropulsionEight-cylinder, reversible, slow-speed Sulzer marine diesel engine
Speed16.25 knots (30.1 km/h; 18.7 mph)
Capacity1.48 million barrels (235,000 m3) of crude oil[1]
Crew21
Notes[2]

Exxon Valdez was an oil tanker that gained notoriety after running aground in Prince William Sound, spilling her cargo of crude oil into the sea. On 24 March 1989, while owned by the former Exxon Shipping Company, captained by Joseph Hazelwood and First Mate James Kunkel,[3] and bound for Long Beach, California, the vessel ran aground on the Bligh Reef, resulting in the second largest oil spill in United States history.[4] The size of the spill is estimated to have been 40,900 to 120,000 m3 (10.8 to 31.7 million US gal; 257,000 to 755,000 bbl).[5][6] In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil spill was listed as the 54th-largest spill in history.[7]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Marine Accident Report: Grounding of the U.S. Tankship Exxon Valdez on Bligh Reef, Prince William Sound Near Valdez, Alaska March 24, 1989, National Transportation Board, p. 15 (July 31, 1990)
  2. ^ "ABS Record: Dong Fang Ocean". American Bureau of Shipping. 2010. Archived from the original on January 20, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  3. ^ "09/11/89 - Records Detail Long Hours Worked by Crew of Exxon Valdez ... Work Load May Point to Possible Violations". Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  4. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions About the Spill". Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
  5. ^ Bluemink, Elizabeth (June 27, 2016). "Size of Exxon spill remains disputed". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  6. ^ Riki Ott (June 18, 2010). "How Much Oil Really Spilled From the Exxon Valdez?". On The Media (Interview: audio/transcript). Interviewed by Brooke Gladstone. National Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 24, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  7. ^ "Exxon Valdez | Oil Spills | Damage Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Program". darrp.noaa.gov. Retrieved April 25, 2022.