| Exxon Valdez was the original name of the ill famed oil tanker owned by the former Exxon Corporation. The tanker was involved in one of the worst oil spills in history. On the 24th of March, 1989 the Exxon Valdey hit the Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound wich resulted in the spill of an estimated 11 - 30 million gallons of crude oil (50000 - 150000 cubic meters). The oil spill caused a never before seen devastation on the wildlife of the area , it is estimated that 250000 sea birds, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, 2800 sea otters, 22 orcas and billions of salmon and herring eggs perished in the following months. Joseph Hazelwood, the captain of the Exxon Valdez was found guilty of negligence in 1991 for the Exxon Valdez disaster. The 300 m long, 50 m wide and 27 m in depth ship was built by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego and was delivered to Exxon Corporation in December 1986. The ship was weighing 30000 tons empty and was powered by a 31650 shp (23.6 MW) diesel engine. The Exxon Valdez could transport a maximum of 1.48 million barrels (200000 t) and could sustain a 16.25 knot (30 km/h) speed. The ships mission was to transport crude oil from Valdez, Alaska (from the Alyeska consortium's pipeline terminal) to other U.S. oil terminals. At the time of the disaster the Exxon Valdez was carrying 1.26 million barrels of crude oil. After the accident the ship was towed to San Diego and was repaired. To avoid further bad publicity the tanker was dispatched to Europe where it operated under the name Exxon Mediterranean and later Sea River Mediterranean. Currently it operates under Marshall Islands flag but it is prohibited by law from entering Prince William Sound. Exxon Valdez in fiction The Exxon Valdez appeared in the film Waterworld but this is very strange given that the film is set in the future where normally Exxon Valdez should operate under a different name. |
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| Ordered: | no data | Displacement: | 211,469 tons (214,862 metric tons) |
| Laid down: | 29 July 1985 | Length: | 300 m (987 ft) |
| Launched: | 14 October 1986 Korea | Beam: | 50 m (166 ft) |
| Delivered: | 11 December 1986 | Draft: | 20 m (64.5 ft) |
| Fate: | In service, Middle East / Far East trade | Complement: | 21 crew |
| Laid up: | September 2002 | Speed: | 16.25 knots (30 km/h) |
| Cargo Capacity: | 1.48 million barrels (235,000 m³) of crude oil |
More info on tankers: Tanker
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