IRVING, Texas, July 26 (UPI) -- Exxon Mobil said it signed a letter of intent with a U.S. shipbuilder for two crude oil tankers that would transport crude oil from Alaska's North Slope.
SeaRiver Maritime Inc., Exxon's marine affiliate in the United States, signed a letter of intent with Aker Philadelphia Shipyard for two crude oil tankers. Exxon said the vessels would transport crude oil from the North Slope from Prince William Sound to destinations along the U.S. West Coast.
Exxon said it expected delivery of the two U.S.-flagged vessels by 2014. Each would be capable of carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil, which the company said would help meet U.S. energy needs.
"Today's announcement is consistent with our long-term ongoing commitment to safe and reliable marine transportation in the United States and throughout the world," SeaRiver President Will Jenkins said in a statement.
The oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound in 1989, resulting in the worst oil leak in U.S. waters until last year's Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
