Rio Dauphin - working for Algoma

The tanker Rio Dauphin is due to sail from Imperial Oil tonight. The ship is working for Algoma Tankers under a coasting license, due to a shortage of Canadian tankers.

Built in 2009 it is a smallish ship of 8,278 gross tons, 12,713 deadweight tonnes and flies the flag of the Marshal Islands. It is operated by Columbia Ship Management of Hamburg, Germany.  The ship was built by STX Offshore +ShipbuildingCo Ltd at their Jinhae, South Korea yard. It carried the name Ida Theresa until earlier this year.

Its first coasting license was for the period September 25 to October 15 and was for  up to five voyages from Esso refineries in Sarnia and Nanticoke, ON to such ports as Sept-Iles, QC, Sault Ste.Marie and Thunder Bay, ON and Halifax. A second coasting license is pending. It will allow for one trip from Sarnia to Halifax with clean petroleum product.

The ship's presence in Halifax is likely due to Esso's need to stock up on fuel before access to their refineries on the Great Lakes is cut off for the winter. With no refinery capacity on salt water anymore, the company will have to rely on other suppliers during from late December until April.

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