New Canadian

Jasmine Knutsen is the newest Canadian tanker. Built in Korea in 2005, the 80,918gt ship operated under the Norwegian flag, but was managed by Canship Ugland in St.John's. She was registered in Canada (and interestingly in Halifax) August 27 so that she can work between Canadian ports.

In recent years numerous foreign tankers, including this one, have been allowed to make domestic trips in Canada because all Canadian tankers were busy. This move to reflag Jasmine Knutsen is seen as a way to keep business in Canada, and to remove the necessity of applying for waivers.

The ship will be shuttling crude from the Newfoundland offshore, and Whiffen Head to Point Tupper or Halifax or Saint John or Portland, Maine.

Portland, Maine is the terminus for a pipeline to Montreal, and so is considered a Canadian port when Canadian oil is shipped via the pipeline.

Here workers are painting the new port of registry on her stern Septmber 2. Too bad their stencil didn't match the letters in her name!

Update: It turns out that the ship is not owned in Canada, but is registered here, and is chartered to Canadian interests. This means she carries a Canadian crew, but she is still foreign owned, so has not paid Canadian duties. Therefore she must still apply for a waiver when plying between Canadian Ports. Waiver applications are made to the Canadian Transportation Agency and are published on their web site: www.cta.gc.ca/decision-ruling/