The small (by current standards) chemical tanker Swan Biscay arrived at Irving Oil's Woodside terminal today, May 24, from New York. At 5,206 gt and 6,711 dwt it is one of the smallest tankers to call in Halifax recently. Most foreign flag product tankers are in the 50,000 dwt size and domestic coastal tankers in the 20,000 to 30,000 dwt range.
Chemical tankers are not required to be large however as they frequently carry small quantities of cargoes, and often of several different types such as fuel additives, lubricants or a host of industrial commodities, including food grade. Hence the term "parcel tanker" which is often used to describe them.
This ship has twelve cargo tanks, each segregated with its own dedicated pumping. The tanks are polymer coated for protection and ease of cleaning.
As seen from the Halifax side of the harbour, its white superstructure blends in with Irving Oil's white storage tanks.
The ship was built in 2021 by the Rushan Shipbuilding Co Ltd in Rushan, China and for such new ship it has had a surprising number of names. It was built as Erria China but in 2020 became Long Ping. That did not last long as it became the King Bay in 2021 and Sh Sarah in 2022. In 2023 it was renamed again as Swan Biscay by owners Nordic Chemtanker Gmbh + Co KG of Germany and managed by Uni-chartering A/S of Denmark.
After a period shuttling between Houston and Coatzacoalcos, Mexico from March to May of this year it reached Albany, NY May 18 and sailed to New York on May 19. It arrived in New York May 20 and sailed for Halifax May 21. New York is a major petro-chemical shipping port, so there si no way of telling what it may have loaded there, but recent arrivals at Irving Oil have included ethanol.
From a different angle, the background shifts to the neighbouring Imperial Oil storage tanks.
The ship will be moving to an anchorage tonight, so there might be a better view of it tomorrow.
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