---

General Dynamics NASSCO hosted a keel laying ceremony this week for the first 'Eco' tanker currently under construction for Sea-Vista LLC, at the company's shipyard in San Diego.

Eric Fabrikant, chief operating officer of Seacor Holdings Inc., served as the ceremony's honoree and authenticated the keel by welding his initials onto a steel plate during the ceremony.

The 'Eco' tanker is the first of a three-tanker contract between General Dynamics NASSCO and Sea-Vista, which calls for the design and construction of three 50,000-deadweight-tonne (dwt) LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000-barrel cargo capacity. The 610-foot-long tankers are said to feature a new 'Eco' design, offering improved fuel efficiency and the latest environmental protection features, including a ballast water treatment system.

"This is another great milestone for the Seacor ships. These Jones Act Eco-class tankers feature state-of-the-art design technologies and achieve world-leading fuel efficiencies," commented Parker Larson, director of commercial programs for General Dynamics NASSCO.

The ships were designed by DSEC Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME). The design is said to incorporate improved fuel efficiency concepts through several features, including a G-series MAN ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form. The tankers are to also include dual-fuel-capable auxiliary engines and the ability to accommodate future installation of an LNG fuel-gas system, NASSCO said.

The construction and operation of the new vessels are aligned with the Jones Act, which requires that ships carrying cargo between U.S. ports be built in U.S. shipyards.