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The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), a provider of classification services to the global marine and offshore industries, has been selected to class a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker barge currently under construction at Conrad Orange Shipyard, Inc, a division of Conrad Shipyard, LLC, for WesPac Midstream LLC and Clean Marine Energy LLC (CME).

The 2,200-cubic-metre barge is scheduled for delivery in mid-2016 and will initially be deployed in Tacoma, Washington, to service shipowner Totem Ocean Trailer Express's (Totem Ocean) Orca Class ro-ro vessels. The unit will then be relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, to serve parent company TOTE's Marlin Class dual-fuel container vessels and other LNG-powered vessels in the port of Jacksonville.

"ABS continues to be instrumental in supporting the supply chain development for LNG as fuel in North America," said ABS Chairman, President and CEO, Christopher J. Wiernicki. "Our work with industry, regulators and local stakeholders seeks to safely nurture innovation and helps to reduce the impact of maritime activity on the environment."

Designed by Bristol Harbor Group Inc, the barge features a single tank equipped with the Mark III Flex cargo containment system supplied by Gaztransport et Technigaz (GTT) North America. The barge is to also feature the GTT-developed REACH4 bunker mast to ensure safe and efficient transfer of LNG fuel to the receiving vessel.

WesPac/CME also plans to exercise its options with Conrad to construct additional LNG bunker barges to serve other North American ports.

ABS classed the world's first LNG carrier, the Methane Pioneer, in 1959 and has experience with a range of gas-related assets, including the largest LNG carriers in service. In 2013, ABS formed the Global Gas Solutions Team in response to the rapid escalation in the number of gas-related projects, including LNG and LPG transportation and the growing use of LNG and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuels.