Did you know that, with a dead weight tonnage (DWT) of 441,584 metric tons (mt), the Oceania crude oil tanker is the largest in the world, though currently converted into a Floating Storage and Offloading unit (FSO)?

Oceania is the largest crude oil tanker operational in the world with a length of 380 meters, a beam of 68 meters (223 feet) and a dead weight of 441,584 metric tons. The previous largest ship, the supertanker Seawise Giant, with a DWT of 564,763 mt and measuring 458.46 meters, was dismantled in 2010.

However, due to various restrictions, in 2022, Oceania has been converted into a FSO and currently anchored in Sungai Linggi, Malaysia as a storage tanker.

The Oceania, built on the 10th of April 2003, is owned by Euronav Shipping NV, a Belgium-based company that has etched its name in the history of super tankers as the last Ultra Large Crude Carrier (ULCC) owner.

The Oceania, previously known as the Seaways Laura Lynn (in 2018), the Overseas Laura Lynn (in 2015), the TI Oceania (in 2004), and the Hellespont Fairfax (in 2003), has three sister ships of the same size and deadweight tonnage. Currently, all four have been converted into FSOs with the current names FSO Asia (432,023 DWT MT), SA Europe (441,561 DWT MT), FSO Africa (432,023 DWT MT), and Oceania.

However, the 11 biggest oil tankers ever built in the history of shipping are Seawise Giant (458.46m, 564,763 DWT), Pierre Guillaumat (414.23m, 555,051 DWT), Prairial (414.22m, 555,046 DWT), Bellamya (414.22m, 553,662 DWT), Batillus (414.22m, 553,662 DWT), Esso Atlantic (406.57m, 516,895 DWT), Esso Pacific (406.57m, 516,895 DWT), Nai Superba (381.92m, 409,400 DWT), Nai Genova (381.92m, 409,400 DWT), Berge Empress (381.82m, 423,745 DWT), and Berge Emperor (381.82m, 413,999 DWT).

While larger ships like the Seawise Giant once ruled the waters, revised regulations have led to the decline of ULCCs as active tankers. Only a handful remain working as floating storage and offloading units. However, based on current DWT figures, the Oceania is the largest. Therefore, the title of the biggest crude oil tanker is currently held by the FSO Oceania.

The scale of the Oceania and her sister vessels, however, still represents an impressive feat of engineering. These ships demonstrate the astounding capabilities of naval architecture and shipbuilding to construct such goliaths of the sea.

Even as we move forward with more environmentally friendly options, the legacy of these record-breaking crude carriers persists as awe-inspiring examples of what humans can build. Their sheer size is a testament to both our ingenuity and excess.

SOURCE: iMariners | Image: The supertanker Hellespont Alhambra

#penglobalfactfile #oceania