10 Biggest Tanker Ships In the World

Various sizes of oil tankers are utilised by the maritime sector for oil transportation ranging from modest coastal tankers to VLCC and ULCC tankers.

The increasing worldwide oil consumption since the late 1990s has led to the construction of the ULCC and VLCC tankers to meet the growing demands of the global consumer market.

These tankers have made the international transportation of oil quicker and environmentally safer since they produce fewer hydrocarbon emissions due to their latest designs and specialised features.

They have also done away with most issues faced by the crude oil sector earlier. Thus, they are known for their efficiency and size as the world’s biggest crude oil tanker can accommodate oil enough for one-day consumption of Britain and France combined.

The biggest oil tankers belong to the ULCC or Ultra large crude carrier category followed by the VLCC or very large crude carrier category.

The ULCC has a capacity of more than 320,000 DWT, deadweight surpassing 500,000 DWT, and is more than 400 m long with a draft exceeding 30 m.

The VLCC can accommodate up to 320,000 DWT and some tankers of this size can pass through the Suez Canal. They are more than 300 m long, with a draft of more than 25 m approximately.

More about the biggest oil tankers

These tankers can accommodate more than 3 million barrels of oil and around 2,000,000,000 metric tons of oil is transported annually by waterways in these huge tankers.

Using waterways is economically viable compared to transporting oil via pipelines which would be a much more costly and time-consuming proposition. Also, transporting oil by the biggest tankers adds just 2 to 4 cents to the cost of a gallon, hence making it quite profitable too.

Due to their mass, these tankers have large inertia which makes them cumbersome to steer. A loaded supertanker would require about 5 to 8 kilometres and roughly 15 to 20 minutes to come to a complete halt. They have a turning diameter of nearly 2 kilometres. Oil tankers have an operational life expectancy of 25 to 30 years.

Let us explore the 10 biggest oil tankers in the world, ranked according to their gross tonnage.

1. SA Oceania

SA Oceania is the biggest oil tanker ship that is currently operational. It is a ULCC, launched in 2003 and built by the South Korean shipbuilding company Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering for the shipping corporation Hellespont for 90 million dollars.

It was known by numerous names such as Hellespont Fairfax in 2004, TI Oceania in 2015, Seaways L and Seaways Laura Lynn in 2017 and 2018. However, after its acquisition by the international shipping company Euronav, it was renamed Euronav Oceania. 

It is now called SA Oceania after it was chartered to VE Marine Services, Singapore. It was sold by Euronav to China’s Minsheng Financial Leasing.

However, it has now been turned into an FSO and is currently anchored in Malaysia as a storage tanker.

Oceania is wider than the New gates of the Panama Canal however its draft restricts it from passing through the Suez Canal unless it is on a ballast journey.

SA Oceania has a double hull and is 380 m long, and 68 m wide with a draught of around 24 m. 

The carrier’s gross tonnage is 234,006 tonnes with a summer deadweight of 441585 tonnes. It sails at an average speed of 16.8 knots when it is fully loaded and 17.5 knots when in Ballast. It can carry more than 3 million barrels of oil.

One of its special features is that, unlike other tankers, its bridge wings do not extend to its sides.

To keep the temperature of its steel decks under control, to keep the cargo cool and to lower the hydrocarbon emissions, the coating on ballast tanks is preserved by using a double-scrubbing system. Dry inert gases are released into ballast tanks to detect leakages and prevent accidents.

2. DHT COLT

DHT COLT is a very large crude carrier, built in 2018 in the Okpo shipyard by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Corporation LTD, South Korea. 

It has a double hull and is gearless, infused with the latest maritime technology to maximise speed and productivity while producing lower carbon emissions. It is operated by DHT Management As, an independent crude oil tanker company.

It is currently sailing under Hong Kong’s flag. It has a summer deadweight of 319, 713 tonnes and its draught is 13.6 m. It has a gross tonnage of 163,875 tonnes. 

It measures 336 m lengthwise and 60.04 m breadthwise. It has an average sailing speed is 7.7 knots while its maximum speed is 11.2 knots.

3. Chevron Voyager’s VLCCs

Chevron Shipping Company launched a series of VLCCs that are a part of the corporation’s fleet of oil tankers. The VLCCs include Houston Voyager, Pascagoula Voyager and San Ramon Voyager, each capable of accommodating around 2 million barrels of oil. All three are sailing under the Marshall Islands Flag.

These carriers were designed and constructed in 2019 by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Corporation for the Greek company, Maran Tankers.

The Houston Voyager has a gross tonnage of 163,214 tonnes and its deadweight is 319,397. Its LOA is 336 m and its beam measures 60 m. It has a draught of 16.2 m while its average speed is 12. 3 knots and the maximum speed is 16.5 knots.

The Pascagoula Voyager has the same dimensions as the Houston Voyager. Its average draught is 18.5 m while its average speed is 11 knots and its maximum speed is 17 knots. Its deadweight is around 319,398 tonnes and its gross tonnage is 163, 214 tonnes.

The tanker San Ramon Voyager is also 336 m long and 60 m wide. It has the same gross tonnage and deadweight as the other two VLCCs.

4. Eminence 

The Oil carrier Eminence was built in 2009 by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Corporation, Geoje, South Korea. 

Before its acquisition by Frontline LTD, an oil tanker shipping company, it was known by other names such as Andromedceca and Andromeda Glory. Later it was renamed Front Eminence in 2010 and is now called Eminence after being sold to Yinson.

The ship is double-hulled and is powered by a 7RT-flex 82T Sulzer engine. The engine power is about 29832 KW. It is currently under the flagship of the Marshall Islands.

The VLCC measures 333 m lengthwise and 60 m breadthwise. 

It has a gross tonnage of 162,706 tonnes and its Deadweight is 321,300 tonnes. Its average draught is 15.5 m and its average and maximum sailing speeds are 10 knots and 17 knots respectively.

5. Alsace

Alsace is a VLCC belonging to Euronav, a Belgian international Shipping Enterprise which transports oil by sea. The company is said to be a leading independent oil shipping firm in the world.

Alsace has an overall length of 331 m and a width of 60 m. It is presently sailing under the flag of France.

It was constructed in 2012 and built by Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries Co. LTD, Geoje, South Korea. 

Alsace has a gross tonnage of 161,177 tonnes and a deadweight of 320350 tonnes.

6. Amad

This crude oil tanker Amad is a part of the fleet of Bahri, the national shipping carrier of Saudi Arabia.

The company has a presence in the oil sector, chemicals, dry bulk, logistics and ship management. Presently, Bahri is one of the biggest owners and operators of VLCCs in the world and also one of the biggest owners of Chemical Tanker Ships in the Middle East.

Amad is one of its biggest oil tankers measuring 332 m lengthwise and 60 m breadthwise. It was constructed in 2018 and is presently sailing under the flag of Liberia.

Amad has a gross tonnage of 160,782 and a DWT of 299,772.

7. Kassab

This oil tanker is also a part of the Bahri Fleet. It was built in 2018 by Hyundai HI, Samho and is sailing under the flag of Saudi Arabia.

It has an LOA of 332.97 m and a breadth of 60 m with a 21.6 m draught.

Kassab has a gross tonnage of 160,782 tonnes and a deadweight of 299,772. 

8. Gassan

A part of the MOL Tankship Management fleet, Gassan is a modern crude oil tanker built in 2012 by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., LTD. Chiba Shipyard.

Its port of registry is Tokyo and it is currently sailing under the flag of Japan. It has a gross tonnage of 160,616 tonnes and a deadweight of 308,209.

Gassan is 333 m long, 60 m wide and has a 20.9 m summer draught. 

It has 1DE: 2 SA 7 CY engines with 27,160 kW power which enables it to attain a maximum speed of 16.9 knots.

9. Hakusan

This oil tanker is a part of the Mitsui O.S.K Lines Fleet. It was constructed in 2011 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, LTD, Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works.

It is currently sailing under the flag of Japan and is registered in Tokyo.  It has a gross tonnage of 160,336 tonnes and a deadweight of 305,350.

Hakusan has an LOA of 333 m and a breadth of 60 m. It has a summer draught of 20.8 m and DE: 2 SA 7 CY engines with a power of 27,020 kW.

10. Eagle Trader

Eagle Trader is a VLCC operated by MOL Tankship Management Asia, with a capacity of more than 200,000 DWT. MOL ships and carriers have a double engine that can function on methanol as well as conventional ship fuel. It was built in 2018 by Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding, a Japanese Company.

It is registered and currently sailing under the Japanese flag. It has a gross tonnage of 160,061 tonnes and its deadweight is 312,424. 

The ship measures 339.5 m lengthwise and its beam measures 60 m. Its average draught is about 15.8 m and has an average speed of 11 knots while the maximum speed it can attain is 17.7 knots. 

Conclusion

Massive crude oil carriers have made oil transportation across the world a convenient and profitable business. However, this has been possible due to rapid technological advancements in the marine sector particularly shipping technology, communication systems, efficient logistics and real-time vessel tracking.

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