Aker completes 16th ship — with a buyer

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard said Friday that it had completed its 16th ship, the last one to have a buyer before construction began.

The Overseas Tampa is the 12th Veteran Class MT-46 Product Tanker produced by the shipyard and was delivered to American Shipping Co., with a price tag of about $105 million.

It will depart in coming days, Aker said in a statement, with the Overseas Shipping Group having chartered it from ASC. Overseas Shipping Group might then lease it to an oil company to move oil between U.S. ports.

The 90-year-old Jones Act requires that U.S.-built ships move products between U.S. ports.

OSG and Aker have a bit of a strained relationship. In March, OSG urged the state of Pennsylvania not to give Aker $42 million to build the next two ships, for which Aker has no buyers. OSG is the dominant shipper in the United States and it says the glut of ships is hurting business.

OSG withdrew its objection and the state is paying to help keep the shipyard going.    - David Sell