New Petrobras oil tanker out to sea

Dragão do Mar is a suezmax vessel 274 metres long, 51 m high and 48 m wide, and is able to transport 1 million barrels of oil

Brazil’s largest oil and gas transportation company and Petrobras subsidiary Transpetro and Atlântico Sul Shipyard (EAS) on Friday launched a new oil tanker, as part of the state-run oil giant’s fleet expansion and modernisation programme, Promef.

The tanker, christened Dragão do Mar (sea dragon), is a suezmax vessel 274 metres long, 51 m high and 48 m wide, and is able to transport 1 million barrels of oil, roughly half of Brazil’s daily oil output, Petrobras said in a written statement.

Dragão do Mar has 14 tanks and can travel at a speed of 14.8 knots.

"Brazil’s shipping industry wants to acquire international competitiveness. We’re going to build vessels not just for Brazil but for the world,” Transpetro president Sergio Machado said during the christening ceremony.

The oil tanker will undergo a final construction phase at EAS’ shipyard in Pernambuco, after which it will be delivered to the ship-owner for operation.

Over the last 18 months, five vessels have come online under the Promef programme, which aims to increase the Petrobras fleet from 287 ships at the end of 2010 to 433 by 2017.