Tanker Trades: Port Everglades

Port Everglades Welcomes New American-Made, American-Flagged Tanker

The newly built Palmetto State, a 50,000-ton petroleum tanker chartered by Citgo, sailed into Port Everglades for the first time on July 1, laden with 276,000 barrels, or 11.6 million gallons, of gasoline and jet fuel.

"While we have nearly 600 petroleum tanker and barge calls annually, it is a rare opportunity for us to welcome a brand new petroleum tanker to our seaport," said Port Everglades Deputy Director Glenn Wiltshire. "The Palmetto State is state-of-the-art among American-made and American-flagged tankers, with excellent fuel efficiency and advanced technology."

Launched and christened March 27, Palmetto State is the final delivery in the eight-ship ECO class constructed by General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego. The tanker is 610 feet long, 106 feet wide, LNG conversion ready, and can carry up to 330,000 barrels of petroleum. It is owned by American Petroleum Tankers (APT) and operated by Crowley Maritime Corporation.

Port Everglades is South Florida's main seaport for receiving petroleum products, including gasoline, jet fuel and alternative fuels. In FY 2015-16, the port handled more than 16.2 million short tons, or 114.75 million barrels, of petroleum cargo.