Vela International Marine Antares Star, the first vessel of four very large crude carriers ordered from Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, entered service in April after a naming ceremony at the South Korean shipyard.
Ahmed A. Al-Sa’adi, Saudi Aramco’s vice president of Pipelines, Distribution & Terminal Operations, presided over the ceremony.
The naming ceremony was attended by more than 55 guests, including Daewoo Shipbuilding senior executive vice president W.K. Ki; Saud Bukhari, Vela’s Technical & Support Department manager; Majid Al-Sani, Vela’s tanker construction manager; and Khalid Alhammad, project site manager.
Antares Star is the first vessel ordered by Vela built to the new Common Structure Rules. The new vessel is built to the latest shipbuilding rules and regulations to ensure the reliable transportation of Saudi Aramco’s crude oil to its customers.