Magsaysay Transport unit accepts delivery of tanker

MANILA, Philippines - Batangas Bay Carriers, Inc. (BBCI) the tanker-barge division of the Magsaysay Transport and Logistics Group, recently accepted the delivery of the newly built M/T ‘Star Sirius’, a 1,875-deadweight ton double hull tanker-barge from Keppel Philippines Marine, Inc., through a signing ceremony held at the Keppel Batangas Shipyard (KBS) in Bauan, Batangas. Present during the affair were the officers and staff of BBCI and KBS led by Roberto Umali, BBCI president and Magsaysay Transport and Logistics COO and Kok Boon Heng, KSB president.

M/T ‘Star Sirius’, with its carrying capacity of about two million liters of black petroleum product, is exclusively chartered by Chevron Philippines, Inc. (CPI) for the transport of fuel oil products to various points of the country. Having successfully hurdled the CPI vetting inspection in July 2009, the newbuilding tanker-barge, classed under the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), is already fully operational.

MT ‘Star Sirius’ is Magsaysay’s first newbuilding double-hull tanker-barge aimed at supporting the program of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) in accordance with the International Maritime Organization’s Regulation 13, Annex 1 of MARPOL, that all barges and tankers carrying black petroleum products be of double full construction by 2008.

“BBCI is very proud to deliver and offer the services of our MT ‘Star Sirius’ to Chevron. MT ‘Star Sirius’ symbolizes our organization’s strong commitment to Chevron Philippines and likewise in support of our government’s goals,” Umali said.