In the immediate years following the passing and now with the possible acceleration of the OPA 90 phase-out rule, Naval Architects scrambled to offer ship owners a functional yet cost effective alternative solution to the demand for traditional tanker design to replace current tonnage but at lower costs. The Articulated Tug Barge offers that capacity in the 125,000 to 260,000 barrel range and even up to as large as 500,000 barrels at a cost that is considerably less than a traditional tanker of similar capacity. This paper will explore the design, operation, and cost comparisons and will show the benefits and disadvantages of this alternative design. In particular, this paper will highlight a 260,000-barrel design from U.S. shipyard Atlantic Marine, Inc. and will explore where the savings are seen. Those savings are namely cost of construction, reduced manning & crew costs, and maintenance reductions.
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