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Crowley Maritime Corporation christened the third of four new liquefied natural gas(LNG)-ready product tankers on Thursday at the Julia Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans.

The 50,000-deadweight-tonne (dwt), 330,000-barrel-capacity Louisiana [pictured] joins two Crowley sister ships, Texas and Ohio, to be the first tankers ever to receive the American Bureau of Shipping's LNG-Ready Level 1 approval, giving Crowley the option to convert the tanker to LNG for propulsion in the future.

Attendees representing Marathon Petroleum Corporation, the vessel's charterer, and shipbuilder Philly Shipyard Inc. (PSI), watched as Carrie Templin, wife of Don Templin, Marathon executive vice president, carried out the time-honoured tradition of christening the shipyard by breaking a ceremonial bottle of champagne across the hull at the port of New Orleans.

"This is a great day of celebration for Crowley, Marathon, Philly Shipyard and all the people who had a role in bringing this great ship to life," said Tom Crowley, company chairman and CEO.

The new tankers are based on a Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD) design that incorporates various fuel efficiency features and flexible cargo capability. Similar to its sister ships, Louisiana is 600 feet long and capable of carrying crude oil or refined petroleum products, as well as other chemical products.

Construction management services were provided by Crowley's marine solutions group, which provides oversight and management in shipyards across the United States for Crowley and other third-party companies.

PSI (formerly known as Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc.), is the sole operating subsidiary of Philly Shipyard ASA. PSI also built the tankers Texas and Ohio for Crowley, and the fourth ship in the program is under construction with delivery planned for third quarter 2016.

"The christening underscores our continued commitment to building and operating innovative vessels that deliver the best possible service and efficiency for our customers who depend on us for safe and reliable transportation of petroleum products," said Rob Grune, senior vice president and general manager, petroleum services. "And, as is the case with its sister ships, we designed and built the Louisiana to have the capability to be converted to LNG propulsion in the future, increasing the likelihood of a long service life as new emissions regulations are developed in the years ahead."

Crowley is a leading independent operator of petroleum barges and tankers in the United States. The company owns and operates a fleet of double-hull tankers and articulated tug barges (ATBs) ranging in capacity from 155,000 barrels to 330,000 barrels. Additionally, Crowley provides tanker management services for other U.S. companies.