Of Interest

Here are some interesting Marine Vessels Section facts.

The largest vessel with an approved oil discharge prevention and contingency plan holds 1.515,132 million barrels (63,635,554 gallons) of oil or petroleum products.
The smallest vessel with an approved oil discharge prevention and contingency plan holds 90 barrels (3,780 gallons).

There are approximately 600 nontank vessels with approved oil discharge prevention and contingency plans in Alaska.
Types of vessels include, but are not limited to:
- Cruise ships
- Fishing vessels
- Research vessels
- Cargo ships
- Refrigerated cargo ships
- Liquefied natural gas and Liquefied petroleum gas ships
- Cable laying vessels
- Self-powered dredges
- Self-powered drill vessels
- Fish processors
- Ore ships
- Yachts
These vessels that travel to Alaska are from over 40 countries, representing diverse regions of the world. Locations include:
- Bahamas
- Belgium
- Bermuda
- British Isles
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- China
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- England (UK)
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hong Kong
- India
- Japan
- Korea
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Malaysia
- Monaco
- Mumbai
- Netherlands
- Norway
- New Zealand
- Philippines
- Russia
- Scotland (UK)
- Singapore
- Spain
- Sweden
- Ukraine
- United States
- Virgin Islands

There are approximately 103 vessels operating in Alaskan waters with approved oil discharge prevention and contingency plans.
Plan holders include:
- Island Tug and Barge
- Sause Brothers
- OMSI
- Union Oil Company of California
- Aleut Enterprises
- Chevron Cook Inlet
- Crowley Marine Services
- Power Systems and Supplies
- Delta Western
- K-Sea Transportation
- Ruby Marine
- Northern Transportation
- Crowley Barges
- Alaska Tanker Co.
- SeaRiver
- Polar Tankers
- Tesoro Cook Inlet
- Tesoro Prince William Sound
- Chevron Cook Inlet
- Chevron Prince William Sound

Spot charters both export and import crude oil and refined products from all over the world to and from Alaska.
These spot charters include vessels from:
- Cyprus
- Germany
- Liberia
- Japan
- United States
- Panama

Any railroad transporting bulk petroleum products needs an oil discharge prevention and contingency plan.
The Alaska Railroad Corporation is currently the only railroad with an approved oil discharge prevention and contingency plan.
The Alaska Railroad is the largest regulated railroad carrying oil or petroleum products throughout the State. The railroad runs from Seward to Eielson Air force Base. Over 32,000 loads of oil or petroleum products are carried on these tracks per year. One load is classified as one tank car which can carry approximately 23,000 gallons of oil or petroleum products per year. That means that approximately 736,000,000 gallons of fuel are transported by the Alaska railroad per year!
Normally, because of the weight of the product, the railroad will run a train consisting of approximately 80 tank cars. The largest train carrying oil or petroleum products can span up to 7,500 ft, or 1.5 miles! The Anchorage International Airport is the largest receiver of oil or petroleum products from the railroad, taking approximately xxxx gallons per year.
The following graph provides more information on the Alaska Railroad's carrying abilities. Note that these figures are from 2007, which represent a normal operating season.

Class 3 materials are oil and petroleum products.

The Marine Vessels Section regulates facilities throughout the entire State - reaching not only coastal operators and railroads, but river operators as well.
Regulatory requirements have divided Alaska by region:
- Region 1: Southeast Alaska
- Region 2: Prince William Sound
- Region 3: Cook Inlet
- Region 4: Kodiak Island
- Region 5: Aleutians
- Region 6: Bristol Bay
- Region 7: Western Alaska
- Region 8: Northwest Arctic
- Region 9: Northslope
For more information on Regions of operation, and a corresponding map, please see (18 AAC 75.495; 18 AAC 75.496) and the Regional Map