General Dynamics NASSCO to Construct Four Product Tankers for American Petroleum Tankers

General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics

, announced today that it has entered into a contract with an affiliate of American Petroleum Tankers (APT), a company majority owned by funds managed by Blackstone on behalf of its investors, for the design and construction of four 50,000 deadweight ton LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity. The contract includes options to build four additional ships. Construction of the first tanker is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2014, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2015, continuing through 2016. The four-ship APT contract will add up to approximately 800 jobs at NASSCO during construction and more than 165 seagoing union jobs during the operation of the vessels. The 610-foot-long tankers are a new "ECO" design that offers improved fuel efficiency and incorporates the latest environmental protection features, including a Ballast Water Treatment System. All of the ECO-class tankers will be constructed at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego. This contract builds upon the strong relationship NASSCO and APT developed during the construction of five State-class product carriers from