SOCONY-VACUUM's NEW DIESEL TUG EQUIPMENT Few people outside the petroleum industry can visualize the extent of the maritime operations of oil companies, or realize that their marine department has many thousands of employees, including land and sea-going engineers, naval architects, electrical machinery experts, and other technicians. Tankers, which represent a substantial part of the American Merchant Marine, are by no means the only type of vessel owned. Some idea as to the cost of keeping American oil tankship fleets up-todate will be gained from the fact that now building in U. S. yards are 63 sea-going ships valued at more than $320,000,000. Smaller craft, too, epresent a tidy sum in dollars. The new 12-cylinder V-type General Motors Cleveland Diesel engine of 1000 bhp. for the reconverted "Socony 10" tug being modernized for the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company's New York district tug fleet. The ramifications of the petroleum business are so extended that a variety of craft are needed for domestic and foreign operations, such as harbor tugs, river towboats and barges, geophysical and exploration cruisers, oil well drilling barges, floating hotels for ofT-shore drilling crews, derrick barges, piledriving barges, and-the latest addition-converted L.S.T.'s, which are used in connection with drilling at sea in the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, oil companies contract for extensive ocean towing work with towboat companies.Recently, the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company's marine transportation department decided to modernize its New York district tug fleet. A new tug, built at Port Arthur, Texas, has been purchased from the General Motors Corporation, and two existing steam tugs are to have their machinery replaced with G. M.-Cleveland Diesel engines of 1,000 hp. each. Socony's marine department is under the direction of Frederick R. Pratt, with W. B. Jupp as manager. "Socony 10", the new tug, recently made the run from P(.rt Arthur to New York under her own power, averaging about 10 1/2 knots. Shortly after her arrival a demonstration run was made from Bayonne, N. J., to Port Socony, Staten Island, N. Y., for the benefit of a number of newspapermen and trade journal editors. She is typical of the fine steel tugboats turned out at the yard in Port Arthur. The propeller is driven through an airflex coupling and reduction gear, a comparatively simple installation. "Socony 10" has very pleasing lines. She is 102 ft. long. by 24 ft. beam, 12 ft. 4 in. depth and 10 ft. 6 in. draft, and is classed to the American Bureau of Shipping highest standard of workmanship. Her propelling unit consi." its of a 12-cylinder V-type G. M.-Cleveland Diesel engine of 1,000 bhp., and of the two-cycle type. For auxiliary power there are two 30 kw. General Motors Diesel-generator sets, one small Diesel-driven, self-contained, pumping unit, and a large electric storage battery for starting the main engine, and which also provides lighting current when the Diesels are not running. Accommodation is provided for a total of ten officers and crew. She is equipped with ship-to-shore telephone, and with a radio direction finder. Work on converting the two Socony steam tugs to Cleveland Diesel power will commence in January. By mid-summer they should be ready to join their sister in New York Harbor. Text from : Pacific Marine Review, Volume 45, 1948.