It was in 1951 that the Anglo-American Oil Company changed its name to Esso Petroleum, Co., Ltd., Esso was the brand and Esso was the name arid in this same year expansion of the En; Icy refinery commenced so that, virtually, a new refinery was to he built next to the old one. Two years later it was in production and with its later growth it became the largest in Britain and the sixth largest in the world. However in immediate days tonnage urgently needed and sixteen vessels were post-war further was acquired, including T2´s from America and British war-built standard types. Meanwhile tin extensive new building and chartering programme had begun, a programme which in the years between 1946 and 1963 was to he worth over £23 millions to British shipyards alone, and some £80 million in all, In the year prior to the completion of the new Fawley refinery orders were placed for a class of six 16-knot tankers and the first, “Esso Oxford” of 26,500 tons d.w.t, was delivered in 1953. Of the remaining vessels, three, the “Esso Cambridge”, “Esso Canterbury” and “Esso Westminster” were delivered in 1954 and the “Esso Exeter” and “Esso York” in the following year. By the time this last pair was in service, construction had already started on “Esso Guildford”, the first of twelve “ City “ class supertankers of around 36,000 d.w.t. tons, the orders of which were shared between British, German, French and Italian yards. The lead ship of the class was completed in Germany in 1957 and the last, “Esso Dublin” came from an Italian yard in 1960. Whilst this series was under construction four further vessels of bridge-aft design and of 47 000 tons d.w.t. ton dimensions of 740 feet by 102 feet were ordered. Of these, “Esso Lincoln” (1962) and “Esso Cardiff” (1963) came from Dutch builders, whilst this latter year saw the delivery of the British-built pair, “Esso Edinburgh” and “Esso Newcastle”. But even their the growth of Esso tankers was not at a standstill, for as these larger, more efficient tankers came into use and brought with them the economies of cheaper maritime transportation, orders were placed with the At. Weser shipyard at Bremen for a further three vessels, each of 73,000 tons d.w.t, Subsequently these were increased to 77,00 1 tons by additional depth, whilst one-“Esso London”-was later again increased, to 90,000 tons, by an increase in beam. The first of these three -“Esso Pembrokeshire” - was delivered in October 1961 and was the largest merchant vessel ever built on the continent of Europe, her displacement exceeding that of the record-breaking liner Bremen built on the same shipway in 1929. Sister ship to the “Esso Pembrokeshire" was the “Esso Warwickshire”, delivered during 1962.

IDNo:	5107281	Year:	1958
Name:	ESSO DURHAM	Launch Date:	20.12.1957
Type:	Tanker	Date of completion:	09.1958
Flag:	GBR	Keel:

Tons:	24127	Link:	-
DWT:	36000	Yard No:	159
Length overall:	210.3	Ship Design:
LPP:	201.2	Country of build:	GBR
Beam:	27.5	Builder:	Vickers-Armstrongs
Material of build:		Location of yard:	High Walker
Number of screws/Mchy/Speed(kn):	1ST-16.5

ON	LR/IMO	ID	Year	Name	Tons	Change	Main Owner
	5107281	5107281	1958	ESSO DURHAM	24127		Esso Petroleum Co., Ltd.
	5107281	5107281	1958	DURHAM	25673	1969	Petroleum Transport Inc.
	5107281	5107281	1958	PYRGOS	25673	1971	Petroleum Transport Inc.
	5107281	5107281	1958	COURIER	25673	1972	Helmos Shipping Inc.