ANCHORAGE, AK – February 23, 2000 – Alyeska Pipeline Service Company announced today that the Alert, the first of three new Prevention/Response Tugs (PRT), has arrived in Valdez.  The 140-ft., 10,000 horsepower PRT is designed for prevention and response service in Prince William Sound. Alert will join the Ship Escort Response Vessel System fleet as a tanker escort vessel and response vessel.

Alyeska Pipeline commissioned Crowley Marine Services to build the three PRTs.  The other two tugs will arrive in Valdez later in 2000. Alert, Attentive, and Aware will be central features in Alyeska’s prevention and response mission in Prince William Sound.  Each PRT is outfitted with a state-of-the-art “Z-Drive” propulsion system, which enables the entire propeller unit to rotate 360 degrees.  This provides improved maneuverability and allows for maximum power in all directions.  The primary focus of these vessels will be prevention through improved tanker escorts. The PRTs are also equipped for oil spill recovery, fire fighting, and emergency response, including 3,000 feet of oil spill containment boom and two oil skimmers.  Each vessel has storage space for up to 43,000 gallons of recovered oil.

Video footage and still photographs of the Alert are available

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