9月17日，2014
巴拿马运河拓宽将允许更大载荷量的货船通行
油运船大小受到于几条主要海运通道尺寸的限制，如巴拿马运河、苏伊士运河和马六甲海峡。这些尺寸限制恰好用以划分全球油运贸易的大型油轮。
巴拿马运河是连接太平洋和加勒比海、大西洋的重要海上通道，但其在全球原油和石油产品运输中发挥的作用有限。目前的运河尺寸限制，意味着只有400000-550000桶轻质原油载荷的小型船能安全通过。这些船被称作“巴拿马型油轮”，较小的货运量导致了偏高的运输成本。
然而，现在巴拿马运河正在进行拓宽，这样就能允许400000-680000桶原油载荷的油轮安全通过。这些较大型油轮将有望使通过巴拿马运河的原油和石油产品量增加。Trans Panama Pipeline是一条平行于运河、且拥有完整装卸点的输送管线；而更大型油轮通常通过这条管线运输油品，因此受这种尺寸限制的影响很小，但是增加了运输成本。巴拿马运河拓宽工程预计2015年末竣工，除了原油运输外，还能将巴拿马运河的LNG运输量提高到占全球80%。目前，巴拿马运河LNG通过量紧有一小部分，并且只有最小型的LNG船通过。
苏伊士运河位于埃及，是波斯湾连接地中海、通往北美的主要通道。相比于绕行至非洲最南端的好望角，苏伊士运河可减少6000英里路程。随着全球货船尺寸不断增大，苏伊士运河也进行了加深和拓宽。目前，苏伊士运河最大的货船允许尺寸为吃水66英尺、164英尺宽，这种尺寸的船只载荷约900000-1300000桶原油。然而，大部分货船并不满载，而是更倾向于通过先通过苏麦德石油管道运输，然后再装载的这种方式通过运河。
马六甲海峡位于印尼、马来西亚和新加坡之间，连接着南中国海和太平洋，他是波斯湾和亚洲市场间最短的海上通道。然而其货船安全通过的尺寸吃水最大为82英尺，其长、宽也有限制，这相当于一艘VLCC190-220万桶原油的载荷。像ULCC就必须借助更深水位的水道，但这增加了运输时间和成本。
撰稿人：T·梅森·汉密尔顿（T. Mason Hamilton）
SEPTEMBER 17, 2014
Panama Canal expansion will allowtransit of larger ships with greater volumes
Ships carrying crude oil and petroleum products arelimited by size restrictions imposed by several of the main thoroughfares ofmaritime navigation: the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal, and the Strait ofMalacca. These size restrictions provide another way to classify the largetankers that carry most of global crude oil and petroleum product trade.
The Panama Canal, an important route connecting the Pacific Ocean to theCaribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, currently has a limited role in globalcrude and petroleum product transport. The canal*s current size restrictionsmeans smaller vessels, with capacities of approximately 400,000-550,000 barrelsof light sweet crude oil, are the only ships that can safely pass through thecanal. These ships are referred to as Panamax tankers, and their smaller cargoslead to a higher per-barrel cost.
However, the Panama Canal is undergoing an expansion thatwill allow for the passage of larger vessels with capacities of approximately400,000-680,000 barrels of crude oil. These larger tankers have the potentialto increase crude and petroleum product transport through the canal. Largervessels or vessels that are slightly over the draft limit can use the TransPanama Pipeline, which runs parallel to the canal and has both the loading andunloading points for a complete transfer, but doing so adds to shipment costs.In addition to oil transit, the expansion of the Panama Canal, now slated forlate 2015, will be able to provide passage for up to 80% of global shipping ofliquefied natural gas (LNG). It currently allows passage of only asmall percentage of LNG shipping and only shipping by the smallest of LNGtankers.
The Suez Canal in Egypt is a major transit route from the Persian Gulfto the Mediterranean and beyond that to North America. The Suez Canal saves anestimated 6,000 miles of travel around the Cape of Good Hope at thesouthernmost point of Africa. As the sizes of vessels in the global fleet haveincreased, the canal was deepened and widened. The current Suezmax limitationon vessels passing through the Suez is a draft of 66 feet and a width of 164feet. A ship of this size has a deadweight tonnage of approximately 900,000barrels to 1.3 million barrels. However, most vessels do not transit the canalfully laden; vessels instead unload into the Suez-Mediterranean (Sumed)Pipeline, which runs parallel to the canal, prior to transit and reload oncehaving passed through the canal.
The Strait of Malacca, located between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore,links the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. The Strait ofMalacca is the shortest sea route between Persian Gulf suppliers and themarkets of Asia. However, the size of vessels that can safely navigate thestrait (Malaccamax) is limited to a draft of 82 feet, along with length andwidth restrictions. This is approximately equal to a vessel classified as aVery Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), with a capacity of 1.9-2.2 million barrels ofcrude oil. Larger vessels, such as Ultra-Large Crude Carriers (ULCC), must usealternative navigation routes with deeper channels, adding time and cost to thevoyage.
Principal contributor: T. Mason Hamilton
巴拿马运河拓宽将允许更大载荷量的货船通行
油运船大小受到于几条主要海运通道尺寸的限制，如巴拿马运河、苏伊士运河和马六甲海峡。这些尺寸限制恰好用以划分全球油运贸易的大型油轮。
巴拿马运河是连接太平洋和加勒比海、大西洋的重要海上通道，但其在全球原油和石油产品运输中发挥的作用有限。目前的运河尺寸限制，意味着只有400000-550000桶轻质原油载荷的小型船能安全通过。这些船被称作“巴拿马型油轮”，较小的货运量导致了偏高的运输成本。
然而，现在巴拿马运河正在进行拓宽，这样就能允许400000-680000桶原油载荷的油轮安全通过。这些较大型油轮将有望使通过巴拿马运河的原油和石油产品量增加。Trans Panama Pipeline是一条平行于运河、且拥有完整装卸点的输送管线；而更大型油轮通常通过这条管线运输油品，因此受这种尺寸限制的影响很小，但是增加了运输成本。巴拿马运河拓宽工程预计2015年末竣工，除了原油运输外，还能将巴拿马运河的LNG运输量提高到占全球80%。目前，巴拿马运河LNG通过量紧有一小部分，并且只有最小型的LNG船通过。
苏伊士运河位于埃及，是波斯湾连接地中海、通往北美的主要通道。相比于绕行至非洲最南端的好望角，苏伊士运河可减少6000英里路程。随着全球货船尺寸不断增大，苏伊士运河也进行了加深和拓宽。目前，苏伊士运河最大的货船允许尺寸为吃水66英尺、164英尺宽，这种尺寸的船只载荷约900000-1300000桶原油。然而，大部分货船并不满载，而是更倾向于通过先通过苏麦德石油管道运输，然后再装载的这种方式通过运河。
马六甲海峡位于印尼、马来西亚和新加坡之间，连接着南中国海和太平洋，他是波斯湾和亚洲市场间最短的海上通道。然而其货船安全通过的尺寸吃水最大为82英尺，其长、宽也有限制，这相当于一艘VLCC190-220万桶原油的载荷。像ULCC就必须借助更深水位的水道，但这增加了运输时间和成本。
撰稿人：T·梅森·汉密尔顿（T. Mason Hamilton）
SEPTEMBER 17, 2014
Panama Canal expansion will allowtransit of larger ships with greater volumes
Ships carrying crude oil and petroleum products arelimited by size restrictions imposed by several of the main thoroughfares ofmaritime navigation: the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal, and the Strait ofMalacca. These size restrictions provide another way to classify the largetankers that carry most of global crude oil and petroleum product trade.
The Panama Canal, an important route connecting the Pacific Ocean to theCaribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, currently has a limited role in globalcrude and petroleum product transport. The canal*s current size restrictionsmeans smaller vessels, with capacities of approximately 400,000-550,000 barrelsof light sweet crude oil, are the only ships that can safely pass through thecanal. These ships are referred to as Panamax tankers, and their smaller cargoslead to a higher per-barrel cost.
However, the Panama Canal is undergoing an expansion thatwill allow for the passage of larger vessels with capacities of approximately400,000-680,000 barrels of crude oil. These larger tankers have the potentialto increase crude and petroleum product transport through the canal. Largervessels or vessels that are slightly over the draft limit can use the TransPanama Pipeline, which runs parallel to the canal and has both the loading andunloading points for a complete transfer, but doing so adds to shipment costs.In addition to oil transit, the expansion of the Panama Canal, now slated forlate 2015, will be able to provide passage for up to 80% of global shipping ofliquefied natural gas (LNG). It currently allows passage of only asmall percentage of LNG shipping and only shipping by the smallest of LNGtankers.
The Suez Canal in Egypt is a major transit route from the Persian Gulfto the Mediterranean and beyond that to North America. The Suez Canal saves anestimated 6,000 miles of travel around the Cape of Good Hope at thesouthernmost point of Africa. As the sizes of vessels in the global fleet haveincreased, the canal was deepened and widened. The current Suezmax limitationon vessels passing through the Suez is a draft of 66 feet and a width of 164feet. A ship of this size has a deadweight tonnage of approximately 900,000barrels to 1.3 million barrels. However, most vessels do not transit the canalfully laden; vessels instead unload into the Suez-Mediterranean (Sumed)Pipeline, which runs parallel to the canal, prior to transit and reload oncehaving passed through the canal.
The Strait of Malacca, located between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore,links the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. The Strait ofMalacca is the shortest sea route between Persian Gulf suppliers and themarkets of Asia. However, the size of vessels that can safely navigate thestrait (Malaccamax) is limited to a draft of 82 feet, along with length andwidth restrictions. This is approximately equal to a vessel classified as aVery Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), with a capacity of 1.9-2.2 million barrels ofcrude oil. Larger vessels, such as Ultra-Large Crude Carriers (ULCC), must usealternative navigation routes with deeper channels, adding time and cost to thevoyage.
Principal contributor: T. Mason Hamilton
