SEAGULL AS CBT — TANKERMAN HIGHEST GRADE — OIL

The oil transportation by sea was the indirect though obvious result of the development of the first oil well. The oil had been known to be there deep below the earth surface for quite some time. The indications are there saying that the Chinese people obtained relatively small quantities of mineral oil from shallow mines long time (several thousand years) ago; however, since the quantities were insignificant, the Middle East people of those times never used to justify the time and energy required to developing it as a fuel for the multitude of various purposes - the situation quite opposite to the one we have today, in the Industrial Age.

The very first mineral oil well was sunk in Pennsylvania in June 1859 with its depth of some 17 feet. The Elizabeth Watts is usually credited with being the very first vessel to transport a full cargo of mineral oil across the Atlantic ocean. The career of this remarkable ship in 1861; however, there were several factors involved that tended to retard the development of the early tanker; even then the oil was regarded as a very dangerous cargo.

Leakages happening to the barrels stored in the cargo holds resulted in the areas located straight below the deck permeated with the gas slowly making its way into the living quarters. With the introduction of the iron ship hulls these difficulties have been more or less eliminated. Some of the newly built tankers were fitted with the separate oil tanks...