TANKER STORY

Made in 1953 by British Petroleum, this film about oil tankers shows the rapidly growing oil industry launching new and larger ships to keep up with consumer demand. It also explains the increase in need for oil tankers. It presented by British Petroleum (:11) and produced by Greenpark (:24). It was directed by R.Q. McNaughton, photographed by Roland Stafford, and produced by Humphrey Swingler with music by Robert Sharples. The film opens with scenes of a British harbor master or coastal lookout readying himself for the day (:55). He views the waters around him through a telescope as the narrator speaks about how the world’s population of ships continued to increase (1:04). A large passenger liner moves through the water (1:09). An oil tanker is spotted (1:14). Observers had begun to spot tankers more frequently; about 1 in 4 ships. As the world turned to a stronger reliance on oil, oil tankers became more prevalent. A large snow plow, requiring oil for operation, blows through deep snow (1:50). A lighthouse is shown with the lamphouse featured (1:53). Oil is shown moved by pipeline (2:27), though much of it must be moved by sea. Daily, about ten million tons of oil were in transit (2:35). Oil takers are pictured on the move (2:48). The Britannic House, headquarters of BP, monitored and decided where the tankers were to travel to (3:00). Variables which must be taken into account include the suitability of ships for ports and cargo (3:10), the ship’s requirement for relieving officers and crews (3:15) and the current demand for oil (3:29). The French vessel, the Prairial (3:43) is pictured at harbor. One of the ships is diverted as the cargo is needed at another refinery (3:59). The Morse coded message is received here by the British vessel (4:16) as it was moving up the English Channel. The captain overlooks navigation charts (4:36). The crew is seen during recreational time as they receive the message for rerouting (5:16). The engine room is also made aware of the destination change (5:25). The new helmsman moves across the bridge for a change in shift (5:39). One crew member enters his cabin showing their living conditions (6:29). The order is sent out for the tugs to be readied to be moved in (7:14). A small tug moves in (7:23). The oil tanker docks (8:32). The British Sailor; built in 1952 by John Brown & Company, is pictured (9:00) at the ways in Clydeside. Scotland. It displaced 20,961 tons, and was later sold by BP and renamed Marisira and then Fagr. before being scrapped in 1980.. Shipyard workers construct oil tankers which made up about half of the ships produced that year (9:06). The film begins to conclude as the new oil tanker heads out to sea (9:50).

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Transcription

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] hmm the world's population of ships is always growing and always changing 50 years ago the watchers at coastal lookout stations hardly ever saw an oil tanker today they see them all the time about one in four of all the ships that pass carry oil this enormous increase in tonnage is the result of an ever growing demand for oil coupled with its adoption for new uses [Music] [Applause] foreign [Music] oil is the largest single commodity in international trade for it is only found in large quantities at long distances from where it is needed [Music] some of the oil can be moved part of the way by pipeline but the greater part of the world's oil must be moved by sea on any average day there are about 10 million tons of oil in transit and of this amount an appreciable proportion is transported by the 300 or more tankers that carry angular iranians [Music] oil the movement of this fleet around the world is organized and coordinated from here britannic house all sorts of considerations have to be taken into account the suitability of ships for particular ports and particular types of cargo the ship's need for re-whittling and new stores the need for relieving officers and crew the time when the ship is due for repairs and dry docking but the primary factor governing the program of tanker movements is the demand of the refineries and distribution installations which in turn depend on the world's consumption of oil the planning of ship movements can never be rigid there are too many incalculable things to be reckoned with conditions in foreign ports breakdowns weather delays as well as sudden changes in the demand for cargos here a ship at sea must be diverted how cargo is needed more urgently at another refinery [Music] the message is received by the british bulldog as she's coming up the english channel bound for dunkirk she must alter course and make for the isle of grain this in turn will mean that the rooting of some other tanker may have to be changed the radio messages going out from britannic house control a sort of gigantic chess game with 300 odd ships as the pieces and the seven seas for a board the british bulldogs new orders represent a comparatively unimportant move in this game a tiny alteration to the complex pattern of the worldwide movement of oil and tankers news of the ship's change destination quickly gets around amongst the crew to the main off-duty in the recreation room it'll be a home port and not a foreign one in the engine room too the change of destination is discussed probably with satisfaction [Music] as the new helmsman comes forward to relieve the men on the bridge the ship is already changing course her wake curving round as she goes to port [Music] so the routine of work and watches in the tanker is the same as in any other ship and for the crew the accommodation and general living conditions are remarkably good mess rooms and recreation rooms are excellent and the cruise quarters comfortable plenty of room quite unlike the cramped folk souls of the old days [Music] it's only a few hours now to the ship's new destination and already a berth is waiting for her the refinery too has a part to play in the tank of fleet organization a radio message from the british bulldog announcing the time of her arrival means that tugs must be got ready to bring her in and men stood by to tie her up [Music] oh as the british bulldog turns to come alongside they are busy down below checking over the auxiliary gear that soon will be providing the power to pump the cargo shore a cargo of over 27 000 tons of crude oil [Music] [Music] [Music] the movement of tankers depends upon the demand of the refineries and this grows constantly because of the world's increasing use of oil the company's plans for the expansion of its fleet are taking shape in the shipyards indeed tankers amount to more than half the new ships being built in britain this year the launching of these huge new tankers today is essential for the transport of tomorrow's oil so [Applause] you

Sources

YouTube channel: PeriscopeFilm · video ↗ — title, year, format, description, catalog record, video

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