1.
GV ROSTRUM
0.03

2.
SV WOMAN CUTS TAPE AND LAUNCHES TANKER
0.05

3.
GV TANKER WITH BALLOONS RELEASED (2 SHOTS)
0.14

4.
SCU OFFICIALS LOOK ON
0.20

5.
AERIAL VIEW OF DOCK PAN ACROSS TO TANKER
0.37

6.
AERIAL VIEW MORE SHOTS OF TANKER
0.56

7.
SV PAN ACROSS DECK OF TANKER
1.07

8.
LV PAN TANKER
1.19

9.
AERIAL VIEW TANKER
1.28


NAMING CEREMONY; TANKER.




Initials DHC/V/JB/SIM



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE "UNIVERSE KUWAIT", SAID TO BE THE WORLD'S LARGEST TANKER, WAS NAMED YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) IN A DOCKSIDE CEREMONY IN NAGASAKI, IN THE EXTREME WEST OF KYUSHU ISLAND, IN WESTERN JAPAN. THE TANKER IS ONE OF SIX OF SIMILAR TYPE ORDERED IN 1966, AND WAS FINISHED ONE MONTH AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.

THE GIANT WILL GO INTO SERVICE BETWEEN KUWAIT AND EUROPEAN PORTS. THE 312,000 TON CRAFT WAS OFFICIALLY NAMED BY MADAME BADRIA AL-SABAH, WIFE OF THE KUWAITI AMBASSADOR TO LONDON.

MR. HERBISH, THE KUWAITI AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN, ALSO ATTENDED THE CEREMONY.

OWING TO ITS HUGE SIZE, THE UNIVERSE KUWAIT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THE SUEZ CANAL. ITS OVERALL LENGTH IS 346 METRES (1135 FEET), AND ITS BREADTH IS 53 METRES (175 FEET). IT HAS A SERVICE SPEED OF 16 KNOTS.

THE SHIP WILL BE DRIVEN BY TWO SETS OF IMPULSE STEAM TURBINE ENGINES WITH DOUBLE REDUCTION GEAR. MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES HANDLED CONSTRUCTION OF THE TANKER.