Lowland Tanker Company

The Lowland Tanker Company was a British shipping company operating a small fleet of oil tankers on time-charter to BP.

Lowland Tanker Company
TypeShipping
IndustryOil
FateDefunct
Founded1950 (1950) in United Kingdom
FoundersWilliam Keswick & Robert Gillespie
Defunct1979 (1979)
Owners
  • British Tanker Co
  • Matheson & Co Ltd (Hong Kong)
  • Common Bros (Management) Ltd

History

In 1950 the British Tanker Company, for managerial and economic reasons, formed a separate associated company to operate ten oil tankers exclusively for BP cargos. BTC owned 50% of the company with 25% owned by Matheson, the maritime arm of Jardine Matheson, and 25% by the Newcastle ship-owners, Common Brothers, the latter company being tasked with the management of the ships.[1] A further 5 ships were bought in the early 1960s. The ships were taken over by the BP Tanker Company, successors to BTC, in 1976 with the minority shareholders in the company being bought out by BP in 1979.[2]

Ships

The first ten ships were constructed in the traditional style with the bridge and accommodation block in the centre of the ship and the engine rooms aft. The last five were built in what is now the standard layout, with all the superstructure aft leaving the tank deck clear. To distinguish them from BTC's own ships they had a tartan band painted on the funnel. After BPTC took them in-house the band was retained but with a BP logo superimposed on it.[3]


Fleet list
Ship In BTC Service DWT Notes
MV Border Regiment 1952–1969 16,897 Sold and renamed Fortuity. Scrapped 1975.
MV Border Keeper 1953–1970 16,000 Disposed 1970
MV Border Lass 1953–1970 16,548 Sold and renamed Mikrasaitis. Resold 1974 and renamed Juanita H. Scrapped 1975.
MV Border Fusilier 1954–1970 17,405 Sold and renamed Nemeo. Scrapped 1975
MV Border Hunter 1954–1970 15,950 Sold and renamed Nereide. Scrapped 1975.
MV Border Minstrel 1954–1972 17,154 Scrapped 1972.
MV Border Laird 1955–1972 16,000 Scrapped 1972.
MV Border Reiver 1955–1970 17,405 Sold and renamed Nicea. Scrapped 1976.
MV Border Sentinel 1955–1970 15,968 Sold and renamed Nettuno. Scrapped 1976.
MV Border Terrier 1956–1972 16,028 Scrapped 1972.
MV Border Pele 1960–1976 20.784 Sold 1981 and renamed Five Streams. Scrapped 1984.
MV Border Shepherd 1960–1976 20,914 Sold and renamed Mariverda IV. 1983 resold and renamed Al Nabila II. Scrapped 1993.
MV Border Castle 1961–1976 19,925 Sold and renamed Five Brooks. Attacked and set on fire by Iranian gunboats in 1986. Scrapped 1987.
MV Border Chieftain 1961–1976 19,999 Sold and renamed Achillett. 1987 resold and renamed Spiro. Scrapped 1988.
MV Border Falcon 1961–1976 19,949 Sold and renamed Gardenia B. Scrapped 1985.

References
  1. Ferrier, Ronald W; Bamberg, James. The History of the British Petroleum Company. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521259509.
  2. "Commons Brothers". The Allen Collection. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  3. "Lowland Tanker Co". Mandalay. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
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