Keystone Shipping Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping and transportation |
| Founder | Charles Kurz |
| Headquarters | Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania , United States |
Area served | United States, Great Lakes |
Key people | Charles Kurz (founder) |
| Products | Tankers, dry bulk carriers, tugboats, tank barges, roll-on/roll-off ships |
Keystone Shipping Company is a U.S.-based firm specializing in shipping and transportation, with its main office located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company manages a diverse fleet exceeding 20 vessels, which includes tankers, dry bulk carriers, tugboats, tank barges, and roll-on/roll-off ships. Its tanker operations primarily involve the movement of crude oil and various petroleum products along the coastlines of the United States.
Establishment and Initial Period
Charles Kurz established Keystone Shipping Company, which has been providing logistical support to the United States Armed Forces globally since World War I. The firm is an active participant in the Ready Reserve Fleet initiative. Before founding Keystone, Kurz worked as a shipping agent, commodity trader, and shipowner. The company’s headquarters are situated in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
Role During World War II
Throughout World War II, Keystone played a significant role as a tanker operator under the War Shipping Administration, overseeing a fleet of more than 60 tankers, including numerous Type T2 tanker vessels. These ships were staffed by merchant marine crews typically comprising nine officers and 39 enlisted personnel. Charles Kurz also held the position of head of the WSA while managing these maritime assets.
Prominent vessels managed during this period included:
- Escort carrier SS Santee
- Liberty ships such as Christopher L. Sholes, Charles A. Wickliffe, Andrew A. Humphreys, Henry L. Ellsworth, Thomas F. Cunningham, David Holmes, and S.S. Seakay
- T2 tankers including Oscar F. Barrett, Oscar S. Straus, Bennington, and Bunker Hill
Key Lakes
Key Lakes, a subsidiary of Keystone Shipping Company, operates a fleet of 20 vessels on the Great Lakes. This fleet comprises tankers, dry bulk carriers, tugboats, tank barges, and roll-on/roll-off ships.
Alaska Tanker Company
In 1999, Keystone Shipping collaborated with OSG America Operating Company based in Tampa, Florida and BP Oil Shipping Company to establish the Alaska Tanker Company. As of March 2020, Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. (NYSE: OSG) acquired full ownership, making Alaska Tanker Company its subsidiary. The company focuses on transporting crude oil from Alaska utilizing four tankers each with a capacity of 190,000 tons. Its corporate headquarters are located in Beaverton, Oregon.
- Fleet includes:**
- Alaska Explorer
- Alaska Frontier
- Alaska Legend
- Alaska Navigator
Keystone Shipping Company Vessels
- Noteworthy current vessels:**
- MV Cape Kennedy (T-AKR-5083)
- SS Denebola (T-AKR-289)
- RS RocketShip – primarily used for transporting rocket components for ULA Atlas V, Delta IV, and Vulcan launch vehicles to locations such as Cape Canaveral, Fla. and Vandenberg AFB
- MV Cape Knox (T-AKR-5082)
- USNS Potomac (T-AO-181)
- MV Roger Blough
- Former vessels include:**
- SS Chancellorsville (T2 tanker)
- SS Fredericksburg (1958) (in service from 1976 to 2004)
- SS Murfreesboro (T2)
- SS Perryville (T2)
- SS Pueblo (T2)
- Birch Coulie
- Oakley Wood
- Henry C. Wallace
- New Zealand Victory
- David Holmes
- Alan Seeger
- Little Big Horn
- Fort Capot River
- MV Sea Isle City
- SS Bridgeton
- USS Saugatuck