American Chamber of Shipping recognize VELA for Safety

HOUSTON, August 16, SPA -- The Chamber of Shipping of America
publicly recognized VELA International Marine Ltd. recently for safe
ship operations at its Annual Safety Awards Luncheon held in Houston.


Vela received Devlin Awards to honor 18 of its crude-oil tankers for
their outstanding safety records, according to a report carried by
Saudi Aramco's web-site.

Receiving the awards on behalf of Vela was Wayne Hollingsworth,
supervisor of Aramco Services Co.’s Environmental Services Unit,
which helps Vela conduct safety audits of its tankers.

“These awards are an important acknowledgement of Vela’s ongoing
commitment to safety,” he said. “The company and its crew are to be
commended for their outstanding efforts, which have earned them a
place among the industry’s best.”

The Jones F. Devlin Award, named after a ship’s captain who devoted
his career to safety at sea, recognizes merchant vessels that have
operated for two years or more without a lost-time accident (LTA).

Eight of the Vela vessels recognized had five or more years without
an LTA, and two of those — the Ali Bali Star and Alphard Star — had
eight years of service without an LTA.

--SPA