Tanker Capacity
Tankers used for liquid fuels are classified according to their capacity.
In 1954, Shell Oil developed the average freight rate assessment (AFRA) system which classifies tankers of different sizes. To make it an independent instrument, Shell consulted the London Tanker Brokers’ Panel (LTBP). At first, they divided the groups as General Purpose for tankers under 25,000 tons deadweight (DWT); Medium Range for ships between 25,000 and 45,000 DWT and Large Range for the then-enormous ships that were larger than 45,000 DWT. The ships became larger during the 1970s, and the list was extended, where the tons are long tons:
- 10,000–24,999 DWT: General Purpose tanker
- 25,000–54,999 DWT: Medium Range tanker
- 55,000–79,999 DWT: Long Range 1 (LR1)
- 80,000–159,999 DWT: Long Range 2 (LR2)
- 160,000–319,999 DWT: Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC)
- 320,000–549,999 DWT: Ultra Large Crude Carrier (ULCC)
| Class | Length | Beam | Draft | Typical Min DWT | Typical Max DWT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seawaymax | 226 m (741 ft) | 24 m (79 ft) | 7.92 m (26.0 ft) | 10,000 DWT | 60,000 DWT |
| Panamax | 228.6 m (750 ft) | 32.3 m (106 ft) | 12.6 m (41 ft) | 60,000 DWT | 80,000 DWT |
| Aframax | 253.0 m (830.1 ft) | 44.2 m (145 ft) | 11.6 m (38 ft) | 80,000 DWT | 120,000 DWT |
| Suezmax | 16 m (52 ft) | 120,000 DWT | 200,000 DWT | ||
| VLCC (Malaccamax) | 470 m (1,540 ft) | 60 m (200 ft) | 20 m (66 ft) | 200,000 DWT | 315,000 DWT |
| ULCC | 320,000 DWT | 550,000 DWT |
Very Large Crude Carrier Size Range There are more ships smaller in size.
At nearly 380 vessels in the size range 279,000 DWT to 320,000 DWT, these are by far the most popular size range among the larger VLCCs. Only seven vessels are larger than this, and approximately 90 between 220,000 DWT and 279,000 DWT.
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