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.
