Overview

Easily the largest movable man-made objects ever constructed, supertankers were created and designed to meet society's enormous demand for petroleum. From fueling our cars to supplying heat to our homes, supertankers have made it possible for many nations to maintain high standards of living. Although supertankers have facilitated the transportation of enormous amounts of petroleum over thousands of miles, they have also caused some of the largest environmental disasters in history.

Background

The first oceangoing tanker ever constructed was the German-designed Glückauf. Launched in 1866 to transport petroleum from the United States to Europe, the Glückauf was 300 feet (91 m) long, 37 feet (11m) wide, carried 2,300 short tons (2,088 metric tons) of oil, and had a cruising speed of about nine...