Several technical and commercially related sessions have been organised for Athens, including one on ship vetting and ship inspections covering, amongst other things, revision of the SIRE programme tanker inspection scheme and port state control inspections and another on the different approaches to current regulatory issues in IMO, the US and Europe.

The Athens Tanker Event programme will include some concurrent activities. For example, the Forums that have been organised for INTERTANKO’s Associate Members, Ship Brokers and Ships Agents will overlap with the Council Meeting. Also, the INTERTANKO’s Media Training Courses will run throughout the conference and a and Chartering Course will be held on the first day.s will be run throughout the week.

The final day will be devoted to a Public Image Debate on the perception and reality of tanker shipping, at which Chairman Tom Mangold, Senior Television Broadcaster (Reporter on BBC Television "Scandal at Sea")BBV will encourage dialogue on a series of motions and record the final votes at the end of the proceedings.

Notable speakers/panellists confirmed for the Athens Tanker Event include:

Richard T. du Moulin, President of Marine Transport Lines, Inc.
Frank J Iarossi, President of American Bureau of Shipping
Miles Kulukundis, Chief Executive Officer of London & Overseas Freighters
Tor Christian Mathiesen, Executive Vice President of Det Norske Veritas
Ron McAlear, Vice President of Avondale Industries
Ann-Louise Hittle and Odd Anker Hassel, Directors of CERA
Dr. Nikos MikelisMikellis, Director of Lyras Shipping Ltd.
Harvey G Williams, Partner at Sinclair, Roche & Temperly
Jonathan Benner, Partner, Eckert, Seamans, Cherin and Mellott
Mike Shuker, Fleet Safety and Training Manager, Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises Ltd
John R. Steele, Partner, Prisma Transport Consultants

The Athens Tanker Event is the second in INTERTANKO’s new series of biannual meetings which provide a forum where not only the Association’s membership but also the tanker industry at large, including governments and international agencies, can gather together to discuss the many topical issues which seek to promote safe, efficient and environment-friendly tanker shipping. The series got off to a successful start with the Houston Tanker Event in October 1996, and the Athens Tanker Event will be the first of the new meetings to feature an industry Exhibition. The Exhibition will be staged over three days, 26-28 May 1997.


The INTERTANKO membership includes, as Full Members, 255 tanker companies with 1,750 tankers totalling 155.9 million dwt. This is equivalent to 70% of all independently owned tanker tonnage world-wide. In addition, there are 220 INTERTANKO Associate Member companies, including charterers and businesses which offer equipment and services to the tanker industry.