McKeil Marine acquires new chemical tanker with Indy Ties

McKeil Marine Limited says it has acquired the Topaz, a modern IMO 2, ice class 1A chemical tanker. With this newest addition to its diversified fleet of tugs, barges, workboats and vessels, including bulkers, cement carriers, and tankers, McKeil expands its offering and is poised for additional growth.

The Panamanian-flagged Topaz built in 2009, measures 137 metres by 20 metres, with a DWT of 13,965 metric tonnes. The vessel was acquired to service the needs of McKeil’s customer Petro-Canada Lubricants Inc. (PCLI). Her journey originated in Singapore and continued to Malaysia where she loaded a cargo for delivery to the Mediterranean. She made a brief stop in France to load a feedstock cargo for PCLI and arrived in Canada just after Victoria Day to begin her Canadianization process. The Topaz was then officially renamed the Hinch Spirit in honour of IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe.

Petro-Canada Lubricants is an official team partner of IndyCar team Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (Arrow SPM), and driver team led by No. 5 James Hinchcliffe. “The partnership with James Hinchcliffe and the team is built upon our collective focus; technology, innovation and safety are the cornerstones of what we do. Our research and development team works closely with Arrow SPM engineers to integrate products into operations to assist on and off the track,” explains Corinn Smith, Director, Communications & Public Affairs, Petro-Canada Lubricants.

“The acquisition of the Hinch Spirit (Topaz) supports our commitment to growth and provides expanded opportunities to our crew while creating value for our investors, customers, suppliers and business partners”, states Captain Scott Bravener, President of McKeil Marine Limited.

The Hinch Spirit (Topaz) will trade throughout the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River and the Eastern Seaboard.

About McKeil Marine

McKeil has a history of over 60 years in Canada’s maritime industry, providing transportation and project services for a wide range of customers and industry sectors. Industry analysts consider the business to be an exemplary Canadian success story that has remained true to the vision of its founder, Evans McKeil: Continuously demonstrating a commitment to its people, its customers and the communities in which it operates.