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Polar Tankers receives second prestigious award from U.S. Coast Guard

The Polar Adventure passes under the Golden Gate Bridge.

Polar Tanker group with trophy
Members of the Polar Tankers organization, from left: Bob Hayes, manager, Polar Engineering; Mark Franks, manager, Polar Quality, Regulatory & Environmental Affairs; Chris Bulera, manager, Global Marine and president of Polar Tankers; Vance Webb, manager, Polar HSE & Marine CSO; Doug Lamson, manager, Polar Operations; and Bryan Dickson, director, Marine HSE

ConocoPhillips’ Polar Tankers group was recently awarded the U.S. Coast Guard’s Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Osprey Award for Environmental Excellence at the 2018 Benkert Awards Luncheon & API Maritime Transportation Forum on March 2 in New Orleans. Polar Tankers also received the award in 2014.

“ConocoPhillips is honored to accept this prestigious award a second time,” said Chris Bulera, manager, Global Marine and president of Polar Tankers. “We are gratified with this recognition of our fleet’s dedication to protecting the marine environment as a core value of our operating philosophy.

2 men shaking hands
Chris Bulera (left) accepts the Osprey Award from Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Nadeau.

“We express our sincere appreciation to the U.S. Coast Guard, which provides exemplary service to the maritime industry and entire nation. This award provides a platform for the maritime industry to showcase its continued dedication to environmental stewardship and socially responsible operations.”

The Benkert awards consist of five levels, with the Osprey representing the highest environmental distinction. The awards were created to recognize outstanding achievements in marine environmental protection that go beyond compliance with industry and regulatory standards. A committee reviews and scores award applications submitted biennially by maritime operators.

Polar Tankers, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, operates five company-owned, double-hulled Endeavour-class tankers, each with million-barrel capacity and state-of-the-art redundant systems for environmental safety. These tankers serve the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline System trade, loading crude oil in the Port of Valdez, Alaska, and delivering to terminals within Puget Sound, Wash.; San Francisco and Los Angeles/Long Beach, Calif.; and Hawaii.

Fleet officers and shore-side staff attend the Polar Officers Conference held in Sugar Land, Texas. The Osprey trophies recognize the team’s hard work and commitment to protecting the marine environment.