BP British Signal at Das Island 1962

[JamesL]

My name is James Langton - I work as the news features editor for the National newspaper in Abu Dhabi.
This July 4 marks the 50th anniversary of the first oil exported from Abu Dhabi - the oil was shipped from the terminal at Das Island in 1962 on the British Signal. I'm looking for anyone who remembers that historic occasion for an article to be published next month.
Looking forward to hearing from you.

[Gulliver]

Welcome Aboard James
I hope you will find someone here who was with BP.
You might also try the same appeal on the other site - SHIPS NOSTALGIA .

Here’s just a few details below about British Signal that you might not know about.

Good Luck
　
Gulliver


　
　
s.t BRITISH SIGNAL Official .No. 302560 23,015grt (35,219 dwt) launched 20.9.59 ,& completed 28.2.61 as Yard No. 1532 at at Ansaldo,Sestri Ponente,Italy.
Therefore,known unofficially as a member of the’ Eye-tie ‘Class -along with ,British Light (1959), British Beacon(1959),British Star(1959), British Lantern(1960)and British Comet(1960), all built in two Italian shipyards.
　
　
Length Overall 208.2 m
Beam 26.3m
Steam Turbine 15.5kts..
History
A Notable Voyage:On July 4, 1962, she left the harbour at Das Island with Abu Dhabi's first oil export: 254,544 barrels of crude from the Umm Shaif oilfield destined for Japan.
Sold after 10 years service in 1971 to Enterprise Cia Naviera SA,Piraeus,Greece.Renamed LESTE.
Broken Up 4/6/84 at Barcelona
.

[John Small]

Hi

My name is John

I was on the BP Signal 2/6/62 left her 4/8/62 when we were the first ship to load.

Gulliver said she loaded for Japan, she never went to Japan

I paid off 4th August 1962 Glasgow
Regards John

[Gulliver]

I was on the BP Signal 2/6/62 left her 4/8/62 when we were the first ship to load...

Hi John-you should know !

In my defense I will say that I was quoting the following information from the Abu Dhabi The ‘National’ newspaper.Page 2.(last para) LINK


“Four years later, on July 4, 1962, the BP tanker British Signal left the harbour at Das Island with Abu Dhabi's first oil export: 254,544 barrels of crude destined for Japan. By the time of its birth on December 2, 1971, the UAE was well on its way to claiming an estimated one sixth of all the world's oil reserves.”
　

All the Best
Gulliver

[Tony Morcom]

Just goes to prove that you can't believe everything you read in the paper Davey, even in those days. I often think that if the web was only filled with truth it would be a very small entity compared with what it actually is.

[Gulliver]

Just goes to prove that you can't believe everything you read in the paper Davey, even in those days. I often think that if the web was only filled with truth it would be a very small entity compared with what it actually is.

True-O fellow Cynical One! I also notice that the originator of the thread,James L.(Post #1 ) just happens to be the news feature editor of that very same newspaper,the Abu Dhabi National.
He,in true newspaper editor style has neither confirmed nor denied this. Wipe Bum with it! G.gif
Coffee & News.gifhysterical.gif

[JamesL]

John - I'd very much like to talk to you about your memories of the British Signal

The ship's destination is always given as Japan in the official histories here. So we're intrigued to learn the British Signal may have gone elsewhere. Not sure how this site works, but my work email is JLangton@thenational.ae.

[Gulliver]

Hi James-thank you for replying,and welcome again.I think you’ll find that this website works just like any other website re e-mails,blogs and postings.
You can click on John Small's name in his post above and a drop-down link will open his e-mail or Private Message link.



No,I’m glad you replied ,and that you realise that your newspaper ,the Abu Dhabi ‘National’ might have got it wrong in stating that your country’s first oil shipment from Das Island was destined for Japan. Looking at it,it does sound a bit strange,as Das Island was a joint Brit/French venture,and a European destination would be more probable than a Far East one. Anyway,I think it more likely,were it destined for Japan that the Japs would have made the maximum publicity from it all and transported the first shipment in one of their own flag ships.Just a thought.

But,I did quote your newspaper, for which I felt a bit foolish afterwards,when another member (thank you John Small) promptly replied to say he was actually aboard the British Signal on that date in 1962 and they went nowhere near Japan.

I took it for granted that a fairly major national newspaper article from that country would actually be correct. ….Silly me . Doh.....gif
Oh Well,back to the Leveson Inquiry…..

　
All the Best
Gulliver
　

[Ivan Cloherty]

Now Now Gulliver give that poor man James some slack, he was only quoting from sources available to him. The early 70's was my residence time in the UAE and everything was in its infancy and shipping correspondents were conspicuous by their absence,(as were experienced shipping personnel) and we all know that Shipping Correspondents even in this Maritime Nation don't know the blunt end from the sharp end.

In the 70's in the UAE information wasn't always accurate and was geared for local consumption rather than fact in many instances, information in many instances was affected by which local owned what. Although many experienced ex-pats were employed for their expertise in various fields, that expertise wasn't always listened to, because it didn't suit the the "required" result. So it may have been more prestgious for Japan to be shown as the destination for local political reasons. Truth is not always the desired direction.

Rgds Ivan

[Gulliver]

Now Now Gulliver give that poor man James some slack, he was only quoting from sources available to him.at. Although many experienced ex-pats were employed for their expertise in various fields, that expertise wasn't always listened to, because it didn't suit the the "required" result. So it may have been more prestgious for Japan to be shown as the destination for local political reasons. Truth is not always the desired direction.

Rgds Ivan

Well Ivan,as you will know from your own past experiences on this site,it is sometimes quite difficult to convey one's desired true intent in a particular posting.
My intent was tongue in cheek humour to make a point ,with a touch of irony and just a tiny hint of very faint sarcasm,but certainly not to cause offence to James Editor.

Thinking about what you say about Japan,and one must generally bow down to someone like yourself who knows so much more about everything than almost everyone else,I feel it more likely to be the case that the U.A.E. news media assumed 'LEFO'* to be the name of a port in Japan..........Yeh Yeh!.gif


Or........I do hope our member Mr.Small hasn't got the name of the British Signal mixed up with another...surely not?!.... No!.I doubt this as each of us has a record of each ship in his discharge book,if not etched in his mind.


* ..just in case somebody reading in doesn't know,it is an instruction given to the Master to proceed towards the U.K.:- Lands End For Orders.