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121-583: On 29 July 2021, the oil tanker MT Mercer Street , travelling from Tanzania to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with no cargo on board, was attacked off the coast of Oman . The ship is flagged in Liberia . It is Japanese-owned and managed by Israeli-owned Zodiac Maritime , an international ship management company headquartered in London and led by billionaire shipping magnate Eyal Ofer , who

242-510: A humid continental climate ( Dfa by the 0 °C isotherm), or a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa by the -3 °C isotherm), with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Owing to its position on the Romanian Plain, the city's winters can get windy, though some of the winds are mitigated due to urbanisation. Winter temperatures often dip below 0 °C (32 °F), sometimes even to −10 °C (14 °F). In summer,

363-570: A 40,000  DWT tanker, $ 60.7 million for a 80,000–95,000  DWT , $ 73 million for a 130,000–150,000  DWT , and $ 116 million for 250,000–280,000  DWT tanker. For a concrete example, in 2006, Bonheur subsidiary First Olsen paid $ 76.5 million for Knock Sheen , a 159,899 DWT tanker. The cost of operating the largest tankers, the Very Large Crude Carriers, is currently between $ 10,000 and $ 12,000 per day. Oil tankers generally have from 8 to 12 tanks. Each tank

484-518: A center of innovation after Edwin Drake had struck oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania . Break-bulk boats and barges were originally used to transport Pennsylvania oil in 40-US-gallon (150 L) wooden barrels. But transport by barrel had several problems. The first problem was weight: they weighed 29 kilograms (64 lb), representing 20% of the total weight of a full barrel. Other problems with barrels were their expense, their tendency to leak, and

605-510: A community police force ( Poliția Comunitară ), dealing with local community issues. Bucharest also houses the general inspectorates of the Gendarmerie and the national police . Bucharest's crime rate is rather low in comparison to other European capital cities, with the number of total offences declining by 51% between 2000 and 2004, and by 7% between 2012 and 2013. Bucharest, along with Cluj-Napoca , Timișoara , Brașov and Iași ,

726-503: A country, called its flag state . A ship's flag state exercises regulatory control over the vessel and is required to inspect it regularly, certify the ship's equipment and crew, and issue safety and pollution prevention documents. As of 2007, the United States Central Intelligence Agency statistics count 4,295 oil tankers of 1,000 long tons deadweight (DWT) or greater worldwide. Panama

847-590: A failed attempt by German troops to regain the city. After the establishment of communism in Romania , the city continued growing. New districts were constructed, most of them dominated by tower blocks . During Nicolae Ceaușescu 's leadership (1965–89), a part of the historic city was demolished and replaced by ' Socialist realism ' style development: (1) the Centrul Civic (the Civic Centre) and (2)

968-470: A few thousand metric tons of deadweight (DWT) to ultra-large crude carriers (ULCCs) of 550,000  DWT . Tankers move approximately 2.0  billion metric tons (2.2 billion short tons ) of oil every year. Second only to pipelines in terms of efficiency, the average cost of transport of crude oil by tanker amounts to only US$ 5 to $ 8 per cubic metre ($ 0.02 to $ 0.03 per US gallon). Some specialized types of oil tankers have evolved. One of these

1089-457: A fisherman, a shepherd or a hunter, according to different legends. In Romanian , the word stem bucurie means 'joy' ('happiness'), hence the city Bucharest means 'city of joy'. Other etymologies are given by early scholars, including the one of an Ottoman traveller, Evliya Çelebi , who claimed that Bucharest was named after a certain 'Abu-Kariș', from the tribe of ' Bani-Kureiș '. In 1781, Austrian historian Franz Sulzer claimed that it

1210-522: A roughly round shape, with the centre situated in the cross-way of the main north–south/east-west axes at University Square . The milestone for Romania's Kilometre Zero is placed just south of University Square in front of the New St. George Church (Sfântul Gheorghe Nou) at St. George Square (Piața Sfântul Gheorghe). Bucharest's radius, from University Square to the city limits in all directions, varies from 10 to 12 km (6 to 7 mi). Until recently,

1331-636: A set of 21 vertical watertight compartments for extra buoyancy . The ship had a length overall of 56 metres (184 ft), a beam of 8.2 metres (27 ft), and a draft of 2.7 metres (9 ft). Unlike later Nobel tankers, the Zoroaster design was built small enough to sail from Sweden to the Caspian by way of the Baltic Sea , Lake Ladoga , Lake Onega , the Rybinsk and Mariinsk Canals and

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1452-530: A socially disadvantaged area. Although the presence of street children was a problem in Bucharest in the 1990s, their numbers have declined in recent years, now lying at or below the average of major European capital cities. As stated by the Mercer international surveys for quality of life in cities around the world, Bucharest occupied the 94th place in 2001 and slipped lower, to the 108th place in 2009 and

1573-546: A statement on 31 July 2021, the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet said explosive experts believed a "drone strike" targeted the tanker, but the statement did not explain how that conclusion was determined. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) investigated the incident and concluded that Iran was behind the attack on the MT Mercer Street . It found that the ship was targeted by two unsuccessful explosive unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attacks on 29 July, both of which were reported by

1694-618: A study published by the United Nations, Bucharest placed 19th among 28 cities that recorded sharp declines in population from 1990 to the mid-2010s. In particular, the population fell by 3.77%. The city's population, according to the 2002 census, was 1,926,334 inhabitants, or 8.9% of the total population of Romania. A significant number of people commute to the city every day, mostly from the surrounding Ilfov County, but official statistics regarding their numbers do not exist. Bucharest's population experienced two phases of rapid growth,

1815-545: A unique habitat. In May 2016, the lake was declared a national park, the Văcărești Nature Park . Dubbed the 'Delta of Bucharest', the area is protected. Bucharest is situated in the center of the Romanian Plain, in an area once covered by the Vlăsiei Forest, which after it was cleared, gave way for a fertile flatland. As with many cities, Bucharest is traditionally considered to be built upon seven hills, similar to

1936-546: A unique status in Romanian administration, since it is the only municipal area that is not part of a county . Its population, however, is larger than that of any other Romanian county , hence the power of the Bucharest General Municipality ( Primăria Generală ), which is the capital's local government body, is the same as any other Romanian county council. The Municipality of Bucharest, along with

2057-561: Is a city of high population density : 8,260/km (21,400/sq mi), as most of the population lives in high-density communist era apartment blocks ( blocuri ). However, this also depends on the part of the city: the southern boroughs have a higher density than the northern ones. Of the European Union country capital-cities, only Paris and Athens have a higher population density (see List of European Union cities proper by population density ). In addition to blocks of flats built during

2178-410: Is administratively known as the 'Municipality of Bucharest' ( Romanian : Municipiul București ), and has the same administrative level as that of a national county , being further subdivided into six sectors , each governed by a local mayor. The Romanian name București has an unverified origin. Tradition connects the founding of Bucharest with the name of Bucur , who was a prince, an outlaw,

2299-534: Is an Israeli citizen. The United States Navy , which responded to assist the vessel, stated that it thought the attack came from a drone. Israeli, United States, British and Romanian officials blamed the attack on Iran. Iranian state media initially said the incident was in retaliation for an alleged Israeli airstrike on a military airport in Syria, but the Iranian government formally denied involvement. The attack

2420-421: Is governed by a local mayor, as follows: Sector 1 – Clotilde Armand ( USR , since 2020), Sector 2 – Radu Mihaiu ( USR , since 2020), Sector 3 – Robert Negoiță (PRO B, since 2012), Sector 4 – Daniel Băluță ( PSD , since 2016), Sector 5 – Vlad Popescu Piedone (former mayor Cristian Popescu Piedone's son) (PUSL, since 2024), Sector 6 – Ciprian Ciucu ( PNL , since 2020). Like all other local councils in Romania,

2541-586: Is headed by a general mayor ( Primar General ). Since 29 October 2020 onwards, it is Nicușor Dan , currently an independent politician previously backed by the PNL - USR PLUS centre-right alliance at the 2020 Romanian local elections . Decisions are approved and discussed by the capital's General Council ( Consiliu General ) made up of 55 elected councilors. Furthermore, the city is divided into six administrative sectors ( sectoare ), each of which has its own 27-seat sectoral council, town hall, and mayor. The powers of

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2662-550: Is listed as 'endangered' by the World Monuments Watch (as of 2016). Although many neighbourhoods, particularly in the southern part of the city, lack sufficient green space, being formed of cramped, high-density blocks of flats, Bucharest also has many parks . In 2024, Bucharest was ranked by the digital publication Freaking Nomads as the 9th best city in the world for digital nomads , due to its elaborate and diverse architecture, an arts scene featuring some of

2783-406: Is located in the southern part of the city. Over 190 hectares, including 90 hectares of water, host 97 species of birds, half of them protected by law, and at least seven species of mammals. The lake is surrounded by buildings of flats and is an odd result of human intervention and nature taking its course. The area was a small village that Ceaușescu attempted to convert into a lake. After demolishing

2904-463: Is more common, particularly in the form of pickpocketing , which occurs mainly on the city's public transport network. Confidence tricks were common in the 1990s, especially in regards to tourists, but the frequency of these incidents has since declined. Theft was reduced by 13.6% in 2013 compared to 2012. Levels of crime are higher in the southern districts of the city, particularly in Ferentari ,

3025-413: Is more efficient, and better protection in low-impact collisions and grounding. The same report lists the following as some drawbacks to the double-hull design, including higher build costs, greater operating expenses (e.g. higher canal and port tariffs), difficulties in ballast tank ventilation, the fact that ballast tanks need continuous monitoring and maintenance, increased transverse free surface,

3146-454: Is split into two or three independent compartments by fore-and-aft bulkheads. The tanks are numbered with tank one being the forwardmost. Individual compartments are referred to by the tank number and the athwartships position, such as "one port", "three starboard", or "six center". A cofferdam is a small space left open between two bulkheads, to give protection from heat, fire, or collision. Tankers generally have cofferdams forward and aft of

3267-548: Is the capital and largest city of Romania . The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater metropolitan area of 2.3 million residents, which makes Bucharest the 8th most-populous city in the European Union . The city area measures 240 km (93 sq mi) and comprises 6 districts ( Sectoare ), while

3388-436: Is the naval replenishment oiler , a tanker which can fuel a moving vessel . Combination ore-bulk-oil carriers and permanently moored floating storage units are two other variations on the standard oil tanker design. Oil tankers have been involved in a number of damaging and high-profile oil spills . The technology of oil transportation has evolved alongside the oil industry. Although human use of oil reaches to prehistory,

3509-558: The Constitutional Court of Romania . Bucharest has a municipal police force, the Bucharest Police ( Poliția București ), which is responsible for policing crime within the whole city, and operates a number of divisions. The Bucharest Police are headquartered on Ștefan cel Mare Blvd. in the city centre, and at precincts throughout the city. From 2004 onwards, each sector city hall also has under its administration

3630-473: The London Tanker Brokers' Panel (LTBP) . At first, they divided the groups as General Purpose for tankers under 25,000 tons deadweight (DWT); Medium Range for ships between 25,000 and 45,000 DWT and Long Range for the then-enormous ships that were larger than 45,000 DWT. The ships became larger during the 1970s, which prompted rescaling. The system was developed for tax reasons as

3751-676: The Mastercard Global Index of Urban Destinations. As for the past two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019, Bucharest ranked as the European destination with the highest potential for development according to the same study. Economically, Bucharest is the most prosperous city in Romania and the richest capital and city in the region, having surpassed Budapest since 2017. The city has a number of large convention facilities, educational institutes, cultural venues, traditional 'shopping arcades' and recreational areas. The city proper

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3872-522: The Oppama shipyard by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. , named Seawise Giant . This ship was built with a capacity of 564,763  DWT , a length overall of 458.45 metres (1,504.1 ft) and a draft of 24.611 metres (80.74 ft). She had 46 tanks, 31,541 square metres (339,500 sq ft) of deck, and at her full load draft, could not navigate the English Channel . Seawise Giant

3993-712: The Palace of the Parliament , for which an entire historic quarter was razed to make way for Ceaușescu's megalomaniac plans. On 4 March 1977, an earthquake centred in Vrancea , about 135 km (83.89 mi) away, claimed 1,500 lives and caused further damage to the historic centre. The Romanian Revolution of 1989 began with massive anti-Ceaușescu protests in Timișoara in December 1989 and continued in Bucharest, leading to

4114-671: The Standard Oil Company along with several of her sister ships . After Glückauf was lost in 1893 after being grounded in fog, Standard Oil purchased the sister ships. The 1880s also saw the beginnings of the Asian oil trade. The idea that led to moving Russian oil to the Far East via the Suez Canal was the brainchild of two men: importer Marcus Samuel and shipowner/broker Fred Lane. Prior bids to move oil through

4235-537: The V-Plus size designation. With the exception of the pipeline, the tanker is the most cost-effective way to move oil today. Worldwide, tankers carry some 2 billion barrels (3.2 × 10  L) annually, and the cost of transportation by tanker amounts to only US$ 0.02 per gallon at the pump. In 1954, Shell Oil developed the "average freight rate assessment" (AFRA) system which classifies tankers of different sizes. To make it an independent instrument, Shell consulted

4356-585: The Volga River . The aft and the stern was put together and then dismantled to make room for the mid-section as the Caspian Sea was reached. In 1883, oil tanker design took a large step forward. Working for the Nobel company, British engineer Colonel Henry F. Swan designed a set of three Nobel tankers. Instead of one or two large holds, Swan's design used several holds which spanned the width, or beam, of

4477-609: The homicide rate of Bucharest was 0,8 per 100,000 people. Crime in Bucharest is combated by national forces, such as the Romanian Police and Romanian Gendarmerie , and by local forces, such as the Local Police of Bucharest. Although in the 2000s, a number of police crackdowns on organised crime gangs occurred, such as the Cămătaru clan, organised crime generally has little impact on public life. Petty crime, however,

4598-411: The urban area , the proposed metropolitan area of Bucharest would have a population of 2.3 million people. In 2020, the government used 2.5 million people as the basis for pandemic reports. Bucharest is the eighth largest city in the European Union by population within city limits. In 2017, Bucharest was the European city with the highest growth of tourists who stay over night, according to

4719-465: The 107th place in 2010. Compared to it, Vienna occupied number one worldwide in 2011 and 2009. Warsaw ranked 84th, Istanbul 112th, and neighbours Sofia 114th and Belgrade 136th (in the 2010 rankings). Mercer Human Resource Consulting issues yearly a global ranking of the world's most livable cities based on 39 key quality-of-life issues. Among them: political stability, currency-exchange regulations, political and media censorship, school quality, housing,

4840-628: The British Foreign Secretary about the "need to respond severely" to the attack which he indirectly blamed on Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on 1 August that he knew with certainty that the ship was attacked by Iran and that Israel will respond to it. The same day, the British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK and its allies were planning a coordinated response over

4961-549: The Bucharest Tribunal ( Tribunalul Bucureşti ), the city's municipal court. The Bucharest Court of Appeal ( Curtea de Apel Bucureşti ) judges appeals against decisions taken by first-instance courts and tribunals in Bucharest and in five surrounding counties (Teleorman, Ialomița, Giurgiu, Călărași, and Ilfov). Bucharest is also home to Romania's supreme court, the High Court of Cassation and Justice , as well as to

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5082-417: The Bucharest sectoral councils, the capital's general council , and the mayors are elected every four years by the population. Additionally, Bucharest has a prefect , who is appointed by Romania's national government. The prefect is not allowed to be a member of a political party and his role is to represent the national government at the municipal level. The prefect is acting as a liaison official facilitating

5203-530: The Greek Hellespont Steamship Corporation. Hellespont sold these ships to Overseas Shipholding Group and Euronav in 2004. Each of the sister ships has a capacity of over 441,500  DWT , a length overall of 380.0 metres (1,246.7 ft) and a cargo capacity of 3,166,353 barrels (503,409,900 L). They were the first ULCCs to be double-hulled. To differentiate them from smaller ULCCs, these ships are sometimes given

5324-576: The Marine Board of the National Academy of Sciences conducted a survey of industry experts regarding the pros and cons of double-hull design. Some of the advantages of the double-hull design that were mentioned include ease of ballasting in emergency situations, reduced practice of saltwater ballasting in cargo tanks decreases corrosion, increased environmental protection, cargo discharge is quicker, more complete and easier, tank washing

5445-603: The Romanian ministry of foreign affairs at Bucharest . On 6 August, foreign ministers from the G7 said "Iran's behavior, alongside its support to proxy forces and non-state armed actors, threatens international peace and security," and that "All available evidence clearly points to Iran. There is no justification for this attack." Despite no immediate official reaction from Iran, the Iranian government's Arabic-speaking Al-Alam News Network cited unnamed "knowledgeable sources" who said

5566-524: The Russian departure (remaining in the city until March 1857). On 23 March 1847, a fire consumed about 2,000 buildings, destroying a third of the city. In 1862, after Wallachia and Moldavia were united to form the Principality of Romania , Bucharest became the new nation's capital city. In 1881, it became the political centre of the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Romania under King Carol I . During

5687-755: The Suez Canal contributed, as did nationalization of Middle East oil refineries . Fierce competition among shipowners also played a part. But apart from these considerations is a simple economic advantage: the larger an oil tanker is, the more cheaply it can move crude oil, and the better it can help meet growing demands for oil. In 1955 the world's largest supertanker was 30,708  GRT and 47,500 LT  DWT : SS Spyros Niarchos launched that year by Vickers Armstrongs Shipbuilders Ltd in England for Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos . In 1958 United States shipping magnate Daniel K. Ludwig broke

5808-512: The United Kingdom consumed about 1.6 million barrels (250,000 m ) of oil per day in 2009. ULCCs commissioned in the 1970s were the largest vessels ever built, but have all now been scrapped. A few newer ULCCs remain in service, none of which are more than 400 meters long. Because of their size, supertankers often cannot enter port fully loaded. These ships can take on their cargo at offshore platforms and single-point moorings . On

5929-519: The United States and the United Kingdom only had 59 and 27 registered oil tankers, respectively. In 2005, the average age of oil tankers worldwide was 10 years. Of these, 31.6% were under 4 years old and 14.3% were over 20 years old. In 2005, 475 new oil tankers were built, accounting for 30.7 million  DWT . The average size for these new tankers was 64,632  DWT . Nineteen of these were VLCC size, 19 were Suezmax, 51 were Aframax, and

6050-465: The alleged Iranian attack. The next day, on 2 August, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania Bogdan Aurescu strongly condemned Iran for the attack and said that "there is no justification whatsoever for deliberately attacking civilians" and that "we continue to coordinate with our partners for an appropriate response" to Iran. Additionally, the Iranian ambassador to Romania was urgently summoned at

6171-462: The attack took place on Thursday night, 29 July, at a location just northeast of the Omani island of Masirah , nearly 300 kilometres (190 mi) southeast of Oman's capital, Muscat . Initial Israeli assessment suggested that there were two attacks on the ship several hours apart, the second of which resulted in the fatalities. U.S. Navy vessels responded and escorted the ship to a safe location. In

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6292-512: The average high temperature is 29.8 °C (85.6 °F) (the average for July and August). Temperatures frequently reach 35 to 40 °C (95 to 104 °F) in midsummer in the city centre. Although average precipitation in summer is moderate, occasional heavy storms occur. During spring and autumn, daytime temperatures vary between 17 and 22 °C (63 and 72 °F), and precipitation during spring tends to be higher than in summer, with more frequent yet milder periods of rain. Bucharest has

6413-534: The canal had been rejected by the Suez Canal Company as being too risky. Samuel approached the problem a different way: asking the company for the specifications of a tanker it would allow through the canal. Armed with the canal company's specifications, Samuel ordered three tankers from William Gray & Company in northern England. Named Murex , Conch and Clam , each had a capacity of 5,010 long tons of deadweight. These three ships were

6534-487: The cargo tanks, and sometimes between individual tanks. A pumproom houses all the pumps connected to a tanker's cargo lines. Some larger tankers have two pumprooms. A pumproom generally spans the total breadth of the ship. A major component of tanker architecture is the design of the hull or outer structure. A tanker with a single outer shell between the product and the ocean is said to be "single-hulled". Most newer tankers are " double hulled ", with an extra space between

6655-482: The cargo to expand and contract due to temperature changes, and providing a method to ventilate the tanks. The first successful oil tanker was Zoroaster , built by Sven Alexander Almqvist in Motala Verkstad , which carried its 246 metric tons (242 long tons ) of kerosene cargo in two iron tanks joined by pipes. One tank was forward of the midships engine room and the other was aft. The ship also featured

6776-489: The charterer. Time charter arrangements specify a daily rate, and port costs and voyage expenses are also generally paid by the charterer. The Worldwide Tanker Normal Freight Scale, often referred to as Worldscale, is established and governed jointly by the Worldscale Associations of London and New York. Worldscale establishes a baseline price for carrying a metric ton of product between any two ports in

6897-537: The city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom. It is one of the fastest-growing high-tech cities in Europe, according to the Financial Times , CBRE , TechCrunch , and others. In 2016, the historical city centre was listed as 'endangered' by the World Monuments Watch . In January 2023, there were 1.74 million inhabitants living within the city limits, and adding the satellite towns around

7018-614: The city was hit by Caragea's plague . The city was wrested from Ottoman influence and occupied at several intervals by the Habsburg monarchy (1716, 1737, 1789) and Imperial Russia (three times between 1768 and 1806). It was placed under Russian administration between 1828 and the Crimean War , with an interlude during the Bucharest-centred 1848 Wallachian revolution . Later, an Austrian garrison took possession after

7139-622: The city was the scene of the Legionnaires' rebellion and Bucharest pogrom . As the capital of an Axis country and a major transit point for Axis troops en route to the Eastern Front , Bucharest suffered heavy damage during World War II due to Allied bombings . On 23 August 1944, Bucharest was the site of the royal coup which brought Romania into the Allied camp. The city suffered a short period of Nazi Luftwaffe bombings, as well as

7260-655: The communist era, there are also older interwar ones, as well as newer ones built in the 1990s and in the 21st century. Although apartment buildings are strongly associated with the communist era, such housing schemes were first introduced in Bucharest in the 1920s. About 97.3% of the population of Bucharest for whom data are available is Romanian . Other significant ethnic groups are Romani , Hungarians, Turks, Jews , Germans (mostly Regat Germans ), Chinese, Russians, Ukrainians, and Italians. A relatively small number of Bucharesters are also Greeks , Armenians, Kurds, Bulgarians, Albanians, Poles, French, Arabs, Africans (including

7381-519: The company had 34 steam-driven oil tankers, compared to Standard Oil's four case-oil steamers and 16 sailing tankers. Until 1956, tankers were designed to be able to navigate the Suez Canal. This size restriction became much less of a priority after the closing of the canal during the Suez Crisis of 1956. Forced to move oil around the Cape of Good Hope , shipowners realized that bigger tankers were

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7502-416: The crew and maintaining the vessel. Finally, in a contract of affreightment or COA, the charterer specifies a total volume of cargo to be carried in a specific time period and in specific sizes, for example a COA could be specified as 1 million barrels (160,000 m ) of JP-5 in a year's time in 25,000-barrel (4,000 m ) shipments. One of the key aspects of any charter party is the freight rate , or

7623-469: The crew via distress calls. A third UAV attack, on 30 July, significantly damaged the ship and resulted in the two deaths. The investigation found the third UAV was loaded with military-grade explosives, which created a 6-foot hole in the topside of the pilot house and badly damaged the interior. U.S. , British, Israeli and Romanian officials blamed Iran for the attack. Yair Lapid , Israel's Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister , said he spoke with

7744-499: The demand for new ships started to grow, resulting in 2007 in a record breaking order backlog for shipyards, exceeding their capacity with rising newbuilding prices as a result. This resulted in a glut of ships when demand dropped due to a weakened global economy and dramatically reduced demand in the United States. The charter rate for very large crude carriers, which carry two million barrels of oil, had peaked at $ 309,601 per day in 2007 but had dropped to $ 7,085 per day by 2012, far below

7865-472: The early settlements in antiquity until its consolidation as the national capital of Romania late in the 19th century. First mentioned as the ' Citadel of București' in 1459, it became the residence of the ruler of Wallachia, Voivode Vlad the Impaler . The Old Princely Court ( Curtea Veche ) was erected by Mircea Ciobanul in the mid-16th century. Under subsequent rulers, Bucharest was established as

7986-704: The environment, and public safety. Mercer collects data worldwide, in 215 cities. The difficult situation of the quality of life in Bucharest is confirmed also by a vast urbanism study, done by the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism . In 2016, Bucharest's urban situation was described as 'critical' by a Romanian Order of Architects (OAR) report that criticised the city's weak, incoherent and arbitrary public management policies, its elected officials' lack of transparency and public engagement, as well as its inadequate and unsustainable use of essential urban resources. Bucharest's historical city centre

8107-458: The fact that they were generally used only once. The expense was significant: for example, in the early years of the Russian oil industry, barrels accounted for half the cost of petroleum production. In 1863, two sail-driven tankers were built on England's River Tyne . These were followed in 1873 by the first oil-tank steamer, Vaderland (Fatherland), which was built by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company for Belgian owners. The vessel's use

8228-551: The first beginning in the late 19th century when the city was consolidated as the national capital and lasting until the Second World War, and the second during the Ceaușescu years (1965–1989), when a massive urbanization campaign was launched and many people migrated from rural areas to the capital. At this time, due to Ceaușescu's decision to ban abortion and contraception, natural increase was also significant. Bucharest

8349-400: The first modern commercial exploitation dates back to James Young 's manufacture of paraffin in 1850. In the early 1850s, oil began to be exported from Upper Burma, then a British colony. The oil was moved in earthenware vessels to the river bank where it was then poured into boat holds for transportation to Britain. In the 1860s, Pennsylvania oil fields became a major supplier of oil, and

8470-572: The first tankers of the Tank Syndicate, forerunner of today's Royal Dutch Shell company. With facilities prepared in Jakarta , Singapore , Bangkok , Saigon , Hong Kong , Shanghai , and Kobe , the fledgling Shell company was ready to become Standard Oil's first challenger in the Asian market. On August 24, 1892, Murex became the first tanker to pass through the Suez Canal . By the time Shell merged with Royal Dutch Petroleum in 1907,

8591-646: The gardens are the main recreational facility in the city centre. Bucharest parks and gardens also include Herăstrău Park , Tineretului Park and the Botanical Garden . Herăstrău Park is located in the northern part of the city, around Lake Herăstrău, and includes the site the Village Museum . Grigore Antipa Museum is also near in the Victoriei Square. One of its best known locations are Hard Rock Cafe Bucharest and Berăria H (one of

8712-439: The greater number of surfaces to maintain, the risk of explosions in double-hull spaces if a vapor detection system not fitted, and that cleaning ballast tanks is more difficult for double hull ships. Bucharest Bucharest ( UK : / ˌ b uː k ə ˈ r ɛ s t / BOO -kə- REST , US : / ˈ b uː k ə r ɛ s t / -⁠rest ; Romanian : București [bukuˈreʃtʲ] )

8833-416: The houses and building the concrete basin, the plan was abandoned following the 1989 revolution. For nearly two decades, the area shifted from being an abandoned green space where children could play and sunbathe, to being contested by previous owners of the land there, to being closed for redevelopment into a sports centre. The redevelopment deal failed, and over the following years, the green space grew into

8954-547: The hull and the storage tanks. Hybrid designs such as "double-bottom" and "double-sided" combine aspects of single and double-hull designs. All single-hulled tankers around the world will be phased out by 2026, in accordance with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL). The United Nations has decided to phase out single hull oil tankers by 2010. In 1998,

9075-469: The implementation of national development plans and governing programs at local level. The prefect of Bucharest (as of 2024) is Mihai Mugur Toader. The city's general council has the following political composition, based on the results of the 2024 local elections : Bucharest's judicial system is similar to that of the Romanian counties. Each of the six sectors has its own local first-instance court ( judecătorie ), while more serious cases are directed to

9196-521: The interwar years, Bucharest's urban development continued, with the city gaining an average of 30,000 new residents each year. Also, some of the city's main landmarks were built in this period, including Arcul de Triumf and Palatul Telefoanelor . However, the Great Depression in Romania took its toll on Bucharest's citizens, culminating in the Grivița Strike of 1933 . In January 1941,

9317-534: The key to more efficient transport. While a typical T2 tanker of the World War II era was 162 metres (532 ft) long and had a capacity of 16,500  DWT , the ultra-large crude carriers (ULCC) built in the 1970s were over 400 metres (1,300 ft) long and had a capacity of 500,000  DWT . Several factors encouraged this growth. Hostilities in the Middle East which interrupted traffic through

9438-518: The largest beer halls in Europe). Tineretului Park was created in 1965 and designed as the main recreational space for southern Bucharest. It contains a Mini Town which is a play area for kids. The Botanical Garden, located in the Cotroceni neighbourhood a bit west of the city centre, is the largest of its kind in Romania and contains over 10,000 species of plants (many of them exotic); it originated as

9559-432: The late 19th century, one of the largest oil companies in the world. Ludvig was a pioneer in the development of early oil tankers. He first experimented with carrying oil in bulk on single-hulled barges. Turning his attention to self-propelled tankships, he faced a number of challenges. A primary concern was to keep the cargo and fumes well away from the engine room to avoid fires. Other challenges included allowing for

9680-428: The local government over a certain area are, therefore, shared both by the Bucharest municipality and the local sectoral councils with little or no overlapping of authority. The general rule is that the main capital municipality is responsible for citywide utilities such as the water and sewage system, the overall transport system, and the main boulevards, while sectoral town halls manage the contact between individuals and

9801-425: The local government, secondary streets and parks maintenance, schools administration, and cleaning services. The six sectors are numbered from one to six and are disposed radially so that each one has under its administration a certain area of the city centre. They are numbered clockwise and are further divided into sectoral quarters ( cartiere ) which are not part of the official administrative division: Each sector

9922-544: The metropolitan area covers 1,811 km (699 sq mi). Bucharest is a beta global city , a major cultural, political and economic hub, and the country's seat of government. Bucharest was first mentioned in documents in 1459. The city became the capital in 1862 and is the centre of Romanian media, culture, and art. Its architecture is a mix of historical (mostly Eclectic , but also Neoclassical and Art Nouveau ), interbellum ( Bauhaus , Art Deco , and Romanian Revival architecture ), socialist era , and modern . In

10043-781: The mid-2000s. In 2015, 64 people were killed in the Colectiv nightclub fire . Later the Romanian capital saw the 2017–2019 Romanian protests against the judicial reforms, with a 2018 protest ending with 450 people injured. The following treaties were signed in the city: The city is situated on the banks of the Dâmbovița River , which flows into the Argeș River, a tributary of the Danube. Several lakes  – the most important of which are Lake Herăstrău, Lake Floreasca, Lake Tei, and Lake Colentina – stretch across

10164-631: The nickname of 'Paris of the East' ( Parisul Estului ), with the Calea Victoriei as its Champs-Élysées . Between 6 December 1916 and November 1918, the city was occupied by German forces as a result of the Battle of Bucharest , with the official capital temporarily moved to Iași (also called Jassy), in the Moldavia region. After World War I, Bucharest became the capital of Greater Romania . In

10285-574: The northern parts of the city, along the Colentina River , a tributary of the Dâmbovița. In addition, in the centre of the capital is a small artificial lake – Lake Cișmigiu – surrounded by the Cișmigiu Gardens . These gardens have a rich history, having been frequented by poets and writers. Opened in 1847 and based on the plans of German architect Carl F.W. Meyer,

10406-438: The operating costs of these ships. As a result, several tanker operators laid up their ships. Prices rose significantly in 2015 and early 2016, but delivery of new tankers was projected to keep prices in check. Owners of large oil tanker fleets include Teekay Corporation , A P Moller Maersk , DS Torm , Frontline , MOL Tankship Management , Overseas Shipholding Group , and Euronav . In 2005, oil tankers made up 36.9% of

10527-430: The other end of the journey, they often pump their cargo off to smaller tankers at designated lightering points off-coast. Supertanker routes are typically long, requiring them to stay at sea for extended periods, often around seventy days at a time. The act of hiring a ship to carry cargo is called chartering. (The contract itself is known as a charter party . ) Tankers are hired by four types of charter agreements:

10648-599: The overthrow of the Communist regime . Dissatisfied with the postrevolutionary leadership of the National Salvation Front , some student leagues and opposition groups organised anti-Communist rallies in early 1990, which caused the political change. Since 2000, the city has been continuously modernised. Residential and commercial developments are underway, particularly in the northern districts; Bucharest's old historic centre has undergone restoration since

10769-425: The past, ships of the smaller Aframax and Suezmax classes are no longer regarded as supertankers. "Supertankers" are the largest oil tankers, and the largest mobile man-made structures. They include very large and ultra-large crude carriers (VLCCs and ULCCs – see above) with capacities over 250,000 DWT. These ships can transport 2,000,000 barrels (320,000 m ) of oil/318,000 metric tons. By way of comparison,

10890-475: The period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nicknames of Little Paris ( Romanian : Micul Paris ) or Paris of the East ( Romanian : Parisul Estului ). Although buildings and districts in the historic city centre were heavily damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes, and even Nicolae Ceaușescu 's program of systematization , many survived and have been renovated. In recent years,

11011-411: The pleasure park of the royal family. Besides them, there are many other smaller parks that should be visited, some of them being still large. Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park, Kiseleff Park, Carol Park , Izvor Park, Grădina Icoanei , Circului Park and Moghioroș Park are a few of them. Other large parks in Bucharest are: National Park, Tei Park, Eroilor Park and Crângași Park with Morii Lake . Lake Văcărești

11132-581: The price specified for carriage of cargo. The freight rate of a tanker charter party is specified in one of four ways: by a lump sum rate, by rate per ton, by a time charter equivalent rate, or by Worldscale rate. In a lump sum rate arrangement, a fixed price is negotiated for the delivery of a specified cargo, and the ship's owner/operator is responsible to pay for all port costs and other voyage expenses. Rate per ton arrangements are used mostly in chemical tanker chartering, and differ from lump sum rates in that port costs and voyage expenses are generally paid by

11253-475: The record of 100,000 long tons of heavy displacement. His Universe Apollo displaced 104,500 long tons, a 23% increase from the previous record-holder, Universe Leader which also belonged to Ludwig. The first tanker over 100,000 dwt built in Europe was the British Admiral . The ship was launched at Barrow-in-Furness in 1965 by Elizabeth II . The world's largest supertanker was built in 1979 at

11374-543: The regions surrounding Bucharest were largely rural, but after 1989, suburbs started to be built around Bucharest, in the surrounding Ilfov County . This county , which has experienced rapid demographic growth in the 21st century, being the fastest growing Romanian county between 2011 and 2021, had a population of 542,686 people at the 2021 Romanian census . In the 21st century, many of Ilfov county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns , which act like suburbs or satellites of Bucharest. Bucharest has

11495-788: The rest consisted of refined petroleum products. This amounted to 34.1% of all seaborne trade for the year. Combining the amount carried with the distance it was carried, oil tankers moved 11,705 billion metric-ton-miles of oil in 2005. By comparison, in 1970 1.44 billion metric tons of oil were shipped by tanker. This amounted to 34.1% of all seaborne trade for that year. In terms of amount carried and distance carried, oil tankers moved 6,487 billion metric-ton-miles of oil in 1970. The United Nations also keeps statistics about oil tanker productivity, stated in terms of metric tons carried per metric ton of deadweight as well as metric-ton-miles of carriage per metric ton of deadweight. In 2005, for each 1  DWT of oil tankers, 6.7 metric tons of cargo

11616-434: The rest were smaller designs. By comparison, 8.0 million  DWT , 8.7 million  DWT , and 20.8 million  DWT worth of oil tanker capacity was built in 1980, 1990, and 2000 respectively. Ships are generally removed from the fleet through a process known as scrapping . Ship-owners and buyers negotiate scrap prices based on factors such as the ship's empty weight (called light ton displacement or LDT) and prices in

11737-488: The scrap metal market. In 1998, almost 700 ships went through the scrapping process at shipbreakers in places such as Gadani , Alang and Chittagong . In 2004 and 2005, 7.8 million  DWT and 5.7 million  DWT respectively of oil tankers were scrapped. Between 2000 and 2005, the capacity of oil tankers scrapped each year has ranged between 5.6 million  DWT and 18.4 million  DWT . In this same timeframe, tankers have accounted for between 56.5% and 90.5% of

11858-514: The second half of the 19th century, the city's population increased dramatically, and a new period of urban development began. During this period, gas lighting , horse-drawn trams , and limited electrification were introduced. The Dâmbovița River was also massively channelled in 1883, thus putting a stop to previously endemic floods like the 1865 flooding of Bucharest . The Fortifications of Bucharest were built. The extravagant architecture and cosmopolitan high culture of this period won Bucharest

11979-513: The seven hills of Rome. Bucharest's seven hills are: Mihai Vodă, Dealul Mitropoliei , Radu Vodă, Cotroceni , Dealul Spirii , Văcărești , and Sfântu Gheorghe Nou. The city has an area of 226 km (87 sq mi). The altitude varies from 55.8 m (183.1 ft) at the Dâmbovița bridge in Cățelu, southeastern Bucharest and 91.5 m (300.2 ft) at the Militari church. The city has

12100-421: The ship. These holds were further subdivided into port and starboard sections by a longitudinal bulkhead. Earlier designs suffered from stability problems caused by the free surface effect , where oil sloshing from side to side could cause a ship to capsize. But this approach of dividing the ship's storage space into smaller tanks virtually eliminated free-surface problems. This approach, almost universal today,

12221-595: The summer residence of the royal court. During the years to come, it competed with Târgoviște on the status of capital city after an increase in the importance of Southern Muntenia brought about by the demands of the suzerain power – the Ottoman Empire . Bucharest finally became the permanent location of the Wallachian court after 1698 (starting with the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu ). The city

12342-572: The supply and demand of oil as well as the supply and demand of oil tankers. Some particular variables include winter temperatures, excess tanker tonnage, supply fluctuations in the Persian Gulf , and interruptions in refinery services. In 2006, time-charters tended towards long term. Of the time charters executed in that year, 58% were for a period of 24 or more months, 14% were for periods of 12 to 24 months, 4% were from 6 to 12 months, and 24% were for periods of less than 6 months. From 2003,

12463-521: The surrounding Ilfov County, is part of the București – Ilfov development region project, which is equivalent to NUTS-II regions in the European Union and is used both by the EU and the Romanian government for statistical analysis, and to co-ordinate regional development projects and manage funds from the EU. The Bucharest-Ilfov development region is not, however, an administrative entity yet. The city government

12584-713: The system is still used today. Besides that, there is the flexible market scale, which takes typical routes and lots of 500,000 barrels (79,000 m ). Merchant oil tankers carry a wide range of hydrocarbon liquids ranging from crude oil to refined petroleum products. Crude carriers are among the largest, ranging from 55,000 DWT Panamax -sized vessels to ultra-large crude carriers (ULCCs) of over 440,000 DWT. Smaller tankers, ranging from well under 10,000 DWT to 80,000 DWT Panamax vessels, generally carry refined petroleum products, and are known as product tankers. The smallest tankers, with capacities under 10,000 DWT generally work near-coastal and inland waterways. Although they were in

12705-488: The tanker was attacked as a response for the "latest Israeli airstrikes on Dabaa airport in Syria," which the Network said resulted in two unspecified casualties. Later, the Iranian government formally denied involvement in the incident and said it will respond to any threat. Oil tanker Oil tankers are often classified by their size as well as their occupation. The size classes range from inland or coastal tankers of

12826-584: The tax authorities wanted evidence that the internal billing records were correct. Before the New York Mercantile Exchange started trading crude oil futures in 1983, it was difficult to determine the exact price of oil, which could change with every contract. Shell and BP , the first companies to use the system, abandoned the AFRA system in 1983, later followed by the US oil companies. However,

12947-466: The vessel hull instead of being loaded in barrels or drums. It was also the first tanker with a horizontal bulkhead; its features included cargo valves operable from the deck, cargo main piping, a vapor line, cofferdams for added safety, and the ability to fill a ballast tank with seawater when empty of cargo. The ship was built in Britain, and was purchased by Wilhelm Anton Riedemann, an agent for

13068-424: The voyage charter, the time charter, the bareboat charter , and contract of affreightment . In a voyage charter the charterer rents the vessel from the loading port to the discharge port. In a time charter the vessel is hired for a set period of time, to perform voyages as the charterer directs. In a bareboat charter the charterer acts as the ship's operator and manager, taking on responsibilities such as providing

13189-401: The world's fleet in terms of deadweight tonnage. The world's total oil tankers deadweight tonnage has increased from 326.1 million  DWT in 1970 to 960.0 million  DWT in 2005. The combined deadweight tonnage of oil tankers and bulk carriers, represents 72.9% of the world's fleet. In 2005, 2.42 billion metric tons of oil were shipped by tanker. 76.7% of this was crude oil, and

13310-610: The world's total scrapped ship tonnage. In this period the average age of scrapped oil tankers has ranged from 26.9 to 31.5 years. In 2005, the price for new oil tankers in the 32,000–45,000  DWT , 80,000–105,000  DWT , and 250,000–280,000  DWT ranges were $ 43 million, $ 58 million, and $ 120 million respectively. In 1985 these vessels would have cost $ 18 million, $ 22 million, and $ 47 million respectively. Oil tankers are often sold second hand. In 2005, 27.3 million  DWT worth of oil tankers were sold used. Some representative prices for that year include $ 42.5 million for

13431-490: The world. In Worldscale negotiations, operators and charterers will determine a price based on a percentage of the Worldscale rate. The baseline rate is expressed as WS 100. If a given charter party settled on 85% of the Worldscale rate, it would be expressed as WS 85. Similarly, a charter party set at 125% of the Worldscale rate would be expressed as WS 125. The market is affected by a wide variety of variables such as

13552-453: The world’s best galleries, museums, and theatres, and its tranquil parks. As per the 2021 census , 1,716,961 inhabitants lived within the city limits, a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2011 census. This decrease is due to low natural increase, but also to a shift in population from the city itself to its smaller satellite towns such as Popești-Leordeni , Voluntari , Chiajna , Bragadiru , Pantelimon , Buftea and Otopeni . In

13673-731: Was carried. Similarly, each 1  DWT of oil tankers was responsible for 32,400 metric-ton miles of carriage. The main loading ports in 2005 were located in Western Asia, Western Africa, North Africa, and the Caribbean, with 196.3, 196.3, 130.2 and 246.6 million metric tons of cargo loaded in these regions. The main discharge ports were located in North America, Europe, and Japan with 537.7, 438.4, and 215.0 million metric tons of cargo discharged in these regions. International law requires that every merchant ship be registered in

13794-550: Was curtailed by US and Belgian authorities citing safety concerns. By 1871, the Pennsylvania oil fields were making limited use of oil tank barges and cylindrical railroad tank-cars similar to those in use today. The modern oil tanker was developed in the period from 1877 to 1885. In 1876, Ludvig and Robert Nobel , brothers of Alfred Nobel , founded Branobel (short for Brothers Nobel) in Baku , Azerbaijan . It was, during

13915-441: Was first used by Swan in the Nobel tankers Blesk , Lumen , and Lux . Others point to Glückauf , another design of Colonel Swan, as being the first modern oil tanker. It adopted the best practices from previous oil tanker designs to create the prototype for all subsequent vessels of the type. It was the first dedicated steam-driven ocean-going tanker in the world and was the first ship in which oil could be pumped directly into

14036-409: Was partly destroyed by natural disasters and rebuilt several times during the following 200 years. The Ottomans appointed Greek administrators ( Phanariotes ) to run the town ( Ottoman Turkish : بكرش , romanized :  Bukreş ) from the 18th century. The 1821 Wallachian uprising initiated by Tudor Vladimirescu led to the end of the rule of Constantinople Greeks in Bucharest. In 1813–14

14157-598: Was preceded by two similar incidents that occurred in May and June 2019 and was followed by another in August 2021 . On 29 July 2021, the oil tanker MT Mercer Street was attacked near the coast of Oman while sailing to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Tanzania . The ship suffered damage to its bridge , with the attack killing its Romanian national captain and a British national bodyguard . The British military 's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said that

14278-405: Was ranked among the top 100 safest cities in the world in a list compiled by Numbeo. The study found Bucharest to be very safe with regard to aspects such walking alone, home invasions, muggings, cars being stolen, assault, insults, assault due to skin color, ethnic origin, or gender, drug dealing, and armed robberies, with the only crimes in the high category being corruption and bribery. In 2015,

14399-487: Was related to bucurie (joy), bucuros (joyful), or a se bucura (to be joyful), while an early 19th-century book published in Vienna assumed its name to be derived from 'Bukovie', a beech forest. In English , the city's name was formerly rendered as Bukarest . A native or resident of Bucharest is called a 'Bucharester' (Romanian: bucureștean ). Bucharest's history alternated periods of development and decline from

14520-496: Was renamed Happy Giant in 1989, Jahre Viking in 1991, and Knock Nevis in 2004 (when she was converted into a permanently moored storage tanker). In 2009 she was sold for the last time, renamed Mont , and scrapped . As of 2011, the world's two largest working supertankers are the TI-class supertankers TI Europe and TI Oceania . These ships were built in 2002 and 2003 as Hellespont Alhambra and Hellespont Tara for

14641-674: Was the world's largest flag state for oil tankers, with 528 of the vessels in its registry. Six other flag states had more than 200 registered oil tankers: Liberia (464), Singapore (355), China (252), Russia (250), the Marshall Islands (234) and the Bahamas (209). The Panamanian, Liberian, Marshallese and Bahamian flags are open registries and considered by the International Transport Workers' Federation to be flags of convenience . By comparison,

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