EXXON PULLS ITS NAME OFF ALL VESSELS

By The Associated Press

VALDEZ- Exxon is changing the names of its tankers to reflect the oil company's growing operations along the Mississippi River. The word "Exxon" soon will disappear from the hulls of all the company's vessels. It is to be replaced with "SeaRiver" as in SeaRiver Baton Rouge and SeaRiver North Slope, a company spokesman said.

"We have a fairly significant tug and barge operation in Texas and Louisiana," said Art Stephens, head of external affairs for Exxon. "We wanted more recognition for our river activities."

All six Exxon oil tankers that regularly tie up at Valdez will have the new hull markings by August, he said. The other tankers are the New Orleans, Long Beach, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

The Mediterranean, which under the name Exxon Valdez spilled nearly 11 million barrels of North Slope crude into Prince William Sound in 1989, now hauls European oil to Italy.

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