Keystone Shipping Company

Keystone Shipping Company

Keystone Shipping Company's R/S RocketShip in 2019
Company type	Private
Founded	1919;107 years ago (1919)
Founder	Charles Kurz
Headquarters	Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania , United States
Key people	Donald Kurz, Donald Kurz Jr.
Services	Transportation, logistics
Website	www.keyship.com

Keystone Shipping Company is an American shipping and transportation company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The company operates a fleet of ships for both dry bulk cargo and tankers.

Keystone Shipping Company has a fleet of over 20 ships. The fleet consists of: tankers, dry bulk ships, tugboats, tank barges, and roll-on/roll-off ships. Keystone Shipping Company tanker fleet transports crude oil and other petroleum products to both coasts in the United States. ^[1]

History

Foundation and early years

Keystone Shipping Company was founded by Charles Kurz.

Since World War I, the Keystone Shipping Company has been active in the worldwide support of the United States Armed Forces. Keystone Shipping Company is part of the Ready Reserve Fleet program. Before Keystone Shipping Company, Charles Kurz was a shipping agent, commodities trader, and ship owner. Keystone Shipping Company headquarters is in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. ^[2]

World War II

Keystone Shipping Company was a major tanker operator during World War II. Keystone Shipping Company operated a fleet of tankers for the War Shipping Administration. Keystone Shipping Company operated Type T2 tankers and other tankers. Keystone Shipping Company operated for the war a fleet of over 60 tankers. Each Keystone Shipping Company had a merchant crew of about 9 officers and 39 men.

• Charles Kurz became the head of the War Shipping Administration (WSA) during World War II, in addition to operating ships.
  • Some ships operated for World War II:
• SS Santee ^[3]
  • Liberty ships:
• Christopher L. Sholes ^[4]
• Charles A. Wickliffe ^[5]
• Andrew A. Humpreys ^[6]
• Henry L. Ellsworth ^[7]
• Thomas F. Cunningham ^[8]
• David Holmes
• S.S. Seakay
  • T2 Tanker
• Oscar F. Barrett ^[9]
• Oscar S. Straus ^[9]
  • T2 Tanker
• Bennington ^[10]
• Bunker Hill ^[10]

Key Lakes

Key Lakes, Inc. of Duluth, Minnesota is a subsidiary of Keystone Shipping Company operating on the Great Lakes with 20 ships. Key Lakes operated tankers, dry bulk ships, tugboats, tank barges, and roll-on/roll-off ships. ^{[11] [12]}

Alaska Tanker Company

The Alaska Tanker Company was founded in 1999 by Keystone Shipping Company, OSG America Operating Company, and BP Oil Shipping Company. ^{[13] [14] [15]} Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. (NYSE: OSG) purchased all the shares of Alaska Tanker Company on March 12, 2020, and it is now a subsidiary of Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. of Tampa. ^[16] Alaska Tanker Company transports Alaskan crude oil with four 190,000-ton tankers. The company is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon. ^[17]

Ships: ^[18]

• Alaska Explorer
• Alaska Frontier
• Alaska Legend
• Alaska Navigator

Keystone Shipping Company ships

• MV Cape Kennedy (T-AKR-5083)
• SS Denebola (T-AKR-289)
• RS RocketShip
• SS Denebola (T-AKR-289)
• MV Cape Knox (T-AKR-5082)
• MV Cape Kennedy (T-AKR-5083)
• USNS Potomac (T-AO-181)
• MV Roger Blough
  • Some Past ships
• SS Chancellorsville T2 ^[19]
• SS Fredericksburg (1958) 1976–2004
• SS Murfreesboro T2 ^[19]
• SS Perryville T2 ^[19]
• SS Pueblo T2 ^[19]
• Birch Coulie ^[10]
• Oakley Wood ^[9]
• Henry C. Wallace ^[7]
• New Zealand Victory ^[20]
• David Holmes ^[21]
• Alan Seeger ^[6]
• Little Big Horn ^[22]
• Fort Capot River ^[23]
• MV Sea Isle City
• SS Bridgeton
• USS Saugatuck

See also

• World War II United States Merchant Navy

References

1. "Keystone Shipping Company in Bala-Gynwyd". Maritime Union.
2. maritime.dot.gov US Flag Companies
3. "Escort Carrier Photo Index: USS SANTEE (ACV-29)". NavSource.
4. http://www mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsC.html
5. "LibShipsC". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
6. "LibshipsA". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
7. "LibShipsH". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
8. "LibShipsT". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
9. "LibShipsN". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
10. "T2B". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
11. "Key Lakes, Inc". USW District 1. August 25, 2020.
12. "Capabilities & Fleet". Keystone Shipping Co.
13. America Operating Company
14. opencorporates.com https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_ca/C1005940 . Retrieved 2025-10-18.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
15. OSG America Operating Company
16. aktanker.com background
17. "Alaska Tanker Company". Alaska Tanker Company.
18. "Fleet". Alaska Tanker Company.
19. "T2C". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
20. "vicshipsN". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
21. "LibShipsD". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
22. "T2J". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
23. "Header1". www.mariners-l.co.uk.