This vessel, a double hull product tanker, hull No. 1102, was built by STX Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Chinhae, Korea (before Daedong Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.). The ship was ordered by Nortide II Shipping Ltd., Nassau, Bahamas, managed by Dampskibsselskabet "Norden" A/S, København (Steamship Company "Norden" Ltd., Copenhagen, Denmark). The intended original name was reported as "NORDPARK", but during the construction the hull was sold to Ngol Queve Ltd., Gibraltar. The keel was laid on 13.02.2003 and the launching was on 26.04.2003. The completion and the delivery of the tanker to her new owners was on 18.07.2003. The vessel was named "NGOL QUEVE" and was registered under the Maltese flag. IMO No. 9255842, official No. 8298, call sign: 9HPP7. The technical management was allocated to ABCmaritime AG, Nyon.
The "NGOL QUEVE" main particulars are GT / NT: 25’561 / 9089, with a carrying capacity of 37’378 metric tonnes DWT on a summer draught of 10.00 m. The 12 cargo tanks and the 2 slop tanks have a total volume of 45’535 m3. They are Epoxy coated and fitted with stainless steel, steam heating coils. Each tank is fitted with its own, hydraulic driven Framo deepwell cargo pump. An inert gas system with one independent, diesel oil fired gas generator is fitted to protect the cargo tanks.
The slowspeed, crosshead main engine is a 6-cylinder MAN-B&W Diesel, type: 6S50MC-C (MK7), developing 12,870 BHP at 127 RPM (MCR), directly coupled to one solid propeller. Three diesel generators of 600 kW each and one emergency diesel generator of 120 kW supply the electrical power.
After the delivery the "NGOL QUEVE" (named after the river Queve, also known as Rio Cuvo in Angola), sailed to Luanda and took up commercial operations as product and crude oil tanker for Sonangol (the local oil company), trading mainly along the coast of West Africa, but also to other destinations.
In February 2004 the following was reported in the Internet:
"On Friday 13th February 2004 two tankers collided in the Georgian port of Poti in the Black Sea during severe weather conditions. Reports say Navibulgar's 5900-dwt "Batova" (built 1987) was in collision with the Maltese-flagged, 37'000-dwt tanker and chemical carrier "NGOL QUEVE" (built 2003) at 15:00 local time. Both tankers were empty at the time. None of the crew was reported injured. "NGOL QUEVE" was heading to load a cargo of gas oil for shipment to Luanda in Angola. The vessel, which is managed by Swiss-based ABCmaritime, Nyon is on charter to trader Trafigura, Luzern. Reports say inspectors are checking the ship to see if it is safe to load the cargo. The Bulgarian-flagged "Batova", which was due to load 5200 tonnes of gasoil for discharge in Larnaka, Cyprus, sustained damage to the bridge."
Actually, both ships were at anchor and due to the strong winds, the "NGOL QUEVE" commenced to drag her anchor until she collided with the "Batova". The "Batova" sustained minor damage to her bridge wing.
At begin of the year 2007 the vessel was sold to Naftilos A. Marine, Valletta, which is controlled by Ancora Investment Trust Inc., Glyfada, Athens www.ancora.gr a Greek oil tanker company. The vessel was handed over in Gibraltar on Friday 12.01.2007 and renamed "NAFTILOS AN". The tanker remained under Maltese registry, therefore call sign and official number remain unchanged.