THE world's biggest crude oil tanker, made in Shanghai, is expected to be delivered this week, five months ahead of the original schedule, the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co said yesterday.

The 318,000 dead-weight-ton tanker, Hua San, represents the largest Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) under the structural rules formulated by the International Association of Classification Societies Ltd.

The carrier will be delivered to its owner, a Singaporean shipping line, on Thursday or Friday, He Baoxing, a Shanghai Waigaoqiao press official told Shanghai Daily yesterday.

This marks another key milestone for the local shipbuilding industry in Shanghai, whose Changxing Island is on course to become the world's leading builder.

Just two weeks ago, a 297,000-DWT vessel, the Yangtze Pearl, which was the largest VLCC built in Shanghai up to that time, began its maiden voyage. The Yangtze Pearl was built by the Shanghai Jiangnan-Changxing Shipbuilding Co, a subsidiary of Shanghai Waigaoqiao.

The Hua San, is 333 meters long, has a beam of 60 meters and features advanced technology using thickened materials in crucial parts of the tanker.