THE WORLD'S LARGEST TANKER "UNIVERSE IRELAND" ARRIVED TODAY (TUESDAY) AT BANTRY BAY IN IRELAND WITH A CARGO OF CRUDE OIL AFTER A ONE MONTH'S VOYAGE FROM KUWAIT. THE TANKER IS THE LARGEST VESSEL CURRENTLY AFLOAT. SHE'S 312,000 TONS AND 1132 FEET LONG.

THE UNIVERSE IRELAND IS THE FIRST FLEET ??? OF SIX GIANT TANKERS WHICH WILL BRING CRUDE OIL FROM THE MIDDLE EAST TO WHIDDY ISLAND, IN BANTRY BAY, EUROPE'S LATEST BIG REFINERY. ITS VOYAGE AROUND THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TOOK FOUR WEEKS. THE TANKERS HAVE BEEN BUILT IN JAPAN FOR THE AMERICAN GULF OIL COMPANY.

THE BANTRY BAY TERMINAL HAS A CAPACITY OF ONE MILLION TONS, AND WILL SUPPLY OTHER REFINERIES IN DENMARK, HOLLAND AND MILFORD HAVEN, WALES.

WHEN ALL TANKERS ARE IN SERVICE IT'S THOUGHT THAT ONE WILL ARRIVE IN BANTRY BAY EVERY 10 DAYS. SMALLER TANKERS OF UP TO 100,000 TONS WILL ARRIVE AT THE RATE OF THREE A WEEK TO TRANSPORT THE OIL TO OTHER REFINERIES.

EACH MONTH TANKER WILL CARRY 2,250,000 BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL -- ENOUGH TO RUN A 60,000 BARREL A DAY REFINERY FOR MORE THAN A MONTH.

THEY'LL BE LOADED AT A NEW OFFSHORE TERMINAL OFF THE KUWAIT COAST WHERE THE CRUDE OIL IS PUMPED FROM SHORE TO TANKER THROUGH A 48 INCH (125 CM) DIAMETER SUBMARINE PIPELINE.