Following the end of World War II, the company took delivery of a series of tankers. By 1955, Bergesen d.y. was operating seven modern tankers of up to 34,000 dwt, all of them on long-term charters to major oil companies. During the next decade the company continued its rapid fleet expansion. More than 16 tankers had been delivered and the typical size had now grown to 102,000 dwt. Chartering work and good timing enabled the company to further develop its close relations with the oil majors. In 1967, Sigval Bergesen d.y. entered a new business segment: the transportation of dry bulk cargoes. His son, Berge Sig. Bergesen, who had started this shipping business ten years earlier, experienced financial difficulties. Berge Sig. Bergesen had formed a partnership with Hugo Neu Corp. to transport iron ore on large dry bulk vessels. Sigval Bergesen d.y. took over this partnership and all of his son's vessels. When Bergesen entered the turbulent 1970s, it had grown to one of the largest shipowning companies in the world. Many changes were to occur during this decade, but the company kept its leading position. The oil crisis in the mid 1970s affected a number of shipping companies severely. Bergesen, with its long term contracts and a careful chartering policy, remained financially strong. In fact, the company was in a position to further expand.
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