California IN BRIEF : SAN DIEGO : Tanker Repairs Run Ahead of Schedule

Massive repairs to the crippled Exxon Valdez, the tanker responsible for the largest oil spill in U.S. history, are proceeding ahead of schedule, according to the National Steel & Shipbuilding Co. in San Diego. The $25 million in repairs, which include replacing 3,400 tons of steel in the ship’s hull, are unprecedented in magnitude, company officials say. After spewing a record 11 million gallons of crude oil when it ran aground off the coast of Alaska in March, the 987-foot tanker arrived home with two multi-ton boulders embedded in its hull. Company officials said the repairs, which began in August, are running under budget and may be done before the scheduled July, 1990, completion date.