European oil tankers return to Iran
OTC head, while pointing to coming back of European oil tankers to Iranian terminals, reported on a 50% rise in volume of tanker traffic in Iran.
On latest status of mooring of tankers at oil terminals in the country, Managing Director of Iran Oil Terminals Company (IOTC) Seyyed Pirouz Mousavi said “given the removal of sanctions against oil exports in the past year, there has been a 50 per cent increase in arrival of oil tankers as well as those which carry gas condensate in Iranian oil terminals in the Persian Gulf as compared with a year ago.”
The official stressed that tankers leased out by giant oil companies like France’s Total, Eni of Italy, Russia’s Lukoil as well as Chinese and Japanese firms are presently being sailed into berths and loaded in the country’s southern terminals; “at the moment, Iranian terminals enjoy highest international standards and perceive no restrictions for mooring of foreign vessels.”
He further touched upon the operational capability for gas condensate exports in the Persian Gulf explaining that “with the upsurge in gas condensate output, export volume of the petroleum product has also augmented.”
“Gas condensate produced at South Pars phases is presently deployed to global markets via three routes,” highlighted Mousavi asserting “three loading buoys anchored offshore (Single Point Mooring (SPM)) in addition to docks on the first and second sections of Assaluyeh gas terminal are capable of transferring the product to the ships.”
IOTC head, while referring to implementation of a new project for berth of the world’s biggest oil tankers at Assaluyeh terminal, said conditions are set now for mooring of ships with a capacity of 300 to 320 thousand tons.
He recalled that the current loading and export capacity for gas condensate stands at about two million barrels adding “these exists no limit to export of gas condensate thanks to deep-draft marine oil terminals.”
The official went on to point to the rise in traffic of oil tankers following sanctions removal and reiterated that no incident has so far occurred in the country’s terminals and mooring, loading and deployment of vessels have been accomplished all by Iranian engineers.