The Directions Fuel Trading (DFT) subsidiary of Dubai conglomerate Khushi Group has opened a small fuels processing plant and storage depot near the UAE port of Ajman. The facility was built at a cost of Dh70mn ($19mn) and is one of a number of ‘niche’ fuels processing projects in the UAE at a time when economies of scale are driving conventional downstream projects to greater throughput capacities.

Khushi chief executive Umakant Rath tells MEES that the processing plant can convert 5,000 b/d of gasoil into light diesel oil and 5,000 b/d of base oil into furnace oil. Feedstock arrives by road tanker at the plant in Al Jurf Industrial Area. Output is also delivered to ships, manufacturers, exporters and small-scale traders by road tanker. The depot has six storage tanks with combined capacity to hold 10,000 tons of gasoil and furnace oil. (CONTINUED - 312 WORDS)