Iraq inaugurated a 340 meter-long oil products berth at Khor al-Zubair port on 13 November. The $100mn project was delivered in four years by Mitsubishi, and financed as part of a $376mn expansion package provided through loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The berth will allow both imports and exports, with 10,000-60,000DWT vessels able to dock. Iraq exports its high sulfur straight run fuel oil (SRFO) and naphtha on small vessels from Khor al-Zubair and Um Qasr South ports, which then load cargoes onto larger tankers within the country’s territorial waters in the Gulf. The Khor al-Zubair lightering area is located west of the Basrah Oil Terminal. Last year, three VLCCs and an MR tanker were contracted from Safeen Group, the marine services arm of the Abu Dhabi Ports Group, to shuttle the cargos (MEES, 14 October 2022). (CONTINUED - 138 WORDS)