Page 8 - MEOG Week 36

MEOG PIPELINES & TRANSPORT MEOG

Iran says Jask oil terminal

ready for operation by March

IRAN IRANIAN authorities have said that the Jask progress by late August, adding: “Based on the
oil terminal project will be ready for operation planned target, 10% monthly progress has been
by the beginning of the next Persian new year set for this project until the final commissioning
(March 21), SHANA reported on September 1. stage.”
The use of Jask Port would enable Iran to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani previously
avoid sending oil shipments via the Strait of Hor- mentioned in June that Bandar-e Jask aimed to
muz, a chokepoint leading to the Persian Gulf via export 1mn barrels per day of oil by March.
which around a fifth of exports to world markets “This move will assure our oil buyers that Iran
are shipped. Iran has periodically threatened to will continue exporting oil if the Strait is closed,”
block the Strait if its crude exports are unaccept- Rouhani added.
ably harmed by US sanctions, while Washington In June, President Hassan Rouhani officially
has said such a move would require a response. launched work on an oil pipeline linking the Gulf
Vahid Maleki, CEO of Pars Oil and Gas Co. port city of Goreh in Bushehr province to Jask,
(POGC), said that the project entails systems for following the beginning of construction work
measuring or metering crude oil, 6 series of sea- nearly two months earlier.
bed pipelines and three SBMs. Rouhani added that the 1mn barrel per day
He added: “In the first phase, with the aim of pipeline would come into operation in March
early commissioning of the project until the end 2021, allowing crude exports from Jask to
of this calendar year, a set of metering tools, two increase. “Jask will turn into Iran’s key hub of oil
36-inch [914-mm] pipelines, a marine manifold exports,” he added. At present the Kharg Island
and an SBM will be put into operation.” terminal in the Gulf accounts for 90% of the
He mentioned the project had seen 35% country’s oil exports.™

POLICY

Firms mount bid

to retrieve Iranian

fuel seized by US

IRAN THE owners of four Iranian fuel shipments the cargo aboard the Bella and Bering tankers,
seized from tankers by the US last month have UK-registered Oman Fuel said it owned the
mounted a legal challenge to the seizure, accord- cargo aboard the Pandi and Luna tankers, and
ing to a court filing. Oman-registered Sohar Fuel said it part-owned
The US Justice Department announced the cargo aboard the Luna.
the seizure of the fuel, amounting to 1.116mn The companies added that they had sold the
barrels, that it claimed was destined for Vene- cargoes onwards to United Arab Emirates-based
zuela, which like Iran is subject to heavy Amer- Citi Energy FZC, but payment was due upon
ican sanctions. Tehran and Caracas have drawn delivery, which was disrupted by the mid-ocean
Washington’s ire by starting a strategic relation- seizure.
ship that has involved fuel-laden tankers making “Therefore, Claimants Mobin, Oman Fuel,
their way from Iran to Venezuela to alleviate the and Sohar Fuel retain a financial stake in those
latter’s gasoline shortages caused by US sanc- agreements and have immediate right to title,
tions that have hindered the operations of its possession, and control of the Defendant Prop-
refineries. erties,” the companies wrote.
In the September 1 filing with the US District
Court for the District of Columbia, as cited by Destination disputed
Reuters, United Arab Emirates-based Mobin The companies also disputed the US assertion
International Limited said it was the owner of that the shipments were bound for Venezuela.

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 36 09•September•2020