Page 7 - MEOG Week 49

MEOG PIPELINES & TRANSPORT MEOG

Turkey boosts LNG imports in first half

TURKEY THE share of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Tur- Turkey supports its energy supply security
key’s gas imports increased from 27% in the first through its LNG and FSRU terminal infrastruc-
half of 2019 to 43% for the same period of this ture and meets nearly 45-50bn cubic metres of
year, state-run news service Anadolu Agency annual consumption.
quoted Yunus Emre Icik of crude oil and natural Turkey’s Marmara Ereglisi LNG Terminal
gas pipeline trading company BOTAS as saying. has a capacity of 5.9mn tonnes while the Aliaga
Emre Icik confirmed a total daily send-out Egegaz LNG Terminal has an annual capacity of
capacity of more than 120mn cubic metres from 4.4mn tonnes.
Turkey’s two land-based liquefied natural gas Turkey’s first FSRU was launched in Aliaga,
(LNG) terminals and its two floating storage Izmir in December 2016.
regasification units (FSRU). In early February 2018, a second FSRU with
“From this infrastructure, Turkey has been 20mn cubic metres of send-out capacity per day
able to benefit from low LNG prices to supply was launched in the country’s southernmost
almost half of its peak daily natural gas demand,” Hatay province.
Icik said. Turkey plans to expand its LNG storage

The country’s LNG imports rose sharply capacity by adding a third FSRU in Saros Bay,
most particularly in May when LNG prices north of the Gallipoli Peninsula in northwestern
dropped to very low levels. Turkey, by 2021.™

Iran sends largest shipload

of fuel ships to Venezuela

IRAN IRAN has sent to Venezuela the largest con- refining and then returned.
signment of ships with fuel of all time, including Iran sent a first flotilla of five fuel-laden tank-
ten tankers with fuel, Bloomberg reported on ers to Venezuela between May and June. They
December 5. arrived in Venezuelan state-run PDVSA ports
Iran is now Venezuela’s biggest political and without interference. But a second group of four
economic supporter after Russia and China, Liberia-flagged tankers owned by a Greek ship-
previously opening its first supermarket in the ping group did not arrive at the South American
capital Caracas; however, reports say despite the nation in July as the fuel was seized by Washing-
devaluation in the rial even those products are ton under a court order.
out of reach for most Venezuelans as that sanc- Iran sent another three in October, the US
tioned economy tanks. also flagged those and threatened to capture
Bloomberg report this to be the largest them fully laden.
number of fuel vessels that Iran has ever sent to Petrol scarcity in Venezuela has worsened in
Venezuela at a time and flies in the face of US recent weeks due to insufficient domestic pro-
sanctions levied by Donald Trump on both duction, leaving long queues of drivers waiting
countries. in front of stations.
Iran intends to “help the isolated country The situation has been caused by difficulties
cope with an acute fuel shortage,” with its locally in attending to maintenance, repairs and oper-
refined and crude fuels” it said in a statement. ational requirements at the South American
After unloading the fuel, Iranian tankers will country’s refineries, with some mainly blaming
help Venezuela export crude oil on their return US sanctions for the troubles and others point-
journey, the press release said. It is not known ing the finger at economic mismanagement by
whether the crude will be sent back to Iran for the Maduro administration.™

Week 49 09•December•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P7