Page 13 - DMEA Week 09 2021

DMEA TERMINALS & SHIPPING DMEA

Houthi demands cause

further delays to Safer repairs

MIDDLE EAST THE United Nations (UN) this week said that could lead to an explosion.
a new list of demands from Yemen’s Houthis A solution is yet to be found that will lead to
are stifling efforts to assess the condition of the the safe unloading of the cargo, with the Houthis
dilapidated Safer floating storage and offload- demanding guarantees that they will be entitled
ing vessel, which remains anchored offshore the to the oil, which is worth around $64mn at cur-
country. rent crude prices.
The vessel is moored near the Red Sea port of Of the mood among the negotiators, Dujar-
Ras Isa, north of Hodeidah, and is still thought ric said: “I think ‘increased worry’ is the right
to have a cargo of more than 1mn barrels of oil expression. We’ve been talking about this for
onboard. two years now.”
“Unfortunately, we have encountered some While there have so far been no leaks, the
new delays after recent additional requests from UN representative noted that this is only “by
the Houthis,” said UN chief spokesman Stephane the grace of God”. Dujarric added: “The more
Dujarric. “Those additional requests focused on we wait, the chances of a major leak are increas-
logistics and security arrangements,” he added. ing […] One can only imagine the devastating
Dujarric said that the UN understands “that ecological impact [a leak] it would have on the
many member states, including donors to the region and on countries surrounding Yemen
project, are extremely concerned by these new (and) bordering the Red Sea whose populations
delays. We, of course, share those concerns”. rely on the Red Sea for fishing and for tourism.”
Meanwhile, he noted that the team is “working as Meanwhile, the Houthis have insisted that the
diligently as possible on a field where sometimes Saudi coalition should be held accountable for
the goalposts seem to shift.” any leaks. The vessel has a total storage capacity
In July 2019, UN officials were prevented of 3mn barrels in 34 tanks and was previously
from visiting Safer to assess the scale of the dam- used to store and export oil produced in the cen-
age amid fears that gas build-up in storage tanks tral oilfields of Marib.™

Liberia begins construction work

on new Harper fuel storage facility

AFRICA LIBERIA’S National Port Authority (NPA) has made by fuel dealers in Harper, several of whom
begun construction work on a new petroleum told FrontPageAfrica last week said that they did
product storage depot within the framework of not have adequate options for sourcing petro-
a wider effort to refurbish the port of Harper. leum products from domestic suppliers.
NPA marked the start of construction last week, Many roads in south-eastern Liberia are in
in a ceremony attended by Liberian President such poor condition that importing fuel from
George Weah. neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire is simply easier, they
At the ceremony, Weah said he expected explained. In turn, they said, the need to buy
the project to benefit the country by improving from foreign suppliers drives the price of petro-
supply conditions on the domestic fuel market. leum products up.
Once the new storage facility is complete, he NPA will need two years to finish building the
explained, Liberia will be able to import more new storage facility, which carries a price tag of
petroleum products and make larger volumes $6mn. The government has urged the agency to
available to the south-eastern counties, includ- dredge the port of Harper so that it can accom-
ing Grand Gedeh, Grand Kru, Maryland and modate larger fuel tankers, but Bill Twehway,
River Gee. Currently, he noted, these areas con- NPA’s managing director, said at last week’s
sume mostly imported fuel. He described this launch ceremony that this goal would be diffi-
dependence on imports as less than ideal and cult to achieve without additional state funding.
said that the additional storage capacity would Liberia experienced extensive fuel shortages
facilitate domestic sales while also making the in the first quarter of 2020 amidst problems
port of Harper more profitable. related to excessive withdrawals from existing
His statements are in line with complaints storage depots.™

Week 09 04•March•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P13