The Iraqi Oil Tanker Company announced on Saturday that it had transported two million barrels of Iraqi crude oil aboard a very large crude carrier (VLCC) beyond the Strait of Hormuz, the Iraqi News Agency reported.
اضافة اعلان
The company also confirmed that it is working to purchase and acquire specialized crude oil tankers as part of efforts to expand its transportation capabilities.
Ali Qais, the company’s director general, said that, based on directives from the prime minister and under the direct supervision of the oil minister, the company had been assigned, for the first time in decades, the task of transporting domestically produced crude oil beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
The move represents a shift in part of Iraq’s oil sales operations, from delivery at the Port of Basra to transporting crude beyond the strait, he said.
Qais said the company had held several discussions with specialized firms and had succeeded, for the first time, in securing a VLCC tanker. The vessel was loaded with two million barrels of crude oil and transported the shipment beyond the strait, allowing the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) to benefit from improved sales and pricing opportunities.
He added that the company had received continued instructions to engage with relevant authorities and identify suitable opportunities, as quickly as possible, to purchase and own specialized crude oil tankers.
The objective, Qais said, is to strengthen the capabilities of the Iraqi Oil Tanker Company and enable it to compete with similar companies across the region.
Source: Iraqi News Agency
