
Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO) has recently established a new bunker terminal at the Port of Duqm to serve the international shipping market, capitalising on its close proximity to trade lanes accessing the Suez Canal, Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean.
The new Port of Duqm terminal will offer the highest specification HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO marine fuel in compliance with ISO 8217, and has been designed to meet the increasing demand for quality marine fuel, including all low sulphur fuel-compliant marine fuels in line with IMO2020. Bunkers will also be delivered by barge, with the addition of the 10,000 metric tonnes MT Alpha, which is capable of delivering HSFO 3.5% sulphur, VLSFO 0.5% sulphur, and LSMGO, at a pumping rate up to 1000 m3 per hour.
As well as bunker fuel deliveries, vessels calling at Duqm can also now take advantage of a range of services at the port, including pilotage, freshwater supply, waste collection, towage, crew change, de-slopping, ship spares and drydock services.
The bunker fuel market in the Middle East and Africa region is expected to grow by more than 12% between 2022 and 2025. “The commissioning of the bunker terminal means OOMCO can now offer the growing number of Duqm customers access to high quality marine fuels that meet their requirements coupled with state-of-the-art facilities, support infrastructure and above all effective supply chain,” said Hussain Jama Bait Ishaq, Acting Chief Executive Officer of OOMCO. “Through this milestone, we are taking a step forward to achieving our goal to be among the top fuel bunker suppliers in the GCC by 2027.”
OOMCO’s bunkering services are supported by the nearby Duqm refinery, which, when completed, will have a production capacity of 230,000 barrels per day. In addition, the nearby Ras Markaz storage terminal is also currently under construction and will be able to offer six million barrels of storage capacity once completed in 2022.