Iraq begins building two new tankers to transport oil products
Economy News – Baghdad
The Iraqi Oil Tanker Company (National Carrier) announced today, Thursday, that the percentage of transport of oil products produced in Iraqi refineries has increased to 65% after the two tankers confirmed and Sumer entered work, and while confirmed the imminent announcement of the construction of two new tankers to transport products, it revealed a plan to enter into real partnerships with major companies to acquire giant tankers.
The company’s general manager, Ali Qais, told the official agency and followed by “Economy News”, that “the Iraqi Oil Tanker Company previously owned 29 tankers of different sizes, but as a result of the wars and conflicts that the country went through, this fleet was completely destroyed and Iraq sold oil on the minus and not continued, and that is why the Oil Tanker Company sought to regain its position after 2003.”
Qais added, “The company owns 4 tankers, which are tankers of oil products only (Digla, Euphrates, Shatt Al-Arab, and Baghdad) with a tonnage of 13,000 tons, and in 2019 it signed a contract to build two tankers according to international specifications, namely (Akd and Sumer) to transport oil products. ”
He continued: “We are now in the process of negotiating with international companies to enter into major partnerships for the purpose of expropriating tankers, as well as the re-activity of transporting Iraqi crude oil, as the percentage of transport of oil products produced in refineries reached 65% after the entry of the two tankers (Akd and Sumer),” stressing: “We are now in the process of announcing the construction of two new tankers to transport products and we will try to reach 100% of the transfer of products.”
Regarding the percentage of quantities exporting crude oil, Qais explained that “the quantities exported of crude oil are sold through the oil marketing company, that is, the purchasing companies that transport oil because we sell it on the line and not continuous, but the Minister of Oil stressed that the activity of transporting Iraqi crude oil by Iraqi tankers must be returned.”
He pointed out that “the company’s future plan is to build two tankers of oil products and enter into real partnerships with major companies for the purpose of expropring giant tankers to transport Iraqi crude oil.”