Close to 800 million barrels of oil were exported from Iran’s largest oil loading and export facility, the Kharg Oil Terminal, in the previous fiscal that ended on March 20, 2018, managing director of Iran Oil Terminals Company said.
"Kharg terminal’s crude oil loading capacity has increased to 8 million barrels per day, which is three times over and above the current level of oil and condensates exports," Seyyed Pirouz Mousavi was quoted as saying by Shana, the Iranian National Oil Company's news agency.
According to the official, daily exports now exceed 2 million bpd of crude oil plus 600,000-700,000 barrels of condensates, a type of ultra light crude.
The oil terminal is located on Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, 25 kilometers off the coast of Iran. According to officials, more than 90% of Iran’s crude exports are shipped from the key island.
"Eight very large crude carriers, with a storage capacity of 360,000 tons, can berth at loading docks simultaneously without restrictions or technical hurdles," Mousavi said, adding that two ship-to-ship operations can also be carried out at the same time.
The official noted that the terminal is ready to increase its export capacity.
IOTC's operations conform to international standards.
"Iran has no stockpiles of crude oil at sea," he said, adding that NIOC is selling all the crude pumped from different oilfields.
"Iran's traditional customers, including China and India as well as European buyers like Italy, are loading their commodity and there have been no interruptions in oil export."
Mousavi emphasized that relying on local workforce is a top priority and plans are in place to hone their technical skills.
According to the official, the renovation of loading docks played a key role in stabilizing oil exports.
OTC completed the strategic project of renovating and overhauling Kharg Oil Terminal in the Persian Gulf with the aim of boosting oil export capacity last year.
He noted that 72 vessels with different capacities have discharged crude at Neka terminal’s storage reservoirs so far.
Neka terminal has the capacity to swap 350,000 barrels of crude oil per day, which can increase to 500,000 as soon as the terminal is overhauled, officials say.
Mousavi noted that Iran receives oil from Caspian Sea littoral states in the north and delivers the same amount to southern neighboring countries via Kharg Oil Terminal in Hormozgan Province.
