Fujairah Oil Terminal Invests in VLCC project. Expects Surge in Oil Trade

Friday, August 27, 2021

The Fujairah Oil Terminal is investing an estimated $45 million to upgrade the infrastructure at its storage facilities, betting on a surge in crude trading and storage demand at the United Arab Emirates oil hub, the company's chairman told Reuters.

FOT's expansion, financed by a new $280 million debt facility, will connect its terminal to the Port of Fujairah's very large crude carrier (VLCC) loading facility and the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline (ADCOP) pipeline, said Steve Bickerton, senior managing director at Prostar Capital and chairman of FOT.

"That's a game-changer because it gives us access to customers who want to be moving crude oil through VLCCs and it gives our customers direct access to the ADCOP, which brings Abu Dhabi's Murban Crude into Fujairah," said Bickerton.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of next year, Bickerton said.

Abu Dhabi in March launched the Murban crude futures contracts, a physically delivered contract with delivery at Fujairah, offering a rival pricing benchmark and allowing traders to hedge Middle East crude and refining margins.

UAE national oil company ADNOC also plans to boost its output capacity to 5 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2030 from about 4 million bpd now.

"Whilst the port has historically been one of the largest bunker fuel ports in the world, I think we're potentially going to see that being taken over and dwarfed by the crude oil market," said Bickerton.

With the trading and storage opportunities made possible by the Murban oil futures contract, Bickerton added it was "a real possibility" for Prostar to increase its Fujairah crude oil storage capacity through its wholly-owned GTI Fujairah terminal located alongside FOT.

Prostar Capital is a 40% shareholder in FOT with the rest held by Hong Kong-listed Sinopec Kantons (50%) and the Government of Fujairah (10%).

"GTI Fujairah has a large land-bank at the back of the existing terminal and it could build another 500,000 cubic meters of storage on that land and can access the same VLCC connection that we are putting in as part of FOT's program," said Bickerton.

FOT contributed 29% of the Port of Fujairah's 2020 throughput and represents about 12% of the Fujairah storage market, according to Prostar's website. (Reporting by Roslan Khasawneh; editing by David Evans)

Categories: Middle East Coastal/Inland VLCC

Related Stories

SBM Offshore, SLB to Optimize FPSO Performance Using AI

SBM Offshore Starts Construction of FSO for Trion Oil Field off Mexico

Petronas to Leverage AI to Expedite Oil and Gas Exploration Activities

Hanwha Ocean Enlists ABB for Singapore’s First Floating LNG Terminal

Chinese Contractor Secures Offshore Oil and Gas ‘Mega Deal’ from QatarEnergy

DOF Secures Moorings Hook-Up Job in Asia Pacific

Saipem Bags $1.5B Contract for Türkiye Largest Offshore Gas Field

Floating Offshore Wind Test Center Planned for Japan

Synergy Marine Group Completes Conversion of LNG Vessel to FSRU

PTTEP Hires McDermott for Deepwater Subsea Job off Malaysia

Current News

Shell’s Brazil-Bound FPSO Starts Taking Shape

Ventura Offshore’s Semi-Sub Rig to Keep Drilling for Eni in Asia

SBM Offshore, SLB to Optimize FPSO Performance Using AI

MODEC Ramps Up Hammerhead FPSO Work After ExxonMobil's Go-Ahead

Aesen, DOC JV Targets Subsea Cable Logistics

Timor Gap Boosts Stake in Finder Energy’s Timor-Leste Oil Fields

SBM Offshore Starts Construction of FSO for Trion Oil Field off Mexico

Russia Targets 2028 for Sakhalin-3 Gas Project Start Up

Seatrium Secures ABS Backing for Deepwater FPSO Design

MDL Secures Cable Laying Job in Asia Pacific

Subscribe for AOG Digital E‑News

AOG Digital E-News is the subsea industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email three times per week

https://accounts.newwavemedia.com