Iran is undertaking an effort to increase the crude oil storage capabilities of a key oil export terminal, as well as to reduce its dependence on private contractors for the same.
The Operating Director of Kharg Oil Terminal at Iranian Oil Terminals Company (IOTC) Kumars Karami Moghadam has said that ‘the overhaul of strategic reservoirs at Kharg oil terminal, as the largest oil export terminal in the (Arabian) Gulf, is carried out on a regular basis to prepare them for emergencies’.
“Considering the domestic capabilities of oil industry, it was decided that IOTS, rather than contractors, take charge of descaling operations for a one million barrel reservoir,” Moghadam said, according to the official Mehr News Agency.
The official noted that the scheme proposed by IOTS was ‘innovative’ since the bottom sediments would resolve in crude oil and return to the country’s oil export cycle; ‘in addition, the operation was carried out at a high level in terms of safety, hygiene, safety and environment which can be applied to other tanks in Kharg oil terminal’.
“Raising the storage volume of crude oil marks one of the most important advantages of descaling tanks,” Moghadam said, adding “the increased storage volume alleviates the need to store oil in tankers on the sea.”
“Regular descaling of reservoirs will ultimately minimise the amount of country’s oil stored on water,” he reiterated.
Storage of crude oil in Kharg oil terminal has always been on the Iranian authorities’ agenda due to its strategic importance in transfer or export of crude oil.
Several problems might disrupt the export process including adverse weather conditions, faults in pipelines and ship issues which all necessitate the existence and readiness of storage tanks.
