Figures released by a leading bulk liquid storage terminal operator at Sohar Industrial Port in Northern Oman show that liquids handled for traders increased more substantially than that for tenants from within and around the port in 2012.

Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals & Co LLC (OOT), which has a total storage capacity of 1.39 million cu m, moved around 20 million tonnes of product during the year, 15 million tonnes of which was handled over the jetty.  Some 11.3 million tonnes was handled for tenants and the remainder of 9 million tonnes for traders, the volume for tenants increasing by about 1 million tonnes or 9.7 per cent while that for traders surging by 3 million tonnes or 50 per cent.

OOT’s dedicated customers in 2012 were Orpic Refinery, Orpic Aromatics and Oman Methanol Company.

The last expansion phase was commissioned in July 2012, and covered 27,300 cu m storage capacity for chemicals “There are no immediate plans to increase storage capacity. We’re however in talks on numerous new projects in the Port of Sohar for which we hope to have commercial conclusions during 2013,” said OOT chief executive officer Morten Albriktsen.

The company has long-term jetty management contracts with Orpic Refinery and Oman Methanol Company and is currently pursuing a jetty expansion, adding two new LR berths to its facilities for which commercial conclusion will occur in mid-2013 and actual commissioning by early 2015, said Albriktsen. There are currently six jetties.

OOT provides additives injection services but the company said this is a minor activity and no precise data is available. It also said there is no precise data available for its circulation, blending and homogenisation services.

A worker attends to the movement of product at an OOT jetty

CURRENT FOCUS
Albriktsen said OOT will focus this year on optimising current capacities and adding infrastructure including lines and pumps to support existing storage capacities as well as further expanding chemical capacities and developing new capacities in line with new projects inside the Port of Sohar and Sohar Free Zone.

Focus will also stay on the expansion of the jetty infrastructure and providing full support for the Orpic expansion project and on continuing to serve as the preferred storage terminal in the Arabian Gulf region for clean petroleum products, gases and chemicals while fully pursuing a diversification strategy, he said.

OOT is a joint venture between Oiltanking, Odfjell and Oman Oil.  Oiltanking is one of the world’s leading independent storage partners for oils, chemicals and gases with 73 terminals in 22 countries. Odfjell is a leading shipping and terminals company with over 20 terminal positions all over the globe. Between the world’s oil fields and the users of derivative products, independent terminal networks like Oiltanking and Odfjell perform vital connecting services.

IDEALLY LOCATED
“OOT’s location in Sohar at the entrance of the Arabian Gulf bears out the strategic importance of its services not only to Oman but to the industry at large. Their terminal is ideally located to support trade and cargo flows within the Middle East region as well as flows from the Gulf to other continents and regions,” said a company statement. It offers its clients a diverse and flexible terminal facility for such services as storage of product, tank-to-tank transfer, truck/ISO container loading, circulation, blending and homogenising and injection of additives.

Multiple deep-water berths combined with a flexible system and high pump capacity assure customers a quick and efficient vessel turnaround. Pipelines connect the terminal to the Sohar Refinery, Oman Methanol and Aromatics Oman plant. The company employs 107 permanent staff and is amongst the top three liquid bulk storage terminals in the Middle East, while being the only diversified terminal in the region handling petroleum products, chemicals and gases under one roof with a turnover of RO26 million ($67.5 million)  in 2012.