Report: Qatar’s Bunkering Move Short of Displaced Fujairah Demand?
The move to launch ship-to-ship fuel bunkering at Qatari ports may not be sufficient to fulfill the marine fuel oil demand that has been displaced from Fujairah as a result of the Qatari crisis, Platts said citing undisclosed sources.
Although some sources said that bunkering at the Fujairah Offshore Anchorage Area (FOAA) was now possible for non-Qatari-flagged and/or non-Qatari-owned ships, suppliers informed they had still not started supplying bunkers to these ships that were sailing to and from Qatar, according to Platts.
Earlier this week, state-owned petroleum company Qatar Petroleum launched a bunkering facility for all vessels calling Qatari ports “to ensure the continuous and reliable energy supplies.” The bunkering operations, available for all vessels lifting any Qatari seaborne imports or exports, started after meeting all international maritime and safety standards.
“This temporary ship-to-ship fuel bunkering facility will meet our clients’ safety and commercial expectations, and will continue until a permanent solution is implemented,” Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the president and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, said.
Qatar’s bunkering move might have a few downsides, according to Platts’ sources, including the current weather conditions with winds at around 4 knots at Doha, which could make the operations difficult, a limited storage for fuel oil, as well as the availability of bunker barges in Qatar.
World Maritime News Staff
