Fujairah Will Expand Bunkering Facilities.

Fujairah, a booming UAE emirate now called the gateway to the Gulf, is to see its bunkering capacity doubled to 2.6 million cubic metres in the coming few years. This is according to the office of the ruler, Shaikh Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi. Sales of bunkers in Fujairah since the beginning of 2000 have exceeded 13 million tons compared to less than 12 million tons in 1999. The average price of the ship fuel this year is coming to about $146/ton, compared to around $60/ton in 1999. The bunkering business in Fujairah is run by four firms, which have the following capacities and expansion projects:

- Dubai affiliated Vopak Enoc Fujairah Terminal Co. has 26 tanks with a total capacity of 720,000 cubic metres storing fuel oil, gasoil, gasoline, naphtha and jet kerosine. The company's immediate plan is to have six additional tanks built with a combined capacity of 200,000 cubic metres. Vopak Enoc is also to add two jetties on Fujairah port's northern side of the breakwater to serve tankers of 100,000 dwt. The port itself is to have two berths built there to serve tankers of 120,000 dwt.

- Fujairah Refinery Co. (FRC) has 24 tanks with a combined capacity of 422,000 cubic metres storing fuel oil, gasoil, naphtha and jet kerosine. FRC is running a 95,000 b/d refinery reopened earlier this year after a closure since 1998 as its previous owner Metro Oil Corp. of Greece went bankrupt. The refinery is to have a 20,000 b/d condensate splitter built in the near future. (The refinery, a relocated second-hand plant, began operating in October 1995 and came on stream in January 1996 with a capacity of 35,000 b/d. It had a 20,000 b/d vacuum unit. In October 1997, a 42,000 b/d crude and condensate distillation unit was commissioned at the refinery. A further expansion to 95,000 b/d was done in the subsequent months. It produces heavy kerosine, gasoline and fuel oil used bunkers).

- Dubai-controlled Emirates Petroleum Products Co. (Eppco) has four tanks with a combined capacity of 100,000 cubic metres.

- The UAE government-controlled Emirates General Petroleum Co. (Emarat) has three tanks with a combined capacity of 50,000 cubic metres. Emarat is to have 10 additional tanks build with a combined capacity of 170,000 cubic metres, which will bring its total capacity to 220,000 cubic metres.

Traffic at Fujairah has risen by almost 115% since 1993. On average 322 ships call in for refuelling every month (see UAE survey in Vol. 54, Nos. 20-23).